The turf | 30 August 2018

Having spent most of my life among politicians I guess I have become unaccustomed to candour. The only example I remember was the Danish prime minister I interviewed for CNN before his country’s referendum on joining the euro. ‘Prime Minister, the trouble with referendums is that people often don’t answer the question. They vote on the popularity of the person asking it. Are you popular enough to win this referendum?’ ‘Probably not’, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen replied — and was proved correct when the Danes voted to stay out.

In racing too we have all grown used to jockeys and trainers making excuses. ‘The ground didn’t suit him’, ‘He was short of a gallop’, ‘I was cut up round the bend’. On winners who have had to dig deep to get out of trouble they will pretend that was always the race plan. How refreshing, then, at Goodwood last Saturday, to talk to Oisin Murphy and Harry Bentley after two of the more remarkable rides in recent weeks. Fresh from winning the Group 1 Juddmonte International at York’s Ebor Festival, Oisin was brimful of confidence riding Beat The Bank, Andrew Balding’s 11-8 favourite for the Celebration Mile. But his mount was not travelling with his usual fluency and Oisin was niggling and pushing him four furlongs out. Trapped wide on the bend he had to re-pass at least three horses in the final 50 yards to prevail in a blanket finish with three lengths covering the field of eight. Victory was a tribute to the horse’s courage and the determination of an on-fire jockey. Had Oisin believed two furlongs out that he could win? Frankly no, replied the candid jockey, who went on to explain: ‘I was never comfortable but he’s so tough, one of those with the character to win when things don’t go right.