British 2yo Racing - 2011 Race Result :- 81 : Fri, May 13th - Newbury 3:45, 5.1f Conditions (Fillies') (3)

BRITISH 2yo RACING - 2011 Season Race Result

Race 81 : Fri, May 13th
Newbury 3:45, 5.1f Conditions (Fillies') (3)

2011 Season Home
2011 Results

[Est] is the B2yoR Rating. Green indicates a 55+ level,
Cream between 30 & 54, Pink less than 30.
Wnr = previous/LATER 2yo Winner. Letter is Race Type.
Hf = Position at Halfway. Green indicates making places to the finish.

GOING	TIME	RcPc	VP
GFG	62.4 [Compare]	0	None

	Horse	SP	[EST]	Run	Wnr	Trainer	Dw	Hf	Run Notes
1	Best Terms	0.25	61	2	a/G	R. Hannon	2	1	Supp 3/10, B1, Ld Erl, CmfLd, JkQt-2f SEff, po, Chal-1f+ JkQt, Eff-0.5f+ & 1.5Clr, Eased Lt
2	Dijarvo	33	55	3	a	A. W. Carroll	5	3	PSAwk Ngl, Ngl Erl TTR, Resp+0.5f, Eff-2f, po, Chal-1f+, po, SOutpcd-0.5f+, po, Eased Lt
3	Choisirez	3.33	29	3		P. D. Evans	4	2	BOk, 2nd Erl Sttld, Dv-2f+, SOutpcd-2f, po, Outpcd-2f+ HgL, Fd-0.5f+
NR	Majestic Rose				a	M. R. Channon	1		NR = (Other). Owners did not want to run in a Class 3 Race with Prize Money below the HPGroup Tariff.
NR	Betty Fontaine				M	M. R. Channon	3		NR = (Other). Owners did not want to run in a Class 3 Race with Prize Money below the HPGroup Tariff.

SUMMARY

GFG with some rain in previous week. Going stick at 7.3 reading having been 7.6 at the April 15th Meeting (Magic City). Stalls Stands' Side. Stiff Breeze as a Three-quarter Headwind from the left.

Hannon on his website the day before the race = "We also run our Windsor winner Best Terms in the two-year-old conditions stakes. She is a May 19 foal, so she surprised us a little bit first time out, though we knew that she was nice. How good that race was we don't know, but our filly will improve for that experience and I was pleased to see the race cut up. "

Channon interviewed at York the previous day after Noor Zabeel's win and launched a tirade about having to declare his two entries NRs. The owners did not want to run in races which are below the Horsepersons' tariffs for the Class. Channon's beef being that he could see Conditions races disappearing and he felt they were needed by trainers for development. He said he had sat on a Committee with Lord Carnaervon 10-12 years ago which discussed this and he fought to keep Conditions events and THIS RACE in particular. The other side of the argument is that these type of events get small numbers of runners and from a small set of trainers. Many fields are weak with 1-2 good ones and a set of sub-standard try-ons often from smaller stables. Part of the attraction for the try-on type is that Conditions races have a 'value' in Sales Catalogue often out of line with their quality as contests. This race in particular seems more incongruous now that York have forced the 5f Marygate Stakes for fillies on the same day (having killed off the Hilar Needler as a Listed event on the way) to boost a card full of Handicaps for a Prestige meeting. You could agree with Channon that not running in this race for a lot more money than most maidens & novices are worth seems odd. But, the place of Conditions races overall clearly needs more thought.

Stalls centre track and trio raced centre track in a wide line within 1L of the lead at halfway. Best Terms able to wind the pace from 2f out to get rid of Choisirez and the jockey able to sit quietly. Dijarvo able to mount a brief challenge towards the last 1f but jockey Hughes on the winner still sitting still and BTerms responded enough to the challenge anyway to hold it. Hughes asked her for a brief effort at 0.5f out to go to a clear lead and a comfortable win. Nothing learned overall.

A couple of points to come out of this race. To answer Channon why was he getting so upset? Having Majestic Rose and the tiny Betty Fontaine in the race would have made little difference as a spectacle. Dijarvo comes from a similar Conditions race at Salisbury where the two subsequent runners from 4 reps on the day have both been comfortably beaten. The idea that Conditions races are development events for trainers just does not hold up. The majority of trainers do not use them much, if at all. Those that do are, in the majority, running horses for whom the conditions level is the top of their level or are below that level and are try-ons. Few use them in the manner Channon seems to believe important. The other point would be that on the day there were 6 x 2yo races with 4 of them (incl 2 x maidens) with 3-4 horses in. What is going on? Dry spring stopping horses getting out? Evidence of a decrease in horses in training? To the same point in 2010 (end of race 84) a total of 804 horses were declared representing 462 different horses. So far this year the numbers are 403 horses (87% of the 2010 total) and just 696 declarations.

Hannon on his website after the race = "Best Terms never broke sweat to beat two rivals in the Scope Charity Fillies' Stakes, being hand-ridden throughout the final furlong to see off Djarvo. Robert Barnett's home-bred filly, who is now two from two, looks distinctly smart, and the boss said:Best Terms will not be two until next Thursday, but she is a quick learner and very professional. She will be entered for both the Queen Mary and the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, and we will decide which route to take nearer the time."