Beggars can’t be choosers but the two jobs in racing I would least relish would to be a jockey’s agent or a handicapper. I’ve never been over fond of the telephone; I’d owned a mobile for a year before it rang, and the thought of ringing grumpy trainers at dawn fills me with dread and apprehension, let alone informing the jockeys I represent that they’ve got another day off. I am full of admiration for top agents Dave Roberts and Tony Hind, and how Racing TV presenter Niall Hannity can spend the morning booking rides for his entourage and then face the cameras at some far-flung outpost, leaves me speechless.
The handicapper faces an impossible task. How can you ever have a good day when the level of excellence you strive for is to see 15 horses in a handicap flash past the winning post separated by a whisker? It’s never going to happen. Also the phone comes into play here too, because the grouchy trainer who gave short shrift to an agent just minutes ago, is haranguing you for putting his horse up 7lbs for beating, for what he or she perceives, as a load of donkeys.
The actual process of handicapping is probably fascinating, studying and assessing form, and probably re-evaluating a race that you initially thought was better than it has turned out, and vice versa. It becomes a never-ending circle, and is your end game to give a horse a chance of victory by reducing its handicap rating, or to penalise a winning horse so severely that it may never win again? A horse can rocket up the ratings by, say a stone, after a couple of wins and then take the rest of its racing career to fall to a level where it can win again.
This story is from the July 2021 edition of Racing Ahead.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2021 edition of Racing Ahead.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
SHARK'S GOT A BIT BETWEEN HIS TEETH
Alex Gifford reckons Hewick will be ready and refreshed for the National after his Gold Cup absence
THEY'RE BACKING LOSERS AND WE'LL PAY THE PRICE
Rolf Johnson blasts unelected officials meddling with gambling regulations while the 'impotent' BHA stand aside
THERE'S BOUNTI IN IT FOR BOUGHEY
Dave Youngman does the rounds on the gallops at headquarters and spotlights a promising new crop
SUMMER DAYS FOR ALL WEATHER TRIO
It's cash bonuses all round for the stars of rubber and sand, writes Ian Heitman
FOLLOW THE VAN
Paul Jacobs is keeping faith with Gavin Cromwell and last year's Grand National runner-up
IT'S SAFETY FIRST BUT NOBLE'S MY WINNER
Sky Racing frontman Robert Cooper casts a wistful eye back on old-school Nationals - but he's fixed on Yeats
GET SET FOR AN EASTER CRACKER!
Karl Hedley picks out runners and riders who can shine in the aftermath of Cheltenham
COR BLIMEY! WHAT A CRACKING CLIMAX
Ben Morgan looks to Cheltenham stars Slade Steel and Corach Rambler to star on Aintree's biggest day
BANBOU TAKES A BOW
Frero can top 'em in the Topham for Venetia Williams
DAWNING TO OPEN FOR IN-FORM DAN
Ben Morgan sees the Skelton brothers getting off to a winning start on Day 1