Ruby's remount sparked debate

To remount or not to remount - that is this week's burning issue.

Some people got very hot under the collar following events atExeter on Monday when Arkle Chase favourite Kauto Star's warm-up racedidn't go according to plan.

The Paul Nicholls-trained horse was cantering to victory beforetripping over his own feet at the second-last fence and depositingjockey Ruby Walsh on the turf.

Ruby got up quickly, grabbed the reins and got back on board, onlyfailing by the narrowest margin to reel in the eventual winner afterclearing the final obstacle many lengths in arrears.

This remarkable riding display prompted renewed calls by the RSPCAfor the Jockey Club to outlaw the remounting of a horse during arace, while Best Mate's handler Henrietta Knight and former toptrainer David Nicholson both said they always forbade jockeys to doit.

Plainly it's a very touchy subject and is one of those grey areasin the sport.

I have never told someone riding for me not to remount should hefall, believing it a decision best made by the jockey at the time. No-one would attempt to carry on in a race aboard a horse that wasinjured or merely stunned.

However, I would have no problem if a rule was brought in banningthe practice.

I can well remember from my own riding career being unseated frommy father-in-law Richard Holder's The Thirsty Farmer at the second-last fence of a three-runner event at Fontwell.

I ran two-and-a-half furlongs to retrieve the horse, remounted itand went back to the place where we had parted company beforefinishing the race long after the other two runners had returned tothe unsaddling enclosure.

My efforts rewarded the owners with GBP1,500 in prize money, aconsiderable amount at that time, and I can assure you they were veryhappy with my decision.

The other big talking point this week was the voiding of a race onthe all-weather at Lingfield after the winner's stall opened afraction early.

I can understand from a betting point of view why this was done asit could be argued that the first past the post, Cargo, had gained anunfair advantage by forcing open his gate.

However, I doubt that the result was affected and I feel theconnections of all those finishing 'in the money' should have beenpaid out.

At the very least the expenses of all those concerned should havebeen covered by the racecourse.

l The performance of Martin Pipe's Well Chief in winning theVictor Chandler Chase at Cheltenham last Saturday was the best I haveseen this jumps season. For a six-year-old to give a lot of weightaway and win a high-class race in impressive fashion underlines thehorse's glowing future.

Last year's Arkle Chase victor is now a real threat to MoscowFlyer and Azertyuiop in next month's Queen Mother Champion Chase atthe Festival.