IS a winning ride always a good ride?

It did seem so to me after Royal Ascot. A bit of the “if you have the name of an early riser, you can stay in bed ‘til noon” variety came to mind with Ryan Moore winning the Albany on Fairy Godmother, switching wide after initially being denied a run.

Instead of the often-referenced Jamie Spencer sit-back-take-a-risk style, and run into trouble comments, we heard lots of Ryan Moore is the greatest.

And what of the rider himself? Moore said afterwards: “I gave Fairy Godmother an impossible task and she got me out of a hole. It’s incredible that she was able to win from that position, so all credit to her.” He had to switch out to the stands’ side around the second Simmering and the whole field when there appeared to be a quicker gap between Royalty Bay and Cradle Of Love.

A perfect example of Moore getting praised for getting a bit of luck in having a very high-class partner. What might have been said had he been beaten?

It recalled Moore getting praised for just doing what it said on the tin a few years back on Rohaan, coming through late exactly as Shane Kelly had done in the Wokingham the previous year.

But if less obvious, Moore’s ride on Auguste Rodin was top notch. With two defeats on his card this season, there was a bit to prove beforehand.

Aidan O’Brien said afterwards: “Ryan said he was going to ride him positive, engage him straight away – he’ll get up there and cruise off any pace. We saw today that when he gets to the front, he waits, and then he goes again.”

Only in the first furlong was he the fastest of the main field, behind the two tearaway leaders. Inspiral, with some stamina doubts, had to go sub 12secs in the second and third furlongs to make up the ground she lost, which added to the task she had to overcome.

But for every one of the furlongs from the second to the 10th and final one, Auguste Rodin was not the fastest horse. It was an overall show of controlled high tempo riding over the course of a race.

The furlong sectionals show he was only the fifth fastest from the three to the two and he was a shade slower than second and third Zarakem and Horizon Dore from the two to the one. And Zarakem ran fastest in the final furlong.

No luck involved. It was a proper piece of judgement in getting the best out of your horse.

Could Los be lucky?

THERE were three and a quarter lengths between Ambiente Friendly and Los Angeles at the finish of the Derby at Epsom and it now goes into Ryan Moore’s hands to find a way to pull that back that margin. James Fanshawe’s colt had looked the winner, travelling best into the straight but Los Angeles had raced much more prominently to that point. Capri reversed Epsom form with Wings Of Eagles and Cracksman at the Curragh in 2017, Mojo Star finished second at Epsom and had the placings well reversed at the Curragh when Hurricane Lane reversed the Epsom placings three years ago, so it can well be done. I think it might be worth a shot with the Camelot colt who had stepped up well from his initial run this season. Over to you Ryan!

HINTS of changes in the conditions for the Cheltenham Mares’ Hurdle, intended to make the Champion Hurdle more competitive, filtered out last week and did not receive a strong welcome in many circles.

Suffice to say breeders, owners and trainers do not see the situation in the same manner as those looking on from afar, punters and racefans. (Though the race measures well in betting revenue.)

Introducing a ban on winners of a Grade 1 in the months or season leading up to Cheltenham from then running in the race was mentioned as one option. But, it seems unfair and against the grain of why the race was created, to exclude a mare whose only Grade 1 win might have been against her own sex and in novice company, possibly in the Fairyhouse Grade 1 in April, and against what was bound to be weaker opposition than what she would have to meet in a Champion Hurdle.

The majority of mares who won (or would have won) the Festival Grade 1 Mares’ Hurdle, have used it as a stepping stone into the Champion Hurdle the next season which seems fine and right to me.

Annie Power did, Apple’s Jade did after two runs in the Mares, and Honeysuckle stepped up to the Champion. Epatante went from the Mares’ Novice the previous year to the Champion. No one can criticise those campaigns. Most of the other winners were also not good enough to beat the top geldings in the hurdling championship.

Where would the likes of Black Tears, Marie’s Rock go after they won the Mares’ Grade 1 – retire? Glen’s Melody, Roskana were fortunate winners as Annie Power and Benie Des Dieux fell.

Would owners who won the Grade 2 Cheltenham Mares’ Novice and gone on to win the Fairyhouse Grade 1 come back the next season and run in the Champion Hurdle? And it’s been pointed out Aintree novice winner Brighterdaysahead would have no race at the Festival, given she does not look a two-miler.

Weak renewal

Mares would possibly avoid Grade 1 races like the Fighting Fifth, in case in a weak renewal, they won, ruling them out of the Mares’ Hurdle option.

Perhaps not allowing a horse to run in it after they had won (Benie Des Dieux did run in it three times 2018-’20) could be tried. Win it once and move up. It would prevent an obvious Grade 1 horse like Quevega sitting in the Mares year after year, it would have put Benie Des Dieux and Apple’s Jade into the Champion or Stayers a year earlier. Lossiemouth would only have one option next year, for all that it seemed the plan anyway.

Many of the Mares’ Hurdle winners were well short of Honeysuckle’s class or had the speed of Lossiemouth. Would her connections have dared to put her into a Champion Hurdle at five against a fully fit Constitution Hill? I doubt many would.

Matthew Sutcliffe@MattySutcliffe

Racing’s not covered itself in glory recently, and it probably isn’t the product it was years ago, but this week at Ascot was a reminder of how wonderful it can be. Proper racing ground, an abundance of quality, and some memorable stories to boot. Massive credit to all involved.

Syndicates.Racing@SyndicatesHQ

Unfortunately this proposal has been put together by people who think this is a “clever tweak” to solve other problems when in fact it’s a direct attack on the most successful change in National Hunt racing in 20 years.