Breasley Border Brownlow
August 1st 2008 07:36
Craig Williams has won his third consecutive Melbourne Jockeys Premiership, and is favourite to win his third consecutive Scobie Breasley Medal.
(photo: Getty Images)
Since its inception in the 1995-1996 season the Scobie Breasley Medal has been promoted as an award (in racing) the equivalent of a Brownlow Medal for Australian Rules Football.
In the early days the voting was (as with the Brownlow Medal) on a 3-2-1 basis, as judged by a panel of external judges for the best ride of the day.
Now it is judged solely by RVL Stewards and based on their votes after each metropolitan meeting. I suppose this too is more akin to the Brownlow Medal system with AFL umpires voting on those athletes under their jurisdiction on the day - just as stewards will judge and penalise jockeys for infringements.
The Scobie Breasley Medal however is not given to the ‘Fairest and Best’ Jockey. In reality I would suggest that a jockey would need to infringe on an occasion or two if the horse he is riding is the certain winner of a feature race - if only he could (not too recklessly) take the gap or edge out of the way a horse of nuisance value. As punters and owners we would wish that a jockey tried too hard (and was penalised) rather than saw an opportunity but was passive with fear of consequence.
And I would think the field of possible Breasley Medal winners would be a small pool if suspended jockeys were ineligible to win, as it is in AFL football with suspended players being ineligible for the Brownlow Medal. Each racing day we see a minor indiscretion that results in a penalty - but also a win for jockey and stable. The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe result of 2007 was on a knifedge as Kieren Fallon was subject to a 35 minute hearing after Dylan Thomas shifted ground when sprinting to the lead in the straight and interfered with several horses. Fallon should have kept a straight course. But beaten horses were squeezed as Dylan Thomas shifted in on the unsuitable soft ground - and Fallon knew that momentum was the key. With care and correction he most likely would have been beaten by the fast finishing Youmzain.
So, would we want a Breasley Medal to be fought out by jockeys who never infringe? Definitely not.
Although I am not totally happy with the concept of a Breasley Medal equating to the recognition of the best jockey in Victoria for a given year, it is still better than an Alan Border (cricket) medal where the pool of players is too insular to offer any real meaning.
(but back to racing)
It is no surprise that the winner of the Scobie Breasley Medal will most likely be the jockey with the most metropolitan wins. The winner being a jockey connected to one of the most powerful stables (Williams to David Hayes, and his two Group One wins aboard the Hayes horses, Kibbutz in the VRC Derby, and Niconero in the Futurity Stakes).
In AFL Football the Brownlow Medal winners come from clubs both powerful and weak (top and bottom of the ladder). By the nature of this team sport the worth of the individual can still be noted and celebrated in a losing team and situation. But not in horseracing. If riding slow horses it is very difficult to display all of the skills you may possess.
Sometimes a lesser known jockey - on a less talented horse - will ride brilliantly and still only place or run fourth or fifth. The skill of the jockey obvious in the narrowing of the gap. Personally I would like to see more attention paid to brilliance shown when riding horses of lesser ability. Some horses win regardless of expertise of jockey, or trainer.
I have an alternative system for a jockeys’ award.
A jockey (family member or even jockey mamager) could submit to a panel a videotape (okay...dvd) of the best three rides that he (she) has ridden for the season. This would give the lesser know jockey an opportunity to display their expertise to a panel of judges, who may by comment and reporting assist in creating future opportunities. Perhaps a (seldom-to-town) provincial jockey might present a series of rides for judging when only placed. These may draw votes for skills shown and allow a greater prominence and scope for future oppportunities. Or TVN (Thoroughvision, the horseracing network) could produce an interactive segment with viewers encouraged to vote. Not perfect - but better than Big Brother.
And just to prove you don’t need to do much to lose a race on protest, here is a controversial race (won on protest) from recent times:
Kibbutz with Craig Williams wins VRC Derby
(photo: Getty Images)
Since its inception in the 1995-1996 season the Scobie Breasley Medal has been promoted as an award (in racing) the equivalent of a Brownlow Medal for Australian Rules Football.
In the early days the voting was (as with the Brownlow Medal) on a 3-2-1 basis, as judged by a panel of external judges for the best ride of the day.
Now it is judged solely by RVL Stewards and based on their votes after each metropolitan meeting. I suppose this too is more akin to the Brownlow Medal system with AFL umpires voting on those athletes under their jurisdiction on the day - just as stewards will judge and penalise jockeys for infringements.
The Scobie Breasley Medal however is not given to the ‘Fairest and Best’ Jockey. In reality I would suggest that a jockey would need to infringe on an occasion or two if the horse he is riding is the certain winner of a feature race - if only he could (not too recklessly) take the gap or edge out of the way a horse of nuisance value. As punters and owners we would wish that a jockey tried too hard (and was penalised) rather than saw an opportunity but was passive with fear of consequence.
And I would think the field of possible Breasley Medal winners would be a small pool if suspended jockeys were ineligible to win, as it is in AFL football with suspended players being ineligible for the Brownlow Medal. Each racing day we see a minor indiscretion that results in a penalty - but also a win for jockey and stable. The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe result of 2007 was on a knifedge as Kieren Fallon was subject to a 35 minute hearing after Dylan Thomas shifted ground when sprinting to the lead in the straight and interfered with several horses. Fallon should have kept a straight course. But beaten horses were squeezed as Dylan Thomas shifted in on the unsuitable soft ground - and Fallon knew that momentum was the key. With care and correction he most likely would have been beaten by the fast finishing Youmzain.
So, would we want a Breasley Medal to be fought out by jockeys who never infringe? Definitely not.
Although I am not totally happy with the concept of a Breasley Medal equating to the recognition of the best jockey in Victoria for a given year, it is still better than an Alan Border (cricket) medal where the pool of players is too insular to offer any real meaning.
(but back to racing)
It is no surprise that the winner of the Scobie Breasley Medal will most likely be the jockey with the most metropolitan wins. The winner being a jockey connected to one of the most powerful stables (Williams to David Hayes, and his two Group One wins aboard the Hayes horses, Kibbutz in the VRC Derby, and Niconero in the Futurity Stakes).
In AFL Football the Brownlow Medal winners come from clubs both powerful and weak (top and bottom of the ladder). By the nature of this team sport the worth of the individual can still be noted and celebrated in a losing team and situation. But not in horseracing. If riding slow horses it is very difficult to display all of the skills you may possess.
Sometimes a lesser known jockey - on a less talented horse - will ride brilliantly and still only place or run fourth or fifth. The skill of the jockey obvious in the narrowing of the gap. Personally I would like to see more attention paid to brilliance shown when riding horses of lesser ability. Some horses win regardless of expertise of jockey, or trainer.
I have an alternative system for a jockeys’ award.
A jockey (family member or even jockey mamager) could submit to a panel a videotape (okay...dvd) of the best three rides that he (she) has ridden for the season. This would give the lesser know jockey an opportunity to display their expertise to a panel of judges, who may by comment and reporting assist in creating future opportunities. Perhaps a (seldom-to-town) provincial jockey might present a series of rides for judging when only placed. These may draw votes for skills shown and allow a greater prominence and scope for future oppportunities. Or TVN (Thoroughvision, the horseracing network) could produce an interactive segment with viewers encouraged to vote. Not perfect - but better than Big Brother.
And just to prove you don’t need to do much to lose a race on protest, here is a controversial race (won on protest) from recent times:
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