Team talks and the media

There was the famous incident with Sir Alex Ferguson and David Beckham. With Manchester United behind at half-time, Ferguson kicked a boot lying on the floor of the United dressing-room and it hit Beckham in the face. The media were tipped off and had a field day.

Just 10 days ago, England football manager Roy Hodgson was forced to apologise after a media storm erupted after his half-time comment that the team should use mixed-race Tottenham Hotspur winger Andros Townsend more in the second half.

Hodgson used the term “feed the monkey” and said he was referring to a joke about a monkey sent into space that reportedly circulated at US space agency Nasa in the Sixties. Clearly, one of the players in the room later contacted the media and Hodgson said: “It’s always going to be very difficult when it comes to innocent remarks that you can’t possibly imagine are going to be construed as they were.”

The media in this country go out of their way to promote the sport whenever they can so Piere Strydom has no worries on that score when he has a team talk with Messrs Marcus, Delpech, Fradd, Khumalo and Cormack ahead of Friday’s first leg of the Avis International Jockeys Challenge.

“Yes, I’ll be chatting to the team ahead of the meeting – looking at the races and discussing perhaps the expected pace or lack of it and looking at the dangers that the visitors are riding,” said Piere.

Did he feel he had any particular member in his team that he would be relying on? “No, the members of the team are all top jocks and all can rise to the big occasion.

“What is of real importance is that we take advantage of our strong horse. In the four races, the panel give each jockey one plum ride, two mediocre one and one weak one. It’s vital that the plum ride doesn’t go missing on the day.”

One area of concern for Piere is the points system. “It stretches from the first to the 12th horse – I believe it would be better to confine it to the first six. There are races where a horse just can’t give any more and no jockey wants to flog his mount for the sake of a point,” concluded Piere.

Many moons ago, there was a famous song “Hats Off to Larry” and that’s the case here for Racing Association CEO Larry Wainstein, who has again succeeded in luring a strong international team – notably Richard Hughes – to our shores. The rest of the visiting team are all horsemen of note – Tom Queally, Jamie Spencer and Johnny Murtagh (all Irish) and Hugh Bowman from Australia and Greogory Benoist from France.

Make no mistake, Hughes is the Lionel Messi of racing. He got the Grand Prix champagne treatment from his fellow riders at Doncaster last Saturday when he retained his jockeys title with over 200 winners – something that hadn’t been achieved since Kieren Fallon in 2003.

Now in the Grand Prix arena, Sebastian Vettel really has no rivals. That’s not the case in the UK jockeys championship for – although Ryan Moore exudes as much charisma as Andy Murray’s coach Ivan Lendl – he has as much talent in the saddle as Cristiano Ronaldo has with the ball at his feet.

Johnny Murtagh’s acceptance is another coup for Wainstein as the Irishman has had a tremendous year both in the saddle and sending out runners from his training base at The Curragh. Unfortunately for this Yorkshireman and many Shea Shea fans, one of his best performances came in the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot when he got Sole Power home by the width of cigarette paper.

At the three international venues (Turffontein, Kenilworth and Clairwood), punters will be able to win prizes by selecting the Victor Ludorum winner – the top jockey at the meeting. Form studiers may need to burn the midnight oil – and as Piere has pointed out – pay particular attention to the plum rides.

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If the early prices are any guide, this month’s Sansui Summer Cup is going to be one of the best betting races of the year. SA Derby winner Wylie Hall is the market leader at 7-1.

However, do not invest your hard-earned rands on the ruling 8-1 second favourite Do You Remember. Geoff Woodruff’s talented filly missed her planned engagement at Turffontein last night because Geoff says she was “still under medication following a slight bout of colic last Friday”.

However, the big news from the five-times champion trainer is that Do You Remember is likely to miss the Summer Cup in favour of the Ipi Tombe Challenge on the same day.

“The handicappers have forced my hand – there’ll be no handicaps for her with her rating. The Ipi Tombe looks likely, followed by the Paddock Stakes and J&B Met,” said Geoff yesterday.

The third favourite in Cup betting is Cherry On The Top at 10-1 followed by Rock Cocktail (12-1), Whiteline Fever and Yorker (14-1), Ilha Bela (20-1) and Jet Belle and Royal Zulu Warrior both at 25-1. I think “Bloodshot Bruce” may be interested in the 20-1 available on Ilha.

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It’s also hats off to Gary Player who has been named as one of six new Ambassadors for the annual Breeders Cup meeting in America.

“My love for thoroughbred horses and racing closely rivals my love for golf, and it is such a thrill to now be named an ambassador for the Breeders Cup,” said Gary who celebrated his 78th birthday a fortnight ago.

“I have been breeding racehorses on my stud farm for 40 years and have always considered the Breeders Cup as one of the greatest races in the world.”

Gary will act as a spokesman for next year’s Breeders Cup World Championship and help promote the event.