A LIGHTER LOOK AT SOME STRANGE THINGS IN RACING

By Matt Nicholls

28/06/2012

melbourneracing@gmail.com

IT'S easy to get caught up in the emotion of racing.

When a jockey gets stuck on the fence on an odds-on pop you've just backed for a heap, only for it to get out at the last moment and get beaten a lip, it can be bloody frustrating.

Likewise if you've had a lash at some trotter in the third race at Ballarat after a boozy Saturday afternoon and you see it break stride at the start and end up 80 metres behind the field as they bunch up around the back straight.

So I can understand why a lot of people got emotional when Luke Nolen stopped riding out Black Caviar at Royal Ascot.

In hindsight, knowing that she tore muscles in the race, perhaps Nolen could now be hailed a genius. He did, after all, give her the softest trip possible.

But if you think Nolen's ride was unforgivable (probably only the idiots who backed Black Caviar to win by a decent margin) then have a look at some of the following videos.

We take a look at some of the worst jockey performances available on YouTube, as well as a bit of comedy from racecallers.

Enjoy.

This poor bloke got the winning post confused and would no doubt still be copping grief about this. There's nowhere to hide after a performance like that.

Rhys McLeod wasn't the first and won't be the last to misjudge the distance of a staying race. Greg Miles summed it up beautifully by saying "Rhys McLeod is just lookin for a hole, I think " as his mount went past the winning post, 100 lengths off the winner.

Seb Sanders was just a kid when this happened and turned out to be a pretty good jockey so he can be forgiven. It's just one of those things that jockeys have nightmares about.

The racecaller didn't make a big deal out of it but I reckon those that backed this horse would have been lining up to have a crack at the jockey afterwards. If I were him I would have kept riding until I hit the car park.

Sometimes it seems harsh to laugh at others' misfortune but at least South Australian racecaller Jimmy Jacques could have a chuckle at himself after his voice left him at Globe Derby back in 2010.

It's would normally be racecaller's nightmare but Tony McMahon handled this situation expertly. I met Tony when he called a McKinlay Cup one day in outback Queensland and he was a perfect gentleman and true professional.

You can't argue with the name of this winner. The wife does always know. If you think she doesn't you're kidding yourself!