York Reflections

It was nice to get a winner at the Ebor meeting with Farhan in the big mile and a half handicap on the Friday. John [Butler] only put him in because he was running out of time and wanted to get a run into him before the autumn.

This horse ideally needs a bit of cut, but York always put on nice, safe ground and John said he was pleasing him at home. I was surprised how well he kicked towards the end of the race, but they went a relentless gallop and that normally sets it up for a closer.

York is such a good track. The facilities are excellent, particularly for jockeys. Prize money is top class and it really is everything that racing should be. Let’s hope more racecourses follow suit.

Silver Samurai ran a great race in the six furlong sprint on Saturday. He’s a hold up horse who travels very well. He came with his run and got to the front, but the horses around him dropped away and we got nabbed towards the end.

It was still a very good run and I’m sure this horse can win a big one like a Wokingham, Stewards’ Cup or Ayr Gold Cup one day. As the long as the ground isn’t too soft, he could go to Ayr next month. If not, he could just be put away for next year.

Fixture List

I said on Twitter the other day that the RCA are just avoiding the main question that needs to be answered. Okay, prize money is going up a tiny bit, but it was already pitiful.

The main problem is the racecourses just want more fixtures and more racing. Why? Because they get paid more the more races are on.

It’s a disgrace and it comes down to pure greed. Even bookmakers are saying there’s too much racing now because, ultimately, small field sizes are no good for anyone.

RCA. Mr Armstrong avoiding answering questions and passing the bat back to trainers !! Too much racing even bookmakers are saying it !! Utter rubbish talk…. 👎🏽💩 https://t.co/HwURSai1wD

— Neil Callan (@neilcallan78) August 24, 2022

The BHA are the rule makers, they should be stepping forward and making the executive decision to do the right thing, not just saying “we’re reviewing it”. It needs strong leaders to make the right decisions now.

Former BHA leaders like Peter Savill and Paul Roy have come out and said it needs to be fixed. They’ve made some very sensible proposals, but no-one is listening.

I don’t know why that is – is it political? Is it ignorance? Either way, it needs to be sorted quickly.

Windsor on Saturday

I’ve got a full book of rides at Windsor on Saturday, starting with LUCKY AVA in the five furlong handicap (3:55). I won on her at Chelmsford in June and she has a fair bit of speed.

In truth, her best form has come on the all-weather, but if she can reproduce that run on turf, then she’d have a decent chance.

It’s nice to pick up a few rides for Paul & Oliver Cole and DESERT FIGHTER makes his debut in the first division of the six furlong novice (4:30).

This is his first day at school, so we’ll know more about him afterwards.

MAJESTIC NEWLAW, also for the Coles, takes his chance in the second division (5:02). He has the benefit of experience, having finished down the field in a seven furlong novice at Salisbury last month.

Hopefully he will have learnt from that and can improve in this.

I’m on NEPTUNE LEGEND for Tony Carroll in the six furlong handicap (5:34).

He ran pretty well over course and distance two starts back, so we know he doesn’t have any problems with the course. It looks an open race.

FELIX goes for the Listed August Stakes (6:05). He’s a grand old horse and ran really well to be fifth with me in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta back in March.

He’s a globetrotting horse and Marco [Botti] has done very well with him. This is his first start for a while, so he could be a bit rusty, but he looks as well as ever and he has won after a break a few times in the past.

MAJESTIC DAWN should go well in the Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes (6:35). He’s a nice horse who won well at Goodwood earlier in the season.

He was only just touched off at Deauville in a Group 3 a couple of weeks ago and he’ll certainly appreciate the slower ground here. Grocer Jack looks the one we all have to beat, but Majestic Dawn is a nice ride to get.

I won on LE REVEUR at Doncaster in June and hopefully we can get the job done again in the mile handicap (7:05).

I was on board again when he was a respectable fourth behind Ostilio at Yarmouth a few days later. He looks to have an each-way chance in a wide open race.

My final ride on a busy evening is HEROIC HOLLY for Alan King in the finale (7:35). This will be my first sit on her and hopefully she’ll run well, but she’s taking on a few recent winners and looks to have a tough task on her hands.

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 26th August 2022

Howard Webb became the first English referee to take charge of a World Cup final in 36 years when he oversaw Spain and the Netherlands in 2010.

What was meant to be the highlight of Webb’s career turned into a nightmare with Netherlands’ aggressive tactics forcing Webb to show 14 yellow cards, including two to Johnny Heitinga. 

Criticism of Webb came in droves. The majority was focused on his decision not to send off Nigel de Jong for a chest-high challenge on Xabi Alonso.

Webb was experienced, a well-known official to followers of Champions League betting odds, and was defended by Sepp Blatter and other big names. Still, the 2010 World Cup final remains a controversial one.

No more than six cautions had been handed out in a World Cup final before. Some felt Webb was too harsh. Others questioned whether he was trying too hard to let the game flow, allowing the Dutch players to bully the Spaniards.

Webb remains known as one of the best Premier League referees, but he was handed the most challenging of circumstances for a World Cup final.

De Jong’s tackle is etched in the memories of football fans worldwide, a challenge so out-of-place that a replay was required to check you had seen it properly. 

The Dutch midfielder has admitted he deserved a red for the challenge. In a 2021 interview, he shed some light on the conversation which might have swayed Webb.

"Howard [Webb] was in charge of the game. Luckily enough I knew him from the Premier League and we had a good relationship.

"I think that’s the only explanation I can give you as to why I didn’t get a red card. I put my hands up straight away and said to him 'listen, it was accidental, don’t make such a big decision so early in the game.'

"It would have completely messed up the biggest game on the biggest stage. And of course there was no VAR to influence his decision, so as soon as he pulled out the yellow card, that was it.

"But obviously, looking back, it was a straight red card. It was a bad red; I can admit that."

Webb, years after the biggest match of his career and long after exiting the Premier League predictions stage, shared his story of the incident in his autobiography. 

"Hand on heart, it never, ever crossed my mind that this was a red card. In that instance, on that pitch, I was utterly convinced it was a yellow; not one percent of me thought otherwise.

"I hadn't bottled out of the big decision, I hadn't felt intimidated by the occasion, and I'd certainly not felt under any pressure from FIFA to curb dismissals. I'd simply handed out the appropriate penalty for what I'd seen with my own eyes. And that's the truth.

BREAKING: Howard Webb will take up the role of Chief Refereeing Officer with PGMOL in the coming months. pic.twitter.com/ymuK65fP7i

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 24, 2022

"It wasn't until half-time that I realised De Jong's tackle might have been worthy of a red card... I felt gutted beyond belief.

"It looked like I'd missed a red-card offence in the World Cup final. What a f---ing nightmare. I returned to the pitch with my head pounding and my heart thumping."

From a betting perspective, Webb’s decision kept the Netherlands in the game. With no VAR, it could have proved the most pivotal error in World Cup final history.

Ultimately, the decision not to send off de Jong did not cost Spain, which may have been a relief for Webb. Andres Iniesta’s extra time goal eventually won La Roja their first World Cup.

De Jong might have avoided an embarrassing red card in the final, but Alonso had the last laugh.