“It should have been a celebration of one of the greatest horses we have ever seen… My ride being the story of the day didn’t sit well with me. Unfortunately, that’s my cross to bear.” – Luke Nolen press conference, Thursday 28th June, 2012.
It was with a mixture of relief and despair that I reflected on Luke Nolen’s immediate post race comments after his win on Black Caviar in last weekend’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Relief because, as a radio presenter/journalist, it was refreshing to see and hear Luke Nolen’s honesty with his post-race remarks upon returning to scale.
The despair has been at how Nolen has been slammed from pillar to post in some quarters for admitting that easing the champion mare down close to the line was a brain-fade.
I’m a dyed-in-the-wool cynic. As a consequence, most post-match press conferences in almost any sport you care to name – to me anyway – are 20-minute cliché-fests.
The scribes involved will try numerous ways to get coaches, players and officials to say something vaguely interesting before the relevant gatekeepers step in and declare proceedings closed.
The next day’s papers, blogs and video sites carry quotes and reactions with all the color and excitement of a “how to” video on lighting a match or mixing paint.
Every now and then though comes a moment of refreshing honesty; those gems when the subject of a media scrum will pull a mea culpa (Nolen); slam an official (just about any Ricky Stuart presser during his time as boss at Cronulla) or an opponent (Campbell Brown on Matthew Lloyd).
These moments are sadly few and far between. As Nolen will no doubt attest to after the weekend, it is understandable why sports fans are – and will continue to be – subjected to beige, inoffensive cliché riddled pre and post match briefings from those involved.
Such is the fascination of some reporters and commentators – and more so their readers and viewers – that Nolen is still answering to the brain-fade line of questioning almost seven days after the event.
The view is always good from the cheap seats and sadly, those who have the cheapest seats are often the ones who do the most complaining.
Leaving aside the fact that Black Caviar injured herself in the run – for no one at Moody Racing is using it as an excuse; indeed, it makes her win all the more remarkable – it would be understandable to think that Black Caviar lost the Diamond Jubilee Stakes by a comprehensive margin, but the fact is: she won.
Sure, discuss Luke’s poor judgement, but it is galling that the ride has overtaken the win. Whether you win by a nose or win by 10 lengths, the result is still the same.
Ridiculous ‘exotics’ betting markets aside, the pay-out to punters is still the same ($1.04 on most Totes). Connections still receive the same amount of prize-money and the size of the trophy or plate doesn’t increase or decrease in correlation to the final margin past the post.
Black Caviar’s record is still 22-0. Nolen may have blundered, but the fact is that the records will still name Black Caviar as winner at Group One level in Australia and in England. It is a feat few horses have been able to achieve. It deserves to be the story, but sadly it is not.
Congratulations to her, Moody Racing, Luke Nolen and Black Caviar’s connections. None of you have anything to prove.
She is the best horse Australia has seen for sometime and the only debate I’m interesting in reading about is if she’s the best ever, not about the ride. Enjoy the triumph of your week at Ascot. It is well deserved.
marto
Guest
Actually, I don't think that Nolen made a mistake. I have heard him say that BC came back under him when he stopped riding her, and that this was highly unusual for her - apparently, when he lets her go, she usually just strides out and gives them hell. If she was doing anything remotely unusual under him that day, then he would be perfectly within his rights to not push her. By the same token, that is something which he could never admit to in public, There is more going on here than meets the eye, IMO.
Barry
Guest
As a long time racing fan I stayed up to watch this. When Nolen gave BC more rein and she didn't put a gap in them I thought she not going as well as usual. Normally when Nolen drops his hands she cruses to the post but this time, no doubt due to being in pain, she just wanted to sit down. At that moment I wrote her off. I couldn't believe that Nolen was able to get her to pick up again in one stride and win on the line. The first thought I had was of relief that she hadn't been beaten. Not for her but for Nolen. As a said to my mate, "If he'd lost like that his life would never be the same again. It would be one of the great stuffups of all time." But as you say the point about getting beaten didn't matter anyway.
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
I actually think the ride has taken a back seat in the last few days and the horse has returned to centre stage. You're right, there is plenty of "beige" comment, unfortunately we'll see plenty more of it in the future. Luke Nolen would have won a bulk of the non-racing public over by saying "I stuffed up".
nan
Guest
Well done SUAVE for Mine she is the best horse i have seen grace a race track in Australia. No horse has ever made the hairs stand up on my back as she burst clear at the 400 while group 1 winners were under the whip trying to stay with her. PETER MOODY AND LUKE NOLEN have only ever done what is best for her and i as a fan will selfishly want to see her race on but will accept it if she is retired as i suspect will happen. Again i say HIP HIP HOORAY HIP HIP HOORAY HIP HIP HOORAY