Mike Cattermole column: Criquette Head-Maarek retiring from training and Battaash underestimated
Mike Cattermole is in particularly reflective mood in light of a moving week in the world of racing.
CRIQUETTE HEAD-MAAREK SUCH A CLASSY LADY
I first came across Criquette Head, as she was before she married Monsieur Maarek, when she trained Three Troikas to win the 1979 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
The three-year-old filly won very impressively indeed, with Criquette’s champion jockey brother Freddie on board. British favourite Troy only managed third place - in spite of Willie Carson throwing everything at the dual Derby winner.
I couldn't quite believe that Troy would be humbled in such a manner and was taken with the Head siblings who proved to be quite a force over the next few years and went on to win the 1000 Guineas together with Ma Biche four years later.
When she retires in a couple of weeks' time, there's no doubt that Criquette can look back on a magnificent career.
Whenever I saw her interviewed, she seemed charm personified and who would have thought that, many years later, I would approach her, microphone in hand, on behalf of C4 Racing?
I didn't interview her often but, when I did, it was a pleasure. She was so easy, so open and gentle and with a smile and a charisma that made you feel as though she really didn't mind at all that her valuable time was being taken up on an important day.
When Special Duty won her her fourth 1000 Guineas in 2010, it came in dramatic fashion. The stewards ruled, quite correctly, that Jacqueline Quest had hampered Special Duty near the finish, costing her the race and so the placings were reversed.
This was big at the time as Jacqueline Quest was not only trained by Henry Cecil, whose last Guineas winner had been a while back in 1999, but also owned by Noel Martin, a quadriplegic after being a victim of a vicious attack by Neo-Nazis due to the colour of his skin. (Martin is one of the bravest men I have met).
Throughout it all, when the stewards were debating, and especially afterwards, Criquette was brilliant with the way she dealt with the situation. She had words with both Henry and Noel and was gracious beyond belief. It was exemplary.
When Treve lost her way after she was being trained to win her second Arc, Criquette never lost faith, either in the filly or in her own skills and insights. Even so, it must have been testing for her to hear Thierry Jarnet advising retirement for Treve after her defeat in the Vermeille.
But Criquette knew – didn't she just!
AND THE BEST HORSE IN THE WORLD IS...?
Tuesday was an important day for racing.
Over in parliament, the unwritten and thus vague contract between bookmakers and punters was under serious discussion, while up in Mayfair - at Claridge's Hotel - the world's best racehorse of 2017, as sponsored by Longines, was revealed to be Arrogate for the second year running.
The winner of the Dubai World Cup last March was given the nod on a mark of 134, 2lb ahead of Winx, with Cracksman and Gun Runner together on 130.
I am sure I am not the only one who felt underwhelmed by this. A lot has happened since Dubai and the fact that he failed to win again in three starts rather took the gilt off his career and makes his belated crowning rather an anti-climax.
But there is no doubting that his form in Dubai was exceptional and that is what the international team of handicappers were measuring here.
Comparing them to the Timeform top 10 makes interesting reading, however. The sages of Halifax could not separate Cracksman or Battaash at the top of their 2017 tree. Both get marks of 136, 1lb ahead of both Arrogate and Lady Aurelia.
I suspect that comparing Cracksman’s demolition job in the Champion Stakes to the Dubai World Cup would keep the handicappers arguing for quite some time. Both were undeniably top drawer and who knows for sure which was the better performance?
One thing's certain, both Battaash and the Lady missed out on the official list, which contained just one sprinter - Harry Angel.
There is no doubt in my mind that Battaash produced a truly outstanding effort to win at Longchamp – it was breathtaking - and don't forget that he also broke the track record when he won at Sandown.
Likewise, Lady Aurelia was at her brilliant best in the King's Stand Stakes in another superlative display.
I feel that she and Battaash, in particular, have been heavily underestimated by the official assessors.
It's about the weights and measures and how they are applied. I suspect that the measuring tools being used are rather different to the ones being employed at Timeform.
FEHILY, UN DE SCEAUX AND THE NEW ONE – THE OLDS ONES BRIGHTENING UP MID-WINTER
Both Un De Sceaux and The New One are 10-years-old now and lit up a dull winter's day on Saturday - not for the first time.
Un De Sceaux, who was winning the Clarence House Chase for a record third year running, is truly extraordinary. Now an eight-time Grade One winner, his record of 20 wins from 26 career starts is outstanding and might have been better still as, on both occasions he fell in his career, he was surely on the way to winning.
The only time he has been out of the first two was when a non-stayer in the French Champion Hurdle of 2016.
The New One has been an absolute winning machine too, with his hard-fought fourth Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock going down as his 20th success. He has had four cracks at the Champion Hurdle itself (form figures 3545) and now, at last, he is being aimed at the Stayers' Hurdle. Imagine the scenes were he to do it. I suspect, however, that it may be just too late.
And if those two superstars weren't enough to keep you smiling, see who was matching the 16-year-old James Bowen with a double at Ascot on Saturday? Yes, the evergreen 42-year-old Noel Fehily.
Noel is not only a top bloke but is widely acknowledged as a superb rider and a master tactician who, if it weren't for his poor run of injuries over the years, would have made even more headlines.
He goes about his business in such an unfussy and highly professional way and, like Ruby Walsh, is a joy to watch in mid-race. He once said that he preferred to let the race happen rather than try to make it happen which, when you think about it, is probably the total opposite of one AP McCoy.
RICHARD WOOLLACOTT
I didn’t know Richard at all but his death at the age of just 40 is so terribly sad. Only last week, he was interviewed on At The Races about Beer Goggles' return to action at Cheltenham this Saturday and seemed so enthusiastic.
There is no doubt that his training career had moved ahead rapidly in the past 12 months with horses like Lalor winning the Aintree bumper.
The licence has been transferred to Richard's widow, Kayley, and the stable was due to have a runner at Exeter on Wednesday. To be honest, as a complete outsider, I was rather relieved that the meeting was off.
The show goes on but maybe after a suitable pause. But what is a suitable pause after such a tragedy?
One thing's for sure, I will be shouting for Beer Goggles this Saturday.
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