Many worry these days about the quality of British racing. Racecards are stuffed with low-rated handicaps for poor-quality animals simply to keep the betting-office tills churning. But the quality of the men and women steering them from the saddle has never been higher. You could not expect to see a better example of riding from the front than champion Ryan Moore’s all-the-way win at Newmarket last week on the top-weight Plum Pudding. Jamie Spencer’s last-gasp win at Ascot last Saturday on Secret Society demonstrated with exquisite perfection how to do things the other way.
Famous for his late-finishing thrusts, which look brilliant when they come off and earn him punters’ brickbats when they don’t, Jamie made good headway mid-race then sat behind the leader until inside the final furlong. Despite his mount then being slower than expected to respond (he had lost a front shoe during the race), Spencer galvanised Secret Society to win it in the final strides.
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