Sports Oddity

“This is Major Tom to Ground Control. I’m stepping through the door
And I’m floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today”

David Bowie – Space Oddity

“For God sake the Amish people even manage to pull two logs at a time across a ten acre field with a pair of horses. Sports oddity indeed”

You suspect there are quite a few sporting entities experiencing similar conundrums to Major Tom in recent days. Not least some of those in or connected to the Willie Mullins yard. Only days ago, the vibe emanating from Closutton was that Vauban would be targeted at a tilt at the Stayers Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Lo and behold, this morning it emerges that the horse has, in fact, been sold to race in Australia.

Now, chances are if I were offered the £1M Rich Ricci pocketed from leaving the steed behind I’d do the same. Though it wouldn’t be a 100% certainty by any means. There would be a part of which would reason ‘I might never have a horse as good as this again, I’m not selling’. But then, that’s not an issue for the bauld Rich.

However, what mostly got under my skin about this is either (a) the right hand didn’t know what the left was doing or (b) – the more likely version of events – the Cheltenham angle was merely put out as a ruse to give the press and/or public something to chew on. Doubtless, there will be some – or a lot – of you wondering why yours truly would have the gears grinding about what many would see as a triviality.

Well, firstly because nobody likes being fed misinformation. Secondly, though, because there will be ante post punters – of which I would be one but not this early in the jump season – who will have acted on the mooted Cheltenham run and had a pre race punt for the three mile event in Prestbury Park.

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Mind you, whatever about people being put out by the Vauban developments, you’d imagine that both Padraic Joyce and Jack O’Connor might be floating in a very peculiar way and everything looking very different to what was the case just a very short time ago. In the case of the former, who has seen Cian O’Neill depart his backroom team to return to that of Kerry while the latter has, no later than today, been hit by the departure of Paddy Tally from his entourage after the much sought after Ulsterman extremely belatedly took Derry – current NFL Div. 1 Champions – out of their most embarrassing of predicaments of not having a manager in place as the year hurtled towards its final month.

The stars will look very different to Tally today. There’s a big difference in being a Coach/Trainer/Advisor and having the reins thrown on your neck and you being the one standing opposite the fan when the sh*t hits it. There can be very little margin for error when one is pitched in at the deep end.

Just look at the disgraceful manner in which Colm O’Rourke and Sean Boylan were shafted in Meath. At least Judas probably eventually repented for selling out Our Lord.

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There was a time, or at least a mindset, when a person’s word was their bond. In other words, if a promise and/or commitment was given it would be honoured. Nothing bar a death in the family would cause a rowing back a promise made.

Evidentally, now, though, professions of loyalty made are worth about as much as used toilet roll nowadays. Just ask folks in Galway and Kerry and Leitrim who were each left high and dry having been lured in by misplaced loyalty.

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That said, there are times when kneejerk reactions end up having to be reversed for the greater good. Like when Colm Coyle in a rush a blood to the head, dropped Graham Geraghty off the Meath panel for a few weeks after the football equivalent of a back seat driver kicked up a storm in an egg cup.

Thankfully, those that needed to eventually snapped out of their idiocy and himself came back to play a starring role as our lads made it all the way to an All Ireland semi final against Cork. Which they would have won if Noel O’Leary was put off as he should have been for punching Geraghty straight in front of the linesman.

Anyway, the reason for mention of the above was the rapidity with which Heimir Halgrimsson has had to reverse his jettisoning on Wolves full back Matt Doherty. Now, the official line will be that the defender was recalled as cover following a spate of injuries, but it wouldn’t at all surprise me if somebody – most likely John O’Shea – pointed out the folly to the Icelandic boss of leaving the 33-year-old out. You’d just hope that, having brought him back into the setup that he will at least be given the chance to prove his worth.

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So we finally arrive at the reason for what you are reading being produced. Namely, the almost unbelievable story of Thurles racecourse having to call off a meeting for a third time due to a lack of rain. Right, so nobody can control the weather, but it just seems inconceivable that, in this day and age, officials at the Tipperary venue have no means of watering the track. No slurry tank? No tractor mounted or trailed sprayer? For God sake the Amish people even manage to pull two logs at a time across a ten acre field with a pair of horses. Sports oddity indeed.

Naturally, you’d have to feel sorry for the members/supporters of Thurles who have been done out of a run of fixtures on the spin while at the same time there can be no doubt that local owners, trainers and jockeys will feel the loss of their venue. On a broader scale, surely the question must surely at some point arise as to whether some of the cancelled Thurles cards could/should be transferred to other tracks. Perhaps those who could do with less – or preferably no – flat racing.

Some things are indeed floating in a most peculiar way.