Pace Makers in Horse Racing: Why They Should Not Be Banned After the Sensation.

I chuckled with pleasure when many people expressed such an opinion after yet another absurd first-row race in York this week.This season has been a real chaos with pace makers. From Field of Gold not having one in the 2000 Guineas, to Qirat performing as a pace maker and winning the Sussex Stakes at odds of 150-1, or Birr Castle (again at odds of 150-1), which at one point looked like it could deliver another shock for Godolphin in the Juddmonte International feature on Wednesday at Knavesmire. And that’s not even mentioning the Coral-Eclipse when the winner Delacroix got into real trouble due to a lack of pace!It’s all a bit odd. But the shout that all horses are currently not doing their utmost after the performances of Qirat and Birr Castle is utterly absurd.The seat horse Qirat won against Rosalion at Goodwood, while Birr Castle placed third behind Ombudsman and Delacroix in the International. Such results speak for themselves. Therefore, it’s hard to argue that they were not in the race at full throttle.Reminding of Frankel and Bullet Train, the use of pace makers is allowed. They do not always make life easier for everyone, and they do not always work, but generally, they do the needed job - creating a steady pace to find out who the fastest horse is.The pace should not be a problem in the big race on Saturday, with 22 participants coming to the start for the Sky Bet Ebor handicap, broadcasted on ITV. A classic mistake is to support the favorite in such a race - an analogy with an envious horse race. In any case, I am quite confident that Willie Mullins will dominate in the mile and six furlong test. His horses Hippo de Loire and Ethical Diamond have good chances, though I believe in the former under the guidance of Colin Keane.To summarize, it’s worth noting that pace makers in secret are not as scary as they are portrayed, and they help identify the faster horse in the races. Moreover, it’s hard to prove that horses like Qirat and Birr Castle did not try to secure victory during their own performances.