How to get your mount beaten at Southwell

I was somewhat astounded by the lack of tactical nous from jockeys competing on yesterdays Southwell card.  Some of who know every grain of the sand on the course. 

Renowned for its testing surface there is little wisdom in using up all your petrol in the opening salvo's unless of course we were witnessing new ways to get your horse beaten without the danger of a visit to the stewards room.

I can't recall so many horses coming from off the pace to take the prize in one meeting while those prominent, usually a prerequisite for success at the track faded tamely away. I was obviously keen to get the times and compile my returns to understand what I was witnessing. 

Taking the two 2yo races out of the equation as the Trainers modus operandi is different, there was no doubt that the leaders in 4.55, 6.30, 7.05 and 7.40 went off too quickly in the early stages. 

Twice Neil Callan was the guilty party and one count for Raul Da Silva and Luke Morris who no doubt wanted to make sure of burning off the opposition on his 1-4 on shot. Those that followed them into the abyss, I guess are equally calpable.

With the pending switch of Wolverhampton fixtures between 23rd August and 7th September going to Southwell while maintenance work on its all-weather surface is carried out in a bid to ensure the track can cope when temperatures dip in the winter, it might be wise to check the jockeys credentials on the surface before making any definitive selections!