When they mention Archer Richards and Piggott Winter Francome and Dunwoody they seem to miss out the name
When they mention Archer, Richards and Piggott, Winter, Francome and Dunwoody, they seem to miss out the name of Thierry Doumen. Well, it was not the way that Doumen’s son, the now retired Thierry, used to do it anyway. There was a reek throughout Saturday’s proceedings that while defeat for Baracouda would not have been welcomed by Doumen, it would have at least given him buckshot to fire at those who ever deemed to criticise his son’s adventures on the horse.Fran?s, of all people, should know a simple truth. Thierry Doumen did not ride Baracouda because their talents were similar. We knew this because McCoy told Norman Williamson beforehand, and as the ex- jockey had a microphone in his hand and a camera pointing over his shoulder, he was sharing it with the nation as well. The only man not in on the secret seemed to be Fran?s Doumen, Baracouda’s trainer.As the race unfolded, Doumen was a figure of exasperation from his viewing point, throwing his hands up in Gallic expression as Baracouda pulled himself close to the front This was not the way to do it.
Once again, he is miles ahead in the championship race, but, for the first time in virtually a decade, he no longer monopolises the attention. There is a different man riding the Martin Pipe horses these days, a different man surfing the headlines, and it is probably no great comfort to McCoy that Timmy Murphy is doing it with an ?n which will never characterise his own work.Most of all, Murphy has been at his most conspicuous in the most conspicuous of races, the Saturday specials By this weekend, McCoy had had enough It was time for a grand gesture. Baracouda was the vehicle on Saturday and McCoy determined before games that he would ride the gelding much closer to the pace than tradition dictated He would do his own thing. The Long Walk Hurdle was the principal Winter’s Tale, one in which ultimately it could have been said that All’s Well That Ends Well, but there was so much in between.
It became clear before curtain up that this was an occasion on which Tony McCoy was intent on reclaiming centre stage. It has been a strange season for the dominant National Hunt riding figure of modern times.
Windsor appears in a Shakespearean title, so it should have been no surprise that there should be so much drama in the most prestigious race ever staged at the Thamesside course on Saturday. Earlier this year the BBC withdrew its planned cartoon series Popetown after outraged powerful Catholics went on the attack. We must be allowed to criticise or laugh at faith groups and political parties and racially identified communities too, white and black. It is a sign of confidence – strong faith should not feel endangered by a play or a novel or a cartoon. We have the capacity to disagree without tipping into base behaviours.And I think this is now accepted by most Britons.
In 2004, I received very few truly disgusting accusations or abuse and no death threats at all. This is progress, as I can see when I look back and remember how frightening it sometimes was to say anything negative about Muslims or Israel or the US or even England. We know that sexual abuse can go on within the walls of religious places.One of my dearest friends, Jafar Kareem – a psychotherapist, now passed away – told me of several cases of young boys and girls who had been violated by priests, imams and temple-keepers. Freedom of expression is not an absolute, and in a civilised society the most outrageously offensive language and images are kept within the private sphere. This is not censorship, but good manners and a necessary compromise to enable us all to live together with relative ease. But there are limits to the protection that groups and individuals can claim for themselves.In our mature democracy, where all ethnic groups are becoming socially mobile, it cannot be right that any criticism is beaten down and silenced by vociferous campaigners.
