My take on Mounting yard mail is that it is a huge advantage....if it comes from some one who actually knows what they are talking about, someone you can trust............and they were given free reign to give their real opinion without fear or favour.....unfortunately neither of the above scenarios actually happens
Some Drawbacks to listening to MYM as I see it,
1. When someone applies for the job no one who is in charge of hiring has any idea of what the qualifications are?? So how can they get the best person for the job if they don't know what they are looking for?..
2, Again in point one the assumption is they are looking for someone who is a good judge of a thoroughbred....which they ain't.....they are really in the entertainment industry, not the punting industry.....being photogenic is more important than horse skills
3, My opinion is they know 99% of punters have no idea so anyone who is attractive to the Camera will be able to do the job.....since the vast majority of punters are Men...........hence they employ attractive women to do the job.....coincidence?? I don't think so
4 then there are people like Glen Pollett....I have no doubt he has some talent....but he really doesn't have any hands on experience with racehorses....he has very little idea of how to judge a fit horse.........He is more of a horse behaviourist, than a fitness judge....which means he would be better as a judge of what to lay rather than what to back.....he discounts the horses that behave badly.....this is important but doesn't always point you to a winner..........and I don't think he tells you what can't win....he just gives you his selections on what he is going to back.........mostly on form study......you can do that
5, when I say a fit horse.......99% of horses at the races are 85/95% fit so when a horse walks into the enclosure that is as fat as a pig they can tell the difference between it and and a horse that is 90% fit.....what they can't tell is when a horse is peaked ie, 100% fit....what I would term a "standout" I am yet to see any of them that can judge that last 5% and that 5% is worth a lot more than just the 5% in reality
6, A lot of trainers can't "peak" their horses, I remember when Bart was training 20 or more years ago(it's about that long since I went to the races, too many drunks now)....his horses were always around 90% fit.(horses can win 90% fit, cos they are on an even playing field).......then one day you would be at the races and a Bart horse would walk in and was an absolute standout......100% you knew this was the target........they always won, you could see why he was a genius, Punters assume that a horse improves in fitness with each run back from a spell, not always true, Bart's horses would resume 90% fit, next run 90% fit, Next run 90% fit, Next run 90% fit,,,,and so on until it's target race........then the group one and a Bart horse is 100% fit.......that is an art. most trainers if they try to get a horse to peak they go over the top and that is the end of that prep and they don't get a result....so I don't think they even try
7, the vast majority of races are won by horses in the 85/95% fitness range......you don't need to be 100% unless there is another in the race that is 100% even then Class is a huge factor......
8. Being a good judge of "Type" is also important especially in the early 2 year old races..........which I am yet to see in any of them
I could go on but that is enough to digest for now, hope it helps
Dave