THERE was a notable post-race quote from John Gosden after he trained Lord North to win the 2020 Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The trainer said after the gelded four-year-old had won: “I didn’t have much choice, testosterone is the most dangerous drug in the world and it was certainly driving him completely mad. Since he’s been gelded he’s been very content; he’s not crazy like he used to be.”

One wondered what the thoughts were again on controlling that ‘drug’ after the gelded pacemaker Qirat had taken a few notches off the high standing of the current Juddmonte star colt Field Of Gold in the Sussex Stakes.

It followed on from another of the summer middle distance highlight races in the King George at Ascot on Saturday also going to a gelding, though this time it was the favourite and the best horse in the race in Calandagan.

Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said afterwards: “I prefer to have a very good gelding than a bad colt.”

The seven-year-old gelding Royal Champion also put up a top level performance at York on Saturday.

Come October though, however good they have been over the year, there won’t be a gelding in the line up for the end of season championship that is the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

American racing had celebrated geldings, just as much as entire horses. From the 1960s, Kelso is acknowledged in its history and has a race named after him. More recently John Henry and Wise Dan were among the most celebrated. Funny Cide even won the Kentucky Derby.

If we want to have races to provide the next batch of stallions, surely the emergence of a top batch of fillies, who can run in any of the top all-aged races, also helps negates the argument against excluding geldings. If we want to acknowledge a horse as the best of his generation, he has to beat the best.

The 2025 Arc betting is being dominated by Whirl, Kalpana and Minnie Hauk. How allowing Calandagan in there is detrimental to the breed, is beyond me.

IT’s always a time of great sadness when we lose someone whose name has been a significant part of the racing scene over one’s lifetime, as it was with Edward O’Grady.

It’s no little tribute or comparison to say he was the Willie Mullins of the National Hunt and Cheltenham scene for much of our youth. Those days, Irish horses were not in the ascendancy, we had to pick and choose battles and have someone as astute as the Ballynonty handler planning and preying.

A personal memory is of presenters Bill Smith and Terry Biddlecombe saying ‘oh the Irish come over from the bogs’ in the days when Cheltenham winners were scarce. Edward O’Grady was no man from the bogs, even if in those days ground conditions at Cheltenham were always on the deep side.

Fond memories

The names from those late 70s and 80s still bring fond memories of the days we were content with five or six winners and a few hefty gambles landed, perhaps more satisfied even than the 15 or 20 winners nowadays. You often have to look up who was it Willie won the Turners or County with two years ago.

The long list of top O’Grady Cheltenham performers are quickly remembered, the grey Prolan being my first, adding Mr Midland, Drumlargan, Mountrivers, Golden Cygnet, Flame Gun, Mister Donovan, Time For A Run, Northern Game, Staplestown, Blitzkeig, Catch Me, Tranquil Sea, Ventana Canyon, Sound Man, Back In Front, Sky’s The Limit and a few who did not have a share of luck in Jack Of Trumps and Mucklemeg. His two best horses didn’t get that luck, with Golden Cygnet just a novice when he was killed and Nick Dundee injured in his Cheltenham fall.

Tributes

A poignant post among the tributes and message of condolence on RIP.ie came from one of his owners’ family who shared those triumphs.

On a wet afternoon in March 1980, Edward (and Tommy Ryan) conjured Drumlargan to somehow win the Sun Alliance Novice Hurdle. It was a moment of magic. For us it was like a glimmer of sunlight after a terrible storm. Edward, you had given us hope. Edward was a fantastic trainer, great company and a wonderful friend to Michael and me. John Cuddy & Family

Those were indeed special days. A light has most surely gone out in Irish jumps racing.

A NOTABLE feature of the TV coverage of Galway and especially Goodwood, was that many of the beaten riders were asked for their opinions on the race and incidents that took place.

There were many points of interest, both good and less so at Goodwood, and it certainly added to the coverage to hear more from the beaten riders and trainers.

Equally, the post-race briefs from the beaten riders returning after the big races on RTE were welcome in confirming some of what occurred in the races.

On the other hand, I don’t know what a presenter wandering around the crowds at the track asking random people who they fancy in a big race adds to the presentation for those watching.