Some people like them and the solidly-run races they produce, others dislike them, claiming they allow powerful connections to dictate the run of races and lead to races that almost look choreographed.

I am in the former camp (discussed in detail, The Irish Field September 1st 2012) and the reason why I am was hammered home in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown last Saturday, with what looked a top-class Group 1 being spoiled by an unsatisfactory pace. The Mark Johnston-trained Somewhat was widely considered a pacemaker for the Godolphin contender True Story. However, given that the trainer and jockey of Somewhat are not strictly on the same team as True Story’s connections, it wasn’t the greatest surprise in the world that Franny Norton wasn’t quite as sacrificial with the fractions he set as was widely assumed likely, with the result that most of the leading contenders were left too far out of their ground, allowing those that raced prominently to fight out the finish, with Somewhat himself holding on for a valuable third place finish. Plenty will never take a liking to the role they play, but these days when Ballydoyle run pacemakers in Group 1 races there is rarely an unsatisfactory result, as we got at Sandown on Saturday. Those races are generally run at a good even pace, which every horse in the race benefits from, and the best horse generally wins. Call it choreographed if you will, but I’d rather find out who the best horse is.