WATCHING last weekend’s racing action a thought struck of how it can be a great advantage to be a front-runner.

The wins of Smad Place, Ziga Boy and Bonny Kate were characterised by bold jumping that exposed any errors in rivals all the while saving energy and gaining an extra length here and there. Once you get into a rhythm out front, others are forced to be error free to match it and any error can suddenly put you two lengths behind. That is bound to be a bit demoralising for any challenger.