Two top quality overseas races recently highlighted the influence of pacemakers. In the Gr 1 Sussex Stakes, Quirat caused a 150/1 boil over by going to the lead – and keeping going to win.

And Bir Castle, also a massive 200/1 outsider, went 25 lengths clear in the Gr 1 Juddmonte at York and was trading short in running halfway down the straight, only to get lumbered inside the final stages by Ombudsman and Delacroix – and stagger into third.

Pace analysis shows that Quirat actually went quite slow at stages in his race and thus had energy in reserve, whilst Bir Castle overdid things up front and duly blew up. The outcomes were different, yet both had a major impact on the race.

What is the role of the “rabbit”? Going unsustainably fast and being ignored by the rest of the field, then caving in, proves nothing; whilst jogging along too slowly in the lead, defeats the object of the exercise.

The essence of the pacemaker’s job is setting fractions at a solid gallop that tee things up ideally for a stable mate who requires a true run race, and if that simultaneously takes rivals out of their comfort zone, then the role has been carried out optimally.

The use of “rabbits” in SA is rare despite trainers and jockeys often complaining that the race was not run to suit – many turf races are slow run early. It is therefore surprising that proactive strategies are not applied more often by connections who can solve the problem of false run affairs themselves with judicious use of pacemakers.

Finding the right horse (and jockey) to do so is admittedly tricky. And the two examples listed above show how executing the pace-setting tactics is challenging and may have unintended consequences.

Here’s a third, wacky illustration that old timers will recall – Occult winning the 1986 Durban July from the front under Bartie Leisher, when Terence Millard’s third choice!

In the late maestro’s own words, as quoted in the Sporting Post, “We wanted to run Fools Holme from just off the pace. I had my own jockeys on two of my horses (Felix Coetzee on Fools Holme and Mark Sutherland on Enchanted Garden), but I had to engage an outside jockey for Occult and the ride went to Bartie Leisher. The instructions were for Bartie to go to the front and set a good pace and for Felix to settle Fools Holme a little further back. Bartie went to the front, but instead of keeping a good gallop, he slowed the pace down. Felix followed instructions and stayed back, but when it came for the run to the line, nobody could catch Occult. Fools Holme was second and Enchanted Garden third. “

Nobody said this game is easy!

In local racing, the best speed figure on Saturday at Turffontein came from Sheldon, who showed that his last sprint was no fluke as he ran right back to his top number of 101.

Money Heist (s/s 97) scored a dramatic last gasp victory over Argo Alley who looked the winner everywhere except on the line. And Pressonregardless (s/s 95) continued his good form when making an early move under Craig Zackey and bolting in.