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HORSE RUNS ENTIRE RACE WITHOUT A JOCKEY, WINS ANYWAY
The Tokay Stakes 2023 horse race at the Chukyo Racecourse in Nagoya, Japan, was won by a racehorse that ran the entire race without a jockey.
While it is true that jockeys cannot really help slow horses to win a race, their role in professional horse racing is undeniable. Jockeys play many roles during a race. They control the pace of the animal, either pushing it at the beginning of a race, where setting the pace for the rest of the pack is important or conserving its energy for a final push. At least that is what most horseracing enthusiasts will tell you, but one animal recently proved that they may be just dead weight.
Unfortunately, Vanyar, the number-five horse in the Tokay race, was disqualified, even though he crossed the finish line first and technically won. The rules say that a riderless horse cannot win a race, but that takes nothing away from the horse. On the contrary, it only makes its achievement that much more impressive.
This year’s Tokay race was the first dirt race of the year, with most other important competitions taking place on grass. Right out of the gate, Vanyar’s jockey lost his balance and fell off. That sort of thing happens all the time, and in the vast majority of cases, with no one to control it, the horse just goes off course and leaves the race track on its own. But not in this case.
Although Vanyar can be seen lagging behind after the fall of its jockey, as the race progresses, the horse can be seen moving up in the pack until it ends up in contention to win. The commentators noticed him as well and got all excited on the final stretch when Vanyar somehow digs deep and crosses the finish line first. Vanyar is a horse on a mission and will not be denied his win.
Watching a video of Vanyar’s unlikely victory, it is amazing how well the animal paced itself all through the race, only stepping on the gas in the final stretch. Then, slows down, right after crossing the finish line and casually makes his way to the exit, as if guided by an invisible jockey.
The clip of Vanyar’s win went viral. It is not something you see every day.
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