Ryan Moore: Telescope Derby disappointment raises wider issues

Dawn Approach is favourite for the Derby - see what Ryan thinks of his chances below

In the post-Frankel era, the media's search for the next superstar on the gallops may be leading to the wrong conclusions being drawn, warns Ryan Moore. In his latest exclusive column, the Betfair ambassador explains why it is best not to believe the hype

I think the absence of Frankel this season is being felt in horseracing. And none more so than by the gallops watchers.
 
Everyone is on the look-out for the next superstar, it seems.
 
The public love stories about horses running faster than the 6.13am Cambridge to Newmarket train - or whatever train it was that Frankel worked all over - and it sells papers, so there must be plenty of pressure for journalists to try and capture the imagination of their readers with 'wonder workouts'.
 
But, as a rule, I don't think that the public and punters should believe the hype surrounding homework.
 
They should concentrate on the proven stars in their midst - in Dawn Approach, we clearly have one in next week's Derby - and not stories that, a fair bit of the time, are not entirely factual. Or at least don't tell the full story.
  
Take Telescope, for example, though it could have been any number of horses down the years.
 
Now, this is a horse with a lot of potential and things were going very smoothly with him until about a week ago. And I still remain very optimistic that he will go on to prove himself a high class horse for Highclere. They've got a good one there; everything about him tells you that.
 
But it will be very sad indeed if he is labelled a disappointment by some just because he hasn't been able to compete in the biggest race on the biggest stage over here next week, and because the gallops report have built him up so much that anything else but Group 1 success is deemed a failure. 
 
Highclere were in a similar position with Harbinger a few years back, and let's hope things work out similarly well for Telescope.
 
Harbinger was being talked of in Derby terms after winning his maiden at Chester but he had a setback too, and we had to bypass Epsom.
 
But we all know what happened with him. He went to Goodwood in July instead for the Gordon Stakes and our patience was rewarded in style the following year, culminating in that breathtaking 11-length win in the King George.
 
Now, I'm not exactly letting you into a massive secret here. But gallops do tend to be designed to get the desired result. 
 
If you want Horse A to finish in front of Horse B in a gallop, then you can. And if people don't know what they are watching, or the purpose of what they are watching, then they can jump to the wrong conclusions. 
 
Clearly, Telescope's gallop at Lingfield on Wednesday was disappointing. Everyone saw that for themselves. It wasn't the worst piece of work you will ever see, but he wasn't stretching as he can and I have never known him to have his tongue lolling over the bit before as he did there. 
 
And he just stayed on in the final 2f of that gallop, not quicken up like he does at home. That told us that he was feeling the effects of his recent problem, and in these circumstances you have to back off and wait for them to come right.
 
To say that I was surprised when I read of Telescope doing a "sparkling" Sunday gallop in the papers was a bit of an understatement.
 
That piece of work did what it was designed to do. To get him moving smoothly again, and confident in his work. Which it did. It was a proper, organised, gallop and the boss was pleased.
 
But to report that the horse finished 30 lengths clear of his galloping companion was a touch misleading. I led him in that gallop but eased off on mine 2f from the end to let Telescope quicken and stretch out on his own.
 
So he didn't really finish 30 lengths clear of his galloping companion because he didn't really have one for the last 2f. While what was reported may have been strictly true - and the work did what it was designed to do - it certainly gave the wrong impression.  I just hope punters didn't lose money as a result.
 
Anyway, believe the evidence of your own eyes, is all that I am saying.  And that evidence is that Dawn Approach goes into the Investec Derby next week as very much the one to beat.
 
But would I back him at even money? No.
 
I have never ridden a horse that has gone straight from a Guineas to a Derby, but it is clearly a massive ask. And the extra problem that connections of Dawn Approach have is that he goes into the race as so much the best horse in it form-wise that he has a big target on his back.
 
But I've always found that if people ride their race, or races, to beat others, they invariably get themselves beaten. 
 
I have a lot of respect for Dawn Approach but I wouldn't be in a rush to take evens, given the stamina unknown. It found out Hawk Wing, who went from an unlucky second in the Guineas to finish runner-up to High Chaparral at Epsom, and it may do with him.
 
Anyway, I will let you know my in-depth Derby thoughts about all the runners next Saturday.
 
I don't know what horse I will be riding at the moment, but I possibly will at the weekend. Hopefully, it will be the one of Aidan's that won his gallop by 30 lengths this morning...

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