Angus McNae
Why are we celebrating a loser?
9 July 2012
We must be the only country in the world that celebrates losers in style. Let me remind all the flag-waving tennis brigade that Andy Murray lost the Wimbledon final yesterday.
In fact he was thrashed by a superior player. You can candy-coat his performance all you like but the truth of the matter was that he did not win. I cannot imagine the Aussies celebrating a loser in the same way and maybe that is why they have so many winners in the sporting arena.
If we want our sportsmen to be hard-nosed winners we need our supporters to be honest in their support and rather than celebrate what Murray did they would be true to themselves and the sport if they turned on their heels and threw their flags on the ground in annoyance. The wider point is that if we continue to idolise losers surely there is little incentive for those losers to become winners.
I am in the studio today for all the action from Ayr where Alex Steedman and Graham Cunningham will be your on-track hosts and it is to that track where I go for my selection today. I like the look of Hazelrigg in the 2.30 at Ayr. He is a bit of an old rogue, but has done nothing wrong in his last couple of starts. He will get plenty of pace to run at which is the key to him and the 100/30 on offer with Totesport at the time of writing this looks like fair value.
I thought the Coral-Eclipse on Saturday was a tremendous renewal. Nathaniel is clearly top class. I was something of a doubter after his slow-time King George win last year, but you have to be a believer after what he did on Saturday. He will take a fair bit of beating in the King George this time around and you never know we may just see him take on Frankel over 10 furlongs in the Champion Stakes later this season.
I am delighted that Golden Lilac is coming to Newmarket for the Falmouth stakes this week. I am a big fan of this Andre Fabre-trained filly. She was hugely impressive last time out in the Prix d’Ispahan where she beat Cirrus Des Aigles and the 5/2 that some firms are offering is a good price about a really classy filly.
She was quite keen in the d’Ispahan, but still managed to win and the drop to a mile in the Falmouth looks ideal. At this stage she is my idea of a July meeting banker.
Time for me to get to work.
All the best
Today's tip
Ayr 2.30pm - Hazelrigg
Comments
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The tennis equivalent of Lester Piggott or Vincent O’Brien is Roger Federer. These people are brilliant, international superstars. Andrew Murray is not currently a tennis superstar and will not become one unless he can strengthen his second serve and consistency of his first serve. He may still never be brilliant. However I agree with the wider point of Angus McNae. If you make a pact with losing and revere second or third rate standards then you will fail to encourage and nurture future champions of the world. Mediocrity is the enemy of achievement.
Mark Bull | 10 months agoIt’s sad that some people can’t appreciate Murray for what he is – the best male British tennis player of the last 70 years.
Keith Rance | 10 months agoHe’s the tennis equivalent of Piggott or MV O’Brien.
Murry is in the top four in the world. No loser. Any English jockey or footballer in the worlds top four? He has won many tournaments and results with Federer are 4 each.
colin kesson | 10 months agofor me fesder always had a fifth gear to draw upon,which in fairness to murrey ,feader had to draw on it on more than one ,occassion but at the end of the day, a car with 5 gears will always go faster than one with four and as good as murrey was yesterday,he could,nt find that fifth gear needed to be a wimbledon champion
Norma Shaw | 10 months agoBut please give the cricket boys a mention as they are winners in all forms of the game!
Russell Gibbs | 10 months agoTotally agree Angus regarding murray.
Russell Gibbs | 10 months agoFirst Frankel and now Andy Murray. Do you hate all things British?
brian downey | 10 months ago