Nothing would surprise me anymore in this unpredictable world What a crazy world we are living in these days. Only four weeks ago I was watching images of missiles raining down on Dubai, with the iconic Burj Khalifa Hotel in flames and panicked Irish and UK citizens trying to flee the city. Then last weekend, just 6km away from the damaged hotel, the 30th staging of the Dubai World Cup meeting took place at Meydan Racecourse as if nothing had happened. Many of the same people that had been scrambling to flee a month ago were back in the city for the racing carnival last weekend. Unbelievable. Racing controversies and surprises Seven weeks ago we were told by the IHRB's Referral Committee that Philip Byrnes' controversial exit from Redwood Queen last year was the result of poor horsemanship. The Committee stated: "We are of the opinion that what occurred on this occasion was an example of poor horsemanship on the part of the jockey, consistent with his pre-existing poor falls record." Just last week the same rider survived a penultimate fence error by his mount in a Beginners Chase at Clonmel that would have dislodged 99% of his weigh-room colleagues, but Byrnes stuck to the back of the horse like a limpet, landing a gamble in the process. Whatever transpired on that infamous day at Wexford last May, it is now far less plausible that it was as a result of "poor horsemanship." Article highlights: Dubai World Cup meeting proceeded normally just 4 weeks after missile attacks Philip Byrnes showed exceptional riding skills despite previous "poor horsemanship" claims Constitution Hill has unexpectedly become a flat racing sensation Racing organizations are increasingly focused on fan engagement and experiences From jumps to flat: Constitution Hill's transformation A little over a month ago we were fully expecting Constitution Hill to be heading back to Cheltenham to try and regain his Champion Hurdle crown. All of a sudden the nine-year-old has been reinvented as one of the hottest properties in Flat racing, packing out venues on a regular basis. There was more money traded on the betfair exchange for the all-weather Novice Stakes he contested last Wednesday at Kempton than there was on the Turf season's traditional curtain-raiser, the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster on Saturday. Who'd have predicted that. Constitution Hill is now eligible for a handicap mark on the flat and will most likely qualify for races like the big Amateur handicap on the Monday evening of Galway. Imagine if connections did decide to head to the West coast with Constitution Hill, it would be the biggest occasion at Ballybrit Racecourse since Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass there in 1979. The way things are developing, it wouldn't be a shock if Nicky Henderson and Michael Buckley went down the Frankie Dettori route and start charging racecourses appearance money for the gelding to turn up. Racing's new fan engagement strategies With Constitution Hill bringing his huge fan base across to the flat we now have Coolmore Stud and Ballydoyle getting in on the act by encouraging the public to come and see their star horses work. Free cups of coffee and printed lists of all the horses galloping at the Curragh on a Sunday morning is an interesting development. It might only take the addition of a bacon butty to turn even the most staunch national hunt fans into flat converts. Who knows, maybe in a couple of years time Benidorm will be accommodating the overflow from Irish Derby weekend. Nothing would surprise me anymore.
