Once upon a time, sport – racing in particular – was all about winning.
The concept was simple; all athletes, canine, equine or human, fronted up for battle with this magnificently myopic focus on perpetual success.
In those days ‘narrative’ nomenclature was non-existent.
There were no ‘journeys’ or ‘campaigns’, and the concept of building towards ‘peak performance’ was only applicable, perhaps, when working toward the first Tuesday in November and our most iconic race.
Nobody saved themselves for next week and every war was waged as though it was the last.
It’s more than fair to say that life is very different now.
In the AFL, teams with wonderful mid-season records like Collingwood and Port Adelaide will rest players as they approach finals with total acceptance that they risk defeat by doing so.
Tennis stars will try new tactics in lead-up matches to hone their craft for Grand Slam glory and hopeful Olympians will enter non-Olympic events below peak fitness in pursuit of peaking when the time is right. Usain Bolt lost eight races in his astonishing career but only one at Olympic level.
In truth, horse racing was the first sport to prioritise the value of ‘preparations’ and, in more recent years, as standardbreds have become faster and finer, harness racing has followed.
Tonight’s feature pacing race at Melton, the Pryde's EasiFeed Lazarus Free For All, is a perfect example of how the game’s evolved.
Eight runners will face the mobile at Vic harness headquarters in this evening’s most anticipated event; but just two horses harbour genuine intrigue: Hurricane Harley and Bettor Isolate.
Both highly talented pacers are resuming fresh from breaks, yet neither horse has trialled.
And, in an ideal world, both Emma Stewart and Mattie Craven will be targeting Queensland Carnival campaigns with Hurricane Harley and Bettor Isolate respectively.
This reality – and it is a reality – hardly suggests that both guns won’t be eager for success tonight.
In fact, both conditioners will want to know where their charges are tracking with that referenced carnival quickly closing in.
Still, as outlined, racing and sport are not what they were, and as much as winning would be wonderful, reaching a crescendo for their Sunshine State targets is far more important.
From a punting perspective, the message is thus.
Firstly, if you’re choosing to play in the Lazarus FFA, watch markets with hawk-like intensity, both early Saturday morning when minimum bet limits open, and then in the final five minutes before that mobile rolls.
They won’t tell you the winner, but they may indicate confidence and intent.
Then, secondly, prepare for Hurricane Harley or Bettor Isolate or both, to seek conservative journeys and flash home at the finish.
And don’t judge them if they do.
Tonight, you see, is the start of their pilgrimage, not their final goal.
The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.