The great pacemaker debate: a vital tool on the Flat, or are they mucking up Group 1 races?

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I feel slightly responsible for the madness of yesterday's Juddmonte International, which looked for much of the way like becoming the second Group 1 of our summer to be pinched by a 150-1 pacemaker. That's because, on the Monday after Ombudsman was beaten in the Eclipse, I wrote that it was surprising his connections hadn't used a pacemaker.

You'll recall Delacroix running down Ombudsman at Sandown after what was described as a messy race by connections of the beaten favourite. "A pacemaker might have helped," said I. "It is not always a solution and there has been many a messy race in which a pacemaker took part, but it gives you a better chance of influencing the way things pan out and, if the worst comes to the worst, at least you can say you tried everything."

Acknowledging that the job can't be done by just any old horse, I concluded: "A mighty empire like Godolphin could surely have found the right type somewhere." Well, they had a good rummage during July and came up with Birr Castle, who I think is named after a place where the Scooby Doo gang found some ghosts in an episode set in Scotland.

• 'I thought we'd won a furlong out!' - Robert Havlin on his remarkable front-running ride on Juddmonte third Birr Castle 

Birr Castle the horse is based with Andre Fabre, who had been unable to get a win out of him for almost two years and was presumably delighted the horse had been found something useful to do. Having never scored above Listed level, the five-year-old nearly burgled £748,000 yesterday. 

"A sense of disbelief, verging on anger," was reported to be the mood in the York stands as Birr Castle rolled up the straight, still with a huge lead. I've also heard anger on the wider subject of pacemakers from the Front Runner readership, one reader in particular having reached the point where she hates to see pacemakers in a big race for fear of them mucking things up. 

Birr Castle: built up a huge lead in the Juddmonte InternationalCredit: Racing TV

If that's also your instinct, you won't have enjoyed this Juddmonte International. Ombudsman won comfortably, so arguably his pacemaker did the job perfectly. But most of the race was taken up with worrying about whether the rank outsider was about to nick it. 

"We've seen this before," said commentator Mike Cattermole as Birr Castle was allowed to build a big lead very easily, just 45 seconds after the stalls opened. 'Catt' was, of course, alluding to Qirat's victory in the Sussex Stakes three weeks ago. 

More than a minute later, Catt was asking his audience: "Can he pull off an incredible upset?" Even as the idea was expressed, Ombudsman began a good-looking forward move that seemed sure to be decisive. But the finish was just 12 seconds away by then. Apart from the start and the final furlong, the whole thing had been about Birr Castle, while most of the alleged stars never got involved.

Qirat and Birr Castle haven't been the only party-poopers in recent times. It was only last year that Audience ran away with the Lockinge when the idea had been for him to set things up for Inspiral. 

• Beware the pacemaker: Audience joins a list of horses who slipped the field in Group 1 races 

That's only two winning pacemakers in two years and I think the long-term average would be a lot less than one per year in British Group 1s. But I counted only a dozen such races, since the start of last year, when it was clear that a pacemaker was being used; in that context, two wins (at 22-1 and 150-1) represent a pretty useful rate of return. 

There are definitely people out there who, faced with a tricky contest, like to just stick a few quid on the pacemaker and hope for something freaky. A friend did that yesterday and at least got a big thrill out of it. A confirmed jumps fan, he messaged: "A 100-1 shot finishes 3rd in supposedly the best race in the world? Flat racing is very strange". 

I had to remind him of the 100-1 winner in the Triumph Hurdle less than half a year ago, though he fairly noted that Poniros hadn't had the prize practically gift-wrapped by the others dawdling along behind him.

Early pace isn't a hot topic in midwinter but it can be vital on the Flat, which is why I very much still favour the use of pacemakers. Clearly, it can go wrong, as most things can, and of course we remember the disasters, while forgetting the 32 times Continuous dutifully set a decent pace before fading out of the picture.

Continuous: has become a regular pacemaker for BallydoyleCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

A slow early pace can ruin what should have been a good race just as surely as an ignored pacemaker; it hands a big advantage to whichever runner could cope best at a shorter distance. There's a lot to be said for a quality leader who tows them along at a clip that isn't quite sustainable unless you're an excellent talent.

Let's remember that the 'Race of the Century' between Grundy and Bustino required the skilful use of two pacemakers to make it interesting. Done right, it's a job that contributes to the sport's biggest moments. I hope the Gosdens, Godolphin and others will continue to try to make pacemaking work for them.

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Read these next . . .

'He's got stacks of quality' - Ombudsman powers home to land prize after 150-1 pacemaker threatens another Group 1 upset 

'I thought we'd won a furlong out!' - Robert Havlin on his remarkable front-running ride on Juddmonte third Birr Castle 

'How dare they do that sort of thing' - John Gosden far from amused by a dramatic bing-bong after an extraordinary Juddmonte 

The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Racing Post+ subscribers. Chris Cook provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Racing Post+ subscriber? Join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.