The basic essence of racing has changed. Let me explain, in the beginning there were hobby trainers who walked there horses to the track....blah, blah, blah, and today we have artificial insemination, etc. and thus I rest my case.

I don't have several hours right now to explain the many many ways in which basic horse racing has changed, but you are right that we measure it over an agreed distance, and the first to pass the end point is declared the winner. However that is a far cry from the essence of horse racing then to know.

Just to give you a quick example why your assertion is inaccurate. Have you ever heard a trainer put a stayer into a sprint race on returning from a spell, saying the horse may sprint well fresh, but we are really aiming him at a later race over more ground?

Well, of course, this statement is a declaration that we are not really interested in winning this race, we would take it if we could, but we are just using it as a stepping stone. In this instance, they are not cheating (per se) but they are not overly trying either are they?

You might argue that they did this in the past, and yes they may have, but it is a normal training pattern these days, where trainers map out years at a time for their charges, and work to that game plan barring injury.

The whole racing scene has changed, not in terms of the winner being declared given a set of circumstances that are met i.e. a race, but in a million other subtle ways which evolution has brought us to.

I really want to give a better answer than this, but I have to run. Cheers.

Tailwag