TACTICS were the big debating point following River Verdon's defeat behind Romanee Conti in yesterday's $4.5 million International Cup at Sha Tin. Champion jockey Basil Marcus elected to ride River Verdon much nearer the pace than in his previous races and there were many ready to point an accusing finger, arguing this was the six-year-old's ruination. Having been within striking distance of the lead swinging for home, River Verdon failed to pick up from the top of the straight to finish fifth, with Australia's Fraar, America's Charmonnier and John Moore's Motivation taking second, third and fourth. The presence of Motivation a neck ahead of River Verdon indicates the local champion ran some 10 pounds below his best. Could this be explained by tactics alone? More likely it was a combination of tactics and the horse simply not firing as we all know hecan. Marcus said after racing: ''I think next time we will probably ride him more quietly but I did what I thought was the right thing on the day. ''You have to have the tactics which are suitable for each race as it comes. You can't have one plan, say to drop the horse right out, and ride him like that all the time regardless of the opposition or the way the race is going to be run. ''The only time I'm really upset with myself for being beaten on a horse is when I've come too late or not been able to get a run. ''What matters to me is that I put my horse into the race with a winning chance but I kind of felt from the top of the straight that he may not get to them today.'' In fairness to Marcus, the whole pattern of the day's sport, particularly the races preceding the Cup, favoured the front runners. This was exactly how Corey Black won the Bowl, dictating affairs from the front, and it was anticipated that some of the biggest Cup dangers to River Verdon were going to be up running on the speed such as Fraar, Charmonnier and Canada's Cozzene Prince. Those who are critical of Marcus have the benefit of that perfect vision - hindsight. Marcus had none of this. He only had his opponents' form and what had transpired in the day's previous five races. In these circumstances he did what any astute tactician would have done and endeavoured to keep River Verdon in the race throughout. River Verdon didn't appreciate being bustled to maintain a more prominent position than usual but who is to say he would have won if he had been allowed to lob indolently along in his customary position at the rear of the field? After all, he didn't only fail to win. He failed to beat Motivation. Maybe it was just one of those bad days. Horses are only human! The Cup itself was a personal triumph for jockey Greg Childs and trainer Laurie Laxon. Laxon had originally intended to run Romanee Conti in last December's Bowl until the flu virus scuppered those plans. He then trained the filly specifically to stay 1,800 metres and could hardly have been accused of hiding his light under a bushel this week, regaling all and sundry with why his filly would win. He was right and he also had the right man on top. New Zealand-born Childs showed all the big-race nerve which has made him a champion jockey in Victoria when bringing Romanee Conti from well off the pace to cut down Fraar in the final strides. ''It wasn't until the 200-metre mark that I thought we were going to get there,'' said Childs. ''It was then she really lengthened.'' David Hayes, trainer of the runner-up, quipped to Childs: ''You kept knocking my runners off at home and when I come up here you do the bloody same.'' Charmonnier was the hard-luck story of the race. The Wallace Dollase-trained five-year-old is an habitual front-runner but he missed the start and was forced to circle the entire field turning for home. The manoeuvre cost him several lengths and he then had to be switched in the straight before finishing full of running to be beaten just a length and three-quarters. ''We will be back,'' vowed Dollase. ''We couldn't really set him for the race as we didn't know whether he was going to get a run as he was on the reserve list. ''He may well have been the best horse in the field today but didn't have the luck. We would like nothing more than be able to come back in December and prove that.''
