I have never been one for judging a dog that will at times pull from its quarry when it knows it’s flogging a dead horse so to speak. What I don’t like is a dog not taking it’s chances when it’s right on its quarry then I question its heart.
I know myself when I’ve been in x country races if the runner in front of me is too strong for me to catch or not, buy how much effort I am putting in and how I feel at the time. You just get to know how strong folk seem to be around you in the race