Crio’s racing

What an odd week! People at the coffee shop asking if you’d watched “The Race”.
A remarkable level of interest in Black Caviar’s Ascot dramas.
Luke Nolen returned to ride the first winner at a lowkey Caulfield on Wednesday and says he has moved on, but his ride last weekend has become the talking point. I reckon it is great to have racing as a topic around the mythical “water cooler”.
Can racing cash in? I know it is mid winter. I know the goldfish attention span means it becomes State of Origin, maybe Wimpleton and Le Tour of Gabe Gate, then the Ch9 Olympics and footy finals, but surely RVL can use Luke Nolen’s massive recognition rating for a little while.
“Froggy” Newitt’s win in the last yesterday restored his slender lead over “the brain fade” in the race for the Melbourne Metropolitan Jockeys Premiership. This promises to be an epic battle between these two good hoops over the remaining six weeks. To be honest, G.Boss is clearly the best going around at the moment down here but this prize will be between Moody’s stable jock and the ever present Newitt. I’ll cheer for Froggy who, though there have been more polished riders, is a hard working and much improved bloke who you’d happily have on your selection anytime.
They each have plenty of chances – Nolen listed for 7 and Newitt for 5 rides – to push their claims at Saturday’s Moonee Valley Racing club meeting, hosted by the MRC at Caulfield. One race in which neither of them is eligible to compete is the Travis Harrison Cup (MR7, 1600m), an annual apprentice only race in memory of a young life tragically lost. Young Travis died in a car accident and his death rocked the local industry. His family is steeped in racing and international star, Craig Williams, often credits his cousin as his inspiration (here’s one of many tales).
For those committed to a weekly Quaddy, I’ll go skinny, though the fields are even.
Try 1,2,5,6/3,7/2,4/3,4,5
Reinforcing what an “off peak” period this is, arguably the pick of the meetings is the Caloundra weekend (Saturday and Sunday) with the Guineas/ Cup Day (Saturday) on the Sunshine Coast. They have a Heavy10 which, I should add, must interest those Phelan Ready zealots (R6, Reed Property Glasshouse Handicap, 1400m,No1)!
For those who’ve caught the late night English racing bug, there’s not long to wait for more highlights. The highly regarded Eclipse Stakes card is at Sandown (7 July…hopefully So You Think and, perhaps, Frankel) and then the July Meeting at Newmarket follows.
When I went to the English races in the mid80s, my brief synopsis of them went…
Ascot – top hats and tossers
Newmarket- real racing
Cheltenham – Irish drunks
Epsom and Aintree – the masses
Simplistic and much has no doubt changed…that Stand was not even there at Ascot. Kempton Park was the Saturday staple. Never got to Sandown or Redcar or Goodwood…..but I get it all on payTV now.
First, though, a day at The Heath to enjoy. Good luck!

Comments

  1. Come on guys- where are you all.with your tips (winners) and comments?
    But I have to say the wet in SA continues with very heavy tracks and careful punting needed
    Its a bit of a let-down this week after the hype of Black Caviar
    I reckon Nolen will pip Froggy for the Premiership Crio

  2. Crio,

    Again, you have beautifully embraced the thoroughbred moment. Enough of that though, two tips.

    Caloundra, where the stakes racing focus is tomorrow.

    Race 5: DOLLARIO. With thirds to Rock n Pop in the 2000 Guineas and Artistic Miss in a listed race in NZ recently, he will go very, very close, John Sargent is a very good trainer.

    Race 6. VONUSTI. Another Kiwi visitor in the astute stable of Alan (Torbek) Jones. It’s heavy up there, but not New Zealand heavy. Get on.

    Four (4) 1200 metre races at the Heath. I will watch them all and have a bet for Dad in each one.

    Go racing.

  3. Happy for Kiwi leads (especially Linda Jones’ crafty old mentor) as this will be a bottomless13.
    Pity if the sun doesn’t emerge – some well travelled observers rate this Caloundra meeting right at the top of the pots and perve rankings….It’d want to be strong to beat the “pound for pound” Darwin Monday!

    Was at Caulfield on Wednesday mate…usually have a happy reminiscence of the “homing pigeon” as they muster at the 6 furlong start. Spike Short trained a winner, ridden by the Gauch, from Lord’s Futurity start there midweek.

    Any consideration for Ideal Position in SR6…unheralded trainer equals overs always (maybe that is also because Gai, Waller, Snowden have 85% of winners!
    Good punting.

  4. Crio,

    Ideal Pozzy has come up fav on the tote here. Got Bath form, probably should be at Caloundra today given the conditions there.

    Regarding my tip Dollario, drawn 21 which might be a blessing, and Sargent has scratced his other runner.

    Regarding the “Homing Pigeon”, SR Race 7 No. 12.

    Also, I have a rising 2yo Gonski filly out of New Sensation. I have named her Miss Yearn, as in “Miss ya Ern”

    Have a safe day.

  5. Read Pat Bartley’s piece in today’s “Age”, with references to the great Stainvita, whose trainer, Kel Chapman, passed away this week. Stainvita’s jockey, then-apprentice A.J.Vasil, compares his filly Elite Elle with the legendary 70s mudlark. She’s been crunched from 5/2 in to Evens today.

    btw Budge, we were years ahead of penetrometers with the Stainvita-meter!

  6. Newitt and Nolen shared the first 4 winners and then missed out thereafter. Froggy had a lucky pick up ride on the impressive Elite Elle after D.Nikolic was unwell and indisposed.
    A delighted and clearly moved Jake Noonan accepted the Travis Harrison Cup from the Mum of the former promising Apprentice…no parent could be unmoved at her speech (typically interrupted in the ring by an interstate race) and young Jake’s grateful kiss of acceptance.

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