Racing Victoria’s PR Department must be very confident in their “core product” – or, more likely, very nervous as a major Carnival confronts an avalanche of other options facing sports lovers in the next few weeks.
Beginning tonight (Wednesday) there are 18 consecutive nights of AFL pre-season which will promote FOX subscriptions and also provide the media which new stories daily….giving no oxygen for those seeking spots at the back of the paper and the end of the bulletins.
Our TV will be tuned to Centurion for the First Test tonight yet this big Series will also contest for space and probably struggle unless the Aussies either blitz or implode.
Soccer, Rugby, Winter Olympics, etc….they’ll all notice the monster AFL elephant barging back in to the room.
Racing should manage to retain some profile in Melbourne as the next month has some of the best meetings of the year before Sydney grabs the conch for The Championships.
As usual there’s a glut of races fixtured though perhaps not enough quality to guarantee good depth in all of the features.
Keeping abreast of all that is going on is a tough enough task in itself; let alone trying to find a winner.
You have to be selective.
Today’s main challenge was tackling the Mornington races – which included a $250k juveniles event (won by Hawkes’ debutant, Gold Force), the Listed Hareeba for sprinters (Knoydart for Snowden) and the Cup (providing a Caulfield Cup exemption for Waller’s Instrumentalist).
I’ll be at the Valley Friday night. These meetings target, quite successfully, a different market. The betting ring is empty. The lawns, if the weather is good, have excellent entertainment and ambience. Dining boxes are full. The fields are OK – I actually watched the entire coverage on TVN last week. It was informative, illuminating and enjoyable.
Friday’s further complicated for jockey managers and punters by the need to reschedule the last 6 races from Sunday’s storm battered Hobart Cup meeting – including the big ‘un itself, now posted for Friday at 705pm. Mick Kent has left Epingle (4) down there and C.Williams is still listed as the hoop.
We are lucky that mild weather is forecast for Saturday as we return to exposed and despised Flemington for blacktype strewn Lightning Stakes Day.
Due to task and time pressure, this preview will be brief but we’ll no doubt be reviewing any observations between now and Saturday.
QUADDY overview:-
MR6- C.S.Hayes, 1400m, 3yoC+G, SW+P, G3 – Polanski, late scratching at Caulfield resumes in a hot field. Speed maps critical. He’s probably the one. Quarterback was outstanding and Prince Harada is frustrating. Excellent race.
MR7- Lightning, 1000m, WFA, G1 – lots resuming, including Shamexpress. Samaready and Snitzerland are the measuring sticks. Flyweights add interest. Bernabeu must go in.
MR8- 0-90 1700m H’cp!! – modest at best. 7 and 8
MR9- 1400m H’cp – if this is your “get out”, I’d suggest getting out the gate rather than getting out your wallet. Club Command is probably the distance specialist but, alas, like stablemate Moment Of Change (I backed Eurozone), not “one of mine”. Quite a few of these would prefer the sting out of the ground.
Elsewhere, Rosehill hosts another crack card, featuring the Breeders’ Classic (SR6, 1200m, Mares, SW+P, G2). Streama heads the weights. White Sage heads the betting in a smallish but really good field.
As always there are meetings at all corners of the country – including the iconic Buchan Cup if the fires abate in East Gippy and the big NSW picnic day at http://bedgerabongraces.com.au/
Time now to get fed and get settled for the first session from Sth Africa – hope those Yarpies commentators don’t wreck it! Plenty of chances to peruse the form whilst watching sport between now and the weekend.
All comments welcomed.
Good luck!
With bowls resuming after the heat I will only take a passing interest in Saturdays meeting in Adelaide but look to the local trainer David Jolly who has a few coming back form a spell
The annual KI races are on this week (Fri/Sun ) and after the 40C knockout last year where beer ruled and they ran out of water for patrons a cooler day is forecast for the Cup
Look for Dennis OLeary (Sunday) as he always gets a winner
Wise as always Oges. John MacMillan had winners at MV, Morphettville and Strath I think – and he is off to KI for the weekend. Be told!
any chance of a wet track at Flemington?
40 Ml of rain in Adel today and between 60 Ml and 100 Ml tomorrow.
We’ve gone from a furnace to a flood.
Just noticed Dash for Viz is 30’s in a average race and would be an enhanced chance if wet
Check BOM Jock….computer says no
KI races has always been on the bucket list,Oges,Jock,Crio,Budge, if any of you blokes have been, what’s it like?, notice their cup on Sunday has a number of good hoops engaged.
Jock..rain? coincided with the last time i found a winner..fair old drought.
Solicit has come back extremely well,and should have panels on them tomorrow.
The Lightning will not get me , but some very nice conveyances going around and O’Brien is very keen on Shamexpress (looking at Ascot again), but it’s got it’s work in front of it to run down Samaready.
overnight, Long John wins G3 in Dubai
Any time you want to go to the KI Cup Cowshedend I’m in as we can stay with my mate there but if you want to keep dehydration at bay he is yor man
It’s a great day in a country course with plenty of ways to lose but never place where you can’t get a drink. It has nearly caused me kick the bucket especially after last years 40C . Now it’s TAB meet on Sundays the parties aren’t as big as many mainlanders return on Monday and the locals have to work
But it has given them coverage and TAB now
A few locals here go for the day via bus and ferry but most go over early and stay
Crios mob were there last year getting cramp punching tickets
Good on you Oges, sounds like a ripper of a meeting, amazed that it would get to 40, thought the sea breeze would keep it at bay.
Mate went over a couple of years back, said the trip back on the ferry made the stomach turn..especially after a gutfull !
KI Cup is a good trip.
I’ve done a few which has been included in some fishing trips.
If you also like fishing then a day or two on a charter and a couple of days on the punt and the grog makes for a pretty special trip.
FYI My punting drought is over..I got the quaddie last week, still working out how to spend it….a few pints at the pub or a chicken schnitty, don’t know if I won enough to do both.
What about next year Jock-we will take over Cowshedend . I will get a leave pass from bowls and I’m sure Flexi days are still alive and well with you? Who knows we may even get Captain Crio on board
yep
Spend it on a feed Jock, someone will always buy you a pot !
Heavy 8 in Adelaide and meeting moved to the inner track and rail out 6 metres means leaders should be hard to beat, Note some of the distances change,
Schaduw is a chance in the 4th if it can hold a forward spot and is a good wet tracker likewise Kosciuszko’s Side in the 6th which is back to 1000 not 1100
Avdulla was quite emotional after his win in the Lightning, Shamexpress should have won if it didn’t lay in as Avdulla’s horse came out.
Very happy to see Oliver miss out though, nice to see Avdulla win his first group1 in his old home town.
Avdulla got the bikkies last night at MV also….bookies unconscious after this weekend.
Can’t be happy at Caviar connections being in the winner – they are condescending flogs
Sorry to hear that KI races off.
Regarding Morphettville, what is the situation for punters betting prepost on a different track and distance?!
G’day Crio, you don’t seem impressed by Black Caviars’ connections.
Re Adelaide yesterday, i’m curious re Whitlam being scratched. I don’t ever think he’s won for me, but i’d have returns from 80% of my bets on him. I thought the distance was good, he’d won on slow, so went to the on course TAB in Corowa, and was suprised he was scratched.
All going to plan, we’ll be on track in Donald this Friday, so i’ll probably do a race review.
Glen!
Glen, maybe it is just envy as I’ve never met any of ’em., but I saw some coverage (and i suspect there was plenty more) when the mare was firing – it is not about the owners and they seemed condescending in a “share it with the little people” way. Fef told me about yesterday’s vision as we see none of that on course.
Yes Glen, they are flogs , particularly Werrett, Snowy Clarke was interviewing Gerald Ryans stable foreman after the lightning.
Werrett nearly shoved him out the way to grab the limelight. He, s like a moth when the lights come on, worse than Moraitis and Might and Power.
The Late Jack Ingham, always had great humility even with the plethora of champs he owned, and David Moodie doesn’t seem to have the spotlight obsession the BC owners do.
Bitter Moi? Perish the thought!
never bitter tough mate….not even towards those Carlton and Essendon bastards!
Snitzerland had serious “trackwatcher” momentum…the romantics went with the young ‘uns but the hard heads weighed in. 1st up form magnificent – also, 2nd to the mighty Pierro in the Slipper. A great crop.