The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - Ascot March 28West Australian Racing

PerthTurfTalk

The Good

Streets Ahead - What a belting. Goes without saying this this colt needs better competition than the W.A 2yo's.

Make Mine a Double Trev - Feature race to race double for the powerful Andrews Stable. Always thereabouts when the major races arise.

Back to 'A' Jock - Dong at his best, barriers always help but he still rode the perfect race.

York Races - Great to see them back and the track appeared in fantastic order. A good crowd, four bookies, plenty of good food and drink, and big fields. Although they may want to upgrade the signage leading towards the track. I'm pretty sure I did a u-turn at Clackline.

What's the Secret? - Not sure I've ever seen an open class horse who is so consistently inconsistent. The stable don't seem to know either because there's rarely an indication of any confidence in the ring. If what Adam Durrant said after the race is true, we're still a while from seeing the best of this enigma. Competitive at her worst and brilliant at her best.

The Bad

Kalgoorlie Trials - When they get eastern states jocks or a celebrity speaker for the Kalgoorlie Race Round they promote them heavily. So where was the promo saying that Michael J Fox was going to be operating the camera for the trials on the 15/3? After waking up and taking five Lamotrigine I finally managed to compose myself.

Blame Bob - For those that want to heap abuse on Pike for his Battle Hero ride, you're better off redirecting it to the owner. He detests his horses leading, and this seems the reason Pike handed up the lead, as Peters was reportedly unhappy with Pike leading on it last start. Personally I'd be filthy if my $4 second favourite handed up to a 100/1 class one horse with a massive distance query, but Bob Peters has owned a million winners so who am I to argue?

Oops - RACE 2: KALATIARA CLASSIC - JEST ENVY HER (Shaun O'Donnell) was a late withdrawal by Stewards at 1:27pm when Trainer Mr D. Harrison advised that he had inadvertently presented the wrong horse on course.

The Ugly

Race Two - You're not going to beat Sheidel, right? You just want to run a place to get some prizemoney and another placing for your mare who is owned by a breeding operation, right? So you choose to burn your horse out by applying pressure to the $1.28 favourite around the corner instead of nursing and probably running second, wrong! Yes I am talking through my kick. The team did the same thing on Rule To Wyn and it followed up with a big midweek run so keep watch.

Western Watchdog - Put the question mark on Delicacy after its first up run. Bad dog, get outside.

DamienWyer

I honestly thought the edition this week of the good, the bad, and the ugly would be the good being the win of Lucky Street, the bad being what passed as a group two race, and the ugly being the just over 3,000 strong crowd to watch what was once a jewel in the crown of Racing in WA.

The Oaks was cringeworthy to watch. The Derby could be worse.

For the Melvista to be won by a horse that couldn't win anywhere in 12 attempts prior is a damning indictment on the standard of Colts and Geldings going to the Derby.

It's all great for the connections as they only have to beat who turns up, but please no headlines about how good we are going.

Ascot 10 years ago would have killed this program.

The number of starters is beyond a joke. The refusal of Perth Racing to accept maidens on a Saturday to give some chance of betting turnover is just plain idiotic. 

On a good note, has anyone been to the new sports bar at Crown ? It is outstanding. 

thefalcon

wasn't Boom Time a maiden?

Fastmoney

the falcon said:

wasn't Boom Time a maiden?

Sure was


=D> =D>

Chelsea

The attendance on Saturday should have been included in the ugly, if it was not for the Essayez crowd the would have been less than 3000 at most.Their were 5000+ crowd at Pinjaara on sunday in what resulted in a great day out, with a terrific atmosphere.PERTH RACING GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER.
I was also told that the admission for Pinjarra was $25 ? I don't know if that is right.

loose_goose

1.   You could not see the Big Sign that says York turn right here ?  :D

2. What happened with kalgoorlie trial footage ?

TheDiva

The crowd was terrible on Saturday. There must be huge concern for this weekend (Easter) and the weekend after. 

naw

Preferment won the VRC Derby as a maiden last spring Damien so the damning indictment is all around

brady

The Ugly

P.Harvey  ride on Terror Force

yep hurt the pocket !

paraletic

I was there on Saturday and let me be totally honest, I wouldn't want any more people than that. The staff just wouldn't cope!

darkshines

So what's changed in the last 10 years, that has led us to where we are now?

 

R.

B.

H.

thefalcon

:-?? , darkshines?

darkshines

Ratings Based Handicapping.

 

Was always there as a hidden tool, but because the transparency is now there, hands are tied from making 'common sense' handicapping decisions.

It and raising minimums have genuinely stuffed metro racing. It may well never recover. Seriously.

Ngawyni

What transparency? They published a set of guidelines but don't follow them. The handicappers do what they like with no consistency or explanation. Some horses drop in ratings and others don't. Take Kirov Boy (fantastic win, congrats to all but favourably handicapped). He won a Saturday race on 10 January carrying 60.5kgs as a 91 rater (after having won an open handicap by 8 lengths 2 starts before that). After only 2 more starts he runs in the Pinjarra Cup - again as a 91 rater. Great for Kirov Boy but not much good for Ask Me Nicely.

Another example (there are many) is My Bonny Lad. Runs last first up without blinkers as an 80 metro rater then wins convincingly at Mt Barker second up with 60.5 and blinkers on beating the in form Corporate Larrikin. So now on CRIS My Bonny Lad is a 79 metro rater. He's dropped in ratings for winning! Assuming he got 2 metro ratings points for winning at Mt Barker (the standard penalty) the only explanation for the drop in his metro rating is that they gave him a 3 metro rating point drop for his first up run even though the practice has previously been not to drop points first up. Very nice if you're My Bonny Lad. Not much fun if you're trying to beat him next start.

There's a clear message there for trainers. Give your horses a run or two at the start of their preps when not fit and without blinkers and you'll drop a few kilos. Give them a few runs at the end of their preps when they've trained off and you'll drop a few more!

The end result of this practice of dropping some horses and not others is blatant unfairness. For example two Saturday's ago Clumsy, a mare, who has won $82000 from 39 starts (and no Saturday wins) had a higher rating and was weighted above Tiger Pete, a gelding, who had won $316000 from 42 starts (including 7 Saturday wins). Again, that's great for Tiger Pete but not much good for those trying to beat him.

Ngawyni

I agree with you on raising the minimums. On Saturday the Kaliatara with an advertised minimum of 54kgs had the minimum raised to 55kgs so there was only a 4kg spread between top and bottom. Why? There were 12 mominations to begin with and raising the minimum to 55kgs just meant 7 of them had to meet Need A Lift and Sheidel a kg worse. The race was advertised as a 54kg min.

thelawnenforcer

I was initially very frustrated with BP's ride on Special Delivery in the Melvista. In his defence sitting 3 the fence with that many horses bunch up in front you would assume some sort of speed battle going down the back. Instead they held the leaders back to the field and slowed the pace making the field congested and he had nothing to do but wait until the turn to try let down into a gap that would open.

Probably should have sat where Halo Express was!

Killed my Back to a Walk, Sheidel, Travinator, Delicacy, Lucky Street all up though!!!

Muldoon

Ngawyni said:

What transparency? They published a set of guidelines but don't follow them. The handicappers do what they like with no consistency or explanation. Some horses drop in ratings and others don't. Take Kirov Boy (fantastic win, congrats to all but favourably handicapped). He won a Saturday race on 10 January carrying 60.5kgs as a 91 rater (after having won an open handicap by 8 lengths 2 starts before that). After only 2 more starts he runs in the Pinjarra Cup - again as a 91 rater. Great for Kirov Boy but not much good for Ask Me Nicely.

Another example (there are many) is My Bonny Lad. Runs last first up without blinkers as an 80 metro rater then wins convincingly at Mt Barker second up with 60.5 and blinkers on beating the in form Corporate Larrikin. So now on CRIS My Bonny Lad is a 79 metro rater. He's dropped in ratings for winning! Assuming he got 2 metro ratings points for winning at Mt Barker (the standard penalty) the only explanation for the drop in his metro rating is that they gave him a 3 metro rating point drop for his first up run even though the practice has previously been not to drop points first up. Very nice if you're My Bonny Lad. Not much fun if you're trying to beat him next start.

There's a clear message there for trainers. Give your horses a run or two at the start of their preps when not fit and without blinkers and you'll drop a few kilos. Give them a few runs at the end of their preps when they've trained off and you'll drop a few more!

The end result of this practice of dropping some horses and not others is blatant unfairness. For example two Saturday's ago Clumsy, a mare, who has won $82000 from 39 starts (and no Saturday wins) had a higher rating and was weighted above Tiger Pete, a gelding, who had won $316000 from 42 starts (including 7 Saturday wins). Again, that's great for Tiger Pete but not much good for those trying to beat him.

Excellent work with a few examples there one that Rodent brought up before Insurgency definitely they had made a blue with his metro and country ratings yet have never come out and admitted they made a blue

dungy

The ugly was Tonto and the bloke that rides it a so called jockey J Whiting

OliversTwist

Is there anyone else who can't believe the stewards report Race 3: No Comments..Shengmu was backed off the charts and ran last, chinetti was just as well supported and ran 2nd last. I know they went hard out in front but nothing at all?!

therealkramer

@WesternWatchdog Bob Peters did in fact say he was unhappy with the ride on Battle Hero in the J C Roberts Stakes even though being in front turning for home was the only way it-or any other horse on the day- was going to win. It may go part of the way to explaining the tactics of Pike on Neverland in the Natasha Stakes that day. It may also reveal why Pike acquired the ride of Delicacy at the expense of Peter Hall-i.e riding to stable instructions(on the filly, at least). Neverland needed to be in front of Delicacy and the track was playing to leaders anyway. It was a no brainer to go forward on Neverland and make it a true staying test but at what cost? The Oaks and Derby were the main goals-although Neverland subsequently didn't run in the Oaks so it matters little now.

therealkramer

dungy said:

The ugly was Tonto and the bloke that rides it a so called jockey J Whiting

If you watch the replay of the J C Roberts Stakes after they pass the post, it was Boom Time that really ran through the line, along with Tonto. I saw this before the running of the Melvista and thought what was that thing!?! Then I looked at the price in the Melvista and wrote it off. L-)

therealkramer

naw said:

Preferment won the VRC Derby as a maiden last spring Damien so the damning indictment is all around

Preferment should have won the Geelong Classic the start before-it was beaten a lip, much like Shamus Award who should have won the Stutt Stakes, and arguably should have got the race on protest. So this maiden status thing is bunkum imo.

brady

OliversTwist said:

Is there anyone else who can't believe the stewards report Race 3: No Comments..Shengmu was backed off the charts and ran last, chinetti was just as well supported and ran 2nd last. I know they went hard out in front but nothing at all?!

Chinetti look like shit in the parade ring also
To me looked a bit Lame ?
Well backed in the Ring
Makes you wonder sometimes ?

BC4E

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.............. and The Centrefold.

Great effort by Simone Altieri on Saturday at Mingenew, riding 5 of the 6 winners, and 2nd in her other race. Although I have heard jockeys being compared to wicket keepers, they can only catch them if the bowlers do their job and get the edges. Similarly, jockeys can only win if the trainers do their job and provide a fit horse.

Still an outstanding effort by "The Centrefold" though.

RIO

BC4E said:

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.............. and The Centrefold.

 

Still an outstanding effort by "The Centrefold" though.

Will we ever see another earn such an appropriate nickname?

She's always been talented enough, but 5 out of 6 is a very strong display anywhere.

therealkramer

RIO said:

BC4E said:

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.............. and The Centrefold.

 

Still an outstanding effort by "The Centrefold" though.

Will we ever see another earn such an appropriate nickname?

She's always been talented enough, but 5 out of 6 is a very strong display anywhere.

Natasha Faithful rode the first three winners at Kalgoorlie on Saturday and went close to riding four straight. Still, half of the six-race card is pretty impressive

:-bd

RIO

Mandy Richmond at Pingrup recently for 3 wins, 2 seconds and a third.

Faithful's probably the toughest out of all due to better opposition, but all three efforts pretty good.