"We think we've got the best horse that raced at the cup carnival, Smoken Up." ..... umm who beat who again???
Hey if Terror to Love had of backed up in the FFA hey may have beaten Smoken Up. The precedent for many years now is to invite the winner of the NZ Cup. Just because the race is run in Australia doesnt mean it is only Australian horses. Similar to how Smoken Up races in the New Zealand cup. Maybe they should change the system from where some races winners have automatic invites back to the NSW team inviting the best 8 horses. I mean raglan is no where near as good as Terror To Love
I seem to remember the NZ Cup champion being a kiwi not an Australian. I mean I could be wrong but I was at Addington watching the race. I mean wouldnt the NZ Cup champion be the best horse? Not the horse that won the FFA.Originally Posted by teecee
And anyway Smoken Up, once again, did not perform in the NZ Cup. I mean they went slow he went to the front and walked them for 2 laps and got out sprinted home. The one time Lance Justice drives him properly and still he cant win. Maybe try again next year?
Terror to Love racing in Cordina Sprint on Saturday night at Menangle Park. Here's his chance to show how good a miler he is.
Kurt,
In years past NZ cup winners were invited. Any invitations were always at the discretion of the directors of the NSWHRC. As the NZ Cup is such a big race the winner, moreso in recent years got an invite. This year there was a change of programming whereby it was announced that the only assured positions were given to the winners of 3 sprint races run I'm Australia, The Newcastle Mile, The Coca Cola and The Cordina. The directors then had discretionary options to invite a few and then make the field up from those that took part but did not win the qualifying races. Raglan came and conquered the mile at Newcastle, so in similar fashion, Terror To Love gets an opportunity to qualify, and perhaps gain a spot even if he doesn't win but Aquits himself well....the conditions were well known to all...
Fred
You are correct that there was a change of programming and it was announced early for connection's wanting to gain a start in the Miracle Mile, but for me i don't think you are going to get the best 8 horses in the race. I have nothing against Raglan or anyone invloved with the horse but to be honest with you he is not a Miracle Mile horse and would of been lucky to be in the top 10 horses in N.Z but that's just my opinion. I would like to see both 4yr old's Terror To Love and Bitobliss get a start as they are up and comming grand circuit horses. The other thing i find strange is that they have put these sprints on to show case Menangle park and so on but then they change the Inter so heats are run in every state go figure.
Fred I understand the change of conditions. I just dont see why you wouldnt invite the best horses. You would have to say Terror To Love deserves more of a spot than even Smoken Up at this point. Smoken up really hasnt proved a lot to me this campaign.
Even if the conditions have changed after the run Terror To Love had in the NZ Cup h should be an automatic starter. if you swapped him and Smoken Ups runs you can almost guarenttee Smoken Up would not have gone anywhere near as good as he did.
Its a race that should include the best 8 horses in Australasia and thats not what its turning out to be
On prior form 100% agree, but hard to say that now after he ran past Mr Feelgood.
What you say about Inter is spot on.
Yes Fred the conditions were known to all and one condition was the NZ Cup winner may get an invite.
I don't know what possible explanation connections of Terror To Love can get that justifies why they didn't get an invite yet Smoken Up did.
Yes Smoken Up deserves one; mile record holder and defending Mile champion but after what happened 7 days ago I don't know how you can say no to Terror To Love.
As it is this week in the Cordina just about all horses have tried and failed 1 or 2 times in their quest for an invite so it would be hard to justify giving those horses a discretionary spot.
The format I am a fan of. Because I thought with the plain print where it says horses who contest lead up races would be given preference would avoid situations where people are crying about Special Albert and Rohan Home being included in the field (eg past 'weak' Newcastle Mile winners) or where in the days leading up to the final field selection it would avoid a Make Mine Cullen V Melpark Major issue like last year. I thought the system would be used as a tool in selecting the final 2 or 3 spots; not as a tool to say no to a horse that clearly deserves a spot.
The point is that the race is by INVITATION for at least 5 runners and it is upto the NSWHRC to invite whoever they choose. Winning the NZ Cup, which incidently I too saw won by Terror to Love is not one of the automatic entry races. I shan't go back too far in the history of both great races but I do remember Young Quinn being invited even though not winning a NZ Cup.
He was invited because that's who the NSWHRC wanted to invite and he duly won.
IMO not since the days of SIX starters only has there been a MM field of the very best pacers available.
Last edited by teecee; 11-15-2011 at 10:27 AM.
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