Have you guy's took a serious look at the field for the SA Cup this Saturday night?
What about the most pathetic 'Grand Circuit' field in many a year, if of all time?
This event is getting worse and worse each year and simply not worthy of 'Grand Circuit' status, irrespective of whether they have the appropriate prize money criteria.
Some of this lot were in claiming races within their last two (2) starts!
Easiest money Lance and Greg Sugars will ever pinch in a race!
Everyone's thoughts?
Race 7 SKY RACING SA CUP (GROUP 1) 8:52 PM
M0 Or Better. RBD. Prizemoney: $100,000 2645 METRES MOBILE START
21211 OHOKA NEVADA NZ J D Kingston-Mayne Mark Billinger C30 M6
07465 OUR HILLVIEW GOLD NZ (Em 1) G F Douglas Daryl Douglas C12 M4
22111 SMOKEN UP NZ L J Justice Greg Sugars C48 M43
31023 JUKEBOX MUSIC G F Douglas John Caldow C11 M3
s4213 FRANCO AMBASSADOR NZ L M Harvey Leah Harvey C11 M3
13132 TI VOGLIOBENE G R Norman Jock Dunlop C16 M7
Second Row ----------
31111 HEZA TRICK NZ G F Douglas Daryl Douglas C12 M3
22111 FOURMOORE A J Brown Ryan Hryhorec C17 M3
31s21 CULLENS LEGACY NZ J D Kingston-Mayne Mark Billinger C21 M2
32434 THOMAS MAGUIRE NZ N L Cavallaro Paul Cavallaro C8 M1
64328 IN THE FORCE NZ J Carbone Paul Cavallaro ODM C15 M4
Yes, just going through the runners , I can't remember a Grand Circuit race with so many really non-Grand Circuit grade runners.
Anyway , it is what it is , and there is nothing to be done for now. Good luck to all the connections. Most of us would dream of just having a runner in a Grand Circuit race , whether it really deserves to be in a race of this standard or not.
If they had a "Claimers Grand Circuit" this would be top shelf.
Option 2. Dont drive all the way to SA for 2nd prize!!!Originally Posted by Old Frank
Go to Bendigo to try to win $50k.
Race 7 PETSTOCK BENDIGO PACING CUP (GROUP 2) 9:30 PM M0 Or Better. * Manual Field Selection. * This race is a leg of the Melton Saddlery Victorian Country Cup Championship.RBD. Prizemoney: $50,000 2650 METRES 2ND LEG DAILY DOUBLE, 4TH LEG QUADDIE, 5TH LEG BIG6 MOBILE
DECORATED JASPER P A Rowse Jodi Quinlan
AMADMANCOMESUNDONE C A Knowles David Murphy
OUR MALABAR NZ L J Justice Gavin Lang
SMUDGE BROMAC NZ D Aiken David Aiken
VILLAGEM L Miles Lisa Miles
SAMMY MAGUIRE NZ M Purdon Mark Purdon
MAKE MINE CULLEN G F Douglas Daryl Douglas
MEGA ALEXANDER P M Russo Kerryn Manning
CAPTAIN JOY S M Hunter Chris Alford
MISTER GRIZZLY T E Pullicino Tony Pullicino
COMPOSED (Em 1) D Aiken Chris Alford
THE SMILER NZ L J Justice Jason Hackett
Last edited by Maorisidol; 01-11-2012 at 01:43 PM.
Well spotted Ash. Now that's what I would call something like a real Grand Circuit field.
Tasmanian Cup anybody.
Edit: downgraded this year, still last years wasnt the best field either.
Last edited by aussiebreno; 01-11-2012 at 03:11 PM.
Sadly SA and Tasmanian harness racing is being left behind the other states. I just don't know how owners in SA survive with average races at many meetings often carrying as little as $1500 total prizemoney.
It's good that there is a half decent meeting on Saturday , but really I think that the future of racing there is very bleak. This applies to thoroughbred racing as well. Really can't see how this decline can be reversed.
Real bad luck SA harness with not only the WA Pacing Cup, but the Bendigo Cup and the Hamilton Cup on Sunday as well. Would be nice 2nd prizemoney in SA though I would have thought!
I have been away from the game for a few years but I thought there was only ever a few trainers like the Justices that chased the better SA races. As Ash has pointed out - it is probably just smart trainers avoiding the champ.
per un PUGNO di DOLLARI
SA Harness racing has been stagnant for 25 years - prizemoney has actually gone backwards in the case of feature races. The Oaks was worth $20K back in 1987, now worth $15K. The Cup leadup last week was worth $20K for many years, it's now worth $12,500. The SA Trotters Cup has gone from a $50K Group 1 Race won by the likes of La Coocaracha, National Interest (beating Knight Pistol off 80 metres) and True Roman to a $25K Group 3 race. The Pacing Cup has been $100K for as long as I can remember, and I've seen horses like Westburn Grant, Golden Reign, Courage Under Fire, Shakamaker etc beat crack fields. Now if it wasn't for Lance Justice religiously supporting the race it would be an Ohoka Nevada benefit. Conte De Cristo and Ohoka Nevada have singlehandedly kept the Free For All ranks alive in the past 5 years, 20-25 years ago the crop of FFA'ers included Whirley Dream, Tip Top Prince, Mike's Choice, Pappy McCoy, Yaracoola etc. They were prepared by the Sugars, the Justices the Websters of the training ranks...
Thoroughbred Racing has some hope, they're moving the Cup back to May, increased funds for the Goodwood and Derby up to $500K, and have condensed it into a 3 week showpiece of racing. Prizemoney for standard Saturday races is on the increase, theres a new state of the art training complex at Murray Bridge on the cards and Gawler racecourse has been completely redeveloped. On the other hand the Gawler Trotting track was closed when they realised the new Northern Expressway would bisect the home straight. That pretty much sums it up.
I'm sorry I've forgotten the question...
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
