Average Inter-Dominion

[teecee]

I would have liked to have seen Sir Lincoln make the trip from NZ to Perth. He is absolutely flying and in career best form right now.

For the owners and trainer it was probably a no brainer.
$400K race just down the road from home. Auckland Cup with hardly the strongest opposition likely.
Not a really tough rugged type likely to give his best in what would be 4 races in a fortnight and needing to be at the very top of his game for the last one against the best around here and there at the moment. (This will be the REACTORS nemesis too.)
Not a great traveller having to go 1/4 way round the world and then back again.
The mobile is a hugh help to him but he nearly managed to completely muck that up last week.

[aussiebreno]

Let's hope Sushi is there next year at Menangle.

As the four best horses IMHO are each in different heats tonight , does anyone know how the fields were selected ? Were they all in a ballot and this is how they panned out or were they hand- selected to get ID012 off to a flying start?

I believe its order of rankings Eg ranks 1,8,9,16 etc make up one heat, ranks 2,7,10,15 make up one heat etc.

[David Summers]

I believe its order of rankings Eg ranks 1,8,9,16 etc make up one heat, ranks 2,7,10,15 make up one heat etc.

Thanks Brendan. That seems like a good way to ensure the heats all have quality.

[Mighty Atom]

Craig you mentioned Dartmoor.......hardly an inspiration here even though trained by G.Hall, went back to Sydney and never stopped winning races even if they were claims. Watched him one night, stormed home from last on turn to win running away. D.Thorn probably imported some of our great weather along with the horse. Atomic Ark....Who, barely added to his k400 when he was racing in the west. On the other side of the ledger David Hercules travelled to Melbourne consistently as a three & four Year old plundering practically every thing he was in, comes back to W.A. and cant win a race. Trainer said its easier for him to win in Melbourne. Our harness horses and thoroughbreds travel to the east regularly, they accept it's a long way to travel but they just get on with it.

[broncobrad]

Looks like they got a decent crowd out there tonight.

[LisaB25]

I'm sorry Rod, doesn't my post include Raglan in the top 5-6 horses and I also say "he's a very nice horse".

If you got the context of what I'm saying, I'm paying him further respect due to the colours of the camp he's in and their record. He is a very nice horse and probably likely to win a big race in the future, what seems to be your issue?

Also as a rule, many more horses travel West from the Eastern Seaboard than head East from your part of the world, is that not correct? They get turned into Lear Jets when they enter certain barns over there. Oop's silly me, must be that great weather... The others that go from East to West get drilled and end up running around as claimers or in 2900mtr standing start races forever and a day...

We Eastern seaboarders sell our horses to you WA guys because their no good anymore here, not the other way around. I think off memory you've had one in Dartmoor who found his way here and was running around under claiming conditions.

With your comments re; Baileys Dream and the like - he won over $600,000 / Atomic Ark over $400,000 / Awesome Armbro $300,000 and Sammy Maguire $200,000. Not bad for 4th tier horses I would think? Any of them could pick the grass in my backyard any day.

Somehow I don't see too many of yours travel to the Eastern Seaboard consistently if your saying their that good. If they are, why aren't they plundering the bigger money over here or is it just as easy for you lot to stay at home which your criticising our trainers for doing?

Bigger money ? up until recently our prizemoney was just as good if not better than anywhere else in aust, so why would we travel for the similar or lesser money. Obviously the bigger races MM, Vic cup, hunter cup, derby's, oaks races etc carry big prizemoney but in terms of friday night meetings and feature races we have/had some of the best prizemoney around so yes it is just as easy for us to stay home.

GP always pulls a big crowd for big races, glad we booked a table for final nights months ago..

[Greg Hando]

I agree with Craig it is an ordinary Inter this year quality wise bar the top 6 but the racing has still been good .
Should A Butt be given time for his drive on Raglan imo he should it was bloody awful.

[Danno]

I agree with Craig it is an ordinary Inter this year quality wise bar the top 6 but the racing has still been good .
Should A Butt be given time for his drive on Raglan imo he should it was bloody awful.

Sorry Greg ,
can't really agree with you there mate, Raglan has shown that he doesn't want to see daylight too far from home and it appeared he was banking on Mr Feelgood carrying him to the 300/400 before pulling out. Under normal circumstances you would have expected Mr Feelogood to carry you all the way to the post!, but it wasn't the way it worked out.
Had Anthony Butt pulled out when the 3 wide moved up, yes he would have got clear, but would he have won? I doubt it, and the way the horse responded in the straight when Butt gave him touch up, I doubt he would have run a place.
So in short, I think Butt was damned if he did and damned if he didn't, a bad drive on face value and I'm certain he's not proud of it, but unfortunately he just drew the wrong cards IMO.

Cheers,

Dan

[mango]

Fields are out for the 2nd round of heats and the major players would have to be happy with there draws. The Inter might be light on quality compared to previous years but if the main 6 player's make it to the final it will make it for one hell of a race.

[David Summers]

Fields for Round 2 Monday 20th Feb: http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=95785

Mr Feelgood seems to be racing well below his best at the moment. I would love to be proven wrong, but he may not even make the final the way he is going and that would be such a shame.

Amazing run by Washakie , there is no doubt about that. So tough.