Bitobliss Vs ITMQ

[Toohard]

Love your work Paul,
I am in neither camp on this one, however I recall an episode many years ago when I was still training on the Newcastle Showground, it was a very wet and muddy Sunday morning workouts, the track ( in those days 550 Yards circumference) was really slippery and even pacework with a set horse was about as quick as you'd like to go...along comes one of the local blokes and he says his horse worked it's last lap in 40 seconds!!!! ( the track record at the time was held by Bold Biami at 40.8 secs, and Bold Biami had just won the NSW Derby and RC Simpson Sprint)

I said to this bloke, mate did you have your watch turned on for the whole lap?????

He goes, aww yeah, the clock said 46 seconds , then I took off 3 seconds for the mud, another 2 seconds cos we worked a cart off the fence, and another cos I reckon he could have gone a bit quicker if I'd really got up him!!!!!

A very good old trainer once told me..dont worry about clocks and times, dont worry about what you ran second to and how the race panned out, measure your horse on what he can beat.

Cheers,
Dan

Reckon you're right. Heaps of other variables too but sometimes the times can help you spot one that comes out at big odds shortly after. Apart from $16 quaddie we take when we go to Melton Friday am not a punter but still take keen interest.

Give you an example. Watch this race - Race 7 TABCORP PARK MELTON 30 November. http://media.harness.org.au/vic/MXM30111201.wmv

Watch the horse in yellow that comes out of 7 (Wartime Sweetheart). Goes back and last at the mile. Never gets into the race really. If watching replay probably wouldn't think much of run.

The winner goes alright!! Winner went 1.56.4 last mile. 3rd horse Decorated Jasper went 1.55.97 last mile and came out and won last Saturday night. Wartime Sweetheart went fastest last mile (1.55.57) of the race. Had 1 run since. Drew back line and never got into race. In again tomorrow night and drawn back line again. Some fast ones off the front so speed will be on I reckon. If it goes 1.55.57 last mile again it won't be far off them and be big odds.

**NB** - Of all the $16 quaddies we've taken we've snagged 2. One paid $15.20 !!

[Big K]

For what is worth, for me a true Champion is one that can do it both ends of a race, that makes them so great. From what we saw on Saturday IMQ is purely a sit sprinter, ran similar type of race in the MM when used early.

Are you suggesting that in your opinion Popular Alm and Village Kid Aren't true champions???? or are you just merely trying to tarnish ITMQ.

[p plater]

Are you suggesting that in your opinion Popular Alm and Village Kid Aren't true champions???? or are you just merely trying to tarnish ITMQ.

Kevin, sorry if you have taken my posts the wrong way. I never saw Popular Alm or Village Kid race live, my interest must have started after yours.
Having looked at the Grand Circuit Champion honour roll, I must admit I was surprised to see that Popular Alm was not on it and so many people regard him as the best ever pacer.
I have no knowledge of Sunshine Band who appears but the rest of the names on the list should be regarded as Champions IMO.
Your comment made me have a closer look at a couple and was surprised to see that Village Kid (GC Champion in 1988) raced solely in the Eastern States between 1985-1988, I alway thought he was a WA champion who travelled to compete in the East.
Everyone has their favorites and mine are those who you would want on your side in a scrap, the tough buggers who can do 2 or more runs in a race and you know not to write them off even if things don't go their way, but thats just me.

[Mighty Atom]

I am fortunate to have seen all the great champions race from the 60's to the present. I have said in the past that as far as watching a pacer in action nothing compares to Gundary Flyer. My true, one and only champion is the great Pure Steel or as he was known in his heyday ''The Tungsten Terror''. He never won an I.D. and others went out of there way to make sure he didn't. But his numerous G1 victories were outstanding ( four Hunter Cups ). A Miracle Mile win coming from last sitting three wide the last lap over the mile and this was from a horse that was renown for long distance races. Pure Steel's match up race with Satinover in 1980 drew 30,000 people to G.P. At one stage he was the highest stakes earner both thoroughbreds or standardbreds. Sunshine Band came over from Queensland for the W.A.Pacing Cup ( the year eludes me ); his victory in one of the heats was the most emphatic I have seen, coming from a long last on the turn he won his heat. It must be said however that Sunshine Band returned a future positive swab so a question mark remains over the horse.