Do we have two horses and two drivers interchanging?
Feb 1:ITMQ moves, coming off of the back from a three back,one out possie and ambles up three wide and eventually sits outside of the leader.Coming off of the back driver pulls deafeners and starts bouncing around to let the horse know it's time to rip.Horse doesn't show any sprint at all with driver showing urgency,and is well beaten in the run home.This from a horse that has one of the best sprints ever seen.
Times,from HRA results,lead 70.8,splits 31.3,29.3,27.3,27.4 .Mile rate 1.58.8.
Feb 16:ITMQ moves as field goes into the back straight,goes around the lot and ambles along in front.Coming to the turn out of the back ITMQ starts to open up a lead that will eventually become a 20m winning margin.What was the driver doing while this was going on? Sitting as still as a little field mouse.
Times,from HRA results,lead 64.4,splits,31.7,28.9,28.5,28.2.Mile Rate,1..54.7.

It was claimed in a previous post that ITMQ was beaten in the Vic Cup because of a blistering lead time and he had to work too hard early,a proposition that I did not agree with at the time and I think the above times favour my position.

What conclusion do we draw from the figures (as the fields were practically the same)?

Buggered if I know,lead time 70.8,mr 1.58.8 and get beaten,lead time 64.4,mr 1.54.7 and win by 20m.

Yes,I know that the fast lead time was set by a couple of desperates but ITMQ was sitting back in the field having a bludge.

Feb 1 form he finishes in the last three in the Inter,Feb 16 form he wins Inter BY THE PROVERBIAL STREET.Which horse/driver combo is coming east for the final?

Leaving all the "iff's and butt's" aside,my opinion is that ITMQ will not handle the pressure of the final and will faint with 200 to go.

P.S. Wasn't it heart warming to see a three horse field go round in NZ in a heat of what was once the jewel in the crown of harness racing in Aust/NZ?