Miracle mile

[Smoken]

Thanks Richard. I guess the track wasn't affected at all then!

[littlelenny]

Totally agree with Ash Mach Beauty driven with a sit is a different horse in the Cordina he improved his personal best time for the mile by about 1 full second. When he leads he rolls along at a quick tempo and he just cant come home in the sub 55 needed its more like 56+. He took a sit on Smoken ups back in the Cordina and came home in 54.78 that is similiar times to what For a reason is running home in.

[HaroldParker]

So would those 2 horses have beaten Smoken Up last week? They ran 150.2 last night..
I'm certain Smoken Up didn't stop like he did, due to the fact that CM was on his outside. There is no other horse that fights like he does. He simply was not himself last night.

No, I'm saying that every horse in last nights race with the exception of Mach Beauty would of beaten Smoken Up comfortably in the Cordina. In fact the best run in the Cordina was Abettorpunt first over. The young bloke on him was flushed out at the half by Fly Like An Eagle who was going nowhere. The young blokes inexperience on the big stage showed up again last night too. Very promising driver but he got schooled.

& having spent 4 of the last 6 years working a stones throw from Yonkers and a half hour from the Big M, times wise, some nights are more conducive to faster times than others. I wasn't there last night but I was the week before where it was quite still and warmer. I hear it was a little chilly out there last night.

[Smoken]

Every horse would have beaten him apart from MB? Based on what?
So if Smoken Up could have gone even quicker as Lance said, would they still been able to beat him?
Last night they could have run quicker times yet they didn't, & the weather and track obviously were fine. Do you think Smoken Up raced to his natural abilities last night, & if he did, would have he had a good chance of winning?

[aussiebreno]

You can make excuses all you want, but Mach Beauty just isn't as good as the rest of the field at this stage. $44 outsider and finishing position show this.
There are three references. Mach Beauty, Abettorpunt, and last nights race with the actual horses involved which show the top three have Smoken Ups measure.
What shows Smoken Ip should have won?
A timing difference is o ly pointer. The timing difference also shows Trigger went 1.48.5 April 2011. Rohan Home btn 11m. So based on times Rohan Home would have won last nights race. Based on times, For A Reason wins in sub 1.50 earlier this month so he should have won. But remember times can vary, just look at For A Reason beaten in 1.54.5. So timing difference is irrelevant.

[Toohard]

Typical Lance Justice. However it beats his old chestnut "he only got beaten because I went too slow in front". Last week he had Mach Beauty sitting on him, nothing to his outside. This week he had Christen Me to his outside with For A Reason and Beautide stalking = chalk and cheese. The old boy was overwhelmed this week.

The 3 best horses in the race dominated. Time is for people in jail.

Typical Lance Justice??? FFS! He was asked a question and he gave his honest answer. What do you want him to do?

Since his very first run back all his knockers have done nothing but bag him. All the 'experts' and the usual critics. Even up to a week ago it went on. But they all jumped back on or went very quiet last week.

Was told before we left no horse has ever run in that Cordina race and won the MM a week later.
Hard for any horse to back up. Didn't stop us travelling up. Story about him Friday in Melbourne paper. Double page pic of him and story in Sydney paper Saturday. Harness racing hardly ever rates a mention in either.

After all that had gone before, just seeing him walk out on the track Saturday night was magic. Just magic.

No excuses from us. He obviously wasn't his usual self to us but all honours to the winner.

Last went to Menangle in March for Interdom. Lots of building works going on then. It's come a long way since. Looks great.

Apart from my son getting some sort of gastro thing at 3am Saturday morning and throwing his gut contents up for next 3 hours, we had a great time. Looking a bit doubtful we'd get to the track for a while. Reckon multiple fractures wouldn't have stopped him being there so no way a stomach upset was going to.

Caught up with some people on here and also with others we'd met on previous trips that remembered us.

Son was a bit flat when we started the trip home early yesterday. Stopped for breakfast somewhere. Sitting on the grass outside eating it. Saw a car and float drive in with a cart on the back. Parked just near us. Lance and Trigger. Went over and said hello. In a hurry to get the horse home but still took time to have a chat to us. That sparked me son up.

From the little I know of the man... thats typical Lance Justice.

[doinmabest]

Hi Paul, sorry I didn't get to catch up properly when I bumped Luke and yourself. It was nice to see you both albeit fleetingly.


I bet he was thrilled to catch up with Lance on the way home mate, it would of made his trip....


All the best and might see you in March

[Smoken]

I like reading everyone's opinions, as I try seeing things from there perspective, but i still cannot see why some people seem to think that the big 3, or even the rest of the field apart from MB have Triggers measure... Is it simply because they are half his age or younger? If Smoken Up was 8 or 9, would the same things being said in regards to the Champ, even be said to begin with? I am sticking to 'my' opinion that Trigger was most definitely not himself at all, regardless of his age.
P.s Paul, your son is one if the most loyal fans of Trigger!
Great stuff!

[aussiebreno]

I like reading everyone's opinions, as I try seeing things from there perspective, but i still cannot see why some people seem to think that the big 3, or even the rest of the field apart from MB have Triggers measure... Is it simply because they are half his age or younger? If Smoken Up was 8 or 9, would the same things being said in regards to the Champ, even be said to begin with? I am sticking to 'my' opinion that Trigger was most definitely not himself at all, regardless of his age.
P.s Paul, your son is one if the most loyal fans of Trigger!
Great stuff!

You and maorisidol (the bloke who argued with me for months about ITMQ chances in the ID) can keep sticking to your opinion.
I'll keep sticking to mine, backing ITMQ and Beautide.

It's not his age, it's his form. Triggers form from 2-5 years ago probably wins the race. His form isn't as good now.

I don't know many other horses who can run 5th btn 12m after leading get the benefit of doubt that they are in fact currently better than the horse who won. Bit disrespectful to the winner imo.

[Smoken]

So if IMTQ for instance had a race to suit, but ran a shocker, would that then mean, something was wrong with him, or he just ain't good enough anymore in this level? Triggers past 5 starts, apart from mm, have been massive, especially his 4ths!
Beautide and every other horse deserves respect, no disrespect to any of them, but why is it wrong to say that Trigger is as good ATM as the rest of them? If I was talking about Triggers form from 2-5 yrs ago, I don't think most people would be mentioning any of the other horses in the same league as Trigger. He was nearly unbeatable, & even the flashy gazelle ITMQ couldn't get past him after having a fantastic sit.. They didn't even smash the clock that night, imagine ITMQ ran in LSM, which Trigger ran 148.5.. No horse that night would have beaten him, not even if they were Superhorse! FOR winning by 20 metres, after being back in his usual spot managed 149.4 a few weeks back.. Trigger 149.9 in the Cordina. Let's not forget that Trigger is the only horse who has led from pillar to post running these times, which puts him in a different league altogether.