Stewards News

[Messenger]

Race 5 at Ballarat tonight

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...ic#BAC02021807

Surely this has to be investigated

IMO Emmett Brosnan was driving with one thing in mind - to stitch up the $1.10 fav

First he poured on the pressure to try and take the lead from the fav but the more telling was when stuck in the death after doing all that early work, when Grant Campbell made that brilliant move to take the lead, EB sooled his horse up again (instead of looking for a rest on the fence - which opened up) to make sure the fav was stuck behind the leader/pocketed on the 'no sprint lane' Ballarat track

EB's horse was beaten 85m
It was first up for 5mths and the only non winner in this field of 3yo's

The big question is: Why was he doing it?

I see he received a QDT for his drive in the next race - probably for not taking the chance to get off the fence when the death horse hung back
but IMO the stewards have got the wrong race as far as the obvious goes

[arlington]

Race 5 at Ballarat tonight

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...ic#BAC02021807

Surely this has to be investigated

IMO Emmett Brosnan was driving with one thing in mind - to stitch up the $1.10 fav

First he poured on the pressure to try and take the lead from the fav but the more telling was when stuck in the death after doing all that early work, when Grant Campbell made that brilliant move to take the lead, EB sooled his horse up again (instead of looking for a rest on the fence - which opened up) to make sure the fav was stuck behind the leader/pocketed on the 'no sprint lane' Ballarat track

EB's horse was beaten 85m
It was first up for 5mths and the only non winner in this field of 3yo's

The big question is: Why was he doing it?

I see he received a QDT for his drive in the next race - probably for not taking the chance to get off the fence when the death horse hung back
but IMO the stewards have got the wrong race as far as the obvious goes

Jeez Kev, I'd hate to be driving in a race if you were a steward. "Sooled his horse up", really? I think he was trying to correct his horse as well as keep his wheels away from the inside horse. He'd of got a holiday if he tried to take that gap.
Nothing wrong with a bit of initiative, as you highlighted with Grant's drive. Not saying it's a good way to balance up the odds on favourite thing but $1.10 was pretty short for that colt, the Emma/Chris factor.
Did Emmett's horse get fired up, earplugs came out prematurely?
Probably why the run was queried rather than QDT.

Were you looking for more fodder for the odds on favourite's thread? lol

[Messenger]

It was a late night post but still suss IMO
His non winner had already done plenty of work in his first run for 5mths and although he may not have had to sool it up - he did not consider taking a sit
The gap was not there but he could have given his horse a rest by taking the 1x1 by letting the fav out
He did get beaten 85m thanks to his drive

It all just seemed a bit too perfect how everybody made their moves, not just Grant, and kept the fav boxed in
Good old fashioned 'showgrounds' driving you might say but to me it just rang an alarm bell
It was the first leg of the Quaddie that paid allright

LOL I did happen to watch it (three times) because I wondered how a $1.10 fav got beat
but I don't think of it as fodder in the odds on favourites' thread - I think of it as a serious problem Wayne

ps I want my stewards to be suspicious

[Messenger]

Found the Stewards Comments column a little confusing last night

We are used to seeing PRS for pre race swab like it appears in R7 & R9 and I always thought that was a blood test (to test TCO2 as much as anything)
but the R2 comments had me wondering whether I have this right as it contains

PRU pre race urine AND PRB pre race blood

so what do we take the general PRS to mean?

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...A020218&ms=vic

[arlington]

Race 5 at Ballarat tonight

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...ic#BAC02021807

Surely this has to be investigated

IMO Emmett Brosnan was driving with one thing in mind - to stitch up the $1.10 fav

First he poured on the pressure to try and take the lead from the fav but the more telling was when stuck in the death after doing all that early work, when Grant Campbell made that brilliant move to take the lead, EB sooled his horse up again (instead of looking for a rest on the fence - which opened up) to make sure the fav was stuck behind the leader/pocketed on the 'no sprint lane' Ballarat track

EB's horse was beaten 85m
It was first up for 5mths and the only non winner in this field of 3yo's

The big question is: Why was he doing it?

I see he received a QDT for his drive in the next race - probably for not taking the chance to get off the fence when the death horse hung back
but IMO the stewards have got the wrong race as far as the obvious goes

Jeez Kev, I'd hate to be driving in a race if you were a steward. "Sooled his horse up", really? I think he was trying to correct his horse as well as keep his wheels away from the inside horse. He'd of got a holiday if he tried to take that gap.
Nothing wrong with a bit of initiative, as you highlighted with Grant's drive. Not saying it's a good way to balance up the odds on favourite thing but $1.10 was pretty short for that colt, the Emma/Chris factor.
Did Emmett's horse get fired up, earplugs came out prematurely?
Probably why the run was queried rather than QDT.

Were you looking for more fodder for the odds on favourite's thread? lol

It was a late night post but still suss IMO
His non winner had already done plenty of work in his first run for 5mths and although he may not have had to sool it up - he did not consider taking a sit
The gap was not there but he could have given his horse a rest by taking the 1x1 by letting the fav out
He did get beaten 85m thanks to his drive

It all just seemed a bit too perfect how everybody made their moves, not just Grant, and kept the fav boxed in
Good old fashioned 'showgrounds' driving you might say but to me it just rang an alarm bell
It was the first leg of the Quaddie that paid allright

LOL I did happen to watch it (three times) because I wondered how a $1.10 fav got beat
but I don't think of it as fodder in the odds on favourites' thread - I think of it as a serious problem Wayne

ps I want my stewards to be suspicious

Your stewards were suspicious Kev, including the way the favourite was driven.

Chris Alford, driver of Thats Perfect, was questioned regarding the reasons for the colt being driven forward at the start which appeared in contrast to the tactics notification lodged at the colt’s most recent start at Ballarat on 20 January 2018, where it was advised Thats Perfect would be driven less aggressively at the start. Mr Alford explained that he drove Thats Perfect forward at the start as per its usual racing pattern and he felt it would be in the colt’s best interest to lead. Mr Alford added that passing the 1500m he was aware a runner had commenced to improve quickly three wide and despite his urgings Thats Perfect failed to quicken sufficiently partially due to racing roughly momentarily and as a result Onthecrestofawave was ultimately able to obtain the lead. Trainer Emma Stewart was subsequently fined $200 under Rule 238 for failing to comply with the HRV Change of Tactics Policy in that she failed to notify of an intention to vary from the most recent tactic notification.
Emmett Brosnan, driver of Bossanova Bay, explained after unsuccessfully contesting the lead rounding the first turn Bossanova Bay commenced to pull hard and strike the sulky wheels at various stages, particularly as Onthecrestofawave improved quickly to his outside passing the 1500m. Mr Brosnan further explained that Bossanova Bay pulling hard was further exasperated by the deafeners releasing prematurely. Bossanova Bay tired over the final stages to be beaten 85m for which a warning was issued. In not taking more severe action against Bossanova Bay Stewards were mindful the gelding was first up since September 2017.

[Messenger]

You were right about the deafeners Wayne, I probably should have considered that a fresh horse can over-race. Sometimes you need to be there to see what really happened as the video we get is average - not that I watched it with sound the first time but I guess the caller didn't help as he seemed to be suggesting the fav was being stitched up. I was going with my instincts - if it don't look right then it probably 'aint' (but instincts can be wrong)

[arlington]

I wonder if the caller was aware a COT hadn't been put in for the favourite and Emmett had every right to search for the lead?

[Messenger]

Does anybody else think that these appeal results read more like a forum post than an official ruling?

http://www.harness.org.au/media-room...?news_id=36372

[Messenger]

"Following a meeting review Stewards intend to question J Harding (SACKHEIM) with respect to the tactics adopted on the gelding."

https://www.harnessmediacentre.com.a...dsreports/2016

A gallops odds setter sent me this one because he thought it was So Hot
He is unsure why the change of tactics would have been approved as it only went in 15-20 mins before race
Sackheim then blew out from $1.40 to be in the black

He still nearly won in spite of the driver

https://www.harnessmediacentre.com.a.../replays/34136

[arlington]

Stewards report from Menangle last Saturday. http://www.harness.org.au/racing/ste...l/?mc=PC170218 Informative.