Country Cups 2021

[Messenger]

It is Maryborough Cup today, no crowd as far as I know (although the gallops have begun limited crowds)

I have always thought Sunday Cups are particularly 'crowd events' as it is not your typical betting day but maybe there is no such slack nowadays

$25k is on offer for the trotters today and $35k for the pacers, with Maryborough being the home of trotting you might have expected the reverse

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=MH171021

[Messenger]

Just like Anthony Butt did in the Vic Derby heat a fortnight ago, Rebecca Bartley on Western Sonador in the Maryborough Cup today, booted up big time to prevent Malcolms Rhythm getting the death but then just as quickly when she saw he might drop into the 1x1 she dropped the anchor to prevent this happening.

IMO this is dangerous, Anthony and Rebecca cannot really see what is happening behind them so one day someone doing this is going to bring down the horse whom they firstly refused the death and maybe half the field

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=MH171021#MHC17102101

ps Andy Gath had better find out what Anthony Butt was feeding Wolf Stride because he isn't a shadow of his old self for his new stable

[Messenger]

Just for Trish

[Messenger]

Geelong on Saturday
I am forever hearing the TrotsVision mob referring to the crazy odds that horses were 'when markets opened' so I thought I would have a look tonight
These are from the TAB

For the 2yo Fillies Tatlow Encipher is now $2.50 - it says she opened $11

In the Cup
while Amazing Dream has been steady around $1.70+
Bettor Be The Bomb has gone from $151 to $61
Tango Tara has gone from $10 to $5.50

In the C&G Tatlow Beach Villa opened $2.90 and is now $1.90

[Messenger]

Just like Anthony Butt did in the Vic Derby heat a fortnight ago, Rebecca Bartley on Western Sonador in the Maryborough Cup today, booted up big time to prevent Malcolms Rhythm getting the death but then just as quickly when she saw he might drop into the 1x1 she dropped the anchor to prevent this happening.

IMO this is dangerous, Anthony and Rebecca cannot really see what is happening behind them so one day someone doing this is going to bring down the horse whom they firstly refused the death and maybe half the field

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=MH171021#MHC17102101

ps Andy Gath had better find out what Anthony Butt was feeding Wolf Stride because he isn't a shadow of his old self for his new stable

Rebecca Bartley, driver of Western Sonador pleaded guilty to a charge under rule 162(1)(u) which states: A driver shall not abruptly reduce or check the speed of the driver's horse in a way which could cause interference or jostling, the particulars of the charge being that passing the 1400m when restraining Western Sonador, Ms Bartley abruptly reduced the speed at the head of the one wide line causing Silent Major, Diamonds N Cash NZ and Bulletproof Boy all being checked or inconvenienced to varying degrees. In assessing penalty Stewards considered Ms Bartley’s guilty plea, clear prior record, the frequency in which she drives in races and the consequential affects of the incident in that although several horses were checked, they were all able to maintain their respective positions. Ms Bartley was fined $300.

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/stewards-reports/stewards-reports-detail/?mc=MH171021

$300 for an action that could bring down the field is way too little but I am glad to see they have found the rule

ps Not mentioned in the stewards report but PP has found an excuse for the Wolf - he reckons he got his tongue over the bit

[Messenger]

You would think it might be an anomaly due to the sample not being big enough but check out the difference between barriers 3 and 4 at Geelong

[Messenger]

Exciting stuff by General Dodge and great for the sport as we need a few topliners to make these big races interesting

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=GE231021#GEM23102101

[Messenger]

The $35k Swan Hill Cup tonight
Compared to the HRV ratings Silent Major has come up very short at $3.20
Malcolms Rhythm was expected to be favourite but personally I cannot have him. I backed him in the Maryborough Cup on the strength of 'what could have been' in the Vic Cup and although Maryborough was a leaders track, I did not think much of MR's effort

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=FD291021#FDC29102101

[Messenger]

I should have listened to Luke Humphreys
He produced tonight (of course he couldn't at Maryborough when I go him at $13 before he was backed into $4)

[Messenger]

General Dodge is in the Yarra Valley cup on Thursday

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=YG041121#YGC04112101

[Messenger]

I was in Yarra Glen today (Main St not track but they run the same way) and General Dodge's 26.4 last quarter would have been into a headwind

https://www.thetrots.com.au/news/articles/trots-review-parwan-rocket-takes-off-in-yarra-valley-blitz/

[Messenger]

Why isn't the St Arnaud Cup being held at St Arnaud?
(and why does the HRA track info page contain no Records info?)

[Showgrounds]

Why isn't the St Arnaud Cup being held at St Arnaud?
(and why does the HRA track info page contain no Records info?)

They have to cater for the huge number of Melton based fans that have been starved of racing due to COVID-19 restrictions?

Just a wildly inaccurate guess.

[Messenger]

Stawell Cup on Sunday
It is unbelievable that it can only attract 7 starters and that is with 2 of them being below the advertised NR

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=SW121221#SWC12122101

I forgot to mention it is for $45,000

[Messenger]

Watching the procession that the Stawell Cup proved to be, I am thinking it is probably time to lengthen the track by 200m

[Messenger]

The metro meet this week is Cranbourne for their $75k Cup
It has attracted a good field with Copy That favourite with General Dodge drawn next to him, the widest on the front line

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=CR181221#CRM18122101

[Messenger]

Neither Greg Sugars or Kerryn Manning are driving at Cranbourne

[Showgrounds]

The Cranbourne Cup tomorrow night boasts a high quality field with a couple of bona fide Grand Circuit stars that have developed a serious rivalry. They are the 4 year--old stallion Copy That and 4 year-old mare Amazing Dream. Both have spent the bulk of their careers in NZ but both, until recently, were Victorian owned. The mare was sold to US interests in March.

Both have raced 45 times. Their individual records read : Copy That 24 wins, 7 seconds 4 thirds for $924,297, Amazing Dream 25 wins, 8 seconds, 8 this and $1,387,010. She has never finished further back than fifth and, on top of her 10 Group One wins, won both 2 and 3 year old divisions of th NZ Sales Series. Copy That took until this season to win a Group One, lat month's New Zealand Cup being his fourth. He won the Sunshine Sprint in Qld in July and the 4-year old Taylor Mile and NZ Messenger during the Autumn at Alexandra Park.

Their head to head clashes are as follows:

6 Mar 20, Northern Derby G1, 2700m mobile, Alex Park, Amazing Dream 1st, Copy That 2nd. MR 1:56.9
31 Dec 20, Auckland Cup G1, 3200m stand, Alex Park, Amazing Dream 1st, Copy That 3rd. MR 1:58.9
21 Apr 21, Taylor Mile G1, 1609m mobile, Alex Park, Copy That 1st, Amazing Dream 4th. MR 1:54.5
30 Apr 21, NZ Messenger G1 2700m mobile, Alex Park, Copy That 1st, Amazing Dream 3rd. MR 1:58.9
21 May 21, 2200m mobile, Alex Park, Amazing Dream 1st, Copy That 2nd. MR 1:58.0
10 Jul 21, Rising Sun G1 2138m mobile, Albion Park, Amazing Dream 1st, Copy That 2nd. MR 1:54.9
24 Jul 21, Blacks A Fake G1 2680m mobile, Albion Park, Amazing Dream 1st, Copy That 4th. MR 1:55.3

From their 7 clashes to date Amazing Dream holds sway, 5 wins to 2. Six of their clashes have been Group One races. The tough news for their opponents tomorrow night is no other horse has managed to win when the two of them have been in the field. In a bastardised season that began in NZ on 1 August 2020 Copy That has raced 25 times for 15 wins, 4 seconds and 2 thirds. Amazing Dream in the same period has raced 26 times for 13 wins, 5 seconds and 5 thirds.

Amazing consistency from both horses but the great mare has landed the biggest blows to date with her Group and Grand Circuit performances. In a COVID disrupted season both horses have proven outstanding. On paper the Cranbourne Cup stands out as the best country cup in quite a while.

My tip? The headlines will read either "Copy That Brilliant" or "Copy That Unlucky" with a sub-plot of how Amazing Dream had the easier run and sprinted home to win - just as she has done on the 5 occasions she has beaten Copy That. There is enough early speed in the Cup to keep them all honest and no reason the mare cannot win again. Just don't burn her up early.

As the card-carrying founder of the Amazing Dream Appreciation Society (Australian Chapter) you might expect I'd be tipping her to be annoited NZ Horse of the Year. She might be, but no. Copy That, maybe but also no. The trotter Sundees Son is a huge chance but my choice is the quiet achiever Self Assured. 17 top level starts for 8 wins, 6 seconds and 2 thirds for over $631,000 but that's another story.

[Messenger]

Great stuff Trev

The tough news for their opponents tomorrow night is no other horse has managed to win when the two of them have been in the field.

WOW

[Messenger]

Amazing Dream opened at $7.50 today on the TAB but is in to $5.50
I guess it is the excitement of being in the big one but I don't think I would have been taking Ric Reilly (NR86) out of his grade
when he was a real chance in the 80-94. The winners cheque for this race is the same as 2nd in the Cup

[Showgrounds]

TAB odds are not surprising given what I alluded to as the post-race "headlines". Copy That generates plenty of headlines, Amazing Dream just worries about when she is going to get her dinner. Perhaps it is best summarised by quotes attributed to Copy That's owner in Adam Hamilton's article yesterday:

"It will be good to meet Amazing Dream again. Yes, she beat us twice in Queensland, but she had much better runs both times. There's nothing between us, but she's got a better draw again".

"Amazing Dream has been through some hard racing though and I wonder how many times she can bounce back".

The mare would read those words, eat the paper then polish off her breakfast. Champions do that. She is an eat, race, win, sleep type of girl who doesn't look for excuses.

[Showgrounds]

Supreme Dominator breaks the Amazing Dream / Copy That voodoo in the Cranbourne Cup running down the mare to win by a head. Chris Svanosio might have been drinking the kool aid because he drove the favourite Copy That like it was Pure Steel. It isn't. It will be interesting to see how he pulls up.

The little mare started third favourite, amazing in itself. Circumstances meant she led, which is not where I'd prefer her to be. Plenty of talk about how much work Copy That did in running, none about Amazing Dream and how much work she did in the first 600 metres.

I've followed Supreme Dominator's career closely as he is a full brother to the great filly Spanish Armada. Both she and Amazing Dream were purchased from the NZ yearling sales and raced by Jean Feiss. She sold both of them as broodmare prospects and to fund future sales pillages. True Fantasy is seeking to inherit their crowns.

Unlike his sister Supreme Dominator has been a slow developer. Now actually a 6 year-old he has blossomed recently as a quality sit-sprinter wher his sister had fabulous strength and stamina from an early age. A super filly! Congratulations to Supreme Dominator's connections for stumping up the big bucks for the horse and sticking fat with him while he developed into the horse he now is.

Courageous is an appropriate word to describe Amazing Dream. It applies especially to her American owners who must now be pinching themselves with the way their huge purchase last March has turned out. I don't believe the price has been disclosed but the mighty little mare has now banked $508,000 since the deal was done, their layout might now be covered. And, she is still to set foot on US soil let alone put her details out there on the equine version of e-harmony. Everyone has been a winner from the little mare.