Victoria Derby

[teecee]

Curious to know how the fields are drawn up for the heats of the Derby.
Is it by random selection, human intervention (committee or panel), rankings (based on what criteria), some other obscure means. It is curious that for the second year in a row the Kiwi entrants are all in the same heat!!!!!???


Where do I find the race conditions in one of the most user unfriendly website of any code in any racing jurisdiction. They claim it a new website. I hope they didn't pay too much for the end result.

[Adaptor]

teecee
I found the conditions : but it doesn't say how the actual selection is done ...to keep the fields even, and like the tennis..the top seeds apart.


http://www.hrv.org.au/hrv/index.cfm/racing/victorian-programming-guidelines-pdf

[aussiebreno]

And yet the harness.org is 10x better than HRNZ.co!

[teecee]

And yet the harness.org is 10x better than HRNZ.co!
As an aside...
Yep I have to agree that the HRA site is excellent but when you go into the individual states' sites, ...well another story again IMO.

[Messenger]

And yet the harness.org is 10x better than HRNZ.co!

really?
HRA is so complicated
eg tabs HRA NATIONAL - HRA ONLINE - ANNUAL ONLINE
then as far as info
had to badger HRA to give me/us full premiership tables and then unlike NZ you cannot sort them

[Messenger]

After those heats (and yes they were only heats) we now have ourselves a contest.
How about the closing speed of Ideal For Real

[Messenger]

The draw has been done

http://www.harness.org.au/fields.cfm?mc=MX070215&fromstate=vic#6

[Adaptor]

Shelbourne trainer Larry Eastman has Birchip owned Menin Gate in the $205,000 Victoria Derby this Saturday night at Tabcorp Park, Melton. Eastman will join only three other Bendigo district trainers to win the Derby, first run in 1916.
Menin Gate has an impressive record with 8 starts for 6 wins and 2 seconds, a 1:54.3MS race record and close to $57K in the bank.

http://www.harness.org.au/fields.cfm?mc=MX070215#6

Previous Bendigo district winners of the Victoria Derby are few, but include the Keith Cotchin Elmore trained Tanabi Bromac (2008),and Maryborough's Future Intangible (1966), Dales Gift (1964), Future Raider (1962), Sean Truis (1953) and Selwyn (1952).
The half brothers Future Intangible and Future Raider were trained by Bill Davies, while Jack Moore trained Dales Gift, Sean Truis and Selwyn.
Not bad stats....5 Derbies trained AND driven by the Maryborough legends.

[Messenger]

I thought of having a dabble on outsider Ideal For Real earlier in the week but decided it could wait
It is now TAB FIXED $10
I am sure it was double that
Can anyone confirm that? (The way I have been making mistakes lately - I could have imagined/dreamed it LOL)

[Richard prior]

I thought of having a dabble on outsider Ideal For Real earlier in the week but decided it could wait
It is now TAB FIXED $10
I am sure it was double that
Can anyone confirm that? (The way I have been making mistakes lately - I could have imagined/dreamed it LOL)

IFR all up TTL Kev!!

[Maorisidol]

Massive night at Melton tonite for Derby Winner Menin Gates owners and fan club...they were jumping everywhere after the race, well done to all,
on track they said the tribe was staying oncourse at the accomodation, god help anyone else staying there wanting to sleep tonite lol!

[aussiebreno]

Most horses at least improve a little bit between 2 and 3, some may flatline...but Follow the Stars has gone backwards.

This is Menin Gates first time in, he is a big and strong horse but still has a good sprint. Right now I don't think he ranks as one of the best 3yos of years gone by, but the future could hold plenty more G1 wins for him.

[brent_L]

'all IMO'
I could understand people questioning the drive in that it wasn't agressive enough but I really don't understand how much more the horse could do. Beaten under 3m outside the lead running home the final 800 in 55. He beat the rest of them out of site & those who did finish closest all came thru on the pegs. Absolutely no difference to last years Derby with Bling when he was in the chair. Unless the lead time is hectic (under 44) good horses simply dominate around the place when they are on the pegs.

[Richard prior]

Yep tough run for Follow The Stars, Running off on the corner has probably cost him the race or would have finished a lot closer to the winner IMHO.

[hugdon]

Maybe a dead heat Rich it certainly would have been close

[squaregaiter]

Yep tough run for Follow The Stars, Running off on the corner has probably cost him the race or would have finished a lot closer to the winner IMHO.
I agree it could have been a tad closer however one should not forget that the Chris Alford is such a tactician he placed the final run home pressure when it was needed and that didn't help the run off, they had let him dictate what he wanted to do /run, in addition Chris would have had a few kilo's advantage in the bike that all adds up in that sort of race and who knows where that horse will go now as he has only had 9 starts for 7 wins and 2 2nds, he is welcome to my backyard :):)
I cant wait to see the Stewards report on the entire meeting, should be very interesting reading :)

[Messenger]

I gather there has been a fair bit of publicity about the ownership group of Menin Gate which I have missed. I understand the meaning of his name - has this significance to the ownership group too?