It is only 5 weeks away today! (and then just another 4wks till the MM)
Has VIC got a horse to compete with the NSW horses?
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Fields are up for Saturday
http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...s/?mc=MX290122
I am not a punter much less a taker of Odds On but how can any of the opposition in the Gp2 Casey Classic be expected to beat Expensive Ego (especially with the Ballarat Cup run under his belt)
$1.35 almost seems generous to me
The Gp1 Caduceus 3yo Classic is a cracking field but Heza Son Of Agun is a very special horse
Last edited by Messenger; 01-28-2022 at 07:33 PM.
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Here are the noms for the Hunter Cup and Great Southern Star
https://www.thetrots.com.au/news/art...star-revealed/
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The TV panel are pointing out that if the stable were 100% happy with Expensive Ego's run last week/where he is at, he would not be running tonight - fair warning I suppose
I can't help but think that even a 90% Ego has the measure of these despite the draw - how many of them have won a Group race?
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I did my research and the answer is one Group win - Triple Eight but it was a Gp1
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Well there you go - it looks like he will lose it on protest (again)
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It is a tough game, the animal is pretty much in charge, he has no fence to follow, we are talking about coming out a foot, is there some onus on the outside horse not to race that close - can you expect a horse to go Perfectly straight?
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As impressive as Majestuoso was winning the Dullard Cup in 1.57.1
Have a look at Majestic Man winning last year's in the Tk Rec of 1.55.4
(Majestuoso ran 3rd in the race and would have run closer but broke under pressure)
http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...21#MXM30012108
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A quick check reveals that Chris Alford has driven 7,608 winners. I have noticed he's has had two hands and two reins in all of those wins and has displayed great ability to steer horses in a straight line, moreso since current whip rules forbid drivers from having both reins in one hand while whipping their horse with their free hand.Originally Posted by Messenger
Yes, 888 did hang in upon entering but Greg Sugars immediately reacted and straightened his horse. Halfway down the straight as Triple Eight was closing Expensive Ego was being hard driven and drifted up the track. Sugars had to check his horse, not much but enough to cost it the half-head margin and a little more. Alford never stopped driving his horse but managed to straighten the leader.
No contact needed to be made for the protest to be successful, Sugars preventative checking of his horse being sufficient evidence. In many ways this protest was similar to the ID Final with quick actions by the drivers of the second past-the-post horses preventing contact. No doubt the connections of Expensive Ego will be peeved losing not one but two feature races on protest. Perhaps the only instruction they should give its drivers is "Make sure you keep him going straight".
The stewards made the right decision. Now, how about biting the bullet and cracking down on horses and drivers taking short cuts inside the marker pegs before the sprint lane.
Like Max Delight did without punishment in the Victoria Cup when driven by, ahem, somebody who has driven 7,608 winners.
Fair points Trevor but there are many, many races where a horse does not go straight in the home straight.
Most of which do not result in protests because there is no one close enough to be checked, or the drifter did not win/place, or the winning/place margin was too great, or the closing horse drifted too
A different driver this time to the Inter. I found that driver's steer on Lochinvar Art in the Shep Cup interesting, in that race, I wondered whether his drift was intentional or not
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