Originally Posted by
Old Frank
Great post and good food for thought. A lot of what's said is spot on.
The Driver issue is a massive one. I wrote to Harold Park over 10yrs ago imploring them to have a system like the Medowlands where it's somewhat a closed group of drivers.
Punters bet on consistency so the same core group of drivers going around promote consistency, coupled with consistent trainers and performing horses. The TAB put out a report some years ago saying how galloping punting (casual and small punter) was majority based around a favourite or particular rider. Somewhat like a Beadman in his heyday where his horses were sent out a couple of points under the odds due to his presence.
The current crop of drivers at Menangle classed as 'Metro' drivers are a disgrace, pure and simple. Most have no idea whatsoever on rating a horse or assessing form and this is why they get handled badly by quality drivers such as McCarthy.
Have you seen a Menangle (Bulli) or Bankstown Monday meeting or Tuesday Menangle meeting for driver quality - absolutely disgraceful. No wonder punters are steered off when they can't recognise 95% of who's going around. Drivers should also have their own colours, irrespective of who their driving, exactly like the USA. It's easy to spot in a race and follow that driver consistently.
It is a so-called professional sport yet over run with non-professionals, plain and simple.
Blokes are holding down regular jobs as weekend/morning warriors, yes because they love it, but yet training poor quality stock and in an amatuer fashion and then complain they can't compete against the likes of McCarthy/Fitzpatrick etc like it's their right to win a race? It's no one's right to train a horse and get freebie wins, it's a competitive industry and blokes like Luke are taking it seriously to the upmost in order to maximise his potential earnings from it, plain and simple.
Don't build a home computer and then complain that you can't get ahead of Apple...
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