Smoken Up and Im Themightyquinn accept Miracle Mile invitations

[Lucky Camilla"s Lovechild]

NSWHRC are putting up $500,000. They could simply invite 8 pacers to turn up on the Saturday and have a one-off event (as they have in the past) or they can try and build a carnival around the race and encourage the good class horses to race in NSW in the weeks leading up to the race (ie. promote harness racing in NSW)
As a result Sydney fans have had a chance to see Mister Feelgood, Washakie, Lisagain, Raglan, Karloo Mick, Be Good Johnny and now Terror to Love all racing to earn a spot in the MM. NSWHRC were probably unlucky that Auckland Reactor ran into problems otherwise I expect he would have also been here.
It was a very impressive win by TTL but there is no way that he would be seeded more highly at this stage of his career then Smoken Up or ITMQ. The directors made the right call and, despite the whingeing, they got the right outcome with TTL lining up in the Cordina Sprint on Friday night.
I strongly support the NSWHRC move. Basically, if you want a shot at our money then come and help promote the sport in NSW. If not, stay at home like Bitobliss and Melpark Major have.
I hope they do the same again next year when the prizemoney is set to go at $750,000. The only change I would make is that the field should be made up totally of horses that competed in the designated NSW lead up races.

Nobody has said TTL should have been invited before or seeded higher than ITMQ or SU. But the nz cup run, should have got him an invite. The NSWHRC are being bloody minded for the sake of a lead up race. And they're probably going to invite TTL regardless of where he runs on Saturday anyway.

[Lucky Camilla"s Lovechild]

I agree totally.

One thing I would like though. There is a notion that horses competing in the Cordina Sprint (i.e one week before the MM) don't have enough time to fully recover from a hard run and if they make the final field there is nothing left in the tank. Why not bring the whole thing forward one week and program a FFA (or 2) on what is now the Cordina sprint night. That way all the qualified horses can either rest or compete in the FFA. Either way there should be no complaints.

Depends if they ran in the NZ Cup or not.

[eliteblood]

Nobody has said TTL should have been invited before or seeded higher than ITMQ or SU. But the nz cup run, should have got him an invite. The NSWHRC are being bloody minded for the sake of a lead up race. And they're probably going to invite TTL regardless of where he runs on Saturday anyway.

I believe they are "spending" their money wisely and getting maximum benefit for their sponsors and the NSW industry in general.
As a matter of interest, did Sushi Sushi receive an automatic invitation into the Jewels final based on the strength of his Vic Derby win ?
Why not ?

[triplev123]

The NSWHRC are being bloody minded for the sake of a lead up race.

[VVV] Hmmmm. Can anyone say Harness Jewels criteria? That's a bit rich Leigh.
Take a whack at the NSWHRC for their approach to the MM Field selection but turn a blind eye to arguably the biggest exclusionary one-goer there is. How come Paul Sequenzia and Freddy Taiba's horse didn't get a nice please come over & compete in NZ letter from HRNZ? I didn't read anything of you asking that question earlier this year. Sushi didn't get a letter. Must still be on old mate Ed's desk.

[Lucky Camilla"s Lovechild]

[VVV] Hmmmm. Can anyone say Harness Jewels criteria? That's a bit rich Leigh.
Take a whack at the NSWHRC for their approach to the MM Field selection but turn a blind eye to arguably the biggest exclusionary one-goer there is. How come Paul Sequenzia and Freddy Taiba's horse didn't get a nice please come over & compete in NZ letter from HRNZ? I didn't read anything of you asking that question earlier this year. Sushi didn't get a letter.

Didn't realise the Harness Jewels was an invitation. Also didn't realise we were playing tit for tat! Perhaps they wanted him to come over a week earlier and run in a lead up race. I'll get on the blower and find out for you if you want?

[Lucky Camilla"s Lovechild]

I believe they are "spending" their money wisely and getting maximum benefit for their sponsors and the NSW industry in general.
As a matter of interest, did Sushi Sushi receive an automatic invitation into the Jewels final based on the strength of his Vic Derby win ?
Why not ?

Listen we could both disagree and argue till were red in the face. I just dont understand why they would risk NOT having the best pacers assembled in the southern hemishere for the sake of a meaning less lead up race. And I say meaningless in terms of there being only 1 (excluding TTL) horse with a realistic chance of winning the MM.

[triplev123]

You're missing the point Leigh. It's the whole mindset. The inference, the sense of entitlement.
It's all restriction of trade & exclusionary practices & it's all this horse deserves this and that horse deserves something else and so on when it's a case of NZ to AUS...but when it's back the other way, well apparently...that's a whole different species altogether?????
The Harness Jewels criteria stipulate that ONLY NZ earnings will be taken into account, effectively forcing any Oz aspirants to forego their own at home program and race solely in NZ in order to accumulate enough $ to make the final, the top however many going through. It's exclusionary by default & everyone knows it.
The MM conditions changed in order to encourage greater participation in the lead-up races & every man & their dog have long been aware of this. Wins in races other than those stipulated DO NOT automatically engender a slot in the field for the big one. That in and of itself is LESS exclusionary than the Harness Jewels because MM aspirants only have to compete in 1 or 2 designated lead-up events....but of course, it appears you've chosen to overlook that fact.
Get on the phone if you can. Ask Ed to check his desk for Sushi's invite.
Maybe Frank Marrion forgot to post it? He's in the HRNZ Mail Room these days isn't he? Licking stamps with former PM Helen Clark's image on them. Mmmmmmm. Nice. All that Lefty goodness.

[Lucky Camilla"s Lovechild]

You're missing the point Leigh. It's the whole mindset. The inference, the sence of entitlement.
It's all restriction of trade & exclusionary practices & it's all this horse deserves this and that horse deserves something else and so on when it's a case of NZ to AUS...but when it's back the other way, well apparently...that's a whole different species altogether?????
The Harness Jewels criteria stipulate that ONLY NZ earnings will be taken into account, effectively forcing any Oz aspirants to forego their own at home program and race solely in NZ in order to accumulate enough $ to make the final, the top however many going through. It's exclusionary by default & everyone knows it.
The MM conditions changed in order to encourage greater participation in the lead-up races & every man & their dog have long been aware of this. Wins in races other than those stipulated DO NOT automatically engender a slot in the field for the big one. That in and of itself is LESS exclusionary than the Harness Jewels because MM aspirants only have to compete in 1 or 2 designated lead-up events....but of course, it appears you've chosen to overlook that fact.
Get on the phone if you can. Ask Ed to check his desk for Sushi's invite.
Maybe Frank Marrion forgot to post it? He's in the HRNZ Mail Room these days isn't he? Licking stamps with former PM Helen Clark's image on them. Mmmmmmm. Nice. All that Lefty goodness.

Well if i've missed the point (what was it again?), then you've lost your page in the book. What the hell has the Harness Jewells got to do with the MM. OK then, lets just stop all NZers from racing here. And while were at it. Lets deport all kiwi's as well.

[triplev123]

Well if i've missed the point (what was it again?), then you've lost your page in the book. What the hell has the Harness Jewells got to do with the MM. OK then, lets just stop all NZers from racing here. And while were at it. Lets deport all kiwi's as well.

[VVV] A straw man is a component of an argument and is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position, twisting his words or by means of [false] assumptions.
To "attack a straw man" is to create the illusion of having refuted a proposition by replacing it with a superficially similar yet unequivalent proposition (the "straw man"), and refuting it, without ever having actually refuted the original position.
Generally, the straw man is a highly exaggerated or over-simplified version of the opponent's original statement, which has been distorted to the point of absurdity. This exaggerated or distorted statement is thus easily argued against, but is a misrepresentation of the opponent's actual statement.

With thanks to some on-line terminology explanation thingo.

[Lucky Camilla"s Lovechild]

[VVV] A straw man is a component of an argument and is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position, twisting his words or by means of [false] assumptions.
To "attack a straw man" is to create the illusion of having refuted a proposition by replacing it with a superficially similar yet unequivalent proposition (the "straw man"), and refuting it, without ever having actually refuted the original position.
Generally, the straw man is a highly exaggerated or over-simplified version of the opponent's original statement, which has been distorted to the point of absurdity. This exaggerated or distorted statement is thus easily argued against, but is a misrepresentation of the opponent's actual statement.

With thanks to some on-line terminology explanation thingo.

Googling again I see. Classic VVV.