Stewards Report Please...

[p plater]

I was only a kid when Northerly was going around. One of his owners kids (parents seperated) used to live down the road from me. Needless to say I was a big Northerly fan.
It's interesting another head to head, ITMQ leads Smoken Up about 7-3.

It's also interesting that ITMQs Travelling Gp 1 record is 11S 3W 7P. Not many can match that at the best of times let alone travelling across a few time zones.

Brendan, do you have the stats on Blacks A Fake in Group 1 races. His overall was 105 starts for 72 wins 68%

[Big K]

Hi Kevin, do agree with the depth of racing or lack of in W.A. but if last years Inters were held in any state and only the 5 or 6 best horses turned up then there wouldn't be much difference in the quality of the fields but possibly bigger numbers of the also rans. The G1's do attract the class horses but the FFA's whether it be Menagle or Melton are no more brimming with talent than the local FFA's and these would be the horses making up the Inters fields but we should remember it was the also rans that finished in the placings in 2012.

Hi Rod,really it was a tongue in cheek comment with deeper meaning to the positive rather than just the words regarding WA's quality pacer's.WA horses did finish 123 in the final and during the heats many track records were broken with many of our horses going down by small margins against the Grand Circuit horses and in many cases winning or showing equal footing.Have a look at "Can Return Fire's" run at Menangle on the 14/04/12 ,great run for a weak WA horse.Pity he couldn't back it up 14 days later but we know the difficulties in travelling and horses producing their best every start.

[p plater]

Strange one, Why the need to officially defend a Stewards ruling. http://www.harness.org.au/news-artic...?news_id=19670

[Toohard]

The other 2 star Victorians Smoken Up and Caribbean Blaster choose to race for a paltry $ 125,000 in the S.A.Pacing Cup when they could have travelled a bit further west and raced for $ 400,000.

Melbourne - Adelaide: 727km
Melbourne - Perth: 3,276km

Smoken Up goes to Adelaide every year for the SA Cup.

http://www.harness.org.au/news-artic...?news_id=19679

We drove over last year for it. Great atmosphere and he pulls a big crowd.

http://www.harnessracingforum.com/sh...ll-time!/page4

This year sons 12th birthday falls on this Saturday. Couple of our favourite horses running in Bendigo Cup. Said to him we can have BBQ lunch birthday party for you. Then can drive up (just over an hour), go to the races and stay up there. Then drive home Sunday. "But Smoken Ups going to Adelaide dad". He'd rather sit in car for 9-10 hours (x2) and go watch him.

"I'll have to ask your mum"
"I already asked her and she said OK"

"We ain't driving to Adelaide in 40 degree heat"
"I checked already and only going to be 29 on Saturday"

"What about the other kids? Reckon they'll want to see you on your birthday"
"I already asked them and they said OK if I buy them a present"

"I dunno he can win it this year. Caribbean Blaster going over for it"
"It's not about winning, it's about supporting dad"

"What clown told you that?"
"You did dad. Anything else to say dad?"

"Pack your bag boy. Go Trigger!!"

[Mighty Atom]

No disrespect here but the usual pattern is for horses who aren't quite top graders in the East are sent or sold to the West and become FFA class over there and they are the ones IMQ beats regularly...not his fault, you can only beat what's put in front of you. Like the recent cricket series.

Hi Bailey,
Got to say its a long time since trainers here purchased horses from the east to race as FFA performers in W.A.- they're generally not up to the standard. If you look at W.A. cup field all NZ next to names. G.Hall stable waiting on the arrival of eleven horses from NZ. The Bendigo Cup field is very impressive but I think it needs an explanation as to why your G1 horses are not keen to take on our FFA performers in WA Pacing Cup or 'WA FFA Cup' as Maorisidol puts it. Speaks volumes for the calibre of our lowly FFA horses.

[G-Mac]

If I had one in Vic or NSW right now that was a Grand Circuit contender, the key races in the lead in to the ID Final would look like this:

08/12/12: Cranbourne Cup $100k
15/12/12: Victoria Cup $400k
02/02/13: Hunter Cup $400k
16/02/13: ID Heats $50k
03/03/13: ID Final $750k

This leaves a gap in my prep between 15/12/12 - 02/02/13 where I want my charge to run 1 or 2 times to keep it on the boil and hopefully get the owners some good coin. My options are:

11/01/13: WA Pacing Cup $400k
12/01/13: SA Cup $125k
12/01/13: Bendigo Cup $50k
18/01/13: Fremantle Cup $250k
25/01/13: Ballarat Cup $150k
19/01/13: Shepparton Cup $50k

If I'm based in Victoria I'm thinking Bendigo and Ballarat Cups are an ideal lead in to the Hunter Cup and onward from there. Yes there is more money on offer in WA but it would mean getting the horse over there, used to conditions, then race and bring it home. Plenty of variables and the journey could end up fruitless as there are many variables. Why go all that way when suitable races are on offer near home and offering adequate reward? I don't think anyone is dodging WA because the field would be too hot as you are suggesting, I think it is more an issue of logistics and the cost-benefit analysis applied to the excursion. A 6,000km round trip in the middle of your prep to a huge race is less than ideal. Unfortunately I think the WA and Fremantle Cup just isn't scheduled in a way to attract ES visitors anymore. Last year was different as they were coming anyway. I love WA harness racing and GP having spent many years attending the track myself, so don't take it as me having a go at the standard of WA racing. I think they will have to look at rescheduling the race in the future as the ID will be in Sydney until 2015 and this will keep happening.

On another note I heard Adam Hamilton say Hall Senior was considering going to the Hunter Cup and not contesting the ID as it is easier to get to Melbourne than Sydney. Anyone heard anything further on that.

[Maorisidol]

Great post G-Mac, logic all the way.
Going 6000km mid prep when its Cup season in Eastern states is frought with many variables and many dangers that could cause the Eastern state prep to go "offstride".
No offence again but the 800m track at GP is so different to these Eastern horses who race at Menangle Melton and other 1000m tracks. its just a damn long way to go and have seen many Vic horses go there and get pushed all over the place by WA drivers who stop at nothing to get them beat. Just my opinion guys from what i have seen.
Moving these next 2 WA features next couple of years makes so much sense if WA wants an AUSTRALIAN Group 1 not a WA Group 1...
I wonder if they can work that out themselves or are they too stubborn?
Would love to see a competitve race anywhere everywhere in Oz with a great field with a broad lot of chances not just Quinn plus Mysta Magical Mach and 2 other real hopes.

[aussiebreno]

It is my belief that WA horses are bound by and must uphold a different set of standards to Victorian horses in regards to travel, risks and performance.

Hi mate, I summarised your posts for you into one sentence.

[dizzy]

Ash would changing the dates be enough or without "match practise" on an 800m track in the eastern states might they stay away anyway?

[broncobrad]

After Quinnys domination of the WA Cup last night, it is has become abundantly clear to me that Gary Hall Jnrs penalty last week of $500 for jostling (usually the max being around the $200 mark for similar offences) is a paltry sum and could not be conceived in anyway as being a deterrent for that type of behaviour. But even so, no matter which way you look at it, it was Livingontheinterests 'turn'. That was 'his' race. The horse being jostled by Hall was the stables 'biggest' danger Mysta Magical Mach whose run under the circumstances was super and poor old IMTQ who should have got snagged much earlier, burnt petrol he hasn't got for both ends before ensuring his demise.

The penalty was a limp-wristed action to appease those of us that think something isn't right. Doesn't appease me one bit.

Last night we saw the real IMTQ, this time afforded a lovely three wide cart into the race (no assertions there, thats how the horses were positioned), by the Livinontheinterest who compounded to finish 80m last after doing 'his job'. Just not his turn last night. Last weeks race sucked for a lot of reasons, the biggest one being that the winner was afforded all the favours by Hall ensuring MMM never got a look in.

Why can't the charge of jostling be upgraded to an 'unnacceptable drive', the charge of choice lately by NSW stewards and time be given as well. I won't intimate anything untoward in relation to possible team driving here, even though its sticks out like you know what. Its been argued as to what it is that holds harness racing back for punters in general, why the sport just doesn't make that next step in attracting a larger viewing and punting audience...drugs in the sport has been strongly debated on this forum, but as one VVV would have said, the punters don't see that as an issue. (I do but from a different perspective). The punter sees the shit that happens on the track and what we saw last week was that in spades. Thats what they form their opinions on.