Reply With Quotehttp://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=88666
a very embarrassing article for dumnesy
my thoughts, the nz derby winner of this week should be offered an automatic invite to the NSW derby, so 1 less horse is taken from the heats or if they choose not to accept it they just use the heats as they are
and there should also be 1 discretionary invite for a 4 yr old from nz to race in the chariots and lure them away from the messenger, whether it was given to smiling shard after his hunter cup run or even to the winner of the forbury (4/5) race if they went good enough
imo would add another excitement factor by getting a horse over here that otherwise wouldnt come because they have to be in aussie for 2 weeks to qualify and race
http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=88666
a very embarrassing article for dumnesy
I'm of the completely opposite opinion to you Buster. I could not be more opposed to such an approach. Invites in such races are a complete & utter wank.
If the various aspirants can't or if they don't show up in order to compete in the lead up races or Heats or whatever...then up theirs. Someone else who does can take their place. That should include the Miracle Mile too btw.
I think it just undermines the big races if the best aren't there
Traveling horses is not small feat and it is so disappointing that smiling shard won't in the chariots
Hi Buster
I'll have to agree with you on this one, i'd like to see the best of the best race and to hand out one invite to a kiwi horse should be done. Not saying Smiling Shard would come but if he got an invite it would of made for more interesting racing. He is rated one of the best 4yr old's this year and done a great job through the inter series.
I think the NSWHRC has got it right. They need to milk these feature races for their maximum benefit. If the best horses want to start in the Chariots, Miracle Mile, etc then turn up a few weeks beforehand and strut their stuff. One of the problems with our sport IMO is that the public don't get to see the star horses often enough.Originally Posted by buster
Last week we got to see Lanercost and Motu Crusader, this week Russley Rascal and For A Reason. NSWHRC and the public are getting some value for the money that they have put up.
The scenario is even stronger leading up to the Miracle Mile. The club are putting up $750k and they need to maximize the outcome. That will not be the case by inviting horses to fly in a few days before, race once, and then fly home again.
I don't agree with John's last suggestion that 4YO's should be banned from the Inter Dominion. Plenty of 4YO's have performed very successfully in the past. I think owners and trainers are best placed to decide if their 4YO is ready to tackle an ID. That is their job and their right to make that decision. The administrators should leave the training of the horses to the horsemen.
Buster, I'm as disappointed as anyone is that Smiling Shard will not be there...but it is their choice not to come. Nobody here's telling them that they have to stay at home.
For mine he would be a very welcome sight out at Menangle... plus I'm sure if they did come over that Cran & Dexter would have him right on his game.
On the subject of 4yos, the man is entitled to his opinion of course & if they're faithfully reproduced I think John's idea is well and truly on the conservative side to say the least.
It is also fair to say that he is not be alone in thinking along those lines.
For example, Paul Fitzpatrick has long been of a somewhat similar mindset in so far as he strongly believes in giving 4yos a 'relatively' quiet year to find their feet against the older horses before they go into the deep end at 5yrs & beyond. While I very much doubt he would be for preventing 4yos racing in the ID at the same time it would have to be an absolutely extraordinary 4yos for Paul to even think about dropping it into an ID series.
Maybe John has genuienly long held that leave them out of the ID's view and simply got the opportunity to express it. Maybe he was misquoted, maybe it is a bit of both and on top of all that he is looking to promote the upcoming Chariots Of Fire 4yo battle by way of floating an idea that he'd know would be received as pretty controversial. I don't agree with him, I think Owners & Trainers are best placed to work out whether their horses are up to ID Class at 4yrs.
Hi Triple
Your correct it is there choice but for me he has done enough in the Inter series to warrant an invite.
Hi Eliteblood
It's a bit hard on a horse like Smiling Shard to turn up a few weeks before the Chariots as less than 12 days ago he was racing in the Inter final. I thought common sense would prevail to a certain degree about allowing one invite to the Chariots for a Kiwi horse.
Hi Mango,
Yes it would be hard but you can't race in everything. Smiling Shard's connection chose to compete in the ID at the expense of the Chariots. Russley Rascal's connections went the opposite way. Lance Justice missed the Hunter Cup with Smoken Up to concentrate on The ID. Sushi Sushi is missing the NSW Derby to be ready for other races later in the season. As a matter of interest, had Natalie Rasmussen requested that Blacks A Fake be allowed to go straight into the Auckland ID final without competing in the heats, would you be in favour? Would it have been fair to the other horses? Would it have robbed the NZ public of the opportunity to see him race three times?
I know this is going back a long way but I remember being at the 1990 Adelaide ID where 5 of the 9 heats were won by 4YO's.
6 of the 10 finalists were 4YO's, Weona Chief, Jane Ellen, Westburn Grant, All A Dream, Rockleigh Victory and Whitby Timer.
It would have been a very poor ID series if the 4YO's were banned from competing
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