I always love looking at the weights for the forthcoming meetings. The anticipation of clashes between the current stars around the carnivals has the lips quivering wondering what is going to happen this week. I might add it is not all about the competition as I also have greedy thoughts about adding some of the coloured, folding material to my wallet!Just sprinting through the weights I note there are two Listed races at Scone on Friday: the Dark Jewel Classic where Portillo heads the weights a
I always love looking at the weights for the forthcoming meetings. The anticipation of clashes between the current stars around the carnivals has the lips quivering wondering what is going to happen this week. I might add it is not all about the competition as I also have greedy thoughts about adding some of the coloured, folding material to my wallet!
Just sprinting through the weights I note there are two Listed races at Scone on Friday: the Dark Jewel Classic where Portillo heads the weights and the Scone Cup where Newton's Rings, Rags To Riches and With A Chance are at the top of the weights. On Saturday the Lord Mayor's Cup has last Saturdays runaway winner Lyncean Academy entered, as well as Nuclear Sky, who I backed last start (bogged down with a huge weight).
In Perth the open 2000m event looks a tight contest between Star Encounter and Reverend Lovejoy for favouritism while the stars Megatic, Hadabeclorka and Idyllic Prince are the class runners in the 1200m H.G. Bolton Sprint however the likes of Elliotto, Grand Nirvana (I backed him in the Railway Stakes) and Russell Road are in with a chance, as well.
Those races mentioned are fine but the real contests are up north with two wfa events: the Doomben Cup over 2020m and the 1615m Lord Mayor's Cup and the crackerjack handicap Darley BTC Sprint. At this stage I like the look of the gutsy mare Marveen in the Lord Mayor's Cup but in the other two I think I will wait for the final acceptances before I tie myself up in knots too early. Bring it all on.
I have held back from commenting too much on the jumps issue as a fair bit of emotion on both sides has blurred the inevitable conclusion. Jumps racing in Victoria should continue for this jumps season as far too many participants have invested time and money based on official assurances earlier this year. If this does not happen a class action will take place and will be supported by the courts as a clear violation of restraint of trade would have taken place. After this season I feel the jumps fraternity need to accept jumping is not like it once was and these days horses are rocketing far too quickly through the jumps for the sport to continue.
My solution would be to provide races at 2800m or longer for horses that quite clearly are not Melbourne Cup types similar to the 3000m races Moonee Valley holds. This provides the opportunity for the longevity of these less classier horses to increase and also provide their owners with some added opportunities for prizemoney. It would not be a form of rocket science to set this up using the handicappers ratings figures to ensure no top class handicappers are able to enter. I know my idea would not help the likes of raceclubs and towns like Warrnambool survive as well as at present but it is better than what I think will happen.