OVERSEAS RACING - WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM IT?On Sunday Sha Tin held a big day, with some the best racing all year. How do you feel about (a) investing there and (b) learning from it?I would assume that you answered in the affirmative for (b), regardless of your views on our investing on the race meeting.The form guides here were patchy. Horses I'd never heard of were competing in some races, along with well-known topline performers. But in the main races the class was undeniable. VERY classy indee

OVERSEAS RACING - WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM IT?

On Sunday Sha Tin held a big day, with some the best racing all year. How do you feel about (a) investing there and (b) learning from it?

I would assume that you answered in the affirmative for (b), regardless of your views on our investing on the race meeting.

The form guides here were patchy. Horses I'd never heard of were competing in some races, along with well-known topline performers. But in the main races the class was undeniable. VERY classy indeed.

More than that.

It was WORLD class.

Americain, for instance. Melbourne Cup winner, and comfortably at that. He could win the Arc in 2011, which of course any French owner or trainer (or, for that matter, jockey) wants most of all to win.

World class sprinters. Group One winners from everywhere.

Frankly, answering my first question for myself, my position hasn't changed. I can't back horses when I'm short on ANY detail, and the overseas racing still doesn't satisfy me on that score.

But I am fascinated by it. I watch it and I try to assess it in terms of our own, and of our own horses. Comparisons are there to be made.

A case in point was Ortensia's race. She ran a bottler. She's not a champion, but she's one of the best we have at present.

She finished within striking distance of these world class sprinters, coming home for fifth, with her final margin being less than two lengths off the winner.

However... she was made to look second rate a couple of months ago, by a mare called BLACK CAVIAR.

Peter Moody's four year old is unbeaten. If she can remain sound, she must be just about bulletprrof.

And she blew Ortensia away in the Patinack Farm Classic. The margin was more than six lengths.

Makes you wonder what we've got here, doesn't it?

Later Note:

I was advised by Martin Dowling today of this significant source material. Thanks Martin! I'm sure it will be greatly appreciated.

Good blog D - but the fullest form is available for Hong Kong racing for free, along with video replays and full stewards' footage...At the HK Jockey Club website. You can get more form there in HK racing than any official body or club provides for Australian racing. The same with Singapore. The club website has fully detailed form and vision available. Australia still lags on this very important area of information for punters.
Cheers
Martin.