The Argument for ShortnessAt Randwick on Saturday there was a horse in the first race that simply stood out.Yet he started at $3.20, and there was a bit better on offer from various bagmen. He'd blown half a point during the betting and the favourite was getting 6.5 kilos from him.This fellow had won four good races in a row, prior to the injury that put him out for a full year.The Craven Plate and the Tattersalls Cup were amongst his kills.He'd come back on Boxing Day with a splendid second (ca
The Argument for Shortness
At Randwick on Saturday there was a horse in the first race that simply stood out.
Yet he started at $3.20, and there was a bit better on offer from various bagmen. He'd blown half a point during the betting and the favourite was getting 6.5 kilos from him.
This fellow had won four good races in a row, prior to the injury that put him out for a full year.
The Craven Plate and the Tattersalls Cup were amongst his kills.
He'd come back on Boxing Day with a splendid second (carrying 64kgs!!!).
His trainer (given to vocal enthusiasm about her horses, it's true) had remarked that he was a seriously good horse and would win. That's a big plug, even for Gai.
The risk was only in his ability to run a race second up. Even so, how could he miss a place?
Of course as we know now it was no contest, even when he missed the start slightly. He was simply in another class to the rest of the field and he showed it.
His name is, as locals know, Lorne Dancer.
I haven't seen many horses around at the moment that look as good as he does. Yes, a seriously good horse.
He paid around $1.70 for the place, so a bet of, say, $20 by $30 would have covered the total outlay and returned around $115.
More than double your money and the only risk was his health.
Well, he had one of the best conditioners in the racing world, a great draw, a small field of ordinaries, and a three kilo heavyweight apprentice of notable ability.
I stood after that race wondering why my entire bank for the day hadn't gone on. Marvellous thing, hindsight, but it's a great teacher.
Or it should be!