When Does The Garbage Stop?Yes every year it happens. Several of our trainers, and several well-known tipsters and radio jocks, fall over themselves to tell us how much better some horse (that we've never heard of) is than ours are.True, last year one won the Caulfield Cup. But it was the wrong one for punters! A fluke, too.This year we were treated to stuff about one of this year's crop of great pretenders being fourth to "the best horse in the world".Eh?Well, check your video. After
When Does The Garbage Stop?
Yes every year it happens. Several of our trainers, and several well-known tipsters and radio jocks, fall over themselves to tell us how much better some horse (that we've never heard of) is than ours are.
True, last year one won the Caulfield Cup. But it was the wrong one for punters! A fluke, too.
This year we were treated to stuff about one of this year's crop of great pretenders being fourth to "the best horse in the world".
Eh?
Well, check your video. After the Caulfield Cup finish was reached by Viewed, Roman Emperor, Vigor (from an impossible barrier), Daffodil, and even (amazingly) Fiumicino, along with a previous winner in Master O'Reilly, you still won't see the greatest thing since peanut butter on your screen!
No, sorry, there he is behind Master O'Reilly. And the other wonder act is back about four lengths from that.
Some questions that have to be asked (in any order you like) are:
1. Who says the horse over there is the "best in the world"?
2. Who rates them?
3. When can we rid of ourselves of this kow-towing to the "superior" northern hemisphere opinions of horseflesh?
4. Why do we allow so many of them into our big races without really appropriate qualifications?
To offer a few possible answers:
Q1. Ratings panels favour the northern hemisphere to such a degree that our first bunch are rated many kilograms inferior to the "best", and they are allowed to get away with this every year.
Q2. Now that's a good one to ask, the next time you see "the time-honoured" or "the world authority" in front of some agency or other.
Q3. God knows. Viewed won the Caulfield Cup on October 17. He won the Melbourne Cup and the Brisbane Cup last year. Want to talk weights and "weight for age"? OK, he gave EVERYTHING weight on Saturday.And he came from last.
Q4. And that's a good question, isn't it? Money? Interest = publicity = betting increases = profits? You got it.
True, now and again some raider will win something. Opinion, however, favoured a different raider the year Vintage Crop (huge odds originally) won, and it did too when Media Puzzle won, until the actual day (he started out at 150/1). Nobody is suggesting the other visitors aren't good horses. That would be stupid.
Of course they are VERY good horses.
They just aren't, pound for pound, better horses.
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