Veteran turf scribbler Max Presnell has had a lash at Racing NSW and Sydney racing generally. In his SMH column, 'Mad Max' rips into last Sat's Randwick card: 'Yes, it was a heavy track due to recent wet weather, and Randwick was lucky to race, but the program wasn't up to Saturday standard - following something similar two weeks back at the same venue. Apart from appalling field sizes - three events had fewer than eight starters - the course proper, with the rail 10 metres out, had a savage up-

Veteran turf scribbler Max Presnell has had a lash at Racing NSW and Sydney racing generally. In his SMH column, 'Mad Max' rips into last Sat's Randwick card: 'Yes, it was a heavy track due to recent wet weather, and Randwick was lucky to race, but the program wasn't up to Saturday standard - following something similar two weeks back at the same venue. Apart from appalling field sizes - three events had fewer than eight starters - the course proper, with the rail 10 metres out, had a savage up-front bias.' Max wonders whether Racing NSW may have taken its eye off the ball due to being inveigled in court actions.

Another grizzled turf wordsmith, Ken Callander, has had a shot at Starspangledbanner. Writing in the Sunday Tele, Kenny says: 'Starspangledbanner and Alverta conquered the world in the July Cup but they would not start favorite to beat boom local Hay List. That's the opinion of big-betting rails bookie Col Tidy, and I agree with him. Starspangledbanner is a good sprinter but he was no superstar in Australia six months ago and a horse like Denman would have pulled a cart and beaten Alverta. Before going to Britain, Starspangledbanner beat Arinos and Here De Angels in a blanket finish in the Oakleigh Plate and then was beaten with a light weight by Wanted and Eagle Falls in the Newmarket. Alverta was beaten by Beaded at Randwick before she won the Coolmore Classic against fillies and mares at $18. It makes you wonder about the British sprint form.'

Kenny also has a few words on crisis jockey Danny Nikolic...He writes: 'Don't try telling Danny Nikolic there's no place like home. He's had stints in Hong Kong, Sydney and Macau recently and you have to wonder whether he wishes he had stayed in one of those places.'