cambridge race 6

[the galah]

what do people think of the k denifistova drive on delightful chic in the last.

I'm unsure whether the tactics used in the last 400m were just really really stupid,or as suggested to me by a couple of people who watched it,the horse was deliberately run into a pocket so as not to win.Maybe a junior driver race next week. who knows.

Either way,surely its reasonable for punters to expect better,whatever the reason.

Edited September 3 by the galah

[Nowornever]

Wrong decision for sure but nine times out of ten she would run top three at Cambridge from that position on the turn. Two things against her tonight, slushy track plus the leaders were stopping quickly in the pacing races.

The racing up North at the moment is a waste of time as evidenced by the miserable pool amounts. Luckily the grass track racing is starting up this weekend in the south and I can open the wallet again and have a decent go.

[the galah]

sometimes i watch races and just see it different from others i suppose.

although as i said,for tonights drive i spoke to 2 other people before posting. One said the drive was the worst case of a horse being pulled they had seen for a while,the other said,no it was most likely incompetence at the high level.

personally,i wasn't sure myself which one it was.One was definitely applicable,whatever it was.I know everyone makes mistakes,especially those early in their career.  

1 hour ago, Nowornever said:

Wrong decision for sure but nine times out of ten she would run top three at Cambridge from that position on the turn. Two things against her tonight, slushy track plus the leaders were stopping quickly in the pacing races.

The racing up North at the moment is a waste of time as evidenced by the miserable pool amounts. Luckily the grass track racing is starting up this weekend in the south and I can open the wallet again and have a decent go.

But i am surprised at your comments.

in my opinion i can't see how giving up a clear run on the 3 wide train that is progressing quickly and instead taking the option of going 3 back the fence behind horses that are stoppingwith 250m to run, is an option that could possibly be viable even one time out of ten let alone 9 times out of ten. Tactics like that aren't split second decisions either. 

The stipe report on the race is farcical to me.It didn't even ask the question.Mind you,thats what i expected.  

At the end of the day there were only probably several hundred people focusing on that drive. It was not like it was a horse in a race being watched by big numbers i suppose. 

Also,i note that people don't comment much on what happens in races much anymore on this site. Unless it is all positive. I didn't used to be like that. Very few threads at all recently.

Its as if people would rather not go there. I seem the only one these days who reflects on both sides of the coin.

I had always thought what happens in the the actual races,are the main part of the harness racing.

Edited September 3 by the galah

[Gammalite]

5 minutes ago, the galah said:

although as i said,for tonights drive i spoke to 2 other people before posting. One said the drive was the worst case of a horse being pulled they had seen for a while,the other said,no it was most likely incompetence at the high level.

sure it was a non winning effort to get held up in a small field.

A shame, when she had a great amount of horse to work with at the quarter and could of just followed the circling runner . the horse was my selection for the race too. 

But it is a driver with just 35 starts lifetime. (always a risk against seasoned pro's) That's like so easy to make errors with that experience level. The bloody horse drew the outside gate too, so she would of had to be sharp and made some sort of race plan. 

Held up 3 back along the fence at the Finish Post probably not one of the Plans lol.😂🤣

[Brodie]

I have just watched the replay of the race as currently not able to watch live, as overseas.

personally don’t think she hooked it or it was terribly incompetent.

Think it more the fact that it got too far back from the gate over a stupid short distance!

To be fair the sprint racing that these clubs continue to program are just not great races to be betting into on the whole, in my opinion.

Any qualified horse can run a mile and therefore you have to be so much better if you have a bad draw!

Driver drove the horse for luck trying to save ground along the fence but the gaps never came.

North Island harness racing is not great betting into compared to the South Island.

[Harrison]

The filly is a horse that needs to be driven for luck. Unfortunately in this instance it wasn’t the right decision but if the gap had of opened up as it often does, she would’ve saved a lot of ground and likely gone close to winning, rather than coming 7 wide in the slush and everyone would be saying what a good drive it was. 

Unfortunately for more experienced drivers as the lead pair had gone so hard early, they were always likely to fall in her lap as happened. So therefore better to come wide given the late sectionals ended up being the slowest. But when it’s that wet out it’s often hard to see which horses are doing what and she was a long way off them early and thought she needed to save ground & the filly is very small making it harder for her to get through the wet track. 

As to the comment about her being saved for a junior race. She’s a 3yo filly and not eligible for junior driver races, she was there to win. Just didn’t work out and I’m sure Kristina will learn from it, she’s been driving well for someone new to the game and she does her best to learn from any errors. Personally I think it’s pretty hard for young drivers who already know they’ve made mistakes to come on the internet and read comments about their drives. It takes time to learn things like judging pace and watching for what the leaders are doing, whose parked/ whose done too much work etc… and deciding where the best run is to take in a split second. So while your entitled to your opinion and to ask the question and none of this is too bad, I just think you should remember if you would like people making public comments when you make a mistake at your job & that you’re already beating yourself up over… as people tend to make more mistakes when they’re lacking confidence in their own abilities.

[Chief Stipe]

2 hours ago, Harrison said:

The filly is a horse that needs to be driven for luck. Unfortunately in this instance it wasn’t the right decision but if the gap had of opened up as it often does, she would’ve saved a lot of ground and likely gone close to winning, rather than coming 7 wide in the slush and everyone would be saying what a good drive it was. 

Unfortunately for more experienced drivers as the lead pair had gone so hard early, they were always likely to fall in her lap as happened. So therefore better to come wide given the late sectionals ended up being the slowest. But when it’s that wet out it’s often hard to see which horses are doing what and she was a long way off them early and thought she needed to save ground & the filly is very small making it harder for her to get through the wet track. 

As to the comment about her being saved for a junior race. She’s a 3yo filly and not eligible for junior driver races, she was there to win. Just didn’t work out and I’m sure Kristina will learn from it, she’s been driving well for someone new to the game and she does her best to learn from any errors. Personally I think it’s pretty hard for young drivers who already know they’ve made mistakes to come on the internet and read comments about their drives. It takes time to learn things like judging pace and watching for what the leaders are doing, whose parked/ whose done too much work etc… and deciding where the best run is to take in a split second. So while your entitled to your opinion and to ask the question and none of this is too bad, I just think you should remember if you would like people making public comments when you make a mistake at your job & that you’re already beating yourself up over… as people tend to make more mistakes when they’re lacking confidence in their own abilities.

Thanks for your informative post.  Interesting how no one commented on the pace judgement of those two drivers who went hard early.

Although I see your point regarding the public criticism in reality it is part of the job.  Racing is a sport played in the public arena not in the secluded comfort of an office.  

What I often find is that driver criticism online initiates a debate that meanders towards the truth and dare I say it fairness.  Quite often the debate online is much fairer than the decisions handed down by the Stipes!

Thank you for posting your comments as they too help to educate and inform those that are quick to be judgemental. 

At least the horse wasn't flattened in condition by ploughing through the slush being driven hard around the outside.

[Westview]

Personally not that disappointed with the result , Telfer's sneaking closer in the premiership but I'm expecting a big weekend for the 88's. You could also say David Butcher was a tad unlucky with Whitfield. Small fields on tight tracks always very tactical. 

 

[the galah]

harrison,you've summed it up very well.

But i believe you havent placed enough importance to the perception of the punter.

I accept,after reading your post,the horse and driver were there with the intent to win,which is the main thing.

I do however think that for someone watching in say australia or say someone in nz who had only a casual interest in harness racing and did not realise the driver had only had 35 career drives,the perception would be one of doubt around intent.

like i say, i think you have put your points well,i just wouldn't agree when you say it was a split second decision or that its hard to see which horses are doing what.If it was a split second decision,why wasn't she assessing how the race had panned out in the first 1400m before that split second decision.And there was only 6 others in the race after all and a thinking driver would have tactically assessed who was where doing what.

But yes that will come with more experience and learning the skills required.

Shes already shown horses do seem to run for her so she is lucky in that she has a natural talent.

As to you saying..

6 hours ago, Harrison said:

So while your entitled to your opinion and to ask the question and none of this is too bad, I just think you should remember if you would like people making public comments when you make a mistake at your job & that you’re already beating yourself up over… as people tend to make more mistakes when they’re lacking confidence in their own abilities.

I would assume that the trainer,employer or a mentor would go over the  race afterwards and discuss her drive and point out tactical errors made.

So i would point out,you said she is likely to make more mistakes, because someone she doesn't know has commented on her drive.

so using that very same logic, the trainer,who points out the same tactical errors,who she has more reason to impress or value,must also by doing so,make her make more mistakes.

so my point there is,on the scale of things,the argument that you make about social media comments is to me more an over emphasising of the importance of what is said on social media. 

As to whether i would like people making public comments,I can give an informed answer to that.I believe i can assess when something is warranted and when it is not,and i can tell when someone is making a personal attack and when they are just playing the ball.Like i say,this topic should be viewed with perspective along with judging peoples motives. In this case,the motive of the original post was to point out the drive,not the drivers ability was not to the standard a punter would expect.

Edited September 4 by the galah

[Chief Stipe]

56 minutes ago, the galah said:

But i believe you havent placed enough importance to the perception of the punter.

I accept,after reading your post,the horse and driver were there with the intent to win,which is the main thing.

I do however think that for someone watching in say australia or say someone in nz who had only a casual interest in harness racing and did not realise the driver had only had 35 career drives,the perception would be one of doubt around intent.

What level of punter?  Joe Casual wouldn't have a clue.  Joe Bigpunter wouldn't have touched the race nor that particular horse.

Now you argue that not enough importance has been placed on the perception of the "punter".  How would you place more importance?  Would questioning of the driver and trainer from the Stipes be enough?  The average punter doesn't read Stipes reports.  The majority of those that do wouldn't have bet on the race. 

[Chief Stipe]

59 minutes ago, the galah said:

In this case,the motive of the original post was to point out the drive,not the drivers ability was not to the standard a punter would expect.

But arguably the drivers ability and capability is OK - otherwise they wouldn't have a license.  However their experience is correlated to the number of drives they have had and their frequency.

Kristina Denifostova has had 34 drives in 8 months for 5 wins in NZ.  A UDR of 0.2092 in NZ.  Her only prior experience was as an amateur driving trotters in Russia.  Hardly a Harness Racing nation!

Your average punter would factor in her lack of experience in determining the value of the price of the horse she was driving.

So if one of the options was to haul her before the stipes and then put her out for 4 weeks  because of the perception that the drive was not up to a subjective standard... Well that approach would eliminate a lot of drivers!

[Brodie]

There are heaps of drives that were worse than that drive!

Betting on mile racing or 1700m always going to be a risk and probably even more so at a track like Cambridge.

It was more the way the sprint race was run rather than the drive , in my opinion!

If these Clubs are going to continue to program these sprint races and punters are prepared to wager on them, there are always going to have unlucky runners.

[the galah]

1 minute ago, Brodie said:

There are heaps of drives that were worse than that drive!

Betting on mile racing or 1700m always going to be a risk and probably even more so at a track like Cambridge.

It was more the way the sprint race was run rather than the drive , in my opinion!

If these Clubs are going to continue to program these sprint races and punters are prepared to wager on them, there are always going to have unlucky runners.

Thats your opinion.

Its not the opinion of someone who just happened to email me this morning saying it was the worst they had seen in a very long time.

Hey personally i'm sure there have been worse,but for me i can't think of one that bad in the last 12 months.

we all have an opinion based on what we see .They are just opinions.

[the galah]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

What level of punter?  Joe Casual wouldn't have a clue.  Joe Bigpunter wouldn't have touched the race nor that particular horse.

Now you argue that not enough importance has been placed on the perception of the "punter".  How would you place more importance?  Would questioning of the driver and trainer from the Stipes be enough?  The average punter doesn't read Stipes reports.  The majority of those that do wouldn't have bet on the race. 

Joe casual would have an opinion.

i'm no joe big punter,but my $20 still counts as much as the next guys.

The races last night were not good betting races. I only liked slainte in the trot,which i never backed because it was the plunge horse.

The other winner i thought that stood out was the horse in question. And if ever there was a race run to suit a horse coming from tha back on the outside,that was it. But hey,it wasn't a major loss for me. i know of others who had more on it and they were disappointed too but puntings like that. .

so any race can be a race for backing a winner. Its just up to the punter..

Anyway how i feel about a bet is nothing to with the amount bet. I copuld lose hundreds on a horse and just turn the page to the next and not give it another thought. Whereas if i lose $5 on something i think may be dodgy,then i feel  taken for a bit of a ride.

As to the stipes.Your possibly right to a degree. some punters read the stipes report all the time,some never and some when they see a drive last night.

Without doubt i think the stipes should have questionesd the trainer and driver. Without doubt that would have gone somwe way to punters thinking that at least their interests were being protected.

One thing i definetly believe is the areas where harness racing  gets the most participants and the most punter participation,they are the areas that punters have the most confidence in the oversight of the stipes provide.

In other words,in my opinion,auckland is a weak area for harness racing and that equates to the level  of stipendiary oversight. Canterbury is strong and that is reflected in thorough oversight.

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

But arguably the drivers ability and capability is OK - otherwise they wouldn't have a license.  However their experience is correlated to the number of drives they have had and their frequency.

Kristina Denifostova has had 34 drives in 8 months for 5 wins in NZ.  A UDR of 0.2092 in NZ.  Her only prior experience was as an amateur driving trotters in Russia.  Hardly a Harness Racing nation!

Your average punter would factor in her lack of experience in determining the value of the price of the horse she was driving.

So if one of the options was to haul her before the stipes and then put her out for 4 weeks  because of the perception that the drive was not up to a subjective standard... Well that approach would eliminate a lot of drivers!

Turned out,with the benefit of hindsight,you were right on this occassion about that. But hey ,i still rate her becuase as i say,horses seem to run for her.. 

Edited September 4 by the galah

[the galah]

Also i would point out, its not accurate to say 3 back the markers at the end of the back straight at cambridge, is a position winners sometimes come from.

In the last 20 races at cambridge,the horse 3 back the markers with 500m or less to run, has placed 2nd twice and 3rd twice.. 3 of those 4 placings occurred in races where the horses 1,2 and 3 back were 1st,second and 3rd turning for home. Only 1 horse who placed, passed more than 1 horse from that position at the top of the straight.

In the last 5 meetings at cambridge,there was only 1 winner come friom 3 back the markers and that again was in a race where the first 2 on the markers had gone clear so the horse concerned had come off the markers prior to the start of the straight.

Edited September 4 by the galah

[Nowornever]

If the gaps had opened up she would have been a genius.  A lot of luck in a good and bad drive sometimes. Personally I hate it when a driver sits three deep the pegs has no patience and comes off at the turn only to get beaten by the horse on the fence who was sitting behind him. I could start a thread on that and there would be at least 2 or 3 every meeting.

[the galah]

3 minutes ago, Nowornever said:

If the gaps had opened up she would have been a genius.  A lot of luck in a good and bad drive sometimes. Personally I hate it when a driver sits three deep the pegs has no patience and comes off at the turn only to get beaten by the horse on the fence who was sitting behind him. I could start a thread on that and there would be at least 2 or 3 every meeting.

it all seems to depend on the track doesn't it..

Somes tracks like ashburon have the passing lane about 250m before the finish and enough room for a couple of horses.

addington seems to be about 220m and cambrige less than 200m.

then you have tracks like manawatu with an even shorter run to the finish. Very few at manawatu seem to make much ground on the markers in the straight.

grass tracks like oamaru have a longer run to the finish after the passing lane starts and there seems a track bias favoring those on the fence there also.

The further from the finish a passing lane starts the better 3 back the fence is as a position.

Also its obviously all about forward momentum. 

If the horses on the markers are going forward then it makes sense to save ground if you can,but if they aren't and are losing moentum compared with the rest,then don't go on the markers. 

 

[Harrison]

4 hours ago, the galah said:

harrison,you've summed it up very well.

But i believe you havent placed enough importance to the perception of the punter.

I accept,after reading your post,the horse and driver were there with the intent to win,which is the main thing.

I do however think that for someone watching in say australia or say someone in nz who had only a casual interest in harness racing and did not realise the driver had only had 35 career drives,the perception would be one of doubt around intent.

like i say, i think you have put your points well,i just wouldn't agree when you say it was a split second decision or that its hard to see which horses are doing what.If it was a split second decision,why wasn't she assessing how the race had panned out in the first 1400m before that split second decision.And there was only 6 others in the race after all and a thinking driver would have tactically assessed who was where doing what.

But yes that will come with more experience and learning the skills required.

Shes already shown horses do seem to run for her so she is lucky in that she has a natural talent.

As to you saying..

I would assume that the trainer,employer or a mentor would go over the  race afterwards and discuss her drive and point out tactical errors made.

So i would point out,you said she is likely to make more mistakes, because someone she doesn't know has commented on her drive.

so using that very same logic, the trainer,who points out the same tactical errors,who she has more reason to impress or value,must also by doing so,make her make more mistakes.

so my point there is,on the scale of things,the argument that you make about social media comments is to me more an over emphasising of the importance of what is said on social media. 

As to whether i would like people making public comments,I can give an informed answer to that.I believe i can assess when something is warranted and when it is not,and i can tell when someone is making a personal attack and when they are just playing the ball.Like i say,this topic should be viewed with perspective along with judging peoples motives. In this case,the motive of the original post was to point out the drive,not the drivers ability was not to the standard a punter would expect.

Personally I was surprised they didn’t ask her what her thought process was just so they could show her what was expected of her in the future & use it as a teaching moment at least. But as to punters watching I would believe the junior beside her name would elude to lack of experience and if you wanted a decent punt on it you would do your homework both into her driving & the fact that the filly isn’t able to work in her races & wasn’t overly suited by the conditions. Which is why you see so many punters following Blair, David, Sarah etc.. even when they’re on a horse that’s not so great because experience counts for a lot.

As for your comment re feedback. A senior driver/ trainer is obviously going to give constructive criticism which as a driver you have to take and learn from and move on. Generally quite different to reading on the internet that it was “dumbest drive ever” or “worst drive they’ve seen for 12 months” and other comments here that I know would upset many young drivers if they read them. Unfortunately as a driver you do need to grow thick skin, but it doesn’t mean it is necessary to write such things and that drivers should have to cop it. We are all human people tend to make mistakes & generally we are our own harshest critics and know when we stuffed up. The main thing is that you learn from it realise what you did wrong and don’t repeat the same mistake. And I’m sure Kristina will realise in the future why that’s not a great option. 

My point was generally any driver will tell you they make much better decisions when they are self confident and confident in their horses abilities. The wheels often fall off when for whatever reason things are going wrong and they’re having a bad run.

 

Also pretty sure I’ve won quite a lot of races from 3 fence & definitely placed in a hell of a lot of races where I was meant to have no chance for this race. Generally gaps do open up more often than not, as I said in this particular race it was more that the leaders went so hard they were always going to come back to the field & I also don’t think Kristina had driven in a race run upside down like that before in her defence she thought those two horses were two of the better chances in the race, which would have been correct if they hadn’t of gone so hard so as I say just learning to judge tempo and when is and isn’t the right time to make a move or save ground. 

Edited September 4 by Harrison

[the galah]

3 minutes ago, Harrison said:

Personally I was surprised they didn’t ask her what her thought process was just so they could show her what was expected of her in the future & use it as a teaching moment at least. But as to punters watching I would believe the junior beside her name would elude to lack of experience and if you wanted a decent punt on it you would do your homework both into her driving & the fact that the filly isn’t able to work in her races & wasn’t overly suited by the conditions. Which is why you see so many punters following Blair, David, Sarah etc.. even when they’re on a horse that’s not so great because experience counts for a lot.

As for your comment re feedback. A senior driver/ trainer is obviously going to give constructive criticism which as a driver you have to take and learn from and move on. Generally quite different to reading on the internet that it was “dumbest drive ever” or “worst drive they’ve seen for 12 months” and other comments here that I know would upset many young drivers if they read them. Unfortunately as a driver you do need to grow thick skin, but it doesn’t mean it is necessary to write such things and that drivers should have to cop it. We are all human people tend to make mistakes & generally we are our own harshest critics and know when we stuffed up. The main thing is that you learn from it realise what you did wrong and don’t repeat the same mistake. And I’m sure Kristina will realise in the future why that’s not a great option. 

My point was generally any driver will tell you they make much better decisions when they are self confident and confident in their horses abilities. The wheels often fall off when for whatever reason things are going wrong and they’re having a bad run.

Good points again. Looking at the wording  i used in my first post ,your probably right there as well.

On a different note. I've wondered why A harrison hasn't been driving.

i know its a difficult sport to make much of a living from,but A harrison seems to have gone missing from the driving ranks for some reason. She has driven close to 100 wins as a junior.  Does she still work in the industry?

[Harrison]

I got dragged by a horse this time last year and ripped my shoulder out. Kept working and driving for 6 months but was having a fair bit of trouble holding some and working in general; which I don’t want to make mistakes/ not do my best. Knew it wasn’t good turned out I had a huge hole in the labrum, ripped a ligament off the joint and kept recurrently dislocating it and got to the point I couldn’t really lift it at all so have been off since Hawera meeting awaiting surgery. 

Long process with nz healthcare but had surgery end of may five screws in the bone and all the ligaments etc sewed onto the bone (quite cool what they can do). Unfortunately rehab is a very lengthy process, and if I re injure it my odds of race driving again probably aren’t good. But hoping to be back working in November, unsure how long until I’ll be able to race drive but hopefully end of the year all going well. Have just start weights this week so hopefully will tick that 100 off next year. Very hard watching on the sidelines. Still have been at most race meetings supporting the team and my friends and my own trotter has been racing ok.

[the galah]

heck,that sounds a real ordeal.We had wondered where you went to.

It must have been really difficult for you to get your head around having to go through that,let alone the physical discomfort and pain. You have youth on your side so hoping you fully recover and heal quick.

from the words that you use in your posts,i also hope your being used as a mentor in some sort of way,whether it be within or outside harness racing.

Anyway, thanks for the update and hope you achieve your goal of 100 winners next year.

Edited September 4 by the galah

[TAB For Ever]

6 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

What level of punter?  Joe Casual wouldn't have a clue.  Joe Bigpunter wouldn't have touched the race nor that particular horse.

Now you argue that not enough importance has been placed on the perception of the "punter".  How would you place more importance?  Would questioning of the driver and trainer from the Stipes be enough?  The average punter doesn't read Stipes reports.  The majority of those that do wouldn't have bet on the race. 

Good sense there Chief.

Watched this race and several replays with a lot of interest as my friend has a small share in the winner.

Got drag thru at start and got perfect run and came 3 wide at exact right time to get the win.

Cambridge favours those who are on the rail.....IMO a big advantage , huge in fact at Cambridge.

The horse in question would have had to go 5 x wide on turn adding 6 lengths to her handicap in last 300m.

IMO an OK decision to stick to rail and hope for luck...it never came.

Horses run well for Kristina ,I think she drives well.

 

[the galah]

12 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

 

Cambridge favours those who are on the rail.....IMO a big advantage , huge in fact at Cambridge.

 

 

We have been talking about a horse that chose to go 3 back the markers at the 400m and gave up the perfect uninterrupted drag into the race.

But as to your huge advantage thoughts. We aren't talking the leader or trail horse,but 3 back the markers.

Like i said earlier,i went back over the last few meetings to see if it does favour that position as you suggest.I've even gone back a bit further for you.

So how many winners came from that position in the last 7 meeting held on that track?

1 is the answer and that horse was off the markers before they turned for home as the first 3 on the markers had gone clear. So out of close to the last 60 races run at cambridge,0 have won by waiting to the passing lane to get a gap. 

One night there was 4 or 5 that got tyhe gap as soon as they hit the passing lane,which is unusual at cambridge,and they managed to place but as i mentioned earlier it was mostly you had a less than 1 in 6 chance of paying a dividend.

And of course thats not factoring in momentum and race pattern,as was applicable in the race concerned.

 

Edited September 4 by the galah

[TAB For Ever]

9 minutes ago, the galah said:

We have been talking about a horse that chose to go 3 back the markers at the 400m and gave up the perfect uninterrupted drag into the race.

But as to your huge advantage thoughts. We aren't talking the leader or trail horse,but 3 back the markers.

Like i said earlier,i went back over the last few meetings to see if it does favour that position as you suggest.I've even gone back a bit further for you.

So how many winners came from that position in the last 7 meeting held on that track?

1 is the answer and that horse was off the markers before they turned for home as the first 3 on the markers had gone clear. So out of close to the last 60 races run at cambridge,0 have won by waiting to the passing lane to get a gap. 

One night there was 4 or 5 that got tyhe gap as soon as they hit the passing lane,which is unusual at cambridge,and they managed to place but as i mentioned earlier it was mostly you had a less than 1 in 6 chance of paying a dividend.

And of course thats not factoring in momentum and race pattern,as was applicable in the race concerned.

 

Is this race worth any more Oxygen...a lowly stake , small field ,slushy track....one win battlers ,most of whom who have found racing at Alex Park a bit beyond them as 3 yr old s ! And short trip !

3 back obviously not been a perfect spot in recent meets but the rail certainly over the years been a great help there and assists horses finishing closer than they normally would if they try and go wide. Great for place money !

From 7 this horse really had no option but to be restrained to rear.....dead last after 400m.

A surge up front saw the last 3 x horses struggling to even stay in tact at 1000m with a turn approaching.....now a long last with little or no show unless she Lazarus.

At 400 the commentator said she had 7 lengths to make up...add 6 lengths for the 5 x wide option on that last sharp turn.

The driver weighed up her chances 5 wide....very slim.....so immediately saved the 6 lengths on fence and settled for a 'place chance' if a gap came. It didn't . The 4 x wide horse ran the race of life for second so 4th would have been possible had she gone 5 x wide.

My mates horse got the perfect sit , had to come 3 x wide and tho lazy ,got the win. The preference was to get out well and get the rail[ lead or trail] ., but other drivers like Poutama, Mitchell and two Butchers know the drill ,especially over 1700m.

[the galah]

2 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

Is this race worth any more Oxygen...a lowly stake , small field ,slushy track....one win battlers ,most of whom who have found racing at Alex Park a bit beyond them as 3 yr old s ! And short trip !

 

Is anything?.

But its the type of thing punters talk about.

I don't have the nz figures but i can look up the tabcorp figures and generally the pattern is exactly the same for the nz pools as the tabcorp pools. In other words the higher turnover races are the same.

So that race i have been talking about,the win pool turnover came in 5th in the tote win pools,if you compare it to the 18 races held at addington and aucklandi last friday.

In fact when compared to auckland the win pool in the last race at cambridge was greater than all but 1 of the 8 races at auckland.

So tote pools reflect punter participation which reflect the number of people watching the race. 

In other words theres more people watching the low stake,1 win battlers that you describe them as than the races you may prefer to watch at auckland. Each to their own.

And obviously I was supporting my opinion with stats and pointing out the 0 from close to 60 winning strike rate for horses waiting 3 back the fence at cambridge,until getting a clear run at the passing lane, which was the reason you disagreed with me,may indicate you are wrong..

And no,i don't agree horses coming 5 wide lose 6 lengths either.

But yes,i agree that i've made my point enough now..

also;i hadn't expected anyone to disagree with me as i had thought i was just pointing out the obvious,but hey that assumption of mine turned out to be a bit off.

The  continuation of the thread seems to be losing a bit of context of the woman concerned driving. Its only the 1 drive and she had plenty of good ones. Infact she has an extremely good strike rate for someone just starting out .

Edited September 5 by the galah