Gai speaks her mind on the Vic Derby! Is she being a dinosaur?

[Chief Stipe]

‘Leave the bloody thing as is': Gai slams ‘crazy' calls to cut Derby - Racenet

www.racenet.com.au

https://bitofayarn.com

Hall of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse says it would be "crazy" to cut the Victoria Derby distance back to 2000m, insisting it would not only tarnish the race's tradition but also deliver another blow to Australia's dwindling staying ranks.

There have been renewed calls from some trainers to change the 2500m distance of the $2m classic, suggesting cutting it back by 500m would attract a better quality field.

But Waterhouse, who won the Derby with Nothin' Leica Dane 30 years ago, urged racing officials to "keep the bloody thing the way it is".

"It is crazy why people have to tamper with things," Waterhouse said on Tuesday.

"It is a Derby and it is a precocious staying horse that races in it.

"I think it is magical because it is different. Who wants every race to be 10 furlongs (2000m) or six furlongs (1200m)?"

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Waterhouse said options were already limited for Australian trainers with young staying types, stressing any move to cut the Derby distance back would have an ever greater detrimental effect on those local staying horses.

"Everyone wants … a stayer (and to have a Melbourne Cup runner) and we don't have any staying races," she said.https://bitofayarn.com

"(The Derby) is wonderful. You know the saddest thing is we have dropped the (clause which allowed) the Derby winner backing up in the Cup.

"That was magical. We had Nothin' Leica Dane (win the ‘95 Derby and then run second to Doriemus in the Melbourne Cup three days later) and it caused so much media interest.

"It is the local horses that gets people to bet (on the Cup), not the overseas horses because they don't know the form."

Gai Waterhouse with Nothin' Leica Dane after winning the 1995 Victoria Derby.

• Willo's big Melbourne Cup call: It's down to two

This year marks 170 years since the first Victoria Derby – back in 1855 – but some have argued that pushing spring three-year-olds out to the 2500m distance meant the best horses often bypass the race.

Master trainer Chris Waller said he respected Waterhouse's viewpoint.

But he said racing authorities needed to look at ways to ensure the best fields are assembled for the biggest races in the spring.https://bitofayarn.com

Waller has won three editions of the Victoria Derby, including two of the past three (with Riff Rocket in 2023 and Manzoice in 2022).

• Dolan's secret weapon for Cup hiding in plain sight this year

He will have two runners in Saturday's race – Moonee Valley Vase runner-up Providence ($7) and Savisanta ($26).

"She (Waterhouse) is a great ambassador for our sport, she would put more thought into it (the Derby distance) than I would have," Waller said.

"Gai would also be a traditionalist.

"The thing we have to worry about is getting the best horses racing in the right races.

"The Derby needs to be a right race. We have got to find a way to get the best horses running here through Cup Week for these big races, regardless of their distances."

[Special Agent]

I agree with the dinosaur.  Take a look at what NZ has done with traditional races.  Tinkering and tampering by those who have come and gone has done us no favours.

[hesi]

5 hours ago, Special Agent said:

I agree with the dinosaur.  Take a look at what NZ has done with traditional races.  Tinkering and tampering by those who have come and gone has done us no favours.

Exactly SA.  Changing the Derby from Boxing Day to March was going to give a better quality field.  The Auckland Cup to a Wed!

A lot of these people in racing have a bad habit of deciding where things should be, then joining up the dots appropriately to support their narrative

[Freda]

Agree with Gai also.  Not to say that those wanting a distance reduction don't have a point. 

I read a very eloquently written piece some time ago arguing that the 'early' position of the Derby here, on Boxing day, was what made it the arbiter of 3 year old quality. We all know that 3 year olds will be more mature later on, he said, but to have a youngster able to perform at that distance relatively early on marks the quality of the animal ( not to mention its trainer! )

Gai's point about not developing slayers any more is very telling...and don't forget that Europeans test their youngsters much more than we do.  Also the Japanese.   2000m races for 2 year olds as well.

And...the NZ Derby/Oaks used to be run here, at Riccarton, Cup time.  Although the Grt Northern and Wellington Derbies came along later in the season,  those early contenders were classy indeed, and were often the leading 3 yr olds.

 

[hesi]

54 minutes ago, Freda said:

Agree with Gai also.  Not to say that those wanting a distance reduction don't have a point. 

I read a very eloquently written piece some time ago arguing that the 'early' position of the Derby here, on Boxing day, was what made it the arbiter of 3 year old quality. We all know that 3 year olds will be more mature later on, he said, but to have a youngster able to perform at that distance relatively early on marks the quality of the animal ( not to mention its trainer! )

Gai's point about not developing slayers any more is very telling...and don't forget that Europeans test their youngsters much more than we do.  Also the Japanese.   2000m races for 2 year olds as well.

And...the NZ Derby/Oaks used to be run here, at Riccarton, Cup time.  Although the Grt Northern and Wellington Derbies came along later in the season,  those early contenders were classy indeed, and were often the leading 3 yr olds.

 

The Epsom Derby, the most iconic and original Derby race in the world, has been run almost without fail since 1780 in the first week of June, equivalent to our first week December.  It took world wars to change that, but we here in NZ thought we knew better.

It is a bit like in NZ we think we produce the best wine in the world, but we have only being doing it for 50 years, the first 25, mainly crap.  Whereas in Bordeaux and Burgundy they have been doing it for 2,000 years.  You would think they got things perfected after all that time.  Much the same as the Derby, 250 years.

Edited 21 hours ago by hesi