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Bit Of A Yarn

Blinkers or Ear Muffs or neither - punters nightmare!


Chief Stipe

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Interesting how according to our recently gone quiet oracle blinkers did the trick on Consensus at the Valley previous start but last start they seem to have had her pulling her head off like crazy.

Also it seems that He's Emminent didn't respond very well to the ear muffs.  Sure Sir Mark being the consummate horse trainer that he is would have got that right.

The truth is neither of the horses were up to winning either field based on recent and previous form.

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On 23/03/2019 at 11:20 AM, Thomass said:

Well done Reefer..but it's been very poorly trained...

How it's taken sooooo long to realise she's a Blinkers neddy is remarkable 

Walker said she was so fired up to win he couldn't hold her....

..finally got cover and pantsed a G2 field over a mile...

..5 career starts in Blinkers...2 wins and an unlucky 3 rd on an unsuitable track..

Mmmm you can't pull your head off and win every week.

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He's Eminent pressing on to Hong Kong despite Randwick flop

He's Eminent pressing on to Hong Kong despite Randwick flop
Eminent will have one more chance to find his best form in Hong Kong. Photo: Ladbrokes News
Brad Waters
Article Author
Brad Waters

He’s Eminent felt the might of the champion mare Winx in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick but trainer Sir Mark Todd will send the five-year-old to Hong Kong for Sunday week’s QE II Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin.

He’s Eminent finished more than 16 lengths from Winx when beating one runner home in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday. Todd told the New Zealand Racing Desk the son of Frankel might have switched off when racing in ear muffs for the first time.

“He’d worked in them and been fine,’’ Todd said. ‘’I expected him to jump and put himself there in front. He likes to be near the front. But he just didn’t switch on. (Jockey) James (McDonald) said it wasn’t him.

‘’He did get a bit worked up in the back parade ring, but that’s normal for him.

‘’I spoke to others and there had been similar experiences with ear muffs for the first time, it even happened with Winx. When they tried them on her she missed the jump by six lengths.’’

McDonald said He’s Eminent “wasn’t interested” early in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Todd said vets have gone over He’s Eminent and found nothing wrong with the horse. He’s Eminent will head to Hong Kong to try to keep his career alive in the QE II Cup.

‘’If he goes well, he’ll go back to Europe and we’ll probably look at the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Gr.1 2000m) at Royal Ascot,’’ Todd said. ‘’If he doesn’t fire in Hong Kong, that’ll be it.’’

‘’He seems to have come through the race very well. Mind you he didn’t even have a race. He only lost one kilo.

‘’I’ve had him checked out and there’s nothing wrong so we’ve just got to put Saturday’s race behind us.”

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2 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Interesting how according to our recently gone quiet oracle blinkers did the trick on Consensus at the Valley previous start but last start they seem to have had her pulling her head off like crazy.

Also it seems that He's Emminent didn't respond very well to the ear muffs.  Sure Sir Mark being the consummate horse trainer that he is would have got that right.

The truth is neither of the horses were up to winning either field based on recent and previous form.

In Consensus' case of course he had to push her to go forward and I guess once he pushed the go button there was no stopping her.  Apparently the hood comes off next start(if she starts again that is).  Reported that she never turned a hair and he certainly didn't punish her once she was beaten.  She had beaten the horse who won it the previous start so we put it down to the glorious uncertainty of racing I suppose.

Moonee Valley of course was not the first time she had worn a hood - Taranaki was - so it is not like the improvement was dramatic.  More like being the right horse in the right race(class wise) at the right time.  Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't but I would not put Saturday's effort down as the fault of the hood entirely - the draw and having to make use of her early was the principal issue.

In regards He's Eminent well the class of the field was a bit higher on Saturday than in the Ranvet.  That might have had something to do with it  Danzdanzdance did not quite live up to expectations either.  We know from experience that butting heads with Winx is not an easy task.

As for Thomass's comments well the owners pay the bills and will take their advice from whoever they choose (but safe to say it will not be him).

Edited by Reefton
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Thanks for the update Reefton.  I think you have highlighted the danger of blinkers.  You hit the go button and they don't often come back under the jockey afterwards.  In saying that I'm not a great fan of Michael Walker especially when riding mares that have a bit of bitchiness about them.  He got thrown at the start by my good mare because he got into her.  Only rider to get tossed by her.

As for those who race against WINX I'm sure that the likes of Hartnell may have won more if they hadn't had come up against WINX.  She just demolished all opposition with contempt.

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1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

Thanks for the update Reefton.  I think you have highlighted the danger of blinkers.  You hit the go button and they don't often come back under the jockey afterwards.  In saying that I'm not a great fan of Michael Walker especially when riding mares that have a bit of bitchiness about them.  He got thrown at the start by my good mare because he got into her.  Only rider to get tossed by her.

As for those who race against WINX I'm sure that the likes of Hartnell may have won more if they hadn't had come up against WINX.  She just demolished all opposition with contempt.

Insofar as I am aware there are no complaints about Walker's ride on her.  I thought he was very kind to her when she was obviously beaten and that probably contributed to her drifting out to last rather than perhaps midfield.  

Last year when she ran in the QEII Jason Collett remarked that she over raced then too and you certainly cannot afford to be over racing when you have Winx to contend with at the end of the race.

Still she is past the stage where teaching her to race in a different manner is an option so I suspect, if(and that is a big if) she runs again, she will be following a somewhat similar pattern. 

Time will tell but for her the clock is ticking and the broodmare paddock beckons.

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