Punt Drunk: The Quokka shocker!

[Wandering Eyes]

The Championships may be done and dusted, but the top-tier racing doesn’t stop this weekend!

The team at Punt Drunk take a look at the week that was, including the barrier draw incident for The Quokka, a champion carrying on into the spring and plenty more.

The Quokka Shocker

How hard is it do a manual barrier draw?

Apparently very hard when it comes to The Quokka during the week.

It started with the sixth horse selected which was supposed to be runner number five Massimo but instead MC Brittany Taylor made an honest mistake and announced Uncommon James, who was number four instead of Massimo.

So the barrier draw continues on until marble four is picked out of the barrel…Brittany realises the number 4 horse is Uncommon James, who has already been identified as horse five and allocated barrier 10.

It’s not like the race is worth $4 million or anything…turn it up WA!

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Nature Strip set for spring campaign

On Friday morning Chris Waller did the racing world a favour, gave us all something to debate for a Friday arvo.

Champion sprinter Nature Strip is set race on during the spring despite a disappointing autumn campaign.

** Nature Strip ** pic.twitter.com/2GNPaVOhIu

— Chris Waller Racing (@cwallerracing) April 13, 2023

The ‘Strip’ racked up more frequent flyer miles over the past 12 months than Matthew Pavlich and it showed ever since returning from Ascot.

Outside of his first-up run in the spring last year, the champ finished no better than fourth in three races since to suggest his best could be well and truly behind him.

He is off to the paddock for the next couple of months and will return for another campaign aimed towards The Everest no doubt.

Let us know what you think of the decision…should Nature Strip race on or should they have retired the superstar sprinter?

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Opinion: The next superstar jockey’s are already upon us

Dylan Gibbons was high in the irons as Explosive Jack ran away with the Group 1 Sydney Cup.

Stop the search! The future of racing is in safe hands.

The apprentices racing around the country at the moment are genuinely taking the you know what and are outshining their senior counterparts on a regular basis.

Tyler Schiller proved that on Golden Slipper Day when steering home Mariamia to victory in the Group 1 The Galaxy.

Dylan Gibbons backed that up last weekend when steering home Explosive Jack to a dominant win in the Sydney Cup.

Zac Lloyd continues to ride a ridiculous amount of winners on the metro scene in Sydney.

Carleen Hefel, Celine Gaudray and Sheridan Clarke are progressing through the ranks with ease in Victoria.

Jacob Opperman, Campbell Rawiller, Lachie Neindorf, and the Price brothers (Ben & Will) continue to ride winners each Saturday and will no doubt be rewarded with Group 1 rides in the upcoming Adelaide Carnival.

Kyle Wilson-Taylor, Angela Jones and Jaden Lloyd continue to rack up the winners in Queensland.

While over in WA, Luke Campbell and Holly Watson keep making their presence known.

It will not be too long before these apprentices are household names and become the next James McDonald’s, Jamie Kah’s and Damien Oliver’s.

Watch this space.

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About Punt Drunk

Welcome to Punt Drunk – our daily column covering all the latest horse racing and punting controversies, dramas and headline news. Have a story or gripe or issue that just grinds your gears? Just hit us up in the comments or contact us page and our jaded, punt hardened Punt Drunk staff will give it the Punt Drunk treatment it deserves. Don’t expect pleasantries or typical racing media fanboy gloss from Punt Drunk – we’re on the punt and we don’t have time to bullshit; the next is about to jump…

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