ROB'S SHOUT - IT'S TIME! THE MELBOURNE CUP IS HERE!
By Robert Heathcote | Thursday, November 1, 2012
Robert Heathcote is the leading racehorse trainer in Brisbane. 'Rob's Shout' - the personal blog of the multi-premiership and Group 1 winning trainer will appear every Thursday on HRO.
Yes, it is the biggest week on the Australian Racing Calendar with the four day Flemington Carnival to round out the VRC Spring Carnival … and, of course, the focus of attention is firmly on the Melbourne Cup which this year is stacked with international stayers who presence is again causing much debate.
I don't know how that can be avoided these days, but I would like to see all the internationals have at least one start in their lead up to the Melbourne Cup on Australian soil. It surely does make it so difficult for the punters to accurately weigh up the form when dealing with results from different hemispheres.
Americain … Dunaden, they were ‘newcomers’ in recent years and here they are now dominating the market with arguably the best form so I guess it is possible to argue both sides of the case re the internationals.
The Cup itself is now firmly entrenched as one of the feature staying events on the world calendar so fair to say we have to expect many of the world's best wanting to take the lucrative prize money off-shore even if it is to the detriment of our local stayers!
Much has already been debated about how easy or how difficult it is to actually get into the final field and no doubt this year there will again be many disappointed connections who will miss out on a start.
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I have enjoyed all the fanfare and excitement of Derby Day and Cup Day these past few years, but this year I am happy to stay at home.
It is no doubt the pinnacle of Australian racing … be it on the racetrack with a competitor or purely as a spectacle whether as a punter or just someone who enjoys everything the colour of the Flemington Carnival has to offer.
The 100,000 plus crowd and vivid memories of a wet Derby Day two years ago gets to me a bit so with no runners on Derby day this year and only Excellantes flying the flag on Tuesday, I am happy for Melissa to carry out the honours this year. Mind you, I do intend to be there next Saturday on Emirates Day when Solzhenitsyn and Buffering will be lining up in a couple of million dollar races.
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Last weekend was the big weekend of racing at Moonee Valley which was highlighted with the incredible win of Ocean Park.
You gotta give it to Bossy!
Love him or hate him, he sure knows how to step up onto the big stage when it matters most and full credit to him for a super ride to win the coveted Cox Plate.
I was on the fence, 50m from the finish post and wow, what an electric atmosphere is generated in that amphitheatre.
It somehow seems a shame that all of the drama leading up to the race seems to be over so quickly! Great action though and Mr Boss has been spruiking this horse for a good while!
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From a personal perspective, the racing last weekend was a little disappointing with Buffering running below his best on Friday night and Solzhenitsyn having very little go right on Saturday in the Group 2 Crystal mile.
The Big Russian looked awesome as he paraded in the amazing theatre that the Valley creates and he sure was unlucky not to win!
It was a bit frustrating after all the hard work to see him pushed back to last on the fence coming into the short Moonee Valley straight, but I was still over the moon how he hit the line!
I have been in racing long enough now to cop the disappointments on the chin and move on as quickly as possible.
I am sure Buffering can bounce back in the Patinack next week and maybe go one better than his second place in the race last year. I do know that Hugh Bowman will be given explicit instructions to allow Buffering to have his head and run along.
The big Flemington track should suit the Big Russian and Solzhie can hopefully justify his early favouritism on the million dollar Emirates. Kinda funny, but I really believe Woorim should have won the race last year but for bad luck and the wrong decision by the jock on that day.
Still, what happened last weekend won't be the last time things do not work out on the race track and I managed to get a very nice winner back home and a double on Sunday at the Sunny Coast so not all doom and gloom!
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The little Ferocity filly, Greytfilly looks like she has inherited some of her grandfather's awesome ability and even I was quite taken with the way she attacked the line once she got into the clear. So quick was she going that Ryan was allowed to comfortably ease her down.
I have popped the filly out in the paddock for a few weeks as she has been up a while and she is a Magic Millions graduate so we will most certainly target that race for her in early January.
Speaking of Ryan Wiggins … he is riding in great form. Of the last seven or eight winners he has ridden in recent times six of them being on horses trained by me.
Ryan is a hard working jockey who is at the track on most morning and his level of professionalism and commitment should be commended and great to see it being rewarded with his on-track success. He never bats an eyelid when he is not on one he wants to ride and always first to congratulate a win from another hoop.
It certainly does not mean that Ryan rides all of my horses, but in his current form, he certainly will get a good share!
It can be tough at times when working with the jockey roster but riders are surely like trainers and horses, we all can go in and out of form!
It's fantastic to see the level of professionalism and high standard which exists on the local riding scene.
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It is more frequent flyer points for me again this weekend as I head back down to Melbourne on Friday as I want to watch the track gallops of the three stable stars at Flemington early on Saturday morning.
I will then head back to Brisbane in time for the days racing at Eagle Farm. Six runners representing my stable at Eagle Farm so whilst it may be hard to win a race on Saturday, I definitely won't have to jostle with a 100,000 others to get a drink!
Kind regards,
Robert
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