THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN - IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF THIS STORY WILL HAVE A HAPPY ENDING

By Graham Potter | Sunday, April 7, 2013

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily

It remains to be seen whether the pre-emptive strike made by the Brisbane Racing Club in terms of changing venues for the BTC Cup on May 11 will have a happy ending.

The rationale for moving the meeting from Doomben to Eagle Farm is based, according to the BRC Press Release on the contention that ‘Eagle Farm had a larger capacity for spectators, more spectator facilities, more food and beverage outlets, better access to varied transport options for large crowds, and custom built facilities for Black Caviar (built for her 2011 visit) with excellent security.’

The happy ending would be that ‘more Queenslanders will be able to see Black Caviar race with Eagle Farm able to host a far greater number of spectators.’

That is, of course, if Black Caviar comes to Brisbane.

Peter Moody has been at pains to explain that Black Caviar’s schedule is approached on a race by race basis. Should the great mare comfortably come through her next assignment in Sydney next Saturday, Brisbane has a shout at getting her to town, but it has some heavyweight opposition vying for that honour.

No less a prestigious event than Royal Ascot beckons Black Caviar for the second year-in-a-row. It’s challenge to Brisbane has been building momentum with each passing run as Black Caviar lives up the Peter Moody’s assessment that she has been ‘better than ever’ since her return to action.

Initially Royal Ascot was not really on the radar, but the owners are now sounding more and more comfortable with that option.

Should Black Caviar be fit and well and ready for her next assignment after Sydney, I get the sense that the only person who can sway the deal for Brisbane will be the Queenslander Peter Moody and, while he is always for the good of the horse, even Moody might be tempted to show off the ‘real’ Black Caviar on the international front.

Weighed against that though, will be the desire of the connections to keep the mare’s unbeaten record intact and there is clearly less risk to that record if she says on the local front.

Only the BRC will know what sort of overtures they have made … is appearance money being offered, what they are doing to accommodate the ‘special needs’ of horse and connections … and how those overtures have been received.

So can anything be read into the BRC’s decision to change the venue for the BTC Cup?

Do they have any inside information?

I don’t pretend to know the answer to that.

What I do know is that their decision to switch the meeting in question from Doomben to Eagle Farm will only be justified if Black Caviar does accept all that is on offer to race in Brisbane.

Compromising the chances at that meeting of horses who race better at Doomben than they do at Eagle Farm and changing the distance of a couple of races … if you don’t think 100m’s extra makes a difference ask a leader who is stopping at the 100m mark … I guess just falls under the heading of collateral damage and is a sacrifice that will be made for the greater glory of racing that the presence of Black Caviar clearly provides.

But if the mare doesn’t come to Brisbane the switch of venue might not be such an agreeable notion.

The race is only a little over a month away now.

The countdown is well and truly on!

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