MY CALL - LEAVE THE QUEENSLAND OAKS ALONE!

By David Fowler | Tuesday, May 31, 2011

David Fowler is the principal thoroughbred caller for Radio TAB, taking the position upon Wayne Wilson's retirement last August. David, who is a keen form student and punter, has enjoyed a lifetime involvement in the racing media. His personal blog, ‘My Call’, appears exclusively on HRO.

Leave the Queensland Oaks alone!

That's my suggestion seeing the discussion lines have been opened up following its Group One status coming under threat.

The suggestion to widen the eligibility to include mares can't and shouldn't happen.

Take the last three staying features in Brisbane and run your eye over how many mares contested the Chairman’s Handicap, Doomben Cup and Premiers Cup.

The answer is two, Femina Fashion and Royal Reign … and Royal Reign gave up after the first go.

Put simply, Australia is thin on the ground as far as stayers are concerned, thinner with those at top level and thinnest with staying mares at top level.

That's the "can't" argument and now for the "shouldn't" rationale.

An Oaks is a traditional domain for three-year-old fillies and is a race that owners dearly love to win … like a Derby.

And while the Richard Freedmans of this world pour cold water on "tradition", it is an important cornerstone of the racing industry that shouldn't be tampered with. Sorry Richard!

Can you imagine … an unlikely scenario I will concede …a top staying mare arriving for the Oaks and riding roughshod over her younger and more precocious rivals.

Next thing they'll be allowing the three-year-old to race the two-year-olds!

The "show cause" notice gets up my nose because the Queensland Oaks always produces a big field and a competitive race and the winner and placegetters invariably hold their own in subsequent years.

An Oaks is an Oaks and should be a Group One, regardless, but if there is a downgrade, sobeit.

Put it this way, I'd be mightily surprised if you ended up with a far inferior field if it dropped to a Group Two event. Of course, the counter argument is a Group demotion could see some stakemoney shaved off the present purse.

The Courier-Mail's Bart Sinclair, as if often the case, made an excellent suggestion and I'm not too proud to jump on the band-wagon and support the idea of heightening the profile of the Queensland Guineas.

Don't forget, submissions close with Racing Queensland on June 13.

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The Stradbroke jigsaw puzzle is becoming clearer by the day.

It's now getting down to whether the leading chances will handle a possible wet track and where they draw at acceptance time, a vital factor with an 18 horse line-up.

Sincero's last ditch grab for a Straddy berth by winning this Saturday's QTC Cup is the last "wildcard" factor.

As I have expressed in a previous column, I'm far from convinced he is ready to win a Stradbroke and test the likes of Beaded, Love Conquers All, Black Pirahna and Woorim.

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Believe your eyes!

Pretty simple piece of advice when doing the form, but unfortunately many don't heed it and ignore what they see.

So heed this advice that Echoes Of Heaven is the one to beat in the Derby after his cracking fourth in the Grand Prix.

Sure, horses can run on in races but it is a more difficult task when the pace of the race is against them and that's what the Redoute's Choice colt encountered on Saturday … not to mention drawing the car park which saw him snagged back to last.

He sprinted home individually his last 800m in 47.2 and there are no worries about the 2400m after he went so well in the 2500m SA Derby.

Really keen on him at $6.50 on Tattsbet fixed odds.

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Just a final message to the Shoot Out "baggers".

Grab a stopwatch and carefully watch his Doomben Cup run.

When you clock him to run 45.8 his last 800m and 33.9 his last 600m and go six wide at the turn and be beaten a couple of lengths, you will realise he is not going "below par".

Like believing your eyes, the clock doesn't lie either.

Until next week.

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