MY CALL - IMPROVED INFORMATION SYSTEM REGARDING RIDING WEIGHTS WILL BE WELCOMED BY PUNTERS
By David Fowler | Tuesday, September 4, 2012
David Fowler is the principal thoroughbred caller for Radio TAB. 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.
Confusion over apprentice riding weights is about to take a welcome step forward.
Many understandably thought Maija Vance would claim two kilograms on Koranovsky who was handicapped on 54.5 kilograms in the seventh race at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Koranovsky was the favourite until the close of betting.
In effect, form students bargained on Koranovsky carrying 52.5kg.
The end result was Koranovsky carried 54kg with Maija Vance claiming only 0.5kg.
Apparently, Vance's riding weight is 54kg.
This scenario, and lack of available information pertaining to it, is about to change.
The RISA organisation, via the internet, will display the apprentice rider's weight alongside their allotted claim. A full list of apprentices' riding weights will also be
available.
Hopefully, newspaper publications will pick this up so you will read in your formguide ... KORANOVSKY 54.5 kg M. Vance (a2, 54)
Obviously these weights are volatile figures and their accuracy will have to be monitored by Racing Queensland.
So it's good news for the future, but two things puzzle me out of Saturday's situation.
Firstly, did the Tony Gollan stable know Maija Vance could only claim half a kilogram and, secondly, once it was established why wasn't another apprentice found who could claim the full two kilograms?
After all, senior jockeys are regularly replaced when they can't make the weight.
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Surely it's time for Brisbane's two metropolitan tracks to have one central betting ring.
To be frank, having three local bookies on the rails at Eagle Farm and two at Doomben is an embarrassment with a scattering of bookies located in other parts of the track.
Put them all together and use remote services to cater other areas.
Surely one strong ring will create better competition and a more accurate fluctuation service will be delivered, a situation many outside the Sunshine State still have reservations about.
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I've said this before but fixed odds betting has really cruelled the Saturday fielder's business.
Take fifth race winner Pure Purrfection as an example.
Trading began on Thursday and as much as $4.50 was bet about Pure Purrfection before a powerful stream of money over 48 hours saw TAB's and corporates tighten her to around $2.30.
She opened odds-on on the tote, so what can the local bookies get out of her? Basically all the cash has dried up.
Yes, in this case Pure Purrfection won, but that certainly doesn't happen all of the time.
It's clearly time for on-course bookies to have their phone-lines open 24/7 for their clients.
Anything else is purely discriminatory.
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Looking forward to the Cairns Amateurs this weekend.
The Amateurs is starting to get its mojo back and corporate bookings are higher than last year which is a positive sign.
RQ Chairman Kevin Dixon will be a special guest at Thursday's Tulloch Club luncheon before the two big race days.
A report next week.
Until then.
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