MY CALL - TO LEAD OR NOT TO LEAD ...
By David Fowler | Tuesday, June 25, 2013
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.
"Some Days Are Diamonds, Some Days Are Stones!”
A line from a John Denver song and trainer Kelso Wood could clearly identify with the second half with his talented galloper Someday who has had little luck at his past two Eagle Farm assignments.
The "tip" was Chris Munce was dumped after riding Someday into second place on Stradbroke day and replaced with Michael Cahill.
Cahill lost a forward position with Someday mid-race in a chain of events as the pace dropped out of the race. He was later cleared by stewards of any impropriety.
No-one sings Cahill's praises louder than myself but I feel the mid-race drama was caused by his decision not to want to lead.
His defence of this decision was that the ground against the rails was inferior. Maybe, but it certainly didn't affect Fire Up Fifi's winning chances!
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Cahill was not alone in preferring not to lead. Ultimately, Damian Browne pulled their pants down and as I said post-race, delivered a 12 out of 10 ride.
Why do some jockeys detest leading? As a matter of fact, some trainers and owners fall into the same category.
What's wrong with controlling the running of the race and then sprinting home too fast for your rivals?
It's the most desired position in the world of harness racing but shunned frequently in the galloping sphere.
Is there anything worse than seeing a jockey reefing a horse's head about rather than letting it stride naturally?
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Michael Cahill conceded to me on radio only recently that achieving 100 winners by the end of next month was a "longshot".
It is now even longer after he was suspended for seven meetings on an interference charge riding Ametsis.
This takes two metro meetings out of the equation and virtually rules out the "century of winners" quest.
A stellar season, nonetheless, when you consider two months earlier in the season was rubbed out because of injury.
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I shook my head when reading Matt Nicholls' criticism of certain race-callers on the "Melbourne Racing" section of another racing website.
Sure, I don't like my profession criticised but everyone is entitled to an opinion.
The racing forums are full of bouquets and brickbats for myself and my colleagues and I appreciate the higher up the ladder one is, the scrutiny will be tougher.
I made a bad error in a race at the Gold Coast about six weeks ago and deserved every bit of criticism I got. My confidence suffered during most of the Carnival.
Matt says the mainstream media won't criticise because of the "mates" concept.
Wrong, Matt. They don't criticise because like most sensible thinkers they know it's a tough gig and we are humans and not machines and mistakes are made and will be made again.
Heard of the rubber on the end of the pencil line?
But Matt let himself down badly when he readily conceded he "couldn't call a race to save his life" but he was very good in picking photo-finishes because he knew the angles etc etc.
That's fine Matt but let's see if your ability is just as sound when calling six or seven horses at a million miles an hour AT THE SAME TIME.
Give me a break.
I don't know or care to know what Matt Nicholls has achieved in life. I was directed to his article. I know what Greg Miles and Hilton Donaldson have achieved in their lives.
Get my drift.
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A punting combination referred to as "the odd couple" are cutting a swathe through south-east Queensland tracks and the northern rivers circuit.
"There's nothing odd about their results," Hadyn Flynn conceded to me today.
They play on their strengths and weaknesses. One, an ex-rugby league great, has the vim and vigour to get the bets on fast while his slower, rotund offsider is the brains of the operation.
"The long and short of it (excuse the pun) is that they are very hard to beat," Flynn added.
Until next week.
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