THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN - LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM THE WEETWOOD DISTANCE CHANGE

By Graham Potter | Sunday, March 30, 2014

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

When racing authorities alter race distances the decision has implications beyond just switching some numbers around. Similarly, when a meeting is moved from one racetrack to another the complexion of those races can change considerably for those with runners involved.

In its most extreme form, all the hard work a trainer has put into a horse over a specifically identified training and racing schedule could go out of the window. Even subtle differences in distance can compromise a horse’s chances and in cases where a horse’s record shows it has a particular track preference its hopes can be scuppered completely by a change of venue.

Of course there are situations where these options are enforced by non-negotiable circumstances … mostly weather related. But every now and again an order is handed down by the ruling body which cannot be explained away that easily and these decisions, in turn, lead to a certain amount of consternation … as in Racing Queensland (RQ) and Toowoomba Turf Club’s seemingly arbitrary decision to change the distance of this year’s Weetwood Handicap (Toowoomba’s top race held at its marquee meeting).

The RQ press release announcing the distance amendment from 1300m to 1200m contains several … what should I call them … serious flaws.

Firstly, it is dated March 19, 2014. The Weetwood Handicap is scheduled to take place on April 12. Giving trainers and owners just twenty-four day’s notice of this major change is totally unacceptable.

Secondly, by trumpeting the fact that the 1200m start would accommodate two extra runners (the maximum field would be raised from twelve to fourteen) does not make it a good idea as the advantages do not outweigh the disadvantages visited upon those who had worked and planned their strategy on the original, long published race conditions.

Thirdly, RQ tells us the 1200m distance would be an ideal lead-up race for runners moving forward into the big carnival sprint races. That argument can be debated in terms of the quality required to do that, but again the ‘spin’ is more a self-satisfying exercise than anything of real substance as there is no evidence of any real consideration being shown to those who were not looking beyond the race, but who had indeed labelled the ‘1300m’ Weetwood as their own Grand Final.

But the most serious flaw of all is that the decision to amend the race distance was apparently made without any consultation with trainers and owners.

Enough said!

Every town has its ‘Stradbroke’. The Weetwood is that race for Toowoomba. It is a big deal.

In their press release RQ correctly refer to ‘the time-honoured Weetwood Handicap’ but, beyond lip-service, all the rest of the release does is place the value that RQ puts on such a race in question because, by their actions, they have not shown the race tradition or this year’s potential participants the level of respect they deserve.

This is not an earth-shattering matter. Of course there are more important things going on and ultimately the Weetwood will be run and won, but the above argument remains important because it provides the opportunity to learn from mistakes that have been made … and racing certainly needs to do just that!

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