MY CALL - MY CALL - EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE SNIPERS ARE FAST RUNNING OUT OF AMMUNITION
By David Fowler | Tuesday, July 22, 2014
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.
Racing’s drama queens were in full flight after the weekend.
The Stafford by-election result had breathed new life into the LNP detractors hoping for the turnaround of all turnarounds in next year’s state election.
Yes, there will be a correction of sorts with the numbers but, no, Labor will not be residing in the halls of power sometime soon.
And that’s bad news for the critics of RQ chairman Kevin Dixon and Racing Minister Steve Dickson who could find fault with Santa Claus given a chance.
It wasn’t a good week for the “RDQ’s” after they ruefully watched Tim Mulherin and Alex Douglas barely lay a glove on Dickson at Thursday’s Estimate Hearings.
It’s fascinating to watch how the bitterness and frustration levels rise when good news is delivered and there is more ahead.
And all the available evidence suggest they are fast running out of ammo.
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I think I’ve backed the wrong horse in suggesting the Winter Carnival shouldn’t be tampered with.
The corridors of power grapevine is telling me to expect a new format in 2015.
Not drastic, mind you, but maybe a shortening up when the big guns (read BRC) are in play.
I concede it’s difficult to extend the life of the carnival to regularly deliver big crowds but it seems disappointing to dismantle the lead-up schedule to the “grand finals” on Stradbroke day.
Could the Doomben Cup be run the same day as the Doomben 10,000?
Just a thought.
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Eavesdroppers never hear good news of themselves or get the right mail.
I learned that at Eagle Farm last Wednesday when I overheard Greg Hallam say Richenza was his first winner since La Montagna won the 2006 Stradbroke.
“Ye gads, these owners are a tough breed” I said to myself.
It was actually Greg’s first EAGLE FARM winner since the Stradbroke triumph. Still eight years between drinks at one track is long enough.
Richenza looked good first-up. A no metro win fillies and mares at a Saturday meet should be a given this campaign.
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The conspiracy theorists have a field day with Chris Waller having multiple runners in Saturday races.
And those with their knickers in a real knot want to limit him to one or two runners.
I wouldn’t waste space on commenting on such a ludicrous suggestion.
They tried it on Tommy Smith in Sydney in the early ‘70s and, quite correctly, it fell flat on its face
What SHOULD be the concern is why are there so few rivals to Waller in races or, more generally, why is Sydney Saturday racing so bereft of numbers?
Country trainers who prefer to head north tell you it’s the NSW handicapping system that is at fault.
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This extract is from the Cranbourne stewards’ report on July 3.
“It was established that as the start was effected the front gates of Kuhreihen’s stall were marginally slow to open. Stewards could not be satisfied that the gelding would have finished in the first three had the gates opened correctly therefore, under the provisions of AR134A, Kureihen was deemed to be a runner”.
What the … !
If the gate didn’t open correctly, it should have been declared a non-runner.
Stewards are paid to judge on what happens in a race, not what they think might happen.
That’s a quantum leap too far.
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