MY CALL - REVAMPED 2015 WINTER CARNIVAL FORMAT COULD STILL DO WITH SOME LATE TINKERING

By David Fowler | Tuesday, October 28, 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.

And so the revamped 2015 Carnival format has been released!

This blog staunchly resisted change but the makeover is not as drastic as I thought it might be.

We are basically two meetings less and two weeks shorter at the back end with the last Saturday in April remaining as the traditional starting point.

Brisbane Racing Club has lost a meeting, Toowoomba has been elevated to stand-alone Saturday status and Caloundra has experienced a significant shift forward from late June to mid-May.

To delve further and pinpoint some drawbacks in the specific programming is not “nit-picking” because the strength of the carnival always lay in its excellent progression of races for each category.

So here’s some “nit-picking”.

The Roses is the traditional 2000m lead-up to the 2400m Queensland Oaks, separated by a fortnight. Yet in the 2015 model, The Roses is run on Doomben 10,000 day, May 23, only a week before the Oaks scheduled for the 30th.

Surely this can’t happen and the The Roses must be run at the Caloundra meet over 2200m a week earlier as there is no 2000m starting point.

I’m sure the Caloundra guys are delighted they have secured a prime spot, basically taking Doomben Cup day but they might end up the odd man out.

Their feature races by retaining their traditional distances (Glasshouse is 1300m back from 1400m) make them sit uncomfortably in the natural lead-up progression.

Because some races have had to be squeezed in to other days because they became “race orphans”, I believe they sit uncomfortably alongside each other.

Is the transferred Victory Stakes (1200m) lining up alongside the Prime Minister’s Cup (1400m) too close for comfort?

This is not the only occasion when the open class pool might be in danger of being divided or diluted.

And just where has the “old darling”, the Queensland Cup gone to? My 2015 model shows no sign of it.

These points might be valid or not in the eyes of administrators but surely it’s best for some late tinkering before expensively-produced glossy brochures hit owners’ and trainers’ tables.

There’s little point arguing after the umpire has ruled.

I’m doubtful of Toowoomba’s impact with their stand-alone Saturday but now that it’s approved, let’s work together to make it happen.

Rob Heathcote made a salient point on my Monday’s Experts program on Radio TAB this week when he said it would be wise if the track had a rest before their feature day.

Makes perfect sense.

What calibre of horseflesh they can attract for the Weetwood and Cup is another point of discussion.

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I’m tired of people saying Doomben is leader-biased.

It’s not the first time this blog has gone into bat for “pace related” rather than “track bias” to defend a leader winning a race.

At the risk of being boring, let me say it again that if the leader secures a comfortable time in front he can sprint home quicker than his rivals who have to make up the leeway.

If the leader goes too fast, he will get tired and be run over at the finish.

And there are the few times a leader will go quickly all of the way, string a field out, and be able to burn the candle at both ends.

If I see some roughies go quick and hang on to win while more fancied runners struggled out wider, I’m more than happy to consider track bias or that there is a faster lane near the fence.

But those who immediately proclaim “the fence if off” or the “fence is on fire” are jumping the gun.

Track bias is like climate change. Everyone’s got a view. You know mine on track bias but what about climate change?

No, don’t get me started. I don’t want to alienate any progressive readers I might have.

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Who is in charge of the “clock” at Sky Racing?

By that, I mean who is putting together the race-time schedule for Saturdays?

Let me illustrate two examples from last weekend’s handy-work.

Rosehill (3.00), Doomben (3.05), Moonee Valley (3.10) and then Rosehill (3.40), Doomben (3.45), Moonee Valley (3.50).

The three biggest meetings with five minute gaps. What a disaster for reinvestment!

And it’s far from the first time!

And Sky Racing is owned by Tabcorp!

Each controlling body and club involved should be knocking loudly on the door at Sky Racing and asking what the hell is going on.

Until next week when we appear on Monday with our Melbourne Cup preview.

David Fowler