MY CALL - NEW TRACK RATING SYSTEM IS ABOUT TO COME INTO FORCE. IS THIS CHANGE FOR CHANGE SAKE?

By David Fowler | Tuesday, November 25, 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.

The new track rating system is lurking around the corner.

After Sunday, dead and slow descriptions are gone forever and ratings will now range from firm to heavy.

To me it strikes as a change for change’s sake considering there was zilch wrong with the present format.

Sorry, I forgot, the term “dead” is politically incorrect. Please.

The new format ranges from firm 1 and 2, good 3 to 5, soft 6 to 8 and heavy 9 and 10.

Like anything if you don’t move with the times you’re an old time waltzer but was there any need?

Rear-view vision doesn’t achieve much but I couldn’t let this pass without comment.

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Predictably, Roma produced a super Cup day on the weekend, now established as one of the state’s more prominent country race days.

So why was Toowoomba racing as well?

The belief that Toowoomba, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast have a God given right to race every weekend has never washed with me.

And the argument that a certain amount of product has to be supplied to Sky falls over because Roma could have simply taken Toowoomba’s timeslot on Sky Racing 1.

But wait, there’s more!

Only half an hour down the range, Gatton raced as well. Can you believe it?

It’s done and dusted now but the reason for comment is to make certain farcical situations like this one don’t happen again.

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If you keep saying something long enough, people will start to believe it.

As this blog has commented ad nauseum, Doomben is not leader-biased and results are, in the main, pace-related.

Yet again, the “slow learners” were up in arms when front-runners dominated the early card at Doomben banging on about leader bias.

The fact they might have been the best horse over the sprint trip of 1110m seems to escape their selective thinking.

And they were strangely silent when run-on horses Time To Plunder and Magic In Motion delivered off strong tempos in the last two.

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The conspiracy theorists had a field day when hotpot Frequendly got bowled over in Saturday’s opener.

Yes, always after the race but they certainly varied in the detail.

Overcooked or underdone. I got it from both sides.

My suggestion … give this filly another chance next start. Her times and her margins in her wins were too dynamic to sack her on one defeat.

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I rarely use this forum to suggest horses to follow but I’ll make a rare exception this week, not once but twice.

Handyman Bob should have won the last race at Doomben. No ifs or buts, a certainty beaten and I hope he returns for a city assignment soon.

And Billy Da Boss has a city No Metro Win at his mercy going on his arrogant Sunshine Coast triumphs lately.

Two for the price of one!

Until next week.

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