MY CALL - THE DOOMBEN BIAS 'SAGA' DEBATE RAGES ON

By David Fowler | Tuesday, December 2, 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 Doomben “bias” saga is fast becoming as a big a debate as climate change.

Not that I’m subject to racetrack abuse, but Doomben “bias deniers” are finding it hard to prosecute their case … particularly because the pro-bias lobby are delivering a concerted case to all who want to hear, maintaining their rage with a truckload of statistics.

They stamp their feet with authority because they’ve researched 70% of horses in the first four in running have won at Doomben since mid-August.

Don’t worry about comparative field sizes, classes and race tempos, it’s THAT magical figure that has clinched their deal.

And they won’t let horses zooming home from the tail to collect second and third into their well-tailored arguments.

It’s winners only that count for the stats and don’t you forget it!

“Move over Doomben and move on to Caloundra,” they trumpet.

I challenged their main cheer leader Brad Davidson on Radio TAB on Monday to explain what the bias is.

“Well, I don’t know, but it’s just there,” he said.

And when I put it to him that Beau Jet (winner), Rudy (winner) and Tinto (second) all came from near last on Saturday, I was confronted with “that’s because they’re good horses”.

You don’t have to have a PHD to know that horses at ALL tracks who race in or near the lead win the lion’s share of races.

And we’ve known since 1933 that the 1715 metre circumference and 314 metre straight of Doomben will naturally enhance the cause of on-pacers.

But please don’t tell me that in a genuinely run race at Doomben, back-markers can’t be competitive.

It simply isn’t true.

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Several educated punters believe the "Doomben bias" argument is overblown.

"Why don't they look at some real bias? The inside part of the Gold Coast track has been a slow lane for nearly a year," one leading bookmaker said.

And Sunshine Coast becomes a leaders' paradise when the rail is out beyond eight metres.

So, come on boys, let's share the bias debate around.

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The Doomben or Caloundra option for Stradbroke day is another burning issue.

“Steve O’Dea may not run Sir Moments in the Stradbroke if it is run at Doomben,” Davidson warned menacingly in our Radio TAB interview.

Well that’s Steve’s choice I guess but I doubt it will hold up the presses for a race date change.

It would be lunacy to suggest Corbould Park is not an outstanding track with its spacious circumference and numerous starting points.

But it would be also lunacy to run the Straddy at a track that is generally in the heavy 10 range at that time of year.

And it would be a commercial disaster for the Brisbane Racing Club as well as a danger to turnover levels.

Branding is a big thing these days and punters bet on the Doomben brand more than the Sunshine coast brand, irrespective of the class of horse and calibre of jockey.

And that’s in spite of the pro-bias lobby.

It’s short term pain for long term gain and take it as a given that the Stradbroke will be run at Doomben for the first time in 2015.

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Life can be spooky.

The Brian Ogilvie Memorial featured a spirited betting clash between rising star Abaddon and Sydney visitor Casual Choice.

They were neck and neck in the betting, a scenario that Brian revelled in so many times over the years, laying each of them with the columns growing rapidly on his ledger.

And it was almost if he was looking down with a smile as the longshot Gala Affair got up.

Brian would have got the lot.

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