MY CALL - TEAM HAWKES' WYONG RUNNER-UP SURF SEEKER CAN MAKE AN IMPACT IN THE MAGIC MILLIONS

By David Fowler | Tuesday, December 23, 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.

An inexperienced maiden can play a strong hand in the Magic Millions in less than three weeks.

Racing in three states failed to make any significant change to the betting landscape for the $2million MM on January 13.

This week’s B. J. McLachlan at the Gold Coast can be a market game-changer. Will MM favourite Wicked Intent run a strong 1200m and how good is Pepperano are two significant questions ready to be answered.

I feel Surf Seeker can make an impact in the MM after his impressive debut second in the Magic Millions at Wyong last Thursday.

Well back and wide, he was as green as the Wyong grass yet still savaged the line to be just beaten by another MM aspirant Zoutenant with Single Gaze the closest of thirds.

A horse prepared by Team Hawkes always get an extra tick from me and the experience he would have derived from the Wyong assignment should be immense.

One downside. The Wyong MM time was a second slower than the Maiden on the same day.

Hey, you can’t have everything.

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The Tabcorp/Sky breakdown that happened last week is too complicated for me to cast an opinion.

But you’d be naïve to think two years of negotiations simply surrounds a difference of what should be paid by Tabcorp to show the vision of what is owned by TVN.

An old line but there’s more to this than meets the eye.

“An unhappy marriage with divorce not an option” is how I described it on my Radio TAB program on Monday.

But a warning to Tattsgroup and Racing Queensland who think the situation will have minimal effect on Queensland’s turnover figures.

Think again.

A quick spot check by me in the last few days revealed pubs with no TVN and TAB’s with TVN substituting it for Sky 2 coverage.

So for example at this particular TAB agency, there were two TVN screens but no Sky 2 to watch Albion Park greyhounds.

If the saga limps along, we had better have our house in order to negate any impact on turnover.

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The seven year partnership between Racing Queensland and Magic Millions has catapulted the January race meeting onto the international stage.

I know the “cry wolf” call from Magic Millions about departing this state has some basis but Queensland is the spiritual home of Magic Millions and this deal has now cemented that.

The “wildcard” entries concept deadens the blow from those who say why is so much stake-money afforded to sales related races.

If you’re good enough to win a summer feature, you can still be a player on the Grand Final day.

RQ chairman Kevin Dixon is firm in his belief that this announcement puts some much needed pizzazz back into Queensland racing.

I tend to agree with him.

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“You can’t make a horse go faster”.

International import Robbie Fradd was probably thinking that so many times when he was saddled up on a longshot in South East Queensland in recent months.

His superb riding talent in South Africa and Hong Kong precedes him but it’s only lately he’s started to be seen to advantage because he is riding a better calibre of horse.

Polished displays on Tarloshan and Little Bit Ditsy have been seen in the city and his ride on Elegant Machine to win at the Sunshine Coast last Sunday was a pearler.

We are privileged to have riders of his calibre in the state, but sometimes a little slow in waking up to it.

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Eagle Farm has been ruled out of Winter Carnival contention.

Yeah, so the $1.01 favourite got up. So what!

Now don’t be surprised if the Tattersalls’ Racing Club is forced out of the city and down the highway for their Tatts Tiara carnival meet on June 22.

And that’s not the only move out of the city that will happen around that time.

Remember where you read it.

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See you on Friday when we preview Boxing Day racing at the Sunshine Coast.

Merry Christmas to all.

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