MY CALL - YOU CAN FIND IT IN THE SMALL PRINT. THREE BEERS PLEASE DID NOT PRODUCE A FORM REVERSAL

By David Fowler | Tuesday, June 16, 2015

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.

Three Beers Please did not produce a form reversal to win at Doomben last Wednesday.

“Stewards Summary” told us so. I missed it. Did you?

Let me take you behind the scenes of this scenario.

The face-value facts were Three Beers Please was beaten eight lengths as a forlorn last at Sunshine Coast on May 31 yet came from last to win in sub 1:10 time at Doomben some 10 days later.

This prompted my broadcast of “is this the same horse as Caloundra” and a “major form reversal”.

The subsequent Doomben stewards report did not reveal a line about the improved performance.

Had the world gone mad?

Enter “Stewards Summary” to solve this intriguing affair.

“Stewards Summary” is prepared before each meeting and posted on the Racing Queensland website in reference to runners at that meeting that have featured in recent stipes’ reports.

And Three Beers Please was duly diarised on the disappointing run BUT there was an update.

An update that is not attached to the Sunshine Coast May 31 report but tells us that Liam Birchley reported the horse had an elevated white cell blood count after a test was administered and this would have been significant to the below par performance.

So, as a result of the “Stewards Summary” inclusion of this update, last Wednesday’s panel saw no need to investigate it.

It’s hard to pinpoint blame on any party but the communication channels can certainly be better served.

The end result is yours truly must be more diligent and read EVERY “Stewards Summary” to keep on top of things.

P.S. Inclusion in the Courier-Mail and/or Sportsman and an email to Radio Tab mightn’t go astray either.

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Nothing stays the same.

The present Ipswich surface plays to razor sharp times when it’s dry yet I was still aghast when Todonic’s 33-year-old record of 1:02.87 for the 1100m was broken at a recent midweek meeting.

Lesley’s Choice delivered a six length romp that day in 1:02.82.

Would it be another 33 years before the time was bettered?

Try 16 days. Rock Royalty blasted his opposition in 1:02.49 in Saturday’s Ray White Dash.

Just for good measure the 2150m track record went off as well as two other class records.

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The Ipswich track played perfectly on Cup day.

I was a race morning doubter with the rail back true thinking it might play for swoopers on the harder section in the track’s middle.

While Pop N Scotch, Smokin Joey and Real Surreal coursed wide, the other five winners hugged the rail or used the section close to the fence.

Punters were happy.

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Is one representative for each code a fair proposition on the proposed seven person commercial entity?

And is it fair, if that’s to be the case, all codes are seemingly equal with one vote apiece!

There are plenty trying to tell the present State Government that this recommendation has to be modified.

Watch this space

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