MY CALL - POOR PERFORMANCE CALLED INTO QUESTION

By David Fowler | Tuesday, August 18, 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.

It had to be a typo. Or was it?

Stewards copped a whack from the Courier Mail’s Nathan Exelby after the puzzling Jopa explanation and the “nothing wrong here” approach to the Epsilon form reversal last Wednesday.

It was legitimate criticism on both counts.

But there was another gem lurking in a report that Exelby missed.

The Ipswich panel inquired into the run of Yoho at Ipswich last Friday and began the report with ... and I quote ... ”when questioned regarding the poor performance ...”

“When questioned regarding the poor performance.” This was the “poor performance” of a horse who missed the start, settled near last, came the widest, and was beaten just over a length delivering the best sectional in the race.

I know where the poor performance lay.

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You can’t blame Jeff Lloyd for his explanation that Jopa felt the firm track. He simply called it as he saw it, or felt it, in this circumstance.

But surely the Doomben panel could have gone a step further and referred this to trainer Rob Heathcote requiring further explanation.

After all, Jopa won on a Firm 2 and ran 1:09.07 at Doomben a fortnight earlier!

And, yes, I know Heathcote wasn’t there. That’s why phones are used for texting these days.

But that one line explanation by itself is entitled to get punters shouty.

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I think this Deagon chatter is all a little too late and hard to justify.

Deagon was originally slated for several midweek meetings in the first draft of the 2015/16 race dates but it never grew legs.

Now, according to some, the plan has been resurrected.
While several tracks have copped wear and tear with Eagle Farm out of the loop, things can only get better as we move to warmer weather and grass growth begins to flourish.

And there are several infrastructure costs that would have to be paid if Deagon was to run as a proper midweek venue.

Extra costs when we are looking down the barrel of a $28 million black hole? Mmm!

Eagle Farm is back in the mix in May.

Let it rest, boys.

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I think Racing Queensland is on safe ground that a $10,000 bonus will be paid if a horse breaks 44 seconds in the Cannonball series during October to December.

Kilcoy’s record for the 800 metres is 44.06, compared to Warwick (44.35) and Ipswich (44.73).

But I like the concept. Half mile racing is quick, unique and exciting.

Certainly some thinking outside the square on this one.

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