MY CALL - COX PLATE PROVIDES A REAL ADRENALIN RUSH

By David Fowler | Tuesday, October 27, 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.

Even your humble blogger can still get an adrenalin rush from racing, despite being on the worse side of 50.

I can vaguely remember skating around the "flat" inside the Moonee Valley track as a 9-year-old when Taj Rossi won the 1973 Cox Plate.

Fast forward 42 years, better attired and better located I might add, I got a real blast of why this day is so special on the weekend.

And, clearly, the amphitheatre that Moonee Valley is creates this inviting cauldron-like atmosphere.

To not watch a race live is a sin.

The day surges on, the crowd keeps swelling, their noise level gets stronger and stronger. By Cox Plate time, you feel like linking arms and shouting "go" when the gates fly back.

And when they wheel that final corner into that short straight, the roar of the crowd is akin to a war cry, "rise and cheer "

It's not just the race either. Post race is soaked with atmosphere.

The local press were lamenting the crowd was down amongst other criticisms.

I'll take their word for it but It won't spoil my memories of the day Winx broke the Cox Plate track record.

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But the Herald Sun's Matt Stewart is not happy.

I don't know Matt but he can sure grumble at the best time of year.

He has been banging on in the last few weeks about 10 race cards being too long and feature race starting times being too late.

Well, Matt, it’s not an instruction you have to arrive for the opener and stay for the last which is the foundation of your criticism that a ten eventer is too long. Not many do it, to be honest.

And the later start allows for a building of the atmosphere that Moonee Valley craves.

He laments crowds attendances are falling at carnival time. "Why is this so," he opines.

Welcome to the world of the bleeding obvious, Matt. Another new corporate and another new app are just around the corner to put another spoke in the attendance wheel.

Some still refuse to use statistics correctly and one aspect is to examine the big picture rather than grab a conclusion from a snapshot.

Racetrack attendances have been falling for decades. It's not a new discovery, Matt.

He is also less than glowing about the Friday-Saturday double header.

Sorry again, Matt. For a humble tour leader, it's a ripper and the team agreed.

Lighten up Matt and enjoy this wonderful time. Your state delivers the theatre of racing in spades.

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A sectional breakdown serves to underline that Buffering was always going to be swamped in the Manikato.

He was running sub 11 seconds between the 800m and the 600m and the 600m and the 400m with the next furlong only a tick over 11.

It's breakneck speed that you can't sustain.

And this is sitting one off the rail with a competitor poking up on your inside.

To finish fifth, three and a half lengths away, was more than creditable in a time that nudged the track record.

He's a worthy competitor in the Darley Classic on Saturday week.

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I'll give tomorrow's Ipswich six race card with a 47 final acceptor listing the benefit of a very grave doubt.

Melbourne Cup day hosts a plethora of meetings in South East Queensland and let's hope many provincial gallopers are resting up for next week.

But you can't escape the fact below par numbers have been trending at the Wednesday midweeks for at least a month now.

With $20,000 up for grabs, it's not a good sign.

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Join me at Gallopers Sports Club this Sunday for their Melbourne Cup Calcutta.

The action kicks off at 3pm and I look forward to having a drink or two with you.

Livewire manager Wayne Percy promises it will be their best Calcutta to date after a months of working on the project.

And "Perc" is never wrong.

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