MY CALL - WINX LIGHTS UP THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

By David Fowler | Tuesday, April 5, 2016

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.

Here was this solitary figure dancing and prancing against the Royal Randwick landscape to the adoration of the crowd.

That was the Winx return to scale. A moment to behold.

It's good to get warm and fuzzy about racing occasionally for someone who is generally holding a big stick ready to wack the industry for all the wrong things that happen.
It was so right she returned solo. She deserved that stage to herself.

Mind you, Chautauqua had delivered a decent "warm up" with another freakish sprint up the rise to make it back-to-back T.J.Smith wins.

******************************************************************************************************

A wonderful photo caught my attention when I visited Gai Waterhouse's Tulloch Lodge on Sunday.

It was taken by a high school student on Tulloch's return to scale after his 1957 Victoria Derby victory at Flemington.

Many years later he had it enlarged and sent to "T.J" as a gift and it sits prominently in the cottage alongside Tulloch Lodge.

It's unsurprising the crowd would be four times The Championship attendence but what struck me was the euphoria and joy on the faces of those who lined the fence to grab a glimpse of the champion.

Almost half a century later, the same scenes we're being played out at Randwick.

*******************************************************************************************************

Now for the major downside.

Just over 22,000 attended the Championship meet, a grossly disappointing figure for a raceday that has been exhausted by promotion.

And the weather was brilliant.

This was to be the Carnival to rival the Melbourne Spring.

It trails a long and lonely second after its third year.
And there are no excuses this time.

********************************************************************************************************

And not an international visitor in sight.

The Japanese invader Tosen Stardom flew the white flag after a bleeding attack ruled him out.

Such large purses were plonked on races to entice overseas opposition.

That largesse can't be justified if the international tally doesn't rise to a reasonable number.

*******************************************************************************************************

And we end on a minor downside.

Well it could be major depending the mood you are in.
No bottles of wine can be sold at the Randwick bar after four 'o' clock.

That's right. Ten minutes after the Derby with the big gun races still to be run.

Ok, three glasses of sav blanc then. No, only two can be served at one time.

I wonder if the same rules apply in the Chairman's Room?

********************************************************************************************************

Plenty of robust conversation over the appointment of the RQ chairman and the three industry representatives while I've been away.

More on that next week.

More articles