MY CALL - HOUTZEN LEVELS UP WITH SHE WILL REIGN AT THE TOP OF THE GOLDEN SLIPPER BETTING MARKET
By David Fowler | Tuesday, March 7, 2017
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.
The Golden Slipper betting market is lurching into reality.
Finally, Houtzen has now joined She Will Reign at $3.70 equal favourite on Ubet for the two-year-old feature on Saturday week.
As I said in this column a fortnight ago, "I'd be more than happy to put my money on Houtzen to beat She Will Reign anyday"
Many believe Houtzen should be a clear cut Slipper favorite but betting liabilities to other runners can often skew a true betting market.
And there's still that "small state" status of Queensland. How could a Queenslander be the Slipper popular elect ?
But with She Will Reign's defeat and Houtzen's 63kg triumph, the market framers had no other option but to correct the anomaly.
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The good thing about racing is that some schools of thought really stand the test of time.
One of those is that good horses consistently run good times.
Enter Houtzen.
In each of her four wins, she has clocked Flying Class-type times compared to juvenile figures.
Hers is the Slipper to lose.
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I'll put this up for comparison.
Under RQ's new rule "we'll run it despite the numbers", five moderately-performed maidens line up over 2206m in the opener at Eagle Farm tomorrow.
Yet nine better performed runners (emergency and ballot) miss out in the National Apprentice series Class 3 plate.
Surely turnover would be better served by running a $20,000 consolation of those nine than running the five horse maiden.
Or run both!
Most will consider Eagle Farm racing begins at race two tomorrow.
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Some peculiar incidents have happened recently at south-East Queensland racetracks.
A jockey receives the trainer's instructions via a steward's phone at the barrier.
A jockey is replaced during the day because the trainer didn't like his ride on a stablemate earlier in the day.
The stewards panel on each day acceded to the highly unusual requests.
Both have been hotly debated either way but one issue can't be erased.
A precedent has been set each time and while the stipes claim it's a case by case situation, it will be hard to knock back a similar request in the future.
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