MY CALL: COPING WITH A PLEASURABLE HEADACHE
By David Fowler | Tuesday, August 21, 2018
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.
Winx can provide a real headache to scribes and racecallers.
A pleasurable headache I might add.
Her invincibility was evident sometime ago so how do you make a race call different? What new angle do you take in a post race story?
I was privileged to call Black Caviar at the midway point of her unbeaten career when she won her 13th race in succession in the 2011 BTC Cup.
It was less than a year since I had taken over from then retired Wayne Wilson and my first Winter carnival.
And even though she was boasting 12 on the bounce, she didn't quite carry the invincible aura with Hay List considered a worthy rival.
That broadcast was somewhat moulded around that clash until she asserted her superiority in the home straight.
Similarly, when I called Winx twice in 2015 we had absolutely no idea what would unfold in the subsequent three years.
Her last to first Sunshine Coast Guineas was brilliant but not considered earth shattering and her Queensland Oaks win was expected rather than exalted.
We left Doomben that day with the usual Oaks winner thoughts. " Might be a Caulfield Cup type."
Little did we know!
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Long standing The Australian racing journalist Brendan Cormick DID find a fresh angle to Winx and it was fascinating reading.
Writing in "the Oz" yesterday he outlined Winx's biomechanics through equitation scientist Andrew Maclean.
"In terms of stride speed, she is certainly the fastest I've seen," Maclean said.
"She gets gets to 150 beats per minute which is incredible. In some bursts she gets up to 160," he added.
This compared to Black Caviar's tempo of around 145.
Another interesting comparison is Black Caviar's stride was measured at 8.3 metres compared to Winx's 6.5.
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I notice Chautauqua did everything right in a jumpout at Rosehill on Monday.
Of course, he still has to get a tick in two official barrier trials before being permitted to start in a race.
His stubbornness in the barriers has been great fodder for debate in recent weeks with the lion's share of opinion that he should be retired,
It's easy to make that call on the available optics. I get it, but I can also appreciate the position of Chaautauqua's owners and team Hawkes.
And they are more than entitled to exhaust their options. It's worth remembering Chautauqua's curious behaviour has cost no punter any money.
Again, Cormick provided insight into this scenario by interviewing the world famous "horse whisperer" Monty Roberts.
Roberts Is super keen to ply his trade with Chautauqua but there seems a certain reluctance to secure his services.
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Country clubs are entitled to treat a move from non TAB status to TAB status with caution.
Most importantly, they must retain a weekend date for their meeting, whether that be a Saturday or Sunday.
A shift to a Monday or Tuesday with TAB status severely impedes, if not destroys, the community participation.
And regardless of the date, it can be a hell of a lot easier to bet and watch the race at the pub rather than go the track.
And spare a thought for the bookies who turn up at the non Tabbers but who are then forced to compete with TAB and corporate coverage.
Yes, there is a result with turnover that would not normally be available but there are consequences as outlined above.
Does the result outweigh the consequence? That's a question both parties need to seriously consider.
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