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The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, Ascot March 14
The Good
We Love Lucy - A very nice double on her return to metro racing in W.A. I still find it uncanny the number of times she's allowed to hold the lead in comfortable fashion, but that's not her fault. It seems to happen with any well backed leader ridden by a claiming apprentice in W.A.
Luck Not Required - When you're on the best horse it often pays to remove luck from the equation, and that's exactly what The Pontiff did in race five, and The Wizard followed suit in race six.
Thunderclap Newman - Sounds like something I caught on my latest Thai holiday, but goes a lot faster and only burns the bookmakers.
Delicacy - I had my queries early in the prep, but she is another of those bombproof fillies that find form and hold it.
The Bad
Fairy Blossum - I asked myself why well before the race and still haven't come up with a reasonable answer. Did they mean to nominate for Norseman and mistakenly select Ascot? I realise there are no rules to cover this, but should it have even been allowed to start in a listed race? For the record it was beaten 39 lengths. I'm all for having throw at the stumps, but you need a ball in your hands first.
Where's My Stopwatch? - It became apparent throughout the day that Ascot was playing quite leaderish. Early in the day the only leader that stopped late was Inok, and a very slick 35.2 sec first 600m explains exactly why. He could be in the best form of his career right now.
Say Whaaaat? How's this from the stewards report -
FRIARDAY (Glenn Smith)–Slow at the start losing one length. Hmmmm
The Ugly
Foreclosure Notice - It's fine to comfortably win a 400m trial when four of your competitors stay in the gates and the rest of the field are just getting an eduacation and don't break 25 seconds. That doesn't mean you'll beat experienced quality 2yo's in your first race start at 1100m at listed level, it certainly doesn't mean you should follow in on the tip when it gets to $4.
Pushin' Shapes Uphill - If it draws a barrier in the Karrakatta Plate, it can win. Given no chance the way the race was run combined with the apparent on pace/rails bias, it was a much better run than it looked.
Sanctitude - You'd swear this horse resembled a chess piece with the amount of games they play with it.
7 Comments | 1 decade ago
Recent Comments
PunterPete 15 Mar | Posts: 189
Apparently there was plenty of money for lucky st to win the KK before it ran yesterday maybe punta can confirm that ? All down to the draw now anyone heard if Hayes is bringing Claudia Jean over ?
magoo83 14 Mar | Posts: 948
Need a lift was very good today
thefalcon 14 Mar | Posts: 20203
all depends on the marble....or "a lot depends on the marble". lucky does seem one out of the box..but $1.75 is madness.....imvho
Downbythepalms 14 Mar | Posts: 375
Agree PTT, if Pushin shapes draws a marble in the KP it can beat the fav
thefalcon 14 Mar | Posts: 20203
they'll get it back with interest next week...or whenever..cannot lose in the long run, BL.
Nevershowsurprise 14 Mar | Posts: 994
I dont
bookielover 14 Mar | Posts: 2590
Can only comment about the ugly.If my old man was bookmaking at Ascot today with the last 5 favorites saluting, they would have had to call an ambulance fitted with a defibrillator, an oxygen tank and a saline drip for him. I really feel for the bookies w...