I LOVE QLD RACING and I do as much as I can to help people in the state when it comes to their business and to positively promote our product.
I am also a horse owner. All owners want is consistency and I cannot believe a few things that have happened along the way on this roller-coaster that is owning a race horse.
A horse we (friends and I) have a share in COUNTY COMMANDS won a nice Class 5 fresh today in good style. Our horse did run out in the straight but at no stage put TIGER DIMEJAN off balance and her jockey did not miss a single beat on her, he never stopped riding, nor did TIGER DIMEJAN even run past us after the line, she was simply not good enough and although she hit the line well, she was beaten.
When the protest got fired in my mates are all ringing each other saying “If we couldn’t get the Gold Coast protest we are not a hope in hell of losing this one! Lineup boys!”
What they were talking about was when another of our horses SCREAMING JET had his first run in a race over 900m at the Gold Coast he was interfered with twice in the straight, the horse clearly come out and took our running and Pattillo had to stop riding on two occasions. SCREAMING JET still made up good ground (about a length in the last 75m) to only be beaten about 1/2L by Puff’s Girl.
That protest was dismissed?? So how was this upheld when clearly nowhere near as bad? It is near unbelieveable.
Consistency is what everyone wants in sport and when people are forking out hard earned to race horses in the state of choice they do expect consistency. Some will say it is the same in all states but I can promise you most of the lads in our group are first time owners and simply can’t get their heads around how two incidents can happen and are weighing up even continuing with owning.
I have had a lot of people writing to me today asking the same question, and some even thinking a fine may have been given for a frivolous protest?
That’s racing and unfortunately if you want to race horses it is a risk you have to take and roll with the punches, even if they make sense or not.
The favourite backers don’t care, they got the cash, and they will say I am talking through the kick, but I genuinely think she was the best horse in the race and I feel bad for horse and trainer.
My whole point is these two races make the decisions look shocking!
**For those with sky media you can watch the two races and the head on replays
COUNTY COMMANDS – Race 4 today.
SCREAMING JET – 10th August at Gold Coast Race 2
You can make your own mind up….
As my Mrs always says to me, IM NOT ANGRY, JUST DISAPPOINTED!
(Well im a bit angry)
**That is where my spiel was going to end, but let’s look at the crazy decision to hammer Damien Browne? Thank god sanity prevailed there, if they got upheld we wouldn’t have enough jock’s for a Saturday meeting!
**Also many may think the change of the WEETWOOD in Toowoomba from 1300m to 1200m three weeks out from the race is ok?? Do we want the respect from the other states? This is laughable, although many horses will not be affected you can bet your bottom dollar there are a few trainers who have worked horses whole preparations around going up the hill at the 1300m around Toowoomba!- 3 weeks out, bad luck 1200m lads… All so they can fit 2 extra horses in?? Would this happen anywhere else 3 weeks out? I love the Ramornie and there would be an uproar if they changed it to 1300m, or even if they dropped it to 1100m three weeks from the race.
Wrong call. And that is spiel over….
