A WEEKLY REVIEW

The Good

Bung rules, and a perceived track bias didn’t stop Blake Shinn and Damian Lane producing a Caulfield Saturday to remember and taking the limelight from Rosehill Gardens.

In an era when jockeys are tied down to officially making any switch in tactics public, Shinn and Lane produced flair and initiative to take Group one events in a manner fashioned in more recent decades by Shane Dye and Glen Boss.

Bleats galore, with James McDonald contributing, arose regarding Caulfield favouring those up front near the rail, to the degree the Melbourne Racing Club will review the track preparation for next Saturday.

However, trainer Dan O’Brien posted on X that it was the best surface for the spring and he circuit has rewarded on-speed tactical types for a 100 years. Rating Bureau’s Dan O’Sullivan, too, could not find a surface problem with Caulfield on Saturday.

“Data on race position, pace and results show there was no on-pace bias on the day,” he explained.

After a two-length slow start, Shinn swept around the outside from last on Antino at the 800 metres to score in the Toorak. Suicidal if unsuccessful but Antico bolted away while earlier Lane aboard Private Life had gone to the front taking the Caulfield Guineas in what Charlie Duckworth, mouthpiece for Chris Waller at Caulfield, described a “master-stroke”. The stable figured he would be midfield.

No rebuke from stewards for Shinn or Lane’s lack of transparency about their tactics. By comparison at Rosehill Beau Mertens was questioned for riding a perfect race on winner Attrition in the Hill Stakes after which trainer Mitchell Freedman was “reminded of his obligation to notify stewards of any intended change of rider tactics.”

“Change of tactics” being declared to the public received a mention from Matt Stewart in Winning Post recently concerning “racing’s stupidest traditions” because it prevented jockeys using innovation for which Dye and Boss were noted.

Dye and Boss didn’t ride for luck but navigated to win, ploys applied by Shinn and Lane on what was showcase for saddle excellence at Caulfield. Shinn notched a treble as did Craig Williams, racing’s most cross-examined participator. Still none handle it better.

Again, he was interrogated over the half-length defeat of hotpot Mr Brightside on whom he gave every chance in the Might and Power, won by Mark Zahra on Deny Knowledge, judging the tempo to perfection. Zahra is making a difference in the majors against very strong opposition, emphasised on Saturday when the past results played a role.

Attrition captured the Toorak in 2023 from Antico. Once in the United Kingdom, the Sporting Life, would run the program winners from the previous year, deemed a valuable form tool.

So what happed to Griff, successful in the Caulfield Guineas 12 months earlier, who went around in Saturday’s Weekend Hussler at $26?

After changes in the tactics were announced and Griff well beaten, jockey Ben Melham told stewards “he was held up for the majority of the straight and unable to be fully tested.”

The Bad

Bad news from the Sydney Morning Herald from whence Andrew Webster has departed. I’ve been fortunate to work with some great sporting journalists and read them all. None were better than Webster.

John Fairfax, the former SMH owners, would never have let him go, a situation applied to a veteran of 40 years, 25 years ago who sought redundancy. They gave him a spell, a loyalty bonus but kept him for the masthead as a contributor.

Also departing are the highly accomplished Chris Roots, who could be the last full-time racing writer employed by the SMH, and the highly talented Adam Pengelly, who joined the turf staff but was shifted to other sports.

In my time there were no less than three fulltime racing writers, plus a detail staff which computerisation has put out of play.

Previously “The Sun”, the afternoon newspaper and my berth before the SMH, had five, including a fulltime harness racing writer.

Earlier this year I left the SMH because of the policy regarding racing. To replace Roots, I’m told they are looking for someone to work three days a week.

Back in the 1960’s with the battle of the Sydney afternoon newspapers, Rupert Murdoch’s “Daily Mirror” against “The Sun”, the two best circulation spinners were the racing and rugby league.

Yes, the landscape has changed but racing in some ways is bigger and better. Sure $2 million for Saturday’s Hill Stakes and $1.5 million for the Alan Brown was excessive. Trim a $1 million off the Hill and $500,000 off the Alan Brown and the fields would have been similar. And $1.5 million would have been handy for improvement to Randwick stables.

The Ugly

Obviously, the defeat of the hotpot Broadsiding in the Caulfield Stakes was ugly. JMac felt the bias was the contributing factor, but it was a messy ride after a sluggish start. Broadsiding ended fourth.

Maybe the second up syndrome played a role or the three-year-old’s first Caulfield start. Similarities have been mentioned. Champion Kingston Town, for instance, never really handled Caulfield but the circuit has been restructured since.

More to the point: So You Think was only fifth, ridden back, in the 2009 Caulfield Guineas but with Glen Boss in the saddle and leading the colt next start triumphed in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. No changes of tactics were announced there, either.