The Good
Even the perceived bias at Kembla Grange and Cranbourne last Saturday, on pacers favoured, couldn’t affect the follow-on sparkle and enthusiasm generated by the Melbourne Cup carnival and, to a lesser degree, The Everest.
Racegoers abounded to the Sydney and Melbourne provincial circuits, once shunned as major venues on Saturday, while Bong Bong last Friday, always popular, did well too.
Gringotts took the Illawarra Mercury Gong on Saturday landing one of the most resolute plunges seen at venue once renowned for them. Backed from $5 on Friday to start at $2.60 put it in a rare category of being a top event with seemingly many chances, but as the confidence indicated, was a one-horse race.
Being a leader contributed but the following event dimmed that theory when Headwall, under a courageous Blake Spriggs touch, came from back and wide to score The Warra.
The wind also played a role, “assisted off rail” according to some assessments. Rail a no-go area acceptable on a good surface? Anyway Brock Ryan, 30, the former talented lightweight who won The Gong three years back on Count De Rupee is now on the Kembla ground staff. Maybe he can give more of a saddle insight into the situation.
“I love it, and it means I’m still involved in the industry,’’ Ryan told Racing NSW’s Ray Hickson.
Of course, as a program progresses in Saturday’s conditions tempo plays a role. Jockeys adapt, the situation at Cranbourne when Nadal dominated in the Meteorite.
Like Gringotts, Nadal is trained by Ciaron Maher with Ossie Keir and John O’Neill in the ownership. Can they find a top horse? After the strong winds and fast lanes of Saturday settle Nadal, who thrived under Ethan Brown navigation, indicates he could be special. Brown conceded Cranbourne was “a bit on speed” but still played it cool.
Obviously, too, Gringotts added spice to the coming Ingham, formerly the Villiers, with his bold, front running style. And what weight will he get for the Randwick metric mile?
Wide gates in the modern age are a negative but not when ridden like Tommy Berry who propelled Gringotts from 14. Sure, the gelding has tactical pace but Berry allowed it to come into play, not go back automatically to the fashion of the era because of a wide draw.
The Bad
So Saturday was GOOD with a BAD aspect coming out of The Everest indicated at Bong Bong, the picnic meeting in the Southern Highland outside of Bowral, on Friday.
Bookmaker Rob Waterhouse wrote more betting tickets at Bong Bong than The Everest at Royal Randwick.
Obviously, it’s a different market with off-course options limited, but stressed the point that racegoers don’t go to Randwick, even with over 49,000 anymore, to have a bet.
Still in reporting record returns to the industry, Racing NSW chair Dr Saranne Cooke stressed The Everest went “to even greater heights with a record crowd of over 49,000 …first time ever the ATC sold out four days prior to race day …and looking at how to increase capacity including new facilities in the Randwick infield”.
We, who remember the old flat enclosure at Randwick, can only visualise this as another booze outlet. The flat was a cheap stepping stone to the Ledger enclosure and then the Paddock.
After the invigorating Flemington experience over the Cup carnival recently, with 80,000 plus, my suggestion is the ATC should be looking at improving facilities for 49,000 which was more Bong Bong in 1969, my one and only experience at the venue. The lasting memory was Dame Zara Holt, wife of a Prime Minister, back in the field on a long queue for the outside dunny. Developed by “Bong Bong Bert” Richmond, a bookmaker and promoter, the meeting had to close because it became too popular, probably more for the drink than a bet.
The Ugly
While Saturday was a day to remember for Ciaron Maher at Kembla Grange it was UGLY for those who backed Alalcance, the $4 second favourite, in the Food Services.
Maher scored with Gilded Water, racing in the colours of His Majesty The King, aided and abetted by stablemate Morry Moral who took the edge off Alalcance up front giving Gilded Water, the $4.2 to $3.3 favourite, a perfect trail. Still as jockey Ashley Morgan, who handled Morryl Moral told stewards he had no option as his mount wouldn’t settle and wanted to go harder, verified by the official film. Also Morryl Moral hung on well to finish third.
And half-length runner-up Alacance? “What a big run in defeat,” official race caller Darren Flindell.
One Response
Hi Max, I too remember The Flat at Randwick, 30cents to get in in 1969, $1 into the Ledger and $3 into the Paddock. But The Flat, as you would remember, attracted a huge crowd of dedicated punters, even on a dreary winter Saturday. You could walk across the cinders training track to the back of the finishing post and watch the horses wizz by. One vivid memory for me was Gunsynd and Triton fighting out the finish in the 1972 Epsom.