A WEEKLY REVIEW: The Good The Bad The Ugly

Under the reign of Peter V’Landys New South Wales country racing has boomed and Matt Dale, based in Goulburn, is testimony to the ability of country trainers.

V’Landys introduced the Highways to Sydney, including a $2 million feature, the Kosciusko, where they get the opportunity to shine in town.

Mind you bush trainers have always been good but basically restricted – out of the big time.

John Lundholm, from Coonamble, was top class, while my old mate, Max Crockett, a Randwick cowboy, born and raised around the Newmarket sales yard, worked his equine skills at Mudgee.

Geoff Duryea, too, was noted for his skill on the border with sorties to Melbourne after a successful career as a jockey.

Duryea developed the outstanding Front Page for the 2022 Kosciusko success at Royal Randwick but then retired.

Dale took over guiding Front Page and maintained the horse power for the then “aged” gelding with a 2023 Kosciusko triumph.

As a nine-year-old, the gelding was downed under three lengths in the recent Kosciusko and finally third in Starlight Stakes at Rosehill Gardens, carrying 60kg behind the winner, Flying For Fun, who only carried 53kg.

Dale surprised on Sky Racing radio last Saturday disclosing Front Page had run his last race because the gelding wasn’t as good as he was.

Despite his vintage Front Page has only had 32 starts with races spaced, the key to his longevity, employed by Duryea and Dale, who travels far and wide, winning feature events in four states.

A decade back Dale did a stint as foreman with John O’Shea, then Godolphin honcho, for six months.

O’Shea reckoned Dale should be in charge of his own operation at Randwick.

“He’s an extreme talent and he’s as good a trainer as there is in the country,” O’Shea told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2015.

“If he was based at Randwick, he’d have 100 horses. I’ve begged him 100 times to come to Sydney and he won’t come.”

However out-of-town trainers now have more financial return than their predecessors, not only the Highways but local events.

Once they were restricted to prizemoney, little more than chaff bags. Pelf from bookmakers was the target.

Of course some left their mark in the metropolitan area. For instance, Betty Lane, exiled to the bush, overcame gender bias to make it in Sydney. If you can make it there you could make it anywhere, as did the inimitable Barbara Joseph, who is still going strong.

Yes, competition is more demanding in the country with the Sydney best, travelling potential outstanding types, outside the metropolitan area. Even Dale’s base, Goulburn, gets rising types headed for the black type elite.

Still, the old dynasties are competing. Cameron Crockett, son of Max, working out of Scone, had a Mudgee double on Friday, including the Mudgee Cup, while his mother Cheryl notched the final event.

Clint Lundholm, grandson of John, continues the family tradition at the booming centre, Dubbo.

So country racing, in most aspects, under V’Landys, Racing NSW CEO, is GOOD. Maybe his management style is more Donald Trump than democratic. Regardless of title he controls racing being the biggest influence ever. He has a similar grip on Rugby League.

Thus his listing as sixth in the Daily Telegraph’s Sydney POWER TOP HUNDRED is BAD. Surely he should have been in the quinella.

Given pride of place to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese on status if not accomplishments, I cannot forgive him over his pussy-footing with Qantas. But how would Premier Chris Minns be rated superior?

Put Minns and V’Landys in a revolving door and I would take odds on who would come out first. At the recent Lachlan Murdoch Christmas soiree Minns was one of the few deposited at the door by car, seen as a status symbol while Peter The Great arrived on foot. Obviously no royal coach, his favoured form of transport, was available.

Hopefully the predicament with the West-Tigers has not taken the V’Landys eye off the ball regarding scratchings, particularly at Sydney meetings, and the effect on betting turnover. UGLY.

Last Friday’s Randwick program on the Kensington circuit had 31 scratchings on a good surface, hardly unique but acceptable? Six race programs are bobbing up at the provincials. Ten are too many in town, but six is light anywhere.   

HORSE SENSE: “Trainers need not just an instinctive eye for a horse but the skill to know when to accelerate and when to hold back with its preparation plus the patience to cope with demanding owners. Theirs really are the most challenging of small businesses,”- Robin Oakley – “The Spectator”.