A WEEKLY REVIEW: The Good The Bad The Ugly

The art of James McDonald, the world’s best jockey, was displayed last Saturday but to a murmur instead of a roar.

Five winners at Rosehill Gardens, featuring the gift of rare flow and stroke, was just another example of J-Mac not getting the justifiable acclaim of previous champions.

Often I reflect on how George Moore, after Darby Munro, Darren Beadman, too, and Mick Dittman, were revered for their skill in the same category as the outstanding sportsmen of their day, Rugby League greats, cricketers, tennis players and boxers, in the general sporting media, stimulating the appetite of the general public, not just diehard punters.

Take away the sponsored pages, broadcast stations and general television, being paid for the exposure, racing is little better served than women’s cricket.

Consider ABC radio. In a bygone era, the ABC transmitted racing Australia-wide with its current enthusiasm for cricket. Even had a Randwick trackman reporting on gallops.

Serving a more general audience, Channel Seven does well on Saturdays while Sky Channel produces what the devout horse players require. Overall, though, the present greats don’t get exposure to the up-and-coming generation.

Yes, racing involves gambling but what sport these days doesn’t? J-Mac, like Chris Waller, is New Zealand-bred but so was Phar Lap, one of our foremost heroes.

While J-Mac supposedly carries a tax – bookmakers offering a shorter price due to his expertise – only one of his last Saturday five was favourite: Willie Oppa ($2.60). The others Alabama State (4.60), allowed to maintain a smooth rhythm, Pippie Beach ($6.5O), who stole a winning break due to super touch on the odds-on rival, and Willaidow ($4.60) scoring for the first time in 12 months with the ace holding the reins.

Eagle Express ($5) ended the meeting for the hoop, transmitting the warm and fuzzy feeling over pending success to supporters shortly after the start.

And J-Mac isn’t downing easy-beats. Maybe Nash Rawiller, the world’s best 50 plus, was only on scrubbers, but the Rawiller name was prominent with his son, Campbell notching a first black type triumph on Sghirripa in the Durbridge Stakes at Morphettville.

Like the old bloke, Campbell is effective but more rap dancer on horseback than J-Mac’s classical ballet where the young lion Zac Lloyd, currently leading the champ in the Sydney premiership, catches the eye with more grace more than slather-and-wack.

Lloyd is to racing what Reece Walsh is to Rugby League but hardly gets the same fanfare. Against J-Mac on Saturday Lloyd had a winning double, including Hidrix who surged into Golden Slipper contention and Sixties, the most promising performance of the GOOD program.

The downside? I was not there. Jonathon Chancellor in the Sunday Telegraph, reckons I go to the races from my new stable on the Central Coast, after a life time near Randwick, by train from Woy Woy. But only when it’s working. Three out of the last four weeks I’ve missed because of rail work. BAD.

In the good, old, days race trains specials from Central for all the major meetings. Subsequently I’ve had the service of chauffeur, Stephen The Stick, with door-to-door drop off and scintillating conversation.

Even with aged eyes I like to see the horses live. Television is not as good. On Sky Channel the astute Chantelle Buckley, an opinion respected, was not enthusiastic about the appearance of Chris Waller’s Hidrix before the grey won the Canonbury Stakes, beating the better fancied stablemate Confederation (J-Mac).

They donkey licked the favourite Incognito. UGLY. Expected to be hot but easing to lukewarm, Incognito ($1.60 to $1.95), strong at his previous success, wilted badly last Saturday.

Once it was deduced a 100 reasons a horse could be beaten and still be trying. Now cardiac arrythmia and thumps are diagnosed. “Displaced palate” has been given as the possible reason for “abnormal respiratory noise” made by Incognito. Punters who took the $1.60 were seeking mouth to mouth.

Horse-sense: “I’ve never considered myself a good judge of horse flesh but then again I don’t believe such a person exists,” Tony Carter Smith, of Kilmore, Victoria, wrote to “Winning Post”, an edifying outlet of turf knowledge.

“It’s nearly embarrassing watching the experts at yearling sales writing notes and having them walking up and down half dozen times. Very few horses will return a profit so where is the judgement?

“They all have lovely heads, great walks, deep girths, powerful gaskins and big muscular rumps… Oops, I sound like someone being interviewed after I just bought one for a stupid amount of money.

“When I was branding for a living, I branded about 3000 foals. If I had made the comment after each one that ‘this foal will be no good as a racehorse’ I would have been considered the best judge of horse flesh ever.”