The goal by Jai Sorong in the dying seconds for the home side at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday against St Kilda will last long in the memory bank but hoops at Eagle Farm, led by a successful treble for Rachel King, and Rosehill Gardens emphasised the strength of riding talent in Australia.
The Swans?
Soured by the Rabbitohs defeat against the Sea Eagles on Thursday, bad refereeing but still not good enough, I’ll leave the SCG post mortem to John Derum, the thespian with a strong family link to South Melbourne in “Kick To Kick” at the end.
Again lesser lights set the turf ablaze on Saturday. James McDonald and Zac Lloyd are currently elsewhere but other imports should have earned standing ovations — Chad Schofield with a winning Randwick double, Declan Bates taking the Group One Queensland Oaks, the feature race of the day, and King with her treble at Eagle Farm.
Like Zac Lloyd, Schofield comes from a South African lineage while King and Bates are Poms.
Two Randwick winners are hardly earth shattering but Schofield’s handling of Decalogue in the Foundation Female Member Handicap, taking off on the strong fancy when the tempo was slack, highlighted his quality.
In recent events Decalogue was handled by Lloyd.
King again confirmed she is world class on what was a major Brisbane program and is challenging the thunder of Jamie Melham as the best female hoop in Australia.
Is there any other sport or demanding professional endeavour where women perform so effectively against the men? And is there anywhere else worldwide where they get the opportunities?
Once jockeys from elsewhere attempting to get a toe hold here were treated with scorn; Bates hardly arrived to accolades of support.
However his talent was unearthed on Pride Of Jenni thus he became another import to flourish with the support of Ciaron Maher, who doesn’t work outside the square but produces his own.
Bates was able to give Fireball Miss a trouble-free run in a real mess Oaks and has now won two out of her last three on the filly. Bates is more than a one horse, get way out in front, jockey.
But the veteran Nash Rawiller kept the true-blue flag flying with a Randwick double: including a good old fashion plunge on Mr Chaplin in the TAB Handicap.
Yes, he did exceed the whip tally with three successive swipes, obviously the heat of a coup triggering the action.
Mr Chaplin went up at $20 in early markets, officially $7.50 to $5 on the day, also considerable in a strong betting race.
Prepared by Tom Charlton, Mr Chaplin (GB), with a strong John O’Shea component, was having his first Australian start and seasoned to perfection with barrier trials.
Disqualified trainers cannot associate with licensed participants and jockey Tom Berry subsequently spoke to O’Shea about a Carlton stable ride on the phone and the manure has hit the fan again with stewards — which is BAD.
I am too old school not to have sympathy for O’Shea. Modern manners do not resonate. Vets in my time, one “Craig”, would charm the edge off any dispute, while another “Joe”, did not need expletives to win an argument but if required could produce the necessary ammunition.
John Schreck, the former AJC chief stipe, was against training partnerships due to who was going to take the fall? One drops out but the business continues. Partnerships have been beneficial to the industry. O’Shea should have been put in a tongue tie with a savage fine held over his head. The Australian Jockey Club, the administrators of racing justice before Peter V’Landy’s Racing NSW, was more along the lines of common sense rather than a public hanging.
O’Shea had a hand with Mr Chaplin. His knowledge came into play previous to the problem. It had that old Queensland touch. How could that input be taken away?
Still UGLY comes from the Queensland Oaks. Fireball Miss was the best filly in the event but the latter stages were a traffic jam. Consider jockeys comments.
Ryan Maloney (Soverato, 5th): “… just at a crucial stage when the gap appeared, it closed momentarily – I got very awkwardly placed on heels and couldn’t quite get her balanced up again, and when she did – the horse of Laurie’s (Grand Omaha) continued to drift out, and just took away all her momentum. Once she did finally get clear air, she hit the line – I don’t think she beats the winner, but she makes things very interesting (with an unimpeded run).”
Jamie Melham (Chispa, 6th): “Poor thing, she got back a long way which was going to happen from the gate, but she made a run just in behind the future winner (Fireball Miss) and then she got bumped sideways. She’s got a big cut on her leg, someone’s bumped into her and taken her hock out, so (you can put a) big line through that run, she’ll bounce back though.”
Kick To Kick: “I still do not know how the Swans got away with it. St Kilda won so much of the skills and tactics contests, but they faded at the end of each quarter. Maybe the Swans were a tad fitter and their persistence paid off when the crunch came. Believe it or not after losing the first quarter by 17 points the Swans won the other three quarters. It just did not look like it.” – John Derum.
