A WEEKLY REVIEW

The Good

Being versed as I am in horse talk, the whinny of Traffic Warden coming into the enclosure before last Saturday’s Run To The Rose at Rosehill Gardens signified: “I am the greatest, not only on the racecourse but as a stallion.”

Traffic Warden fulfilled the first leg of the double, scoring in a manner suggesting the three-year-old is set for a rewarding season, and contributed to the GOOD of a very impressive week.

Spring was in the air and the colts were frisky. Earlier Switzerland, an anticipated rival for Traffic Warden, was fractious in the dressing sheds and sustained superficial abrasions to his near foreleg.

Switzerland finished last, pulled up with no abnormalities but hardly a shadow of the two-year-old of last season.

While Traffic Warden was strutting his stuff prior to the event another contender, Linebacker, wasn’t going to be overshadowed.

Linebacker flashed his stud attribute and was quickly whisked onto the racecourse to the barrier. Fortunately, the Run To The Rose was for colts with not a filly in sight. In the mood, stallions have been known to mount the clerk of the course’s pony.

Despite the impressive success of Traffic Warden, the Street Boss colt wasn’t superior to Growing Empire in the Poseidon Stakes at Flemington.

Traffic Warden had the benefit of a good track while Growing Empire, while not as flash, had to plough through a Flemington heavy eight.

Of course the feature at Flemington, and Saturday overall, was Makybe Diva in which Mr Brightside outpointed Pride Of Jenni promising to give the spring further great clashes of these two outstanding performers which, to my eye, is more appealing than the Everest, the Randwick sprint starting to look thin this year.

Pride Of Jenni was back to something like her freewheeling best which adds a dimension to the top weight for age races.

As good as racing was last weekend it didn’t top AFL with the nail-biters of Port Adelaide and Hawthorne followed by the Brisbane Lions catching the front-runners, GWS, who, unlike Pride Of Jenni, don’t relish the fight at the finish.

Not even the Sea Eagles heart-stopper over Bulldogs could take the edge off the AFL had on Rugby League in the semi-finals.

The Bad

Down a cog to beaten favourites, Via Sistina and Jolie’s Star, the Chris Waller double, that headed the BAD from last weekend. Beaten at their price is disappointing but the manner of their defeats was worse.

Starting at $2.60 Via Sistina was bogged down at the turn before ending fifth in the Makybe Diva after Waller declared the imported mare handled wet tracks in Europe.

However, stablemate Jolie’s Star ($1.80) was no better on a good Rosehill surface in the Sheraco, ending third to the Sunshine In Paris, who had a shaggy coat encasing muscle.

Looking for a fall guy over the Jolie’s Star failure Kerrin McEvoy navigating was an early suspect. Former saddle great Corey Brown, now an opinion worth noting on Sky, gave credit to Tom Berry for a superb ride on the winner but McEvoy just didn’t have the horsepower underneath him on Jolie’s Star itemised from the steward’s report when he declared she “did not close off as strongly as she should have.”

Wise guys will deduce the second up syndrome beat them, but it didn’t stop Growing Empire at Flemington.

The Ugly

The proposed sale of Rosehill Gardens is getting UGLY with a petition now being circulated to arrange a general meeting of members “for the purpose of removing Peter McGauran as a director of the Australian Turf Club”.

hello@saverosehill.com is behind the move and I didn’t speak to anyone at Rosehill on Saturday, a small sample perhaps, who indicated they won’t sign the petition.

However, John Brown, AO, a Federal Member of Parliament for 13 years, is very much in favour of the sale and put his case in the Daily Telegraph.

I respect the opinion of Brown as a racing enthusiast, backed up by his coup on the 1970 Villiers – Summer Cup double with Silver Points and Royal Entrance.

“All I’m suggesting is that the racing industry in return for the largesse and the big-name billionaires give back something is return for that extraordinary support,” Brown wrote.

How do you compare “billionaires” and the average racegoer’s contributions to the industry?

“The removal by Hawke of all inhibitions against import of thoroughbred horses of sales tax, import duty and the rules of customs department has revolutionised and gave birth to the breeding industry of Australia.

Yes, and the great beneficiaries are the “billionaires”. Is racing any better and enjoyed by the enthusiasts any more than when Brown scored his double in 1970?

“I urge ATC members to support young people and families in favour of affordable housing over a racecourse that can be replaced?” Brown ended.

Better options can be found than sacking Rosehill.