** Official Cricketweb Horseracing thread **

[_Ed_]

Coniston Bluebird finished a one-paced and well-beaten eighth in the Rosehill Guineas today. Maybe he'll improve with the increase in distance for the AJC Derby, but it seems most likely that he's up there with Cut The Cake and Redoute's Dancer as the worst NZ Derby winners in recent times.

 

[Smudge]

Ah well, Auckland Reactor pulled his block off and was gone with 500m to go. The former Yankee, Mr Feelgood did the job instead at about 18/1. Good thing I had $1 worth of the treble - I'll enjoy that $133.60 return from my $8 invested...

 

[headhunter]

The National this Saturday, can't wait. Always an exhilarating race.

 

[_Ed_]

Bede Murray is a ****.

Neither Harris Tweed nor Old Jock contested the New Zealand Derby on March 1 but Murray said he was pretty sure he had the form from across the Tasman covered.

"They (New Zealanders) didn't worry me over there, they are not going to worry me over here," he said.

Myers last year, Murray this year. I hope someone less ****y wins the Derby next year. It'll make it easier to want to see the horse do well.

 

[Blewy]

Harris Tweed will walk the Derby in..

He is by far and away the best stayer in the field.. My old concern is the quick backup from the heavy track last week..

 

[_Ed_]

I'm not convinced about Harris Tweed. He looked above average here, but I would have liked to have seen him beat the likes of Valhalla and Shi Kin Fly with a weight advantage and a dream run in the St Leger.

He's also been beaten fair and square by the likes of Ruqqaya - a nice filly, but one who didn't make the Oaks field - and the mediocre Carchelo.

I accept that he's improved, but it would be a pretty massive improvement.

If the staying ranks in the Derby field are that weak, I'd rate Coniston Bluebird very highly. I don't like the arrogance of Murray's comments, but it's true that he did beat a Derby field that had winning form against Harris Tweed and Old Jock.

 

[Blewy]

Did you see his run last week?? He was super impressive, and was really the only one picking up any ground, against quite a few of the same horses he is running against tomorrow...

Metal Bender imo is a massive risk at the distance, and this is coming from someone who has backed up both his last 2 starts.

I'm that confident in him i've loaded up on fixed odds at $8.50 cause i dont think you'll get that tomorrow..

 

[Smudge]

Did you see his run last week?? He was super impressive, and was really the only one picking up any ground, against quite a few of the same horses he is running against tomorrow...

Looked even better with that aerial shot which showed just how much ground he made up. I'll have a patriotic bet on him.

 

[_Ed_]

Did you see his run last week??

I did, he was very impressive. I hope he wins. But I thought a lot of horses in that field weren't copping the track at all.

I just think Harris Tweed lacks a little bit of class on top of the ground. From the evidence I saw in NZ, I would rate Coniston Bluebird as superior. I hope I'm wrong. We'll see.

 

[_Ed_]

Really happy with both NZ horses' efforts in the Derby. Great stuff.

Coniston Bluebird was awful, again. Another dent to my hopes of the NZ Derby being an internationally respectable race.

 

[Smudge]

Well, that was dominant - Daffodil was, quite simply, a class above her Aussie rivals in the AJC Oaks. We seem to more than hold up our end of the bargain at age-grade - let's hope a couple of those young stars can step up at the open-class level in the future. Either way, no need to dwell on the future - that was a super win.

 

[_Ed_]

She was amazing, and it was so well-deserved - brings to an end five months of terribly bad luck, whether it be wide draws, heavy tracks or gates being slow to open.

That was the earliest I've seen a jockey start celebrating in a little while.

Made up for Mufhasa's uncharacteristically poor run in the Doncaster. The worst run of his career IMO...Sir Slick, who was at his useless overseas best, either beat him or very nearly did.

 

[cover drive man]

Any tips for the Scottish National?

 

[headhunter]

Decided to keep away from the Scottish National. The two horses I backed in the Irish and English equivalents died/were put down.

 

[_Ed_]

 

[_Ed_]

Amazed by the people on a certain racing forum jumping to the defence of a jockey who hit his horse in the head with the whip. I think that's disgusting.

Apparently he should be beyond criticism because of the number of winners he's ridden. **** off.

Good to have that off my chest.

 

[Smudge]

Seriously, you'd feel a lot better if you stopped posting on that forum. In recent times, it's obviously home to several people whose theories should not be published let alone responded to, and there are people who are also clearly mentally unbalanced (ie. "call me stu").

 

[_Ed_]

Yeah, very true.

 

[_Ed_]

Very sad to hear that the great Sunline was put down today.

She's the reason I love this sport - just as I was starting to take an interest in it, this amazing champion appeared with the most incredible will to win (which, of course, she did 32 times).

There'll never be a horse to replace her as my all-time favourite.

 

[Burgey]

Kingston Town was that horse for me. Will never forget his Cox Plate wins. I cried when he was runner up to Gurner's Lane int eh Melbourne Cup.