Mike De Kock lets rip at "incompetent" Gold Circle Panel

Angry owner chirps Hawkins
June 26, 2013
SHOULD subjective opinions play any role whatsoever when it comes to the finalisation of fields in Group 1 races?
Mining mogul and prominent racehorse owner Colin Bird believes that the personal, arguably weighted opinion of one Gold Circle Vodacom Durban July Selection panel member, Graeme Hawkins, may have cost his filly Jet Belle her rightful and well-deserved place in the 2013 renewal of South Africa’s greatest race.
Jet Belle, who has a handicapper’s rating of 105, was omitted from the final VDJ field on Tuesday along with Mike de Kock’s 105-rated entry, Rock Cocktail, in favour of six lower-rated entries.
Bird commented on Wednesday evening: “I am distraught because I invest a lot of money into racing and in all fairness I would have thought my rare opportunity to have a Durban July runner would have been as good as secure considering her form and merit rating.”

Bird said that he had placed a call to Hawkins to query Jet Belle’s omission and that the response he received had been very concerning. He quotes Hawkins to have said: “The handicapper does not know what he’s doing. I am not sure your horse is a 105. I’ve proved the handicapper wrong on many occasions. The handicappers have made an absolute mess of rating this season’s three-year-olds.”
Bird added: “Who decides the pecking order here? Shouldn’t it be quite the standard that in a Group 1 race like this, the handicapper’s rating of runners would determine who gets in? The top rated runner would carry top weight, for example Pomodoro with 60kg off his 113 rating in this year’s final order, followed by Hill Fifty Four at 59,5kg off his 112 rating, and lower down until you get to the full field of runners.
“If the handicapper’s assessment was applied for the July like I understand it is duly done for Group races elsewhere in the world, both Jet Belle and Rock Cocktail would have made the line-up! The lowly-rated Gothic, of course, wouldn’t get a look in at all!”
Bird concluded: “I share the comments made by Mike de Kock and other prominent racing personalities about this debacle and I am going public with the sentiments expressed by Graeme Hawkins, which I will stand by.”
Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Colin Bird, Durban July, Graeme Hawkins, Jet Belle, Mike de Kock, Rock Cocktail

Now back in the real world and Gold Circle land. Yesterday we had the July acceptors where they keep their covert final field of 20. This is where we are all supposed to sit in a room and pretend to be extremely excited as to whether you get a run or not. Thankfully I know I had not got a run with Bravura as I got phoned and asked whether I wanted to put him in another race. At least I don’t have to go and eat bad food, drink with people I really don’t want to see and sit and try and look cheery with the possibility of being asked a lot of stupid questions afterwards. I have to say I don’t really understand how he only made the last 30. It is beyond me but there you go. When you finish 5th, beaten 4,5 lengths behind the best sprinter in SA (and which is probably going to be the Equus horse) for your warm up race, I didn’t think it was a bad effort. He has not run over 6 furlongs since he won his Maiden four years ago. Anyway, it will be interesting to see what farcical field they eventually come up with. One thing is for certain, they do not have to give any reason for their choices and they probably won’t. I personally think the whole process stinks and, whilst I am disappointed for Markus and Bravura, on a personal level to not be involved suits me right down to the ground.

The above 2 posts were taken from the MDK and JR websites.

@FC post 06:35 am

" One thing is for certain, they do not have to give any reason for their choices and they probably wont."

Surely, taking into account the uproar, Gold Circle should give reasons?

It is fairly obvious that if there was the remotest excuse they favored Natal connections over other provinces-look at the evidence from that angle and a lot makes sense!
It will be interesting to see where this unilateral independence leads GC in the future.

FC Wrote:

---

> Angry owner chirps Hawkins
> June 26, 2013
> SHOULD subjective opinions play any role
> whatsoever when it comes to the finalisation of
> fields in Group 1 races?
> Mining mogul and prominent racehorse owner Colin
> Bird believes that the personal, arguably
> weighted opinion of one Gold Circle Vodacom Durban
> July Selection panel member, Graeme Hawkins, may
> have cost his filly Jet Belle her rightful and
> well-deserved place in the 2013 renewal of South
> Africa’s greatest race.
> Jet Belle, who has a handicapper’s rating of
> 105, was omitted from the final VDJ field on
> Tuesday along with Mike de Kock’s 105-rated
> entry, Rock Cocktail, in favour of six lower-rated
> entries.
> Bird commented on Wednesday evening: “I am
> distraught because I invest a lot of money into
> racing and in all fairness I would have thought my
> rare opportunity to have a Durban July runner
> would have been as good as secure considering her
> form and merit rating.”
>
> Bird said that he had placed a call to Hawkins to
> query Jet Belle’s omission and that the response
> he received had been very concerning. He quotes
> Hawkins to have said: “The handicapper does not
> know what he’s doing. I am not sure your horse
> is a 105. I’ve proved the handicapper wrong on
> many occasions. The handicappers have made an
> absolute mess of rating this season’s
> three-year-olds.”
> Bird added: “Who decides the pecking order here?
> Shouldn’t it be quite the standard that in a
> Group 1 race like this, the handicapper’s rating
> of runners would determine who gets in? The top
> rated runner would carry top weight, for example
> Pomodoro with 60kg off his 113 rating in this
> year’s final order, followed by Hill Fifty Four
> at 59,5kg off his 112 rating, and lower down until
> you get to the full field of runners.
> “If the handicapper’s assessment was applied
> for the July like I understand it is duly done for
> Group races elsewhere in the world, both Jet Belle
> and Rock Cocktail would have made the line-up!
> The lowly-rated Gothic, of course, wouldn’t get
> a look in at all!”
> Bird concluded: “I share the comments made by
> Mike de Kock and other prominent racing
> personalities about this debacle and I am going
> public with the sentiments expressed by Graeme
> Hawkins, which I will stand by.”
> Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Colin Bird,
> Durban July, Graeme Hawkins, Jet Belle, Mike de
> Kock, Rock Cocktail


WOW if Jet Belle is not a 105 what does that say about Do You Remeber being a 106. :

(tu)Mac Wrote:

---

> Disagree with de Kock: Rock Cocktail is not good
> enough. But then I also disagree withsome other
> entries.

Have not had a chance to read the entire thread but as normal will always make some happy and some not but this year was always going to be even more interesting with lack of stars in the field
Still furious that Miss D did not make the final field but over the moon we are running Sunday and looking forward to next weekend

scotia Wrote:

---

> Have not had a chance to read the entire thread
> but as normal will always make some happy and some
> not but this year was always going to be even more
> interesting with lack of stars in the field
> Still furious that Miss D did not make the final
> field but over the moon we are running Sunday and
> looking forward to next weekend


Dave with Miss D being a KZN horse you probably had a better chance than most.

Shrek don't want to detract from thread but we wanted to run in a " big " race with a "fair " horse ( every owners dream )
and win lose or draw what a high for the small owners

what race you wanted to run in dave?

The race on Sunday and happy we have a run very bad draw but beggars can't be choosers
Will have an ew at a big price