KZN commentator has a go at Barrier trials

the hawk wrote: Every one is entitled to a view but amazing that racing in Hong Kong; Australia; New Zealand and other racing jurisdictions would not prosper without Barrier Trials. That said, I think we can improve the relevance of our Trials by tightening the rules a bit.

Agree fully,I still find them useful, rules need to be in place.I remember years ago in the 90, s the barrier trial at milnerton racecourse,some horse had to do more than one trial to qualify to run.For example the trial that durban had yesterday where only two horses showed a time of just under 60 second for 1000 m Scottsville,and the rest of the field showed between 61 and 77 seconds for 1000 meters sprint.The 61 and up should have to do another trial as according to times they are not ready.
Job and cpt need them.

Probably want my "Expert" opinion


If a 2year old runs 1st/2nd/3rd/4th (under 3 to 4 lengths) to merit rated runners in a barrier trail,the 2year old has a good chance of finishing in the placings or winning on Race day

:blink: :blink: :blink: :blink: :whistle: :whistle: :whistle: that is how I look at barrier trails :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

neigh wrote: Who are these "experts" you are referring to ?

If you caught the post race summary by the commentator to which this post refers, his comments were something like the following - Right, can all those experts out there please come and talk to me about the barrier trials, I've said it before and I'll say it again, the horse needs 2-3 runs (I stand to be corrected on the number). And then he called once more for the experts to please come and talk to him. This entire thing was due to Torrent not running very well yesterday.

Wonder what price Sheldon does the july

Thor wrote:

neigh wrote: Who are these "experts" you are referring to ?

If you caught the post race summary by the commentator to which this post refers, his comments were something like the following - Right, can all those experts out there please come and talk to me about the barrier trials, I've said it before and I'll say it again, the horse needs 2-3 runs (I stand to be corrected on the number). And then he called once more for the experts to please come and talk to him. This entire thing was due to Torrent not running very well yesterday.

..
.....clearly having a go at the trainer of Torrent....who just happens to be the biggest advocate of BT....:whistle:

Thanks Thor for clearing that up. My take is, if the commentator, cant read barrier trial form who can ? Punters ? Owners ? In SA BT's are an absolute waste of time and money. They have been introduced by certain people for their own gain, under the auspices of helping the punter.

Nothing's wrong with Craig's comments. In fact he's spot on. And anybody who disagrees, kindly explain how to interpret or find the value of a barrier trial performance.

Ofcourse it's a great idea in theory, but without proper controls or measures, it's a waste of time.

Lastly, how is the value of barrier trials,to all parties concerned, being measured currently??......thought so.

I like Barrier trails and it has nothing to do with my friendship with Paul Laff.
They give the racegoer a chance to see the horse before he has a competitive run.
They give the punter a chance to see the action and maturity of the horse.
They give the horse a soft introduction to racing. This includes the full racing experience.
The horse in question ,Torrent , Did not get a good start and was bumped by the horse on its outside. This cost her ground and she never seemed comfortable in the race after that. Write her off at your peril!
In a nutshell there are far more positives in giving the public a chance to see the horses perform than there are negatives.

Leave the horse on the outside out of it

How many people saw the barrier trial today ? Can an "expert" tell me what they could read into this waste of time ?

only 3 seconds slower than a normal sprint race.

neigh wrote: How many people saw the barrier trial today ? Can an "expert" tell me what they could read into this waste of time ?