EMERALD CUP - history repeats itself.

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EMERALD CUP - HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF !
Posted by: ElvisisKing (41.247.154.227)
Date: September 28, 2008 07:59PM

Frodo Wrote:

---

> Firstly, congrats to St John on winning the Cup
> (and to RS for tipping a straight line Pick Six -
> he can definitely have my place in the Hollywood
> competition)
>
> Let me also state that although Elvis and myself
> are partners in other horses, I am not writing
> this on his behalf, and the following is my own
> take on the matter.
>
> Who actually deserved the Cup? Comparing the times
> of the Consolation race to the Cup, it is clear to
> me that the selection committee made a mustake in
> their selection process; Red Mist ran a faster
> time carrying 60 kg's than did Alimony carrying 52
> kgs'; two out of the three challengers from out of
> province ran downfield in the Cup; I know
> hindsight is an exact science, but in my view all
> of Halie's Sword, Red Mist and Candy Bar should
> have been in the Cup field.
>
> I don't have any problem with out of province
> horses taking part; I do however have a problem
> with horses unproven on the surface getting
> preference to capabable horses proven on the
> track; surely there is something not right here
> -Halie's Sword earned close to R300 000 LESS in
> winning the Consolation as opposed to winning the
> Cup - and the times certainly suggest that he
> would have won the Cup if he had been given the
> opportunity to contest the race.

Frodo we appear to be posting simultaneously but I have got to have my say on this one, cause I've just discovered from tabgold the folloing.

ALIMONY time 90.59
HALIES'S SWORD 90.5
RED MIST 90.55
RENEGADE 90.73

I'm not taking anything away from St.J.GRAY, it was a win full of merit, & he came from a hopeless position - but I've just discovered from the TABGOLD site that both Halie's Sword & Red Mist had a faster time than Alimony !

Isn't it funny how history repeats itself - SCRUTINIZE HAD A FASTER TIME THAN NARC LAST YEAR.

The difference is that SCRUTINIZE made it into the final field this year.

I am not saying that Red Mist would have won, but he did carry 60 kgs s to the 52 kgs HE WOULD HAVE CARRIED IN THE EMERALD - so I do believe he would have been in the money ( BIG MONEY IN EMERALD CUP RACE )

Oh well, not to be. The powers that be decided to include 3 NON SAND horses from KZN & CPT plus Dynamite Mike with poor form for this year - instead f local TRIED & TESTED RUNNERS.

History sure does have a way of repeating itself ! Third time lucky ? let's wait and see.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/2008 08:11PM by ElvisisKing.

If Alimony had been in the consolation race his time would have been about a second or two quicker as there were fewer speed merchants in that race and he would have probably received less kickback. This horse dropped the bit completely on the turn and finished in a time only 0.09 seconds slower than the consolation race! Had he been in the consolation race it would have been another 9,5 length procession. The furious early pace of the Emerald Cup left most horses out of their ground and the front-runners cut each other's throats.
Two completly different races and to base the consolation as a better race on time alone is very much debateable. I agree though that a solution must be found to putting untried sand horses ahead of proven ones. Phumelela plans to have feature races as a lead up to the Emerald Cup and maybe the untried horses must enter these races to qualify.

Tipster

Agreed that no two races are the same; however can I ask on what grounds you base your assessment (other the fact that one horse - the winner - came from the back of the field) that there was a 'furious early pace' in the Cup. We do not have sectional timing, so how do we know that the pace in the one race was faster (or slower) than in the other? Imo, Khan went to the front in both races at the same pace. Would be interesting to know what the jocks think.

Also, to say that 'had he been in the consolation it would have been another 9.5 lengths procession' is surely just your opinion.

The fact remains; According to the (official?) times published on the Tabgold website the winner of the consolation race ran a faster time (carrying more weight) than the winner of the Cup.

At least it's good to hear that plans are in the offing to stop this sort of injustice from happening next year; let's hope the plans become reality.

any explanation why Scrutinize beat Narc's time of last year ?

same scenario to me.

Frodo the runner up Red Mist also ran a faster time than Alimony CARRYING 60.0 kgs !

Yes Elvis, I mentioned this in my original post which you quoted above!

I note the following comment on the RA's web site:

'Patrick Davis, Phumelela’s head of racing, said it had been particularly pleasing to see more than two dozen horses from the coastal centres being brought upcountry for the two-day meeting by their connections.'

So, sorry for the local owners who were robbed by the inclusion of these visitors, Phumelela is more interested in pleasing visiting owners than the local ones.

Mu point exactly on the other thread = 362 days in order to 'qualify' - very simple solution imo.

Jim

Frodo, I wish G.C. in KZN & CPT would look after the R.A. members when they try & come down & watch the big races in their centres - rather than rip them off at 1600 p.h. as was requested for the July race day.

it seems to me it's just one way traffic !

ElvisisKing Wrote:

---

> Frodo, I wish G.C. in KZN & CPT would look after
> the R.A. members when they try & come down & watch
> the big races in their centres - rather than rip
> them off at 1600 p.h. as was requested for the
> July race day.
>
> it seems to me it's just one way traffic !

Gauteng has higher stakes yet Gauteng trainers still have subsidised stables by Gold Circle for the Durban Winter Season - so not one way traffic actually.

Tipster, G.C. may subsidise the visiting trainers ( I don't know why they feel compelled to do this ) to attract better horses for the season ?
they certainly don't subsidise R.A. members visiting G.C. country.

are the high stakes in July season in NATAL not enough to entice top horses to the province ?