Navitas 108 Report post Posted May 21, 2021 His drive in Race 8 at Alexandra Park last night was a disgrace and when questioned by the stewards, stated he was "told to lead". Stewards noted his comments, well done you f...ing weaklings!!! Not talking through my pocket, as I very rarely bet on harness now days... This being a prime example of why!! Your feelings?? JJ Flash 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruff 2,778 Report post Posted May 21, 2021 36 minutes ago, Navitas said: His drive in Race 8 at Alexandra Park last night was a disgrace and when questioned by the stewards, stated he was "told to lead". Stewards noted his comments, well done you f...ing weaklings!!! Not talking through my pocket, as I very rarely bet on harness now days... This being a prime example of why!! Your feelings?? The Sport is littered with very questionable drives and incidents, he hands up possibly runs third and Copy that wins..was the ‘inside’ word Amazing Dream ? Who knows in this game, great spectacle at times though...you know the odds with the thieves on wheels now try and beat them JJ Flash 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tasman man 742 Report post Posted May 21, 2021 I thought that race turned out to be a great spectacle , with possibly a surprise result ! As in recent races I too expected Copy That to win. Most if not all horses were using the race as a lead up to Jewels. I thoughtCopy That would move up ,control the race ,and win. Hindsight great ,but he used up extra [ unnecessary gas ?] to get lead off lowest rating horses and got bombed. He had 2x stablemates ! One didnt want to be there ! Driver error ! Great race ! Iraklis, Lee270744 and JJ Flash 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iraklis 2,203 Report post Posted May 22, 2021 The way they went up front was always gunna set it up for the mighty mare (AmazinDream), thats her go, hot pace come round and boom! an guys she was last at one point she was fricken awesome, sorry Copy but she gotcha fair an square as for the driver of STShow aren't drivers supposed to use their discretion? like, if that aint gunna work (not sure whomever told him to lead meant at all costs) best I look after me horse etc etc Cheers Iraklis JJ Flash and Pure Steel 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pure Steel 1,257 Report post Posted May 22, 2021 11 hours ago, tasman man said: I thought that race turned out to be a great spectacle , with possibly a surprise result ! As in recent races I too expected Copy That to win. Most if not all horses were using the race as a lead up to Jewels. I thoughtCopy That would move up ,control the race ,and win. Hindsight great ,but he used up extra [ unnecessary gas ?] to get lead off lowest rating horses and got bombed. He had 2x stablemates ! One didnt want to be there ! Driver error ! Great race ! And congratulations to the winning driver, a stable junior, Olivia Thornley. Getting a driving chance on the multiple Group 1 winning mare "Amazing Dream". And got a Dream result for Olivia! Cullen's could of easily used the vastly experienced Joshua Dickie , who won earlier with 'Suntan" for them, but gave the young lass a Go. was indeed a great race for Olivia, and a great price for the Punter's too , in that small field. JJ Flash and Iraklis 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iraklis 2,203 Report post Posted May 22, 2021 Yes PureSteel, was a lot of responsibility on junior shoulders and she drove it like a toff, that grin was magic afterwards Cheers Iraklis Lee270744 and Pure Steel 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsvman 294 Report post Posted May 22, 2021 It was a great race, too often people just hand straight tot he favorite they walk and sprint home and make it impossible for anything to come from the back. Harbess races have become so boring and predictable making the game is a joke. More drivers should be making horses work and not just give the front and race virtually away. In aussie you see favorites parked or attack all the time and quiet often they’ll get beaten which makes for great racing. Imagine if in other sport if the opposition just gave everything easy to the favourite team or player it would be as boring as racing is Pure Steel, JJ Flash and tasman man 2 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navitas 108 Report post Posted May 22, 2021 Thanks for the well reasoned answers guys. Helping me see other sides to the same equation, much appreciated. One issue I still have is what hsvman said "More drivers should be making horses work and not just give the front and race virtually away". This is great & valid when horses have similar rating bands, but surely STS would have had a better chance if handing up and sitting on the back of one of the countries best pacers? My opening point was, did PF give his horse the best chance? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ Flash 2,114 Report post Posted May 22, 2021 1 hour ago, Navitas said: My opening point was, did PF give his horse the best chance? No Iraklis and Navitas 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flawed Genius 53 Report post Posted May 22, 2021 2 hours ago, Navitas said: My opening point was, did PF give his horse the best chance? YES The event was called a RACE for a reason - because everyone is out there to win! It wasn't the "Copy That Charity Event". He had no more entitlement to the lead than any other runner in the race, and if everybody is going to concede based on "what should happen on paper" then why bother running the race at all? Just divvy up the stake money when the fields come out based on who "should win" and save everyone going to the meeting at all! Great drive Peter Ferguson. He made the race the spectacle it turned out to be. Copy That beat him home by about 3 lengths, so what ... all the so called experts wouldn't have had him finishing that close "on paper" before the race ... so YES, he most definitely gave his horse the best chance of winning. If you'd rather watch everyone go round and round playing "follow the leader" then the carousel in sideshow alley may be more your style, although you might find it hard to get a bet on! sapphirecastleton and hsvman 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pure Steel 1,257 Report post Posted May 23, 2021 3 hours ago, Navitas said: One issue I still have is what hsvman said "More drivers should be making horses work and not just give the front and race virtually away" The issue is the distance of the NZ races. Very hard to keep the momentum up through the race after working to lead , and then hold them off at the end in a fast last quarter, with horse's dive-bombing the leader from the sit and sprint positions in the running. A Shorter race is better for the leaders, , Some great horses racing each other often, in Aus in one era, were PALEFACE ADIOS, KOALA KING , and PURE STEEL , and No Way could you get the Lead off any one of them , if they found the 'Top' , they stayed there , and just kept going. PURE STEEL even stuck 3 -wide for a lap or 2 on occasion. No one was giving an inch. Those three greats went on to Win near 100 races each. Some of the best ever seen. JJ Flash 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iraklis 2,203 Report post Posted May 23, 2021 I'm kinda thinkin that Pete was damned if he did, damned if he don't; I agree that Copy T should not have expected to take lead in a sneeze, but I guess for me goin to war for such distance was gunna take it's toll on STShow, both drivers had to have known what they were doin was goin to set things up for the swoopers, Olivia must have bin laughin on the turn but, ahhhh the beauty of hindsight..... Cheers Iraklis Navitas and Lee270744 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eljay 1,711 Report post Posted May 23, 2021 Dunno, but Copy That probably needed a toughie (perhaps even a gut buster) two weeks out from the biggie to round off his prep. If Jewels were next week I am sure Maurice would have sat churchmouselike outside the leader rather than turn up the wick. Afterall it was a "nothing" race. I'll go along with Macca's judgement here. Navitas 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iraklis 2,203 Report post Posted May 23, 2021 Oh harsh eljay mate I'm not sure Olivia would appreciate the it was a 'nothin' race comment.....for all that, it was a bloody kool watch Cheers Iraklis Pure Steel 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamite 302 Report post Posted May 23, 2021 Why in NZ do drivers just hand the front to the favourites? This rarely happens in here in Australia except Menangle's big track Copy That was made to work for the lead and prove he was the best horse in the race JJ Flash and hsvman 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsvman 294 Report post Posted May 23, 2021 You could also say did Maurice by pursuing the lead instead sitting parked when initially ferg showed a decent intent to want to stay infront cost himself his chance of winning by burning extra gas, I’m happy with both drives as it’s a race as was a great race for a 6 horse field that could’ve been just another bore race. But you can blame just one driver when on paper and in almost everyones view copy that should’ve won on recent form. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eljay 1,711 Report post Posted May 23, 2021 I suppose it depends on which camp you from. And on what horse your dollar rode. Neither in both instances for me but as you say was better than the all on the fence train we have come to be used to lately. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ Flash 2,114 Report post Posted May 23, 2021 Be interesting to see how horse is driven next time and whether any change of tactics is notified. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eljay 1,711 Report post Posted May 24, 2021 Presume you mean Copy That. Next time will be the jewels so draw will dictate I would think Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue 1,080 Report post Posted May 24, 2021 Surprisingly LJ jewels placegetters can cover quite a range of draws but it's a mile for the thick end of 100K so basically jump and run, no time for fancy stuff. JJ Flash 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...