Roar Guru
Joined November 2011
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Media and Communications Manager at Harness Racing Victoria.
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One of the most exciting mares in world racing is expected to contest Victoria's Summer of Glory carnival. Arms Of An Angel could spearhead…
Punters are torn after night one of the Inter Dominion heats at Gloucester Park in Perth. Do you go with the reigning series champion,…
Brilliant Victorian pacer Lennytheshark has taken out the first heat of the 2016 Inter Dominion at Gloucester Park, Western Australia. The reigning Inter Dom…
The Victorian trots industry is looking beyond Australian shores in a search for valuable extra revenue streams. And in France, home of the world's…
Trots trailblazer Kerryn Manning will be out to win the race that stops the nation in New Zealand, the New Zealand Trotting Cup. It…
The anticipation ahead of the Victoria Cup is palpable. Park Melton will be the grand stage next Saturday night as 12 genuine top-liners compete…
Let me start by putting two facts on the table. I love the LA Lakers, and I love Kobe Bryant. Okay, now let's be…
Another Easter rolls by and another debate is had about what should or should not be held on Good Friday. The day is sacrosanct…
He is yet to win a Sydney jockeys' premiership, but Tommy Berry is arguably the new star of the saddle in New South Wales.…
Not since 2009 and Bart Cummings' Roman Emperor has a home-state runner saluted in the Group 1 Australian Derby at Royal Randwick. So what…
Dorothy, Tinman, Scarecrow, Lion. Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sawyer, Locke. Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, Mercutio. No show is much good without a colourful cast of characters.…
For non-racing folk, the form guide must read like the bible to an atheist. They see a bunch of gobbledygook and trying to decipher…
Earlier this week I overheard a colleague proclaim there would “never be another Roy Higgins”. This colleague, who is not a racing fan, went…
In its darkest days, jumps racing would turn up on to the six o'clock news and front pages of newspapers for all the wrong…
Earthquake's Cinderella moment could come on Saturday April 5 if she can join an exclusive list of gallopers to win the Blue Diamond Stakes/Golden…
The coverage provided by Channel 7 of the Melbourne Cup carnival has attracted a lot of attention from punters, and with good reason. To…
Good article, though disagree with its early premise — the Bombers very much took their medicine for allegedly taking that ‘other’ medicine in my opinion, so to strike them out of draft calculations on top of all the other punishments would be extreme.
But that aside, on the trade stuff specifically, this is going to be intriguing. Dons need a tall. I’m a Bomber fan, if you haven’t worked that out already… and I’d be pursuing Vickery for starters. Right age, right body, yet to peak, and will benefit from a new environment and being the No.2 guy behind a rising star in JD.
As for the No.1 pick, I’d entertain a trade for a host of lower first-rounders/second rounders. It’s an even draft by all reports; plenty of talent but not a lot that stands out as far as a once-in-a-generation player goes. Dons should go for broke and load up with quality young depth.
AFL trade rumours: What do the Dons do with ill-gotten Pick 1?
If I were Carlton I’d trade Gibbs and aggressively look to stockpile draft picks and more talented youngsters. The current list is not a contender and if you’re not a contender, you’re treading water. Carlton fans don’t want to see Gibbs traded, and I get that, but I reckon they’d receive more by trading him than they ever would by keeping him.
You’d also seriously look at trading Kreuzer.
Finally, I’d let Malthouse know: “Build your side, no restrictions, no pressure re short-term success… be bold”.
I must put on the record — I’m a Bombers fan, so thoroughly enjoying the Blues’ struggles. 😉
But as a footy fan, watching Carlton’s next few steps will be very, very interesting.
[Highlights] Bombers heap more misery on Carlton
Kobe’s absence didn’t help LA to a second straight win but up until the fourth they stuck it out ok against the very good Bulls.
Kobe needs to learn from the Lakers' upset victory
Remember Whiskers Hocking? Gee whiz.
A sporting team by any other name doesn't smell as sweet
Very well said, Kris.
From a suburban footy oval point of view, as a former sports editor for a local newspaper group myself, keeping up with the name-changes of long-time grounds such as (INSERT SUBURB HERE) City Oval etc was excruciating.
A sporting team by any other name doesn't smell as sweet
And speaking of the Easter Show, dagwood dogs are still very popular on Good Friday. Of course there’s no real meat in those, so it’s all good no matter what your beliefs I guess!
Service, sacrifice and, um, selling the game
Great article, Debbie.
I wrote today about the potential to have horse racing on Good Friday here –> http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/04/24/time-good-friday-racing/
I really liked this line in your article: “There’s nothing to stop believers attending a service in the morning and a football match in the afternoon. And, if you truly believe that a football match on Good Friday is disrespectful, well no-one is going to make you attend.”
My view is of course there is nothing to stop one from abstaining from betting on the horses for one day due to their religious beliefs. But to use the argument that “it’s not right for me to bet on Good Friday therefore the whole world should agree” is ludicrous. And the same goes for those saying “I wouldn’t go to the footy on Good Friday therefore there should not be footy on Good Friday”.
I also agree with your take on Anzac Day. Happy for footy to be played, but was it Mick Malthouse who compared the on-field battle to a battle in a World War at one point a few years back? If given the opportunity he’d surely go back and erase that remark from history!
Service, sacrifice and, um, selling the game
Agree with you KV. Whether they race on Good Friday or not, I’m sure stable staff still have to turn up to work.
Is it time for Good Friday racing?
That’s a good point, Peter. I guess this is where racing is different to footy; it is almost 365 days a year as it is.
Is it time for Good Friday racing?
Good stuff with the feedback. It’s a divisive issue, yet so far it’s not so divisive at all with three votes for no racing and just the one vote (from the author) to trial racing!
Thing is, as Andrew Demetriou (a staunch fan of no footy on Good Friday) admitted, it will happen once he has stepped aside. NRL already plays that day.
So in two years’ time we could have footy and NRL and other sports all being played on Good Friday. So why not racing?
All about choice for mine. You don’t have to have a punt, go to the track etc, just like you don’t have to avoid meat on Good Friday if you don’t want to.
Is it time for Good Friday racing?
Great piece, Damo. Reckon you’ve nailed it, except I’d actually put The Offer at No.2 purely on his dominance in those recent wins, culminating with a great Sydney Cup victory. Bring on the spring. Gai two in a row? Could happen. This horse has game.
My top 10 horses of autumn 2014
My oath, Michael. He dominated. I made The Offer my best of the weekend on the Talk of the Track podcast. That horse is a very, very handy stayer. Of coure, was aided by a brilliant Berry ride. Thrilled Tommy had such enormous success.
The rise of racing's newest superstar, Tommy
Good article, Justin!
I must say, the way Lankan Rupee is going, I’ve already got him up there with Hay List.
This is a sprinter who defies speedmaps, track conditions etc. He just finds ways to win and, in recent starts, has done it with breathtaking ease.
He wasn’t 100 per cent comfortable in the going on Saturday, but he left the field drowning in his wake.
He’s in career-best form, obviously, but there still could be improvement. And that is a scary thought.
Black Caviar had Hay List’s measure, and Hay List was a gun. Too bad Rupee will never get a shot at the mighty mare, because who knows…
Lankan Rupee is the best sprinter, but no Hay List yet
I remember in 98 Arena won the Derby and backed up four days later in the big one, the Melbourne Cup, as a 3YO. Doesn’t happen nowadays. John Hawkes trained him.
Surely NSW must be due for a home Derby win?
Agree re Polanski/Complacent. And Criterion is my tip. Gets his chance.
Surely NSW must be due for a home Derby win?
You’ve put it beautifully, Justin.
The racing world is a tight-knit family and this one stings. Far too young.
Tommy the right man to carry Berry’s legacy
Spot on, Luke. Absolutely horrible news about Nathan. Way too young. Thoughts and prayers with all of his family and friends.
Where would racing be without our colourful characters?
Oh, sorry, Scubes, let me clarify then. She was fined $5,500, which was later overturned on appeal. And Singo’s fine remained but there was a deal regarding a charity. Glad that’s cleared up.
Where would racing be without our colourful characters?
That will certainly be a sad day. Bart is brilliant.
Where would racing be without our colourful characters?
Gai was fined $5,500 by Racing NSW stewards on charges flowing from the poor performance of More Joyous in the All Aged Stakes last year.
Waterhouse was found guilty of not telling stewards about the horse’s condition and failing to keep records of treatment.
The ABC reported also that: “Earlier this month stewards ruled there was no evidence to back up claims by Singleton that Waterhouse passed on information about the mare’s condition to her bookmaker son, Tom Waterhouse.”
And that: “Singleton pleaded guilty to two charges of conduct prejudicial to racing over his role in a dramatic on-course bust-up with Gai Waterhouse and was fined $15,000.”
Where would racing be without our colourful characters?
Great bloke, Williams.
I could have named so many other colourful characters in the article. Kavanagh has the potential to sell newspapers, I reckon. Love how he doesn’t hide his emotion at the races. Sometimes can be short for a word after a win, but that’s just because he’s genuinely left speechless at times.
Moody and Nolen really added to the Black Caviar story. Here’s this young hoop from the bush who’s struck up this rapport with a knockabout fella who happily admits to enjoying a ciggy and a can, and they’re racing royalty on the world stage, mixing it with actual royalty in England. Brilliant stuff.
Joe Janiak is another I SHOULD have mentioned. The Takeover Target story is fantastic, and I remember getting the tip for it when it initially came to Melbourne. I think I got about $8.50 that day early on!
Tommy Woodcock was a great character for the sport back in the day, during the Phar Lap time and afterwards… so many characters. But yeah, Gai’s the best of them at the minute.
Where would racing be without our colourful characters?
His comment regarding the ump on The Footy Show was the opposite of a brain fart. It was a genius move! He was looked after thereafter I reckon. And I say this as a Dons fan!
Essendon weak, but James Hird should have the guts to walk
Good job with the list. Amazed Willow couldn’t break into the top 10 though! I’ve got him ahead of Berry at the minute.
Top 10: The world's best jockeys
Hi Steve,
Your fears re Lenny are perfectly reasonable, though I don’t necessarily agree with them. I think he’s going better than this time last year and he handled it then.
That said, it’s a deeper series this year.
Hector is favourite, and deservedly so, Lenny clear second pick in market, but I rate Smolda the third realistic chance of winning. His run in the first heat was outstanding and you just know Mark Purdon will only keep this boy getting better. Drawn awkwardly again tomorrow night… so maybe Smolda gets lucky for the final.
Cody.
Hectorjayjay ultra-impressive on Inter Dom Night 1