Racehorse TALK

Wow 

I thought after last years race this would become a new bright spot on the Australian racing calendar.

No wonder the internationals flogged us in the big one.

When they first attempted to put a 3200m Sandown Cup on the same card as the 2400m Classic I had my doubts about the wisdom of the programing but they seemed to get away with it last year - but not this year. 

The Australian staying ranks are thin, and they are spread even thinner when we have had the Lexus Quality (2500m) Lavazza (2800m) Melbourne Cup (3200m) QE Sks (2600m) Sandown Cup (3200m) and Classic (2400m) within the space of a fortnight, with the Ballarat Cup still to come. 

I love the idea of the Sandown Cup over 3200m especially over the steeple course but it is just not positioned right.

They race again at Sandown in a fortnight.  The Cup should be held then, not on the same card as the Classic.

Wow, is this a G3? Coz if it is it would be officially the WORST G3 field I reckon I have just about ever seen.

Reckon I have fair dinkum seen better 3000m slug races at MV on a Friday night.

No Mark ,  It is not Group 3.  It isn;t even Listed.  This is only the second running and it looks like attracting a 0-90 field - as you say, not much better than a 3k on a Friday night.

The Tasmanian might strike again here.

It'll be like Christmas 10 times over for who ever picks up the $76k first prize.

I tend to think they should have made this race far more attractive form the get go, with similar prizemoney to the Sandown Guineas and Classic.

Attract the best horses or those who missed a run in the Cup.

It would have been interesting to see how the handicapper weighted the race if Manighar, Niwot and Ironstein had have been entered.

As Tonto says though the race is poorly placed, however I do not agree its because the Classic is on the same day. Simply Niwot, Ironstein and many other stayers would be knackered from trying to get into the Cup.

I don't know, there are some promising horses in there, as a $125k quality what more did you want?  I thought it was obvious from last year that this would likely form a double with the consolation, Hotham & QE horses more likely to go to the classic.  If anything, the firm track during the week may have had an effect on a few turning up here.

 Last year Macedonian(89) beat Above Average (101)  Mourayan (104) Capecover (103)  Illustrious Blue (112) with the subsequent Adelaide Cup winner Muir (86) sixth and Count Encosta (95) seventh.

The average rating of the first seven across the line was 98.5.

This year the 7 highest rating horses in the race average 78.

That was one of the all time great races ever run over 3200m on the flat at Sandown.

Truly great race. 

That was great, why would you only do it once a year?

How many 3200m races have they run on the flat at Sandown ?

I count two.