Racehorse TALK

look for on pace horses in mel, syd and adel....

Didn't think you could see the races 

Rosehill was a dogs breakfast. Take the form with a grain of salt.

Agree TCE. Whenever it gets too firm over summer it is on pace and near the fence. It was much better the week before when there was more give (after 10 inches of rain) but still rated good. Hopefully they take note and - anytime the penetromter reading gets below 4.7 in the morning I start thinking on pace.

I have to admit, I watched every race on Saturday, and the only race that I thought might contain some hint of bias was the last.  Every other race had horses making considerable ground from back/out wide.  Just because all of the winners came from on pace near the fence, doesn't mean there is bias.

The point is, it was too hard for back markers to make ground, sure they could make ground but that was all they could do.

yes it does Manitako. That said, it does happen and most tracks are quite fair. There are very few meets now days where bias plays a large part.

I generally feel there's a bias when consistently back markers loom and look like they will run over the top of them - and then the the leaders somehow fight back and win. That happened several times at Rosehill on Saturday (in fact I'm trying to find a race where it didn't as I type this and am struggling).

As a rule I think bias is overplayed and I also think Rosehill has been as good as any track in the country for a long time, but this summer when it has been firm on pace and on the fence has been the place to be for sure IMO.

I find it hard to criticise a track which favours the rails.

It's the shortest way home, and any horse with enough early pace, and a jockey good enough to assess that pace, should be favoured. If there has to be a bias.

I hate those tracks which favour horses making runs away out wide.

They are the ones that make a mockery of any form assessment.

   

I have to say I'm exactly the opposite - if the fence is hot then there is often a lane about 2 horses wide and anything else has no chance. At least if the fence is off there is (usually) enough room in the better going for numerous horses to make runs and be a winning chance.

I agree with Little Hawk.

See, this is where I disagree.  When back markers simply can't make any ground, no matter what the tempo of the race or the ability of the horse, that is what smacks to me as bias.  When so many back markers can make a lot of ground, both wide and along the fence, and plenty did, that suggests to me that there is no, or little, bias at play.  As I said, the only race for me that fell into that category was the last.  I am not saying there was no bias, but it just didn't play that way to me.

Happy to be proven wrong though.

Geez Sandown is shocking at the minute and today's a good day for it.