Racehorse TALK

not much

Good onya boofhead.

thats the thanks i get for trying to help 

She would have to win something to even get a start.

Here's a pic I took of No Excuse Needed at Waikato in February:

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasnt this race on a Wednesday last year? And if so why was it different this year?

Yeah it's always been Ladies Day on the Wednesday.
They've stuffed it all up, Derby and Doncaster was best on Easter Monday too.
Now they're not even on same day.
So much for super Saturday.

Yeah right idea but retarted programing.

I dont think the Derby has ever been run on Easter Monday, only the Doncaster for a few years. The Oaks was only midweek for a few years recently (and apparently in the distant past, ask geoff he'll remember).

Traditionally for most of my like the carnival was as follows:-

Easter Saturday - Derby, Doncaster

Easter Monday - Galaxy, Sires

Following Saturday - Oaks, All Aged (over 1600m)

Following Saturday - Cup, QE, Champagne

The weeklong carnival was always a mistake as there are simply too many top races shoved into that week which made it hard to juggle.

I've always preferred the three Saturday option, so far I've found the carnival set up this year to be good.

Viscount

Oaks was midweek last year as a result of the carnival dates moving due to EI.

Doncaster/Derby Day was Anzac Day and the Oaks the following Wednesday.

Carnival was always-
Doncaster on Easter Saturday
Cup, Sires & All Aged on Easter Monday
Oaks following Wednesday
Champagne and QEII following Saturday.

Then Derby moved to Easter, originally Easter Monday then the Saturday.
Champagne became a mile and moved to the following Saturday with the revived St Leger, and Cup moved back to the second Saturday so 3yo's could still start in Cup.

During the 90's, the All Aged moved back to the second Saturday and the QEII went back one week.

About 5 years ago, following the success of the VRC carnival, the AJC basically moved the Oaks back to the Wednesday, the Doncaster to the Monday, then all of the other races from the 2nd and 3rd Saturdays merged together.

Now they have been forced to give up on Easter Monday, the meetings are back to 3 saturdays, so they have moved the Monday & Wednesday meetings to the second Saturday and the 2nd Saturday has become the third Saturday.

Stretching my memory here, but back in the late 70's the AJC Easter Carnival went over 3 Saturdays. Think it was:

Sat1 : Doncaster (and Derby when moved), Chairmans Hcp, Carbine Club, Adrian Knox
Mon: Sydney Cup, Sires, Galaxy
Wed: Oaks, Fernhill and Country Cup (after all, it is "Bush Week" in Sydney)
Sat2: All-Aged
Sat3: Champagne, QE2 and the St Leger for a few years.

...and probably a couple I've forgotten.

The Monday was as popular as the Easter Saturday meet. They didn't have the TJ Smith in those days. First Sydney Cup I saw the giant striding NZ'der Oopik came down the outside from an impossible position to knock off Tommy Smith's good galloper Tara's Bulba.