Macca

Terrific post JV ... the league is incredibly restrictive in terms of changing personnel too. As you said, replace Oscar & Frost with who? Other C or D graders? Not a lot will change by doing that. We just have to put up with it (or shuffle the deckchairs) but apart from all that, it's by no means our biggest issue anyway. Not even close. Our obvious biggest issue is that we have 13 of our best 15 not playing at their best. The numbers are through the roof poor ... fix that, and we will start winning games even with Frost & Oscar in the side. We won 16 games last year with Oscar playing in all those wins whilst Frost played in at least half of those wins. I am by no means saying either player is very good but 2/3rds of our list are nowhere near being top-liners. That's about 30 players. And that number isn't changing in a hurry But a number here want their pound of flesh thinking that will somehow solve the overall issue. May & Lever both playing right now wouldn't add much to our overall output either (right now) We've got most of best players well down on their best. We need a big lift in overall performance from our key personnel - right across the board. And it is not about any particular individual either. Teams win and in order for the team to win, we need our best players playing well.

Monday Special Bundesliga Monday 2.00am $2.90 Borussia Mönchengladbach Win & +2.5 Goals Match Score vs Werder Bremen

Oscar & Frost both played well on a number of occasions last year ... we did win 16 games. But in an ideal world both players are fighting for 1 (possible) spot this season. Lever & May playing would mean that Oscar and/or Frost become surplus to needs... and Oscar & Frost would know that too. And if we know that, they would too. Most of our good players (which doesn't include Oscar & Frost) are either terribly out of form or not available. There's your reason for our below par performances in a nutshell. Right now, both Oscar & Frost are being played because the other alternatives aren't much better or they're possibly worse ... so they play by default and we just have to put up with it until May & Lever become available. Replace them with who? 192cm types who aren't much chop anyway? Shuffling deckchairs. It is no different to any other year where we had any number of C & D graders being played because we had no other alternative but to play them. Depth players can shine but that usually only happens when the best 15 or so are shining. Paul Dear is a good example (Norm Smith medalist '91) What we need is our good players being available and playing well.

I reckon it will get like Europe or the US where any good performing 3yo colt will almost certainly be retired to stud. Money talks and always will. And there's not much that racing can do to change the thinking ... although the $7.5Million Golden Eagle for 4yo's (only) might have an influence. I believe the race is set down for Randwick on our Derby Day so that's something. We probably just have to get used to our races often being dominated by Mares (Winx, Black Caviar et al) with the odd late blooming gelding (Hartnell, Redkirk) featuring as well. Cracksman raced on as a 4yo so they are not always retired at 3 ... the owners like winning too and they can insure the horse for mega-bucks. Race 'em on and insure them I say!

So it is about the money then hey Wadda? I take it all back! Broadening the discussion means that most of the owners of good young colts are more interested in the stud fees so it''s not a Godolphin issue alone - not even close. But as a 2yo? Don't like it at all. Justify races 4 times, wins the triple crown and that is it ... there are hundreds of other examples in the US, UK & Europe. As for here... of late Merchant Navy, (probably The Autumn Sun) and a stack of others. Trapeze Artist has just been retired to stud after suffering a non life threatening injury yesterday ... but that injury to the 4yo entire no doubt justifies the owners of the crack 3yo colts to retire them to stud early. Sad but true. Winx should have raced overseas if we draw a line through the whole prestige/money angle ... it's my only slight knock as I believe she would have taken on the world and won. But we will never know now. p.s Had a nice 'wake up and win moment' again today ... got a nice little return on 'Never No More' & 'Broome' in the feature events at Leopardstown (Ireland) overnight as they both saluted. Ya gotta love that!

Are there many 2yo's that are retired to stud Wadda? I suppose Slipper winners have been previously but it's not a normal thing is it? 3yo's you can understand but a lot of 2yo's haven't really achieved a great deal. And I agree ... reckon Microphone is the best 2yo going around and I can see it being a dominate force in all the Guineas features if it is raced on. 2000m+ Derby's might be a stretch but it is a very versatile horse.

I usually do a 3pick on English soccer on a Saturday night so I threw in 2 with Torino and got about 30-1 I will get a good laugh if it gets up! As they say ... nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Have another go for Sunday evening/Monday morning Wadda but PL tells me I'm going to have to include Torino in some sort of multi bet!

Game is on in just over 2 hours Wadda ...I haven't even looked at a possible sports bet yet. Did you think the Torino games was on tomorrow midnight? I blame daylight saving! (or Jack Watts)

I'm guessing so, yeah Wadda. Godolphin don't hang on to slow horses either ... they move the slow ones on real quick. It's the prestige they're looking for as it's not like they need the money! So if a Godolphin horse is running in any race, always evaluate. Cummings, Freedman, Appleby (Cross Counter) & Saeed Bin Saroor.

Anthony Freedman also trains a number of horses for Godolphin along with Charlie Appleby in the UK ... their Dubai based trainer is Saeed Bin Saroor although Saeed trains in the UK for 6 months of the year and of course also brings Godolphin horses here. They are an extremely professional organisation and plough millions into the sport ... great for punters too if you follow their horses. I've won a bit on their 2yo representation this Autumn. They dominate racing like Weir used to so you've got to go with the strength (as a punter)

Good pointer Wadda ... I will keep it in mind. Purton & Moreira are like what Roy Higgins & George Moore were in their heyday down here. Both Zac & Jaoa can get averaged performed horses to get into the finish based on their riding skills alone. So of late I've looked for their value runners in good betting races - and if you win, you win a good amount. Where as when they are on the shorties, there's very little value even if you do win. Teetan, Victor Wong, Vincent Ho & de Sousa are in the next group down. It's jockey first then the horse when I'm doing the Sha Tin form. Hopefully that system pays off again tomorrow with a bounce-back day!

Even if a jockey does ride a horse terribly, I still won't complain. What is the point? I mean, if I started moaning, when do I stop? I understand the frustration but I'm a great believer in being in control of one's emotions. Even as an anonymous contributor on the internet. If anything, the internet shows the true person. I reckon a big part of the frustration is that people get their hopes up too much ... by contrast, before the season started I opened up the possibly that we might regress as a footy club. The lingering doubt was the lack of pure leg speed. I prefer to be a realist. It's my fail-safe way of coping with failure ... and I have the same attitude with the horses. All wins are a bonus - I never feel like I'm owed. I had a really good week on the punt last weekend, this week a little below par. But that's racing. You know that run by a horse that says the horse has come to the end of it's preparation? That was Alizee today - the horse had no energy but again, not easily predicted. It had a soft run at the back, the jockey pulled the horse to the outside entering the straight and then ... nothing. But there's always Sha Tin tomorrow Wadda ha ha Here's a tip - look out for the value runners at Sha Tin ridden by Zac Purton & Jaoa Moreira. Include in the exotics. But only in the good betting races. Where there's a hot favourite at Sha Tin - ignore the race totally. e.g - Mr Stunning & Beauty Generation should both win the feature events tomorrow but both horses are even too short to put in a multi ($1.75 & $1.20) ... so best to ignore. And of course, another multi win awaits on the MB thread ... let's get on a roll!

It had nothing to do with the jockey on Alizee Wadda ... the horse usually comes from the back and just didn't get going. I've never blamed jockeys and never will ... same as the umpires in footy. No point. The umpire bashers were out in force last night but they're just making excuses. You're either good enough or you're not good enough. You take the good with the bad and as I've said here previously, when one does win at the races, the bad luck and ill-fortune effects the others. But most punters refuse to acknowledge that - they should but they won't. I'm not sure anyone would like to be Tye Angland right now. Tough gig.

Brutal just too good ... looks a star of the future. Alizee nowhere to be seen (had every chance) That's racing. But full credit to the winner though and the Winx form stood up. Glen Boss flies in and wins for the Hawkes stable - apart from the 'sling' he'll probably get that's worth about $90k for Bossy.

Destined for HK & Royal Ascot now is Santa Ana Lane ... flying the flag for Oz Very impressive beating that crack field so I'm tipping it is sure to do well overseas.

Nice pick Wadda ... we are in with a shot. Got a bit of a wait for our 2nd pick (Alizee) but it might be worth the wait!

It is not really my list loges although it might look that way. I see it as the MC's list based on how they select teams. And the better players stand out anyway. Anyway, my point is that our good players are collectively well down on form ... thus, it is a struggle to win games. Back 6 or 7 years ago we hardly had a decent player so the losses were inevitable. Wins were never expected. Again, pointing the finger at the lesser lights or fringe players is pointless. They are never going to be difference makers anyway.

Best 15 Lewis - injured Lever - injured May - injured Petracca - not doing enough, not impacting games Harmes - ditto Jones - ditto Viney - ditto Melksham - ditto T-Mac - ditto Jetta - ditto Hibberd - ditto Gawn - playing ok - can do more Salem - playing ok - can do more Brayshaw - playing well Oliver - playing well. So how do you win games with that output? The answer is you don't. Injuries can be used as a reason but poor form is poor form ... and if you are out there, you're deemed as 100% ready to go. So there are no excuses. Others Fritsch - playing ok vandenBerg - injured Neal - Bullen - not doing enough, not impacting games. As always, it's all about our senior players and/or our best players.

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We just looked undermanned (again) We need our best players available and playing well and we're a long way short of that. So if you work from the results backwards there's your logical explanation. We'll come good at some stage, all's not lost. Expectations are/were through the roof though so thus the angst & frustration. But my motto has always been - you win games with your good players available & playing well otherwise you're highly likely to lose. This sort of reminds me of 1995 - 1997 when we had all those injuries to our best players. Talent wins - there's nothing surer. No good wasting time arguing about the merits of non-difference makers ... they really aren't the problem because they are never going to be top players. But if you list our best 15, about 2/3rds are either not available or not playing well. And that is a fact, not an opinion. Again, at some stage we'll come good but unless that happens in the not too distant future, finals are a stretch. I reckon we'll win at least 10 games from the next 19. I've already come to terms with our season. But there again, I'm an absolute realist. 

We just looked undermanned Wadda ... we need our best players available and playing well and we're a long way short of that. So if you work from the results backwards there's your logical explanation. We'll come good at some stage, all's not lost. Expectations are/were through the roof though so thus the angst & frustration. But my motto has always been - you win games with your good players available & playing well otherwise you're highly likely to lose. This sort of reminds me of 1995 - 1997 when we had all those injuries to our best players. Talent wins mate - there's nothing surer. Again, at some stage we'll come good but unless that happens in the not too distant future, finals are a stretch. I reckon we'll win at least 10 games from the next 19. I've already come to terms with our season. But there again, I'm a realist and like acting in a practical manner. Anyway, let's see if we can snag some winners to bring a bit of joy! Edit: Just got the first winner at Randwick (Bivouac) thanks to Brad Davidson's Racing Service ... so there's a good start Wadda!

The classy horses have a habit of getting into the finish in the big handicaps. And Alizee might be giving weight away but it is not carrying any more weight than it normally does - and it runs quick too ... especially over the mile. I'm expecting Hartnell, Le Romain & Shillelagh to run bold races too. All those horses have the class. Microphone looks a good bet and I had it marked on top before you put forward your tip Wadda ... and DZ's choice 'Thunder Cloud' is another that I had a small win bet on as 'Gator' has it marked on top. To sum up - very comfortable with our 3 picks and I've already taken the early double (Microphone & Alizee) as well as the treble. And we are coming off a nice collect on Monday morning. Fingers crossed!

I'll have to do the Eureka Centre one day - sounds really good. And as for Shoals, I will put together an exacta of some description which will have Shoals at the top along with 2 or 3 others. And a couple more for 2nd. With the race being as open as it is (along with the Sires Produce, Doncaster Hcp & the Derby) the exotics are sure to pay well. All 4 feature events are terrific betting races. Really like your 'Microphone' pick and 'Alizee' is now sitting at $10. That's got to be overs for such a classy performer. You can get $6.50 for Microphone as well now so if our multi gets up we'll be swimming in it Wadda!

No it possibly won't DJ although I do hope that you are right Essendon are well protected though ... where as we are the easy scapegoat. There is nothing fair about this whole caper but that is the world we live in. My way of dealing with it all is to lose my emotional attachment to the AFL but at the same time strengthening my emotional attachment to the Demons. It's the MFC and that is it now.