Still A Way To Go

There's little doubt our racing industry has come a long way in regards professional standards over the last 5 or so years. The Australian born Chief Steward whose name just escapes me played a significant part in this, particularly with creating some accountability notably amongst the jockey ranks.

I still saw a couple of things this week that disturbed me, particularly as someone who enjoys a bet.

At Rotorua a well backed first starter hit the running rail that hard - she may have even tried to jump the running rail - she came back to scale with blood pouring from a leg injury.

Yet you read the stewards report and all it states is that " she over raced during the middle stages".

There is a big difference between over racing and hitting the fence that hard. The later has more seriously impacted her ability to finish off the race.

Secondly and yes I talk through my pocket with this one. Yesterday at Hawkes Bay Volgus, who has run on the speed or near enough to it in his three prior starts is dropped out of the gates a distant last. They hack at best up front and the jockey makes no effort to improve until the leaders put the pace on from the 600m at which stage he is four wide in a five horse field. You just don't run sub 33 second 600ms at Hastings unless you are an Excellent.

There is no way in my mind that Volgus was given every chance to win that race. Okay I appreciate that connections have him on a Derby campaign and are probably trying to get him to settle but if he was ridden to instructions yesterday where was the announcement to punters prior to the start that these tactics would attempt to be employed.

As a punter there's still things with NZ racing sometimes that would make you place a bet on a Sicilian Maiden before you d touch a Kiwi race.