We'll give Lindsay Gallagher's melon a rest this week and instead show you the face of Sydney apprentice Daniel Ganderton. The youngster was unceremoniously dumped off Beneteau last Saturday by the owners, who obviously voted in favour of putting "champion" jockey Damien Oliver on. What a wonderful decision that proved to be, with Oliver going around the course three or four wide in the race, which had just seven runners. I reckon a four kilo claiming apprentice from Marble Bar could have ridden Beneteau that well. Oddly enough when Ganderton got trapped wide in the 15 horse Blue Diamond Stakes he was castigated over his ride by some sections of the media, who probably can't even sit on a horse at the walk. Those same people's silence on the what I'd call "hopeless ride" of "champion" jockey Oliver last Saturday - when he couldn't seem to work out whether he was going forward or back on Beneteau - has been deafening. Racing is sure a funny game.

A nine race programme was conducted at Doomben on Saturday where the track was rated as a “slow 6” for Races 1 to 4, before being upgraded to a “dead 5” for Races 5 to 7 inclusive, but after further rain was received, the track was downgraded back to a “slow 6” for the last two races on the programme.

The Doomben meeting contained big fields of primarily slow horses, so was about as exciting as watching paint dry, but that won’t be the case for much longer as the Brisbane Winter Carnival will click into action in about six weeks.

Down south there was Group 1 racing at both Randwick and Flemington. Queenslander Shoot Out won the Group 1 Randwick Guineas after getting stood on his head in the straight when jockey Blake Shinn decided to ride what I’d call “very aggressively” to stop Katsidis getting a run to his inside, so naturally Stathi Katsidis won’t be invited to Blake Shinn’s next barbecue, or vice versa. Similarly down south at Flemington, Stephen Arnold and Craig Newitt got into a bumping duel in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes, so those pair won’t be enjoying each others company at a Sunday barbecue in the near future either.

The Group 1’s on the Flemington card were the Australian Guineas and the Australian Cup and they were taken out by Rock Classic and Zipping respectively. Zipping got home by a nose over Sirmione and after the latter took fright at the mirror on the winning post, as it’s a sight he hasn’t seen first since the chaffbandit won the same race on 8/3/2008, so he’s now been missing from the winner’s circle for just over two years. As I often write here, backing horses in metropolitan Saturday races that haven’t won a race for over a year is pretty much a waste of time – and more importantly money. Sure the odd one will win, but not enough to make you stop invoking that punting rule.

A recent article I penned on this website on 3/3/10 entitled "Denman - superstar is not the word I'd use to describe him", proved spot on, yet again proving this website is the most accurate assessor of racehorses in the Australian media, as whilst all the others were extolling the virtues of what a "superstar" Denman is, the 3YO was getting queried here via using my knowledge of sectional times and overall times. In fact I may publicly display some information here this week, or next, that my Melbourne Sectional Times clients were given about the horse that I'm certain would surprise many punters. Naturally it couldn't go up in the original article, as the clients are entitled to receive confidential information, as that is what they pay for. In fact I'd go so far as to say that none of my clients would have backed the horse last Saturday - even if he had blown to black figures - after the information they had received on the horse. The vast majority of the racing media in Australia all go on with all this patronizing garbage in racing, without engaging their brain before their mouth opens – hence they had all come up with the idea that the horse is a “superstar” – and so the bushfire gets fanned uncontrollably by primarily a lot of hot air. Even as recently as last Saturday morning at 11.30am on Sky Channel, presenter Matt Browning called Denman an “absolute superstar” and I suppose “absolute superstar” is the next step up from “superstar”, so thank God the horse got beaten last Saturday, or I have no idea what they’d have been calling him this week – I suspect a “champion”.

From the Doomben betting ring, leading rails bookmaker Lindsay Gallagher reported:

Race 1 – Monashee Dancer $2.40, Buckmore $16.00 and Sir Monashee $11.00

The opening race was won by Monashee Dancer and he firmed from $2.80 that was given in places to run at $2.40 and really he was the only runner that was backed in the race, so we opened the day on a losing note.

There was no money for Joint Chiefs and he raced accordingly.

Race 2 – Tripitz $9.00, Spechenka $10.00 and Bold Distinction $101.00

This was an ordinary betting race although I did lay one large bet on the third horse Bold Distinction at 100-1 each way, so at 25-1 the place component wasn’t much good.

Winmara was specked as was Smuggler’s Inn, but there was no money about for Teary Eyed, or the winner Tripitz.

Race 3 – Jazz Heart $3.80, Hangover Henry $41.00 and Jonka Tiki $21.00

This winner Jazz Heart was one of the best backed runners all day. The biggest single bet I laid against him took out $20,000 at odds of $4.20. He just hit a purple patch of form and has now won three of his four starts on slow tracks.

Big Girls Don’t Cry was specked at long odds of $21 on the phones and Tolart was backed around the ring at $7, so you could lay all three of those runners for good money, but the winner was a bad result.

Race 4 – Adebisi $2.30, Marking Time $6.50 and Huff And Puff $11.00

As a bookie you could get as much money as you wanted to out of this winner Adebisi. He firmed up officially from $2.80 into $2.40 and there was an endless amount of money which arrived on the phones for the horse.

No other runner was backed in the race, so we just laid the one horse and paid the price when he won quite well. By now the punters certainly had their eye in, as we’d copped bad results in three of the first four races.

Race 5 – Rothera $21.00, Cat Eyes $7.00 and Afforestation $7.00

Bookies retrieved some of the earlier damage here, as the quinella pair of Rothera and Cat Eyes weren’t fancied around the ring, but you could lay the third horse Afforestation well - and he ran a nice race after sitting wide.

Telesto Warrior was always solid around the $4.40 mark.

Pyramids was backed late on the phones at $8.

There was no money around for Citiwyse.

Race 6 – In A Bind $6.00, Jasminka $3.50 and Uncle Jan $31.00

There was money for this winner In A Bind around the ring and he firmed from $7 into $6.

Jasminka was an easing favourite, but in saying that the horse did attract money on the phones during the course of betting.

Age Of Heroes was virtually unlayable, as was Black Morgan and it finished up a fairly poor betting race, so you could have won or lost on it.

Race 7 – Fantastic Blue $5.00, Maroon Bells $4.20 and Dusty’s Felt $7.00

Good money arrived for this winner Fantastic Blue on the phones, and he firmed up from $6.50 to run at $5.

The runner-up Maroon Bells was hard to lay and got out to $4.20, but she did run a good race.

Dusty’s Felt was specked around the $8 mark early in betting and Machination attracted support at $16.

Lochiel was unlayable and last start winner Just A Piccolo was unwanted in the ring this day also.

It was a losing race.

Race 8 – General Secretary $2.60, Samui Star $5.00 and What Happenedhenry $4.40

We bet $3 about the chances of this opening favourite General Secetary, but she firmed in to run at $2.60 at the jump.

Samui Star eased in the market, but there was a rally for him late at $5.

The best backed runner was probably Whathappenedhenry. He was well fancied on the phones during betting, so you could lay all of General Secretary, Samui Star and Whathappenedhenry, but when General Secretary won it created another losing race on the day.

Race 9 – Sommersea Drive $15.00, Steel Lips $4.20 and Cocktail Supreme $8.50

Whilst this last race winner Sommersea Drive eased out to run at $15, there was some cash money around the ring for him.

Steel Lips was specked at $4.40 and ran a good race. It was probably just a little bit short for him the way he is racing.

There was no money for Cocktail Supreme and Charming Rogue was unlayable and raced accordingly.

Fangles was specked at long odds on the phones and didn’t do much and Kentish Rose had no admirers around the ring.

Punters clearly had the better of the betting ring battle on the day, so they finished first and bookmakers ran a distant second.

Lindsay will be fielding this week at Doomben on Wednesday, Ipswich on Friday, Eagle Farm on Saturday and the Sunshine Coast on Sunday.

Don’t forget if you would like to visit Lindsay on the web to read his latest rant, cop a free tip, or view his latest bonus offer to new clients, you can do all that and more by visiting him at www.thevipclub.com.au.