$5 CHARGE MUST GO
I don’t have it and I have never ever paid for it.
I am talking about SKY2.
I’d like to know how many people are in my shoes. I am tipping thousands upon thousands.
I wonder how much money it is has cost and is costing the racing, harness and greyhound industries.
Punters won’t bet unless they can see the vision and we know that rings true because SKY pay millions each year to be able to broadcast the races.
Racing is on now on seven days a week and it is becoming increasingly more difficult for Sky to accommodate all the race meetings on SKY1 and we appreciate that.
I posed the question about the $5 charge to RacingNSW CEO Peter V’landys who is always at looking for avenues to increase wagering.
“Yes 100% agree it’s got to go.
“We are working on this with TAB.
“It’s a little more complicated than you would expect.”
The good news is once the red tape is done away with the charge will be gone.
I’m reliably informed the TAB actually wants to remove the $5 charge but isn’t permitted to do so.
It’s got something to do with the amount of wagering channels or something.
Its madness that’s for sure.
AVDULLA LIMPING TO THE LINE
Hugh Bowman has a sniff and for the three-time Sydney premier jockey that’s enough to get his competitive juices pumping as he buckles down for a tilt at his fourth title.
With 10 city race meeting remaining in the current season Brenton Avdulla chasing his first jockeys premiership leads Bowman by 9 ½ wins but will that lead be enough to hold out the boy from Dunedoo.
Avdulla has had a wonderful season booting home 120 ½ winners across the country amassing over $8.5 million in prizemoney while 74 ½ of those winners have come in Sydney compared to Bowman’s 65.
The issue for the former Victorian is with the finishing line in sight he has started to limp failing to ride a winner at his past 20 city rides.
He has ridden just two winners from his past 35 Sydney rides and if he is to hold Bowman at bay he’ll need to change the trend of recent weeks.
On Wednesday at Warwick Farm Bowman has a ride in all seven races while Avdulla has six engagements.
A SPRAY FOR THE AGES
IN HER TIME turned in as big a run I’ve seen in a group one in the past decade when finishing third in the Tattersall’s Tiara.
I have watched the reply a dozen times and I’m still shaking my head that this bonny mare was beaten only a length.
After beginning a tad slow she copped a bump from another runner meaning she would settle near the back of the field.
Jockey Josh Parr elected to take off at the 800m and circle the field setting the mare a huge task if she was going to win.
With the run she endured In Her Time was entitled to finish closer to the back of the field than a length from the winner.
I have seen and heard some sprays over the years from trainers and owners to jockeys and although I wasn’t there on Saturday my birdie tells me young trainer Benjamin Smith gave Parr an absolute gem of a spray.
Every horse that wins a race nowadays is apparently heading towards the $10 million Everest and most them are either joking or wasting their time but I tell you the way this young gun trainer has In Her Time going she is worth a chat if you own a slot.
A PERFECT 10/10 RIDE
There were some outstanding rides and performances by jockeys over the weekend including Raquel Clark who booted home the first four winners at Morphettville and Rachel King with a treble at Randwick but for me one ride was perfect and stood out above all others.
The ride in question was aboard the $2.70 equal favourite and there were only seven runners in the race but gee it was good.
Tim Clark’s ride aboard Rudy was perfect.
Why was it good?
He made Rudy jump and instead of allowing the 6yo who hasn‘t won since May 2016 and prior to that December 2014 to get back where he wanted to be he put him into the race and was also quick to get off the fence to find the one off position.
Pemberley the other $2.7 equal favourite was able to lead at an even tempo so Clark got on his bike early and put the acid test on from the 600m.
For a good while in the run home I thought Rudy was looking for somewhere to lie down but Clark kept at him and eventually his class kicked in and found plenty to win.
It’s easy to critical of some rides and although many might not have seen the ride aboard Rudy through rose coloured glasses like me cop a tip it was a beauty and the difference between winning and running well again to finish a placing.
TIME TO GIVE UP THE PUNT
Craig Williams sits on 65 winners in the Melbourne jockeys’ premiership one adrift of young gun Beau Mertens as close in on a month left in the season.
Williams is riding in dashing form so a mate of mine elected to have two good cracks last Wednesday at Bendigo on two of his rides.
First was Precious Journey who finished fifth and should have won with a leg in the air but failed to get clear running from behind the leader. Not deterred my man loaded up on Galaxy Raider in the second last race and again luck went against him.
Galaxy Raider got out late to make up length upon length to finish second.
For the record Williams booted home two winners last Wednesday and back that up with another double at Flemington on Saturday.
I HOPE THIS COUNTRY MUSIC SINGER DOESN’T BET ON RACING
TWEET OF THE WEEK:
Although my ‘tweet of the week’ isn’t racing related I thought as punters and sports fans you’d have a laugh like I did, continue to do and will always.
The tweet came from country music legend Troy Cassar-Daley and it relates to the comments by rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns who was critical of NSW who seemingly directed their attack away from the injured Johnathan Thurston in State Of Origin ll.
“I can’t get into the idea of targeting an injured player. Let’s not teach our kids that this is what @NRL is all about. I LOVE this game”.
Troy wanted NSW to not run at Thurston because he was injured.
Gee it seems a lot easier for QLD if they know NSW are not going to run the ball near Thurston.
Just for you Troy.
JT by his own hand elected to remain on the field and play.
It was his shoulder not his legs so he could walk off.
I don’t know even how to explain how idiotic the tweet is but I did find it funny and even funnier when I realised he was serious.
