I stand corrected then.

Don't the trainers want it dead to slow though - that's a hell of a lot of water!

There is no doubt that both Freedman & Weld want the track dead if possible but it is unlikely their wishes will come true as the revised weather forecast for tomorrow is 31 degrees.

I think that they are planning to water the track tonight from about 6pm onwards - the track manager was on the radio earlier today and stated that the track will probably be rated as dead when they do the penetrometer @ 6am in the morning but he expects it to be good by the time the racing commences at 10.20am.

There will be some trainers yelling "Conspiracy" if the 2YO Fillies in race 1 hit the course proper after coming down out of the chute and clods of dirt are seen flying in all directions all the way to the finishing post. Do I think this is a possibility of happening?, surely not! To use a football analogy, the team is always more important than any individual/s.


dundas lane .........

im no pro but dont tamper with mother nature

if she gives us rain resulting in a good - dead track then so be it

if she doesnt and its a fast track then let it be

whatever happens, happens

i perosnally think "their" favouring the diva

id prefer to let mother nature take care if the track with whatever weather she gives us

there's my two cents

I might be part of the minority here but I am all for them watering the track to a degree not to suit any horse in particular but to keep it safe. Go back a couple of years when Media Puzzle won it was as hard as a rock Media Puzzle couldn't race for nearly 2 years following it Vinnie Roe was out for about 12 months Prized Gem never really raced again and there were a couple others who pulled up very badly aswell.

When you look at that I think in fairness if they can get it to a dead rating for the start of the day that is all they can do if it is 32 degrees it isn't going to matter anyway.

Any worse than dead and they have stuffed the track and the race

I believe that at the start of the day they should try and have the track on the slow side of dead. By the time the Melbourne Cup starts the track would then be dead to good which I believe would be ideal conditions for every horse in the race and a much fairer result. I think it is also very important in the interest in the horses safety. I'm sure every trainer would prefer to walk away from the race, win or lose, with their horses still in good condition unlike other Cups in the past where the track has been rock hard and horses have either broken down or suffered badly to the point where they have never regained their form or have been retired. I don't believe that watering the track is just catering to Makybe Diva but it is a necessity.

Spot on.

The track would be like concrete by the end of the day if they don't water it.

DEAD!
Hasn't rained for four days.
My Goodness.
The way things are going a budding entrepeneur out their could make a killing providing gumboots suitable for horses.Snowshoes even.