16th October 2008, 04:07 PM
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Member
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 17
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by xanadu
G'day Skytrain,
With all due respect to your comments I think that due to current economics and mind-thoughts the era/future of champion aussie stayers is very limited and may be in decline.
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It's in the balance, ain't it.
On one hand you have the influence of studs like Arrowfield that would be happy if every G1 race was from 1000m to 1600. On the other hand you've those like Darley Stud that won't be sending 100 female quarter horses to Lonhro or Octagonal.
You know there's a problem when there's greater prize money for a 2yr old sprint than the AJC Derby.
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If a trainer has one of potential then in this day and age he can chase those big money events all over the globe if he/she chooses.
While I lament the demise of the stayers' ranks in Oz we now have some of the best sprinter/milers in the world as borne out with our antipodean "raiders" which have plundered the best races in the northern hemisphere in recent years.
I can't see this changing in the immediate future so with the influx of international "raiders" for our carnival it reinforces the fact that racing today is truly international and everyone is much better off for this(imo).
Cheers.
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Name the five biggest races in the world:
Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe 12f
Kentucky Derby 12f
Japan Cup 12f
Melbourne Cup 16f
Dubai World Cup 10f
When was the last time we won one of the above? It's all well and good to go over to Royal Ascot and win the King Stand Stakes but until last year the race wasn't even worthy of G1 status.
As for having the best sprinter/milers in the world, that's debatable as the US have some awesome dirt sprinters. Because we have an obsession with 2yr olds many of them don't cut it once they're fully matured.
Things were looking good a few years ago when we had Sunline, Lonhro, Tie The Knot, Shogun Lodge, Northerly, Defier, Fields Of Omagh, Mummify, Elvstroem, Grand Armee.....then they all disappeared and all that was left was Makybe Diva who was declared a legend after beating some of the weakest opposition in living history.
Is history repeating with Weekend Hussler ?
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