Heard another interesting comment from Richard Freeman on Saturday.

re: Northerly

pre-race: he's not going as well as he was last year

post-race: on that effort he's me pick in the cox plate

That's a pretty quick change of mind.

I don't know about others but I don't like to form an opinion immediately after a race until you have a chance to assess the merits of the run minus the emotion of the moment.

See for an example every race caller when a horse decelerates less quickly than the others, to give the illusion that it is in fact accelerating over the lst 50 or 100m the caller invariably lables it a super run when in reality it was enititled to have more energy left because it used less at the start of the race.

One possible exception is when a horse is held up for a run then quickens through a gap, these a good but rare horses. see (Defier in the Theo Marks)

On another subject commpare this to Calaway Gal's effort on Sat. She had a huge gap to run through and wouldn't, forcing Beadman to switch around heels. Unless given an easy lead I can't see her winning again if she is timid in a field.