Thanks Kenchar. After hearing,for the thousandth time that "you can forget studying the form after that shock result!!", I finally took the "flabbergasted" racecallers advice and DID!! When I look at the formguide now, it's only to get a feel for the trainer's tricks and intentions. When I see something "suspicious" I glance at the guide ONLY to confirm or repudiate. This means,for example, if a trainer has two horses in the same race and one is seriously unfancied I will look at this "outsider's" preferred distance range ONLY. If, for instance, today it's 1500m and the horse in question is well-performed at 2400/3200, chances are it is NOT FOR REAL (today). On the other hand, if the distance IS right,well....who cares about current form or "class"?
Before I hear from Fellow Forum Followers (FFFs) that it all depends on the ABILITY of the trainer, in placing his/her horses correctly,let me add this. I saw Curata Storm win (at over $90) in a Group 1 at Rosehill in April 2001 as the stablemate of the $4 favourite (which came 2nd). Since both "the Storm" and Freemason were from J.Hawkes establishment it could NOT have been a case of "the trainer doesn't have a clue".(Does Australia's leading trainer NOT know his stuff?)that sent him out at 90s. Rather it was the punters who blundered, misled by class and ratings etc.
The winner was up 12 grades from a Class1 Hawkesbury win (13 lengths!!) On ratings it was a "no contest" and yet.......!! Hope this gets a few of my FFFs thinking a little further about how slippery "Class" really is. Bye for now.
P.S. Curata Storm never won again, even at 2-1!!!