From the stewards report for todays Caulfield Cup:


Does anyone know what The Thumps is?

I'll take a stab here and say it is irregular heart beat which i'll go out on a limb and say the horse tried to hard to do something he simply could not as most thought he couldn't stay that trip and it would ruin any chance he had of taking out a cox plate this year, now it looks like he won't even line up in the race.

'Thumps": Synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (SDF). Basicaly a bad case of the hiccups which in horses is rare. Often caused by dehydration, too much excercise or both. Over-training.

So McDonald flogged his prize gelding to the point of a rare condition. His (and it must be said, the owners) arrogance in flogging that horse with the intention of running all 3 big races in the spring shows that they were interested in one thing, the money.

He's not even 4. If I were the owner of such a fine animal i would certainly take its first campaign pretty lightly and aim at one big race (Cox Plate good enough for you Ross?) rather than this scatter gun approach of anything with a prize money stake > $1m.

Throw into the mix that he is a gelding and therefore prolonging his racing career is the best strategy as there isnt any money once the racing stops.

I also dont think he has beaten that much in some of his previous races and would love to see a match race between WH and any one of Might and Power/Sunline/Saintly/Northerly/Diva/Octagonal etc etc. I dont think he'd get within 5 lengths of any of them.

Furthermore, draw a comparison to the way Fred Kersley has managed Marasco. When Kersley knew he couldnt stay, he didnt continue to flog him.

(I must say though, Brad Rawiller's ride was phenomenal!)

The Thumps (noun): A condition made as an excuse for a horse that was never going to stay 2400m in a race that it should never had been in anyway

Interesting that the trainer does not agree with the stewards that Hussler does not have thumps, nor is lame.
What would be the driving force behind such disagreement.
Surely the stewards report accurately???

All I know is that the Hussler is a lay for me from now on.

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Yeah i heard that on SEN this morning. ******??

Id take the opinion of the stewards ahead of McDonald. He probably doesnt want any negative press regarding pushing WH too far, which is the obvious conclusion when looking as slight lameness, a skin alergy and the thumps.

Im happy to back him up to the mile, maybe even 1800 but thats it for me..

It was still an arrogant and stupid thing to try and do a Rising Fast with such a comparably average horse. The fools that backed it after it in the CC after it's run in the Turnbull where it was being shaken along at the 650 deserve to lose money.

Think of the horses he beat as a 3YO - all mediocre.

Think of who he has beat in his 4YO year ... Maldivian, Pompeii Ruler - non winners.

The next person who calls this horse a champion should be severly beaten then shown the dvd of Kingston Town and Manikato. Seems whenever a horse wins a few on the trot these days the champion tag comes out. Whobegotyou is the latest - come on!

Apache Cat was robbed of HOTY 2007/08 by an overhyped soon to be washed up horse. It is the best horse in this country and by a fair way. Love to see it and Weekend Hussler over 1400 next autumn - maybe the Orr Stks. WH will get windburn.