Brendan
I'm used to Forums where the only name showing is your USERNAME and on here they display your real name...just being careful for remote litigation reasons.
Thanks for the research which raises an interesting point...how big is the gap, ability wise, between the 3YO's at Redcliffe and the CO population in South Eastern Queensland?
Might be an argument for abandoning the category of 3YO's altogether and let them race in the general population...might make for more competitive racing all up and begs the question of how do owners stay in the game when a full field of horses has only 1 win in 250 starts...surely that's an indictment on the handicapping methods when those horses have had so many runs between them and have racked up only one win.
Re the Stewards Report...I would like to see Stewards at least comment on the fact that they noticed that a poorly performed horse that has started at cricket score odds and been belted start after start comes out in its next race (admittedly no hopers) and starts a 2 to 1 favourite. Your explanation is excellent but just for the sake of transparency, good governance and establishing trust (in a sport that suffers from a poor image...my mates still call it the red hots and a bloke I was talking to at the dogs the other night was telling his mate why the bookie wouldn't get to the dogs until the 3rd race and he told them that he was still at the 'Cheats on Seats).