First of all Catch Your Breath going 1.53.9 at Kilmore on Sunday and today Fearless Leader going 1.55.9 at Horsham. How many more records will fall this summer?
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First of all Catch Your Breath going 1.53.9 at Kilmore on Sunday and today Fearless Leader going 1.55.9 at Horsham. How many more records will fall this summer?
Just watched the replay of Fearless Leader at Horsham and it was a huge run and he only looks like a wee little horse. His half brother Livingontheinterest broke the 1730m Gloucester Park record earlier this year when running 1:53.1.
I have now watched the Fearless Leader race and I know he is classy enough to get into the Melton Plate and that a few starts back over the short trip at Maryborough he came with in .2 of the track record
BUT he looks small enough to be in the pony trot and you don't break track records when you are forced to sit 3W MOST of the race. Now look how you have me thinking P Plater!
Edit 1 - he may have also broken the Maryborough record on Sep2 as I now see that Nimble Jack (C1 !) set the track record that day. C1 WTF
Edit 2 - now watched Nimble Jack setting record - it was like they had a pacemaker in the race - did Matthew Craven mistake Avoca Flyer for his brother
All packages and Curry(Would give anyone the runs) jokes aside, They were both huge runs. On the day that Nimble Jack broke the track record, Yankee Rockstar ran 1.55.5 in the 1st and won easily and probably have gone very close to the track record if pushed. Nimble Jacks race certainly look like it was set up for a backmarker to storm home. Fearless Leaders run was massive being posted 3wide for most of the race and once again the pace was a cracker. The little fella certainly has his share of ability and looks a typical Bettor's Delight. Woodlands might be sorry they sold him and I think the size issue would have come into it.
Richard, I was always taught that size only matters to the female gender, now I must add Studs to the list as well.
Fairly sure that Courage under Fire might have been discarded by a few of the bigger Studs at first due to his size(14.2 hands) and then he landed in Alabar's lap. I guess it's the old story, don't overlook the little ones.
Size has become less and less relevant, other than in a few peoples heads. As the breed has improved and the times and tracks have got faster, the smaller, more compact horses have come to the fore. The bigger horses simply cant bang out the miles week after week.
Baby Bling is only small and Bling it on is not much bigger
2 fine examples there Harvey, The smaller more compact horses certainly do seem to hold together more so than the bigger horses, especially with the younger brigade. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see many more track records set this season with the breed changing so quickly. I certainly think the the 1.50 at Menangle will be cracked a few more times this season but Smoken Up's 1.48.5 will be tough to crack, but not impossible in the right conditions.
its not the size that matters its the speed and heart put into that package that counts, give me a small horse over the huge ones anyday (one because they are normally more in my price range at the sales lol) but also because there is so much less impact on legs with a smaller horse, they often handle a turn much better and me being short I cant get a jolly bridle on the giants (yep have had to sit/stand on the tie up rail to get the bridle on a couple of not so cooperative ponies come raceday lol) have always had a lot more luck with the little ones than the bigger horses and find the smaller types often have more blistering speed than the big guys that need time to get it all together.
But each to their own I just wish I had one that could run 1.53 big or small
Monique, I have the opposite problem, I'm a touch under 2 metres tall(6'6'')and have no idea and would be flat out handling a Shetland Pony(lol) Thank god I can leave it up to the trainer. Bettor's Delight keeps on leaving a lot of nice mid size nice horses. He has 2 very nice fillies running around in NZ at the moment, Millie Sampson and the Aussie bred Willow. Both of these fillies have speed to burn and are beautifully gaited. I'm pretty sure that Bettor's was overlooked by a number of studs due to his size as well.
The track record at Ballarat was smashed yesterday morning at the TRIALS! Philadelphia Man 2200m 2.37.6 (2.39.6) mile rate 1.55.3 (1.56.7) last mile 1.53.7 ( that equals black dukes 2001 time trial mark)! Stable mate guaranteed second beaten 4m. Believe both headed to Sydney. Two very nice horses left well in there wake. Look out!
Good horses alright, Would be great to see them at Menangle. Beautide broke the race record at Newcastle on Saturday night and I believe a track record was broken yesterday at St Arnaud.
[VVV] Right on the money Harvey. Unfortunately these simple facts will not stop people wanting to 'buy them by the Pound' at the Sales. How readily people forget or choose to overlook the fact that so many of the truly great Standardbred racehorses were/have been by no means big horses. Insanity.
I know this could have gone in the Speed Explosion thread but it seemed too fantastic a feat to risk burying with old news
Early season 3yo's leading the rest of the field in a procession and both smash the Track Record which had already been lowered at Horsham's last meeting (Speed Explosion thread)
http://www.harness.org.au/meeting-re...S251113&ms=vic
If you want your horse to improve, then head to Horsham...there is something down there that makes The Fountain Of Youth almost irrelevant.
The Avoca Flyer, now the winner of 5 races from 73 starts is testament to this. The 7yo gelding has been all over the Eastern seaboard building on his record. Until yesterday his best MR was a 1.58.7 at MENANGLE in March 2011. In June 2012 at Horsham over the 1700m he was able to carve out a handy 2.01.3 to win. It has been a bit tough for him this season, until yesterday his best MR was a struggling 2.02.8.
Yesterday on a track that can only have been curated by The Hand Of God Himself, a miracle was witnessed by the lucky few in attendance.
The Avoca Flyer launched himself into the stratosphere, on legs of greased lightning, this one-time handy pacer set a new mark of 1.56.3, still a full second slower than the 3 yr olds went. Driven like he was at Yonkers, the (new) Avoca Flyer lowered his best MR for the season by 6.5 seconds. Gobsmacking!
Get the trundle wheel out!!!
But seriously good times. Wonder what Smoken Up could run!
I was at Horsham yesterday and most surely it has become one of the fastest tracks in Oz but I do not think The Avoca Flyers time was any real surprise (compared to the 3yo' s breaking the track record). This half-brother of Blacks A Fake would have gone under yesterdays time when 2nd at Menangle a couple of years back and when he races at Peter Mannings other favourite tracks like Stawell and Ararat he finds them too tight and often breaks. The only thing that stopped me backing him yesterday was being spooked by the fact that Peter's daughter Kerryn's NZer (having its first start here for her) was a short favourite
Hey Brad - Avoca wins again on a big track. (See 'G.Gees good horse' thread however for the real speed explosion of the day) The question has to be asked: Why is he ever entered on small tracks like Stawell and Ararat which he rarely handles and has never run a place. Not only has he always been unplaced at Stawell but he has finished distant last 4 times in 6 runs there in the last 13 months. Probably making up the race numbers for races targeted by other Manning runners?
I know this quote was made in reference to the times at Horsham brenno but in light of the two track records at Hamilton on Monday I thought it was relevant. I have serious doubt about times at Hamilton. I and many other more experienced drivers than I, have very serious doubts about the distance of the track at Hamilton. I'm sure it's not measured correctly. You won't get any officials admit it though!
Nathan, what you are suggesting (I am guessing) would only be due to the embarrassment of admitting a mistake? There may be some appeal in having a fast track but as you know better than me, it is going to take the best part of 30m to shave off 2 secs. If you were wanting to deliberately manipulate times you wouldn't be worried about a single second and yet about 30m for 2secs is just too much to get away with. You wouldn't think it would be a costly mistake to correct - just a bit of paint ;)
Bruce Morgan's 6yo mare Easton All Action broke the Charlton 2100 record today rating 1.56.6 leading all the way
Wonders what Dermot and Aidan might be thinking.
National Service broke the 2660SS record in winning the Hamilton Cup today in a 1.58.8 MR
Apologies to Keayang Starzz whom I should have included for breaking the 2160MS record at the same meeting when he rated 1.56.2
Glen Craven awesome courageous drive and a tiptop performance from Manningham Park.
Run them off their legs, 1.53.9 is slick for that class.
Saab Quality broke Yarra Glen's 2150MS record today - going 1.55.6 in the Claimers. That is a fair effort on a tightish track over that distance in the heat
Huge effort, Is that 2 for him this season???
yes. He actually holds Ballarat 1710 record of 1.53.8 which was almost broken last night
Think just a once a year race over the mile. Called Lightning Mile. First turn comes up pretty quick but track has all been redone with nice banked turns.
Luke tells me they had 2 mile races on the night the track re-opened. Then the above one and he can't remember anymore. And says can't remember then having any on old track (probably would have been a bit unsafe with the flat turns).
None scheduled in next 4 months over the mile.
Another track record, Restrepo 1.56.8 over 2710m in the Ballarat Cup.