I'm intrigued as to just how did the Craig Williams Weightgate situation occur and who, if anyone, was involved in assisting in the actual weight 'adjustment'.
Photo: Darryl Sherer
CRAIG WILLIAMS' WEIGHTGATE – HOW DID IT PLAY OUT?
I've been trying to settle on a firm stance regarding my reaction to the Craig Williams Weightgate affair at Caulfield on Saturday but I remain somewhat torn.
Do I shake my head and fob it off, paying respect to Craig's ingenuity in addressing what could have well become an awfully sticky situation? Or do I put the cranky pants on and get a bit incensed at what might have been?
After much thought I've tossed it around for a few hours prior to writing this and reckon the latter probably gets the nod.
There is so much which can go wrong in any race but arguably the worst for mine is weighing in light, weighing in heavy doesn't go down very well either.
Image getting beaten in a photo carrying significant overweight. Weighing in light is another matter, the punter's just do their money cold, the worst possible scenario.
We've read how this all came about with Craig's decision to grab some farriers gear to make up what he thought would offset the weight differential between his changing vests, but for mine there's some serious questions which need to be answered as to how it all played out.
Before the race you can see Hartnell being led in without his jockey and it's a good 10 seconds before Craig reappears and walks from a different angle to remount.
If he was getting some extra weight from a farrier behind the gates were any officials aware? Or did Craig just grab the farriers gear of his own accord with no assistance or knowledge from the farrier or anyone else behind the gates?
After Craig had weighed in so significantly overweight, what was said to the clerk of the scales? And why did Chief Steward Terry Bailey linger around, waiting for post-race interviews to conclude before escorting Craig down the tunnel?
What started as an honest mistake could well have ended in a very ugly finale but luckily it didn't. We now need some transparency as to how the entire scenario played out behind the barriers and who, if anybody knew what was transpiring.
We'd also like to know how it was explained at the scales when Craig weighed in so much overweight and did he declare his hand there and then?
THE LIFE OF THE PUNTER IS NEVER EASY
Life isn't getting much easier for punters who fancy doing the form early in quest of even the most miniscule of advantages.
The fields for Saturday are finalised Wednesday and we immediately start piecing the puzzle together with most information available within the hour but the variables can be the killer.
Obviously we just want a level playing field come race day but far too often it's not the case with track bias having been the buzz word for many years now. However, in this case I'm not taking aim at anyone re track bias.
On this occasion it's the intervention of the big fella upstairs.
The weather conditions in Sydney late in the week changed the playing field at Randwick dramatically with near cyclonic winds turning the track into the Hume Highway.
As a result it was virtually impossible to come from too far off the pace with the wind up the straight blowing them home like the Sydney-to-Hobart.
Three individual track records were broken with five horses getting under the previous 1300m mark, two breaking the 1.8.15 record for 1200m and Super Too stopping the clock in a sizzling 55.72 for 1000m in the last race.
Between the 800m and the 600m Super Too ran the fastest 200m of the day with a flying 10 seconds flat before going 10.25 for the next 200m so it came as no surprise to see her slowing over the last 200m in 11.88.
As a consequence of the sustained speed by Super Too the minor placegetters ran Winx-like sectionals with Last Witness clocking 31.88 for her last 600m and Gibraltar Girl 32.01.
Just goes to show what the wind can do.
The @ConnersMarc-trained Super Too proves far too speedy for her rivals in the last of the day at #Randwick! pic.twitter.com/pGEwXOQGeI
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 19, 2017
Super Too was low flying in the last at Randwick.
CAULFIELD RESULTS MIRROR RANDWICK
Maybe Caulfield never had the wind-assisted factor of Randwick but there is no doubt racing on pace was an advantage down south on Saturday.
Virtually every winner was in the first three or four on straightening apart from Here To There, who came from back off midfield however apprentice Ethan Brown never went around a horse and he wasn't far off the leader when they straightened anyway.
MIXED DAY FOR HUGHIE
Hugh Bowman got a couple of shocks and eventually ended with a mixed bag despite the win of Winx in Saturday's Warwick Stakes.
He must have been feeling pretty happy with himself when Sayed loomed to win the second event however you could see his shock when looking inside to see the topweight being overhauled at the 100m.
What looked likely to be a cruise to the line certainly woke up the champion hoop and while he shifted into attack mode it was to no avail with Auvray wearing him down on the line.
Stewards asked the question of Bowman's riding of Sayed over the concluding stages but were satisfied with his explanation.
It wasn't that long after he got an even bigger shock when Winx missed the start so badly before chalking up her 18th straight win.
Then he would have had high expectations of being right in the mix at the pointy end of the program with Spectroscope and Top Striker but the latter finished last while the former beat just one home.
BIGGER AND MAYBE BETTER SHE WILL REIGN SET FOR RETURN
Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign returns to the spotlight on Friday when she trials at Warwick Farm en route to The Everest.
Trainer Gary Portelli reports the filly has built up nicely during her break and her Slipper winning partner Ben Melham will make the trek from Melbourne for the trial.
ALL QUIET ON THE RANDWICK FRONT?
It seems to be all quiet on the Randwick front with the scratching of Ron Quinton's three runners from Randwick on Saturday.
Dixie Blossoms would have been a hot favourite in the Toy Show Quality while Daysee Doom was well in the market for the Show County Quality with stablemate Boss Lane an outsider in the race.
All three were scratched Friday afternoon without any explanation however my Racenet colleagues at Randwick on Saturday said there was nothing to report as to why the trio had been absentees from their assignments.
FOLLOW ME
I've been keen on Toga Picta since he first trialled then debuted with a narrow but impressive win at Wyong and judging by his return effort at Randwick on Saturday we should get money by sticking this spring.
He was back at the tail of the field and took a good while to get into clear running but the manner in which the Godolphin galloper hit the line suggested to me there's a big race coming, just maybe something like the Spring Champion Stakes or Victoria Derby
Dracarys breaks the track record at #Randwick, nosing out Gold Standard to win the G3 Up And Coming Stakes! pic.twitter.com/UcLrGRzF4P
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 19, 2017
Toga Picta worked home beautifully for a longer assignment in the spring.
FORGET ME
Clipper has found her level and she's not up to Saturday class for mine unless Matthew Dale can find an easy race for her.
She chased Super Too and was burned on Saturday and that was the third successive run as a beaten favourite.
No denying she has plenty of ability but the mare needs everything to go her way and next time out she'll go to the post a short quote but I can guarantee she won't be carrying any of mine.
