The Shark

a good example of a horse being placed badly only to be nailed by the handicapper . i am not saying he is not a 102 . I just think that off a 93 mr he could have been placed better and possibly could have picked up a win or two before being raised to a 102 for running at level weights in group company .

It is possible though that there were no races available for sprinters in months gone by?

I feel for his owners and many others who see their athletes being lumped in the handicap and have to wait for ages for rating drops to become competitive again .

Trust me that nobody expected the handicapper to take him to over 100MR having run 5th in a feature.....why penalise him for 5th......now he is really in the deep end!

Shark in the deep end, very good Hotline

You always run the risk of getting penalised when running close up at set weights at group one level .

More than likely he is a 102 but i'm sure it would have been nicer picking up a race or two whilst attaining that mark .

imo after he beat Solotraveller which imo was his career best he should have been placed a little smarter .

I know with hindsight it's so much easier !

After beating Solo Traveller surely he deserved to have a go at a little feature.....if he had won it then yes put his MR up but not having run 5th.....

Hotline i'm just an outsider observing the scenario. i don't mean any disrespect .

I agree he should line up in a "little feature " but steer away from weight for age races where you will be out at the weights . Look at the classic races, horses come within 6lenghts of the winner and they get hammered ! Similarly if you run in a grade one weight for age event .
look at Ozymandias as an example . he ran close up i think behind Earl of surrey and got lumped heavily . The horse is now in Pe and it took ages for his rating to drop .

it is easier said then done at the end of it all . It's easy making comments from the outside . The trainer though is the one who cares for the horse and plans his future . The race programme also contributes to the lack of suitable races especially in the cape for sprinters . This limits the trainers options and he is forced to just nominate and run .

Hope he does well for you in races to come . Go The Shark !

Agree with you....dean will hopefully find the right race for him....he has the ability but with his style of running coming from off them doesn't help his cause......and must add he is the most unsound horse I have had in the last 10 years......vets love him!!!!!!!
By the way his MR is currently being reviewed as this was appealed.....

hotline Wrote:

---

> Agree with you....dean will hopefully find the
> right race for him....he has the ability but with
> his style of running coming from off them doesn't
> help his cause......and must add he is the most
> unsound horse I have had in the last 10
> years......vets love him!!!!!!!
> By the way his MR is currently being reviewed as
> this was appealed.....


yes hotline he didnt move to well down to the start last time out...he seems to love greyville and natal will have kinder going for him for the next few months and with dean having a yard at clairwood which has very forgiving training tracks maybe you shd consider sending him down here if there are races for him

Yip....will go there after the season.....have a go or 2 still in CT.....