10/8/2001 edition

Horse Racing Betting Tips

Have a look at these horses from last Saturday.

Participate $2.25 1st.
Thorns $2.10 unplaced
Veteran $2.60 3rd.
Gondola $3.20 3rd.
Stutter $4.20 unplaced
Mallet $4.20 unplaced

Veteran had 57.5kg. top weight at Randwick. He settled on the pace and was given every chance by underrated hoop Rod Quinn. While he finished third, he was beaten by six lengths. He only had one win from 16 starts - now one win from 17 starts.

Thorns, despite his good form, was up in class to a Welter. He never had a 50% winning chance. He got held up for a run early in the straight, but didn't show a quick turn of foot when clear and looked like he was wilting near the winning post. The winner at excellent odds of $8.00, Power Of Pegasus, dropped 1.5kg. to 54kg. for his excellent second in a Welter only two weeks earlier. His barrier improved from 13 to six and he had the services of Brian York, a superior jockey to Larry Cassidy on Thorns.

Gondola had three wins from 24 starts. Not unexpectedly he was a beaten short priced favourite at his last start two weeks earlier at Doomben. Last Saturday he had a comfortable run in the lead, but was under severe pressure by the home turn and looked gone. He battled on well for third. Small comfort if you backed this money muncher for a win.

All these horses are trained by John Hawkes. We have been pointing out on this site for a number of weeks that plenty of short priced Hawkes' trained horses are far from "good things."

Forgiving punters - plodding horse

Six year old gelding Hobart, trained by John Leek Junior at Cranbourne in Victoria may be a very nice family pet. But as a racehorse you would hardly want to have your last dollar on him. He now has seven wins from 55 races.

At Cheltenham on July 28 he plodded into second. $2.20 was poor odds for a non-winner. Punters forgave the run and a week later sent him out as the $2.40 favourite, (even shorter on the tote), in the opening race at Victoria Park, a 2400 metres restricted plodders' race.

Punters may have been forgiving. Hobart certainly wasn't. He settled well back last in the nine horse field and never gave a yelp.

The winner? 12 year old gelding, Bitski who paid $32.30 on SuperTab. At Victoria Park he had previously had 13 races for one second. It was Bitski's 160th. race!! A great achievement and thrill for Murray Bridge trainer and owner of Bitski, Barry Burgess. Somehow I do not think the punters in that race shared his excitement.

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