3/11/2000 edition

Sunline New Phar Lap

Sunline has now won the W. S. Cox Plate for two consecutive years, this time destroying a classy field by seven lengths. Despite working hard early from the outside barrier 13 she made the best Weight For Age performers in the country look  third rate. Her race record is freakish. 29 starts for 21 wins and six seconds.  Sunline is a direct female descendent of Australia's legendary horse of  70 years ago, Phar Lap. There is a good case for arguing that she is Australasia's modern day version of Phar Lap.

What of the beaten brigade? Caulfield Cup winner Diatribe ran on well to finish second in a good trial for the 3200 metres Melbourne Cup. Tie The Knot was beaten by 18 lengths. Connections shouldn't waste their time bringing him to Melbourne. He has been a consistent failure and by now must have clearly shown that he cannot handle the Melbourne way of going which is anti clockwise, the opposite of Sydney. Shogun Lodge was beaten by 20 lengths. Some media pundits on the morning of the race were talking up his chances claiming he could handle the conditions. He is a wet track donkey.

Sky Heights  missed the start and was trapped wide. However the 4/1 second favourite turned in a career worst run and finished second last beaten out of sight by 26 lengths. The horse was examined and apparently there was nothing wrong.  Hard to believe, but if it's true you can dismiss him at his next start. When last did a horse get beaten 26 lengths and come out the following start and win?

The three year olds Fubu and Show A Heart were beaten by 16 and 19 lengths respectively to continue the poor record of three year olds in the event despite only carrying 48.5 kg.. The history of the race is filled with the failures of  three year olds. They are not physically mature enough to compete in the toughest 2040 metres race on the Australian calendar where the last 800 metres or so is a sprint home.

The best trainers are not lured by the prestige of having a  runner in the race nor by the prize money and now do not enter their three year olds unless they are an exceptional talent and physically mature enough to stand up to the rigours of the race. They put the welfare and future careers of their horses first.  

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