HOW DID THE EAGLE FARM TRACK PLAY ON SATURDAY? LET'S LOOK AT THE FACTS

By David Fowler | Tuesday, August 20, 2019

David Fowler is the principal thoroughbred caller for Radio TAB. David, who is a keen form student and punter, has enjoyed a lifetime involvement in the racing media. His personal blog, ‘My Call’, appears exclusively on HRO every week. This week there is a variation to the normal blog theme as David Fowler's Press Room editorial on Radio TAB has attracted a lot of commentary and, for those who missed it, it is repeated here in full courtesy of Radio TAB

What is about it the Eagle Farm track?

Since racing resumed there eight months ago there doesn’t seem to be a meeting go by where the track and the pattern of racing don’t go under the microscope.

Saturday was no exception. Too hard and rails biased were the two most common complaints.

Lets look at the facts on both fronts.

The BRC produced a good 4 rated winter track with the rail in the true position.

Mick Goodie has said time and time again that the winter season is not conducive for growth to allow the sponge effect we see the track demonstrate at other times of the year.

The significant amount of irrigation delivered to the surface supports Goodies assessment.

So the nature of the track was well documented before the barriers opened for the first. It was no secret.

Now to this “rails biased” notion.

Surely common sense should prevail on two fronts.

Firstly, the last two meetings had the rail in the 6m position (July 20) and the 8m position (July 27) so isn’t it logical to assume the freshest pad of grass will be in the true to 6m out.

Secondly, and while confessing I’ve never ridden in a race, even I know with a level playing surface the fence is the shortest way home.

Most seemed to have made their mind up after the fourth race that you had to be near the rail to be a realistic chance of winning

But as is so often the case, “they” conveniently didn’t bother to take into account the tempo of the race or, to be more precise, lack of it.

The staying race crawled the first mile in 1:45 and the following two 1200m races saw their first 600 metres run in incredibly slow 37.15 and 37.1.

Who would want to come wide under those circumstances ?

But, bingo, genuine tempo in race five and winner Red Chase navigates a path to six or seven away from the rail and wins by nearly five lengths.

Of course that race isn’t considered in the discussion.

And here were the barrier draws of seven of the nine winners on Saturday, 2 , 2, 4, 4, 4, 1 and 4.

Would you expect them to plot a path anywhere except towards the fence.

Red Chase drew nine and then we arrive at last race winner Sienna Rose.

Sits last off a 49.78 first half mile, circles to land out in the centre of the track and cruises in.

Enough said.

Sure, visually you could make claim you had to be near the fence because that’s how you saw most jockeys ride their mounts.

But the Red Chase and Sienna Rose wins clearly demonstrate their wasn’t a drama shifting out wider to launch a winning move. Simply, most didn’t go there because they didn’t need to.

And, to reiterate, race tempo never seems to be accommodated in these track arguments

Oh, and one other thing, maybe those who missed a place weren’t good enough.

Could that be possible?

David Fowler