OFF the track he’s arguably the most popular jockey in Sydney but many punters are developing a love-hate relationship with Tommy Berry when it comes to riding well-backed runners.
Well, that’s according to the increasing feedback that LGHR continues to receive to the WEDNESDAY WHINGE and this week we have allocated space to those wishing to express their feelings.
These aren’t just punters talking through their pockets. Some are owners in syndicates that race horses ridden by Berry. They might only be small share-holders but the pressure is on to have him replaced.
To say the past week has not been one of Tommy’s career highlights would be an understatement.
It started at the Newcastle Cup meeting last Friday when trainer Chris Waller decided to run Mr Miller in the G3 Cameron Handicap rather than the G3 Bill Ritchie at Randwick on Saturday.
Mr Miller, heavily-backed into odds-on was deemed to have been set a big task by Berry when he elected to ease back from barrier eight to be with the cab-catchers on settling. Mr Miller ran into third place but never looked like troubling the all-the-way winner Fully Lit from the Waterhouse-Bott stable.
When question by stewards about his tactics, Berry explained that he had intended settling in a more forward position. However, Mr Miller began awkwardly and blundered shortly after the start. He added that he then observed El Castello, which had been slow to begin, improving quickly to the inside and as felt that there would not be a position available to him with cover, he elected to restrain Mr Miller to obtain a position trailing El Castello worse than midfield. He added that the gelding was required to make a sustained run from the 500m and laid in when placed under pressure in the home straight.
Fast forward to Saturday and the Berry ride on Ninja in the G2 Shorts could best be described as ‘not one of his best’ or ‘a victim of circumstance from a tricky draw’. Whatever, it won him few friends among one of the big syndicates that race Ninja. And it isn’t the first time they haven’t been pleased with his ride on a horse of theirs.
Ninja, a $4.6 chance following his impressive first-up win in the G2 Missile when ridden by Berry, ran 9th of 11 but in the opinion of LGHR was the victim of a ‘slaughter job’. Here’s what the Randwick Stewards reported:
BERRY explained that from a wide barrier he was instructed to ride the horse where comfortable. He said that after beginning only fairly, he was able to obtain cover in the early stages behind midfield. After trailing Joliestar through the middle stages, when Headwall shifted out, this resulted in Ninja being forced very wide and without cover from approaching the 600m.
Glancing through the Stewards’ Report for Saturday’s Randwick meeting, it seem Berry was under the microscope. He was questioned about rides on or performances of Stealth Of The Night (Race 4), Sixties (Bill Ritchie), Boniface (Kingston Town), Ninja (Shorts) and Carbonados (Nick Moraitas Trophy).
Some of the recent rides of Berry on well-backed runners are just another reason for punters to have a Whinge about Sydney racing. First they have to pay the ‘Jmac tax’ with most favorites the champion jockey rides rated ‘unders’ and then they have to navigate the multiple runners that Waller has in races, on many occasions Berry is on a second-string and upsets the more fancied favorite with Jmac in the saddle.
That’s Sydney racing!
FORM GUIDE FIASCO SMACKS OF ‘CASH FOR COMMENT’ TO SOME
SYDNEY contRibutor PETER MAIR weighs in on RACING NSW & THE RACING MEDIA
‘ON notice since April, the Sydney Morning Herald has stopped printing race fields and form comment daily. Last Friday’s Form Guide was brief.
As for ‘why’ — it can hardly be about the money.
The RNSW subsidy withdrawn, $1.5 million annually, translates to $30,000 a week. It is trivial – about the same as RNSW pays in appearance money for the first 10 to finish in a single race on Saturdays.
Concurrently, as between Nine Media and then pro-tem ‘head’ of RNSW and the NRL, there were media deals in the billions of dollars under negotiation. RNSW has decided it does not need the SMH on the racing team.
If it is not about the money – what is apparently inexplicable?
One beneficiary, obviously, is the Murdoch Media whose tabloids will now have a monopoly on print-media coverage. The SMH Friday Form Guide was superior to that in the Daily Telegraph. Any ‘advantage’ on this score may be transitory, the future of hard-copy newspapers is under review.
One might also ask if serious punters would rely on the limited content in tabloid guides – and why Murdoch Media, with such a diverse footprint on racing, does not rationalise costs.
Whatever, ‘Racenet rules’: becoming the ‘digital’ Sportsman was a strategic investment made over decades. The ground is being prepared to put access to Racenet form-guides behind a pay-wall. There will be issues about ‘the price’ and whether administrators subsidise a discount – however the pole-position is exploited, it will be profitable.
IT’S TIME SKY DID THE RIGHT THING & USED STEVE HEWLETT AT THE RACES
LGHR OPINION: What Peter suggests above could explain what seems to be a changing of the goal posts at Racenet where racing stories are now playing a back-seat role to tips, tips and more tips then horses to follow – which of course subscribers pay for.
And that brings me to another question regarding SKY Channel. When they put the ‘cleaners’ through some of their long-time staff and race-callers in more recent times one of the main victims was popular Queensland racing radio host, Steve Hewlett.
Never one to get involved in the politics of racing, Hewlett accepted his fate and has battled on accepting a few crumbs thrown his way to do a segment for the SKY morning program that replaced him. That’s the one hosted by big Dave Stanley, who many believe is more suited to running SKY promotions in a pub of a Saturday.
But back to Hewlett and LGHR wants to know why SKY can see fit to employ a retired school teacher, with race-calling talents, in Damien Courtney as a form expert and host of TAB meetings outside Brisbane in the metropolitan area.
Surely Hewlett’s needs are greater being put out of work at an age, short of retirement but with the massive talents and contacts he has. Instead Courtney can live off his superannuation, do what many school teachers do throughout their careers and poach the jobs while they are on holidays of more needy and talented people.
Courtney obviously doesn’t need the money. He’s swanning around Europe apparently on another vacation and can afford an interest in at least one racehorse with the Jack Bruce stable.
Come on SKY, people like Damien, who might be a nice guy, has scabbed on racing media pros from the days of the big journo strike when he and a mate stepped in a did the form for weeks capitalizing on the misfortune of supposed friends who were battling to survive.
SKY pays up to $500 per meeting to casuals like Courtney (plus travelling expenses). They could have kept Hewlett (doing the job he also once did in conjunction with his radio work but was considered by the broadcaster to be double dipping at the time). Sending Steve to two or three meetings a week – put Courtney out to pasture – SKY would win not only plenty of friends but also do the right thing by an extremely popular racing figure.
IF RQ IS MAKING ALL THIS PROFIT, HOW ABOUT SOME HELP FOR PARTICIPANTS
HERE’S the latest from respected GOLD COAST contributor GREG BLANCHARD who continues his battle for those struggling to support bush racing:
‘WITH diesel getting close to $3 a litre participants will need some assistance.
During the price hike earlier this year some other States stepped up to give help but not Queensland Racing.
I think it would be a help and also to show the understanding of this problem.
The Country Cups Challenge started lat Saturday. As mentioned in a RQ Media Rrelease country racing is the lifeblood of many rural communities . That’s true and all the more reason to step up.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: If the RQ Chairman has converted a $20 million loss into an $8mn profit in a few months as he reportedly boasted in a recent link with the Queensland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, subsidising the fuel crisis for trainers shouldn’t be a problem. Then again still no sign of an explanation of that boast, just growing speculation that Sydneysider Matt McGrath wants to be the new CEO. God spare us!
TOWNSVILLE TAB MEETINGS BECOMING A ‘NO GO ZONE’ FOR PUNTERS
SPEAKING of punters being hot under the collar, Townsville TAB meetings are quickly becoming a ‘no-go’ zone.
Cairns has been that way for some time where punters have no confidence in arguably the worst Chief Stipe outside the metropolitan area.
But in Townsville they are now urging Darryl Griffiths, who LGHR has always been a fan of, to lift his act and pointing out that on some occasions his counterpart from Cairns is on the panel which has done little to boost their confidence.
Punters were especially angry after last Friday’s meeting. Let’s not beat around the bush they rated the rides of Brandon Lerena on Red Feathers, the $1.8 favorite that ran 10th in Race 5 and British Gem, the $3.6 favorite that ran eighth in the seventh as ‘unacceptable’ and that’s being nice.
To be fair there were excuses for both. Red Feathers never saw daylight and had British Gem travelled any wider he would have wound up in Lavarack Army Barracks.
In the case of Red Feathers, Stewards reported that the heavily-backed runner was bumped and taken wider on jumping. Held up for clear running rounding the home turn before shifting to the outside of Spirit of Giving leaving the 300 metres to continue to improve. Bumped approaching the winning post.
And British Gem: Raced wide from the 800 metres. Laid out nearing the 300 metres and brushed with Convo, which became briefly unbalanced and when being corrected shifted in bumping with British Gem. In consequence, British Gem shifted inwards into the line of Vouchers, which had to be restrained. Also contributing to this incident was Eagle Warrior which laid out in the early part of the home straight and leaving the 200 metres, shifted out simultaneously to British Gem. Given all circumstances, Stewards determined no rider involved in the incident to be culpable and no further action was required.
