Punt Drunk: You know what really grinds our gears? Sky Racing
The last favourite at Sandown finishing closer to last than first perfectly summed up the long weekend and the year so far on the punt.
Anyway, we move on, and with The Championships sneaking up on us like a 5am alarm on Monday morning, we have plenty of prep to do for Saturday afternoon.
With a bit of luck, we will also see some of the poor weather around Brisbane bugger off by the weekend because, boy, are we sick of betting on bog tracks up in the Sunshine State.
Cox Plate hope crashes and burns
Is this the new Japanese star? ⭐🇯🇵
LEI PAPALE, a daughter of DEEP IMPACT, makes it six wins from six starts, winning the G1 Osaka Hai 🙌
Beating CONTRAIL into third and GRAN ALEGRIA into fourth!
🎥 Japan Racing Association #競馬 #レイパパレ #ディープインパクト pic.twitter.com/2O7PptD6jj
— World Horse Racing (@WHR) April 4, 2021
If you head to Sportsbet and check the pre-noms odds for the 2021 Cox Plate, you will see the name Gran Alegria sitting at the top of the list at $9. Well, the Deep Impact mare had a start in a Grade 1 event at Hanshin on Sunday in the Osaka Hai but could do no better than a five-length defeat to the hands of Papale. It was Gran Alegria’s first start at 2000m, and she simply kicked up a stink throughout and would not have provided much confidence for backers who have taken the early quote. We all know how dangerous the Japanese raiders are when they target some of the Group 1 feature races in Melbourne, as Lys Gracieux showed when she took out the 2019 Cox Plate, but Gran Alegria will need one hell of a form turnaround if she is to follow in those footsteps.
Who doesn’t like watching horses milling around?
Pretty disappointing this by @SkyRacingAU. Not much respect for the premier Vic metro meeting. https://t.co/CxW68ZxYux
— Josh Blanksby (@JoshBlanksby) April 3, 2021
This is far from breaking news, but it is now beyond a joke that Sky Racing keeps split-screening a race with footage of horses milling behind the gates of another event that is a couple of minutes from getting underway. The proverbial truly hit the fan on Saturday afternoon when the Group 3 (yes, a Group 3) Victoria Handicap was split-screened with horses waiting around behind the barrier at Kembla Grange. So while Persan and Hang Man were duking it out over the final 100m at Caulfield, you were also able to watch some of the runners in a BM64 get loaded into the barriers. Now if you were at home with a massive screen, it may not be too bad, but if you are at the pub lined up for a beer and having to watch it on a small screen above the bar, it is pretty shithouse form! You have a blue channel for a reason; show the behind-the-barriers nonsense on that channel, not when the final 100m of a black-type event is being run.
Tuesday racing tips – April 6, 2021
Punt Drunk’s best bet of the day
In the entire history of #PuntDrunk, we do not think we have ever made a first start our best bet of the day. Well, that changes today with the Grahame Begg-trained Rose Quartz, who comes to the races for the first time following an eye-catching trial win over Group 1 winner Portland Sky. Having bolted in under a hold after missing the kick by two lengths, the Written Tycoon filly will just need to be within touching distance of them late and should kick off her career with a smart win.
About Punt Drunk
Welcome to Punt Drunk! Our new daily column covering all the latest horse racing and punting controversies, dramas and headline news. Have a story or gripe or issue that just grinds your gears? Just hit us up in the comments or contact us page and our jaded, punt hardened Punt Drunk staff will give it the Punt Drunk treatment it deserves. Don’t expect pleasantries or typical racing media fanboy gloss from Punt Drunk – we’re on the punt and we don’t have time to bullshit; the next is about to jump…
