No surprise that New York Minute won the big race at Taranaki, but the surprise came that Deals In Heels finished nearly 11 lengths behind after being right in the contest to the 400m. Less than one length separated the two talented stablemate mares at Tauranga at their previous start and this time Deals In Heels was 2kg better off in the weights, which should equate to two to three lengths advantage.
So why? Well, it's because in New Zealand we race on up to a dozen different wet tracks in winter. Wet footing at Ellerslie will be different to Tauranga, which is different to Te Rapa, different to Taranaki and Awapuni, Trentham and Avondale and so on.
In Sydney, by comparison, they race at Randwick or Rosehill on a Saturday and punters get to know which horses handle the wet at Randwick and which can perform close to their best when it rains for Rosehill.
That is a huge advantage.
If you backed something that got back early at Taranaki on Saturday and stayed there - most did - back it again next time when there is no lead-trail bias.
●If you missed Hugh Bowman's winning ride on Bandipur at Randwick on Saturday you've denied yourself a piece of theatrical magic.
Riders of the class of Bowman and his mate James McDonald find a way to win on horses that even close to the finish look $100 chances.
For most of the home straight on Saturday, Bandipur was within half a length of the leader, but didn't look likely to get punters home for his short $2.90 price.
As only truly outstanding jockeys can do, Bowman electrified Bandipur with three strides and the pair got over the top of Rebel Miss, with New Zealand apprentice Sam Weatherley aboard.
You'd hear ants talking before you'd come across Bowman blowing his own trumpet, which makes his coolness, in a tight finish and with his feet on the ground, so endearing.
●Is it our imagination or are racing stewards on the eastern seaboard in Australia getting tougher and tougher. Hammering anyone that steps out of line.
At Doomben on Saturday Queensland stewards dumped apprentice Corey Bayliss for six weeks for what they deemed to be a bad ride on $2.20 favourite Tumbler, narrowly beaten into second.
Stewards charged Bayliss with failing to give Tumbler every chance to finish in the best position.
It was alleged Bayliss had failed to go to the outside from the 500m to the 400m and from the 400m to the 300m.
Chief steward Daniel Aurisch told Racenet stewards were not charging Bayliss with deliberately stopping Tumbler winning.
"If that was the case, we would have charged you with an even more serious offence," he said.
"We are saying your ride was not to the standard expected on a $2 favourite."
It was certainly an ill-judged ride and Tumbler should have won, but if every jockey was suspended for six weeks for a less-than-perfect performance we'd all be riding our own horses.
