Track conditions

[Manu Vatuvei]

How did the track end up dead considering the weather.

A great moment in racing history didn't need to be so contrived imo.

 

[waltzing Meninga]

Fair comment, but this horse is the greatest we have ever seen. If it had been 2 hard it would not have ran. At the end of the day all horses ran 3200 metres and Mkybe was the best.

 

[Twizzle]

it was watered down in the days prior to the race and the grass was about 4 to 6 inches high, so the soil had plenty of cover

alot of the overseas horses wont race if the track is too dry

 

[Cletus]

Only Vinnie Roe wouldn't race, and where did that finsh? Most of the others wanted a firm track. I can't believe it was dead. And yeah I'm just bitter I didn't back Makybe. Great horse but I can't believe they watered the track so much, you'd hope they do it next year.

 

[lockyno1]

Only Vinnie Roe wouldn't race, and where did that finsh? Most of the others wanted a firm track. I can't believe it was dead. And yeah I'm just bitter I didn't back Makybe. Great horse but I can't believe they watered the track so much, you'd hope they do it next year.

For the good of racing the VRC did NOT want the Diva to pull out therefore they had to water it perhaps fractionally more than usual. There would be a lot of annoyed fans if the Diva didn't race becuase the track was too dry!

 

[Cletus]

For the good of racing the VRC did NOT want the Diva to pull out therefore they had to water it perhaps fractionally more than usual. There would be a lot of annoyed fans if the Diva didn't race becuase the track was too dry!

Comeon. Is it a race or what? Can't have a good track, that'd disadvantage the favourite.
I can understand why the VRC would do it, I just don't think it's the right thing to do.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

If that's true than it's legacy tarnishing as far as I'm concerned. Contriving Melbourne Cup conditions to suit one particular horse because it refuses to race in any other conditions is ridiculous. If the horse is incapable of running on firm conditions than it should pay the penalty when the conditions are rightfully firm.

 

[OVP]

If that's true than it's legacy tarnishing as far as I'm concerned. Contriving Melbourne Cup conditions to suit one particular horse because it refuses to race in any other conditions is ridiculous. If the horse is incapable of running on firm conditions than it should pay the penalty when the conditions are rightfully firm.

I tell you what. We'll appoint you boss of the VRC and YOU personally can announce to hundreds of thousands of screaming victorians, who are baying for your blood, just exactly why you are forcing the scratching of the nation's biggest drawcard in the nation's biggest race by refusing to water the track. $1000 says you'd crap yourself.

You do raise a valid point tho ... but what were the VRC to do ? I agree if conditions are good to dead in a Melbourne Cup (which they werent due to the hardness of the track) then you shouldnt touch the track. However its too dangerous to have such a hard track in such a long race. How many horses would become lame or break down, especially the European ones ? I think they did the right thing. The track was NOT rated "good" before they watered it ... so they were well within the laws to do that.

 

[Cletus]

I tell you what. We'll appoint you boss of the VRC and YOU personally can announce to hundreds of thousands of screaming victorians, who are baying for your blood, just exactly why you are forcing the scratching of the nation's biggest drawcard in the nation's biggest race by refusing to water the track. $1000 says you'd crap yourself.

You do raise a valid point tho ... but what were the VRC to do ? I agree if conditions are good to dead in a Melbourne Cup (which they werent due to the hardness of the track) then you shouldnt touch the track. However its too dangerous to have such a hard track in such a long race. How many horses would become lame or break down, especially the European ones ? I think they did the right thing. The track was NOT rated "good" before they watered it ... so they were well within the laws to do that.

Please. How many cows with wet track form came in before that? Sounds like they were being very kind to Vinnie Roe and Makybe. Not saying Makybe didn't deserve to win it, just wondering why it had to be so wet.

 

[Twizzle]

how many bloody Kiwi horses come over here and can only win in the wet, if the track is hard, they are scratched

contrived result, what a crock of sh*t

most of the horses in the race prefer the sting out of the track, after all, its in Victoria, not excalty our driest state

 

[Moffo]

f**king rigged :lol:

it was a swamp

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

how many bloody Kiwi horses come over here and can only win in the wet, if the track is hard, they are scratched

contrived result, what a crock of sh*t

most of the horses in the race prefer the sting out of the track, after all, its in Victoria, not excalty our driest state

Xcellent would have won if the track was firm;-)

 

[Nuffs]

a 31 degree day would normally dry the track out fairly quickly
for some reason it just didn't dry out until alot later in the day

too much water was put on in hindsight, as the conditions didn't change as predicted

 

[steaming stormer]

It is actually in the VRC guidelines for track preparation that it is to be presented between Dead and Good. Once it is between those ratings at the start of the day, it is open to the weather. There was no wind yesterday, and that is why the track didn't dry out as much as expected. Immediately after the cup, the track was upgraded to good. Terry Watson did his job to the letter of the law

 

[Twizzle]

Xcellent would have won if the track was firm;-)

you know this for certain

can I borrow your crystal ball

 

[lockyno1]

Comeon. Is it a race or what? Can't have a good track, that'd disadvantage the favourite.
I can understand why the VRC would do it, I just don't think it's the right thing to do.

They watered the track and unfortuantely there was no wind in Melbourne yesterday. That decreased the chance of the track drying up a bit. Yes it suited Makybe Diva but the reality is that the VRC only watered it to the amount they usually water it. Usually in Melbourne it is windy, so it dries out quick. Just the way it is. Makybe Diva, is a legend. Great way to go out!

 

[Moffo]

the track suited the diva too the ground

no doubting that

the diva was the best horse, but still, the win was tempered by the condition of the track

 

[Macca_]

Watering wasn't an issue in the few cups recently because rain was around. It's been an issue this year...

It wouldn't have mattered what the penotometer said on Cup Day, she would have won anyway. Unless of course if it was abone dry like the Japan tracks she raced on. But they are never like that here, and if they were like that it would have been watered anyway.