Races

The Weekly A-Z

Posted on | Posted by Digby Beacham

A – ACTION JACKSON

Let the chase begin. Luke Jackson confirmed the worst-kept secret in football this week when he announced he wanted to be traded. The interesting aspect of his request was he didn’t single out Fremantle as his preferred destination, rather simply a desire to return to WA. West Coast fans were naturally excited at the news, but the narrative for some time over the 2021 premiership big man focused on him joining Fremantle. The Dockers have had ample time to come up with a plan to satisfy Melbourne. Expect it to happen.

B – BATON CHANGE

Having endured a wretched run at the top of the order in one-day international cricket, Aaron Finch performed a selfless act last week … he announced he would be retiring from the 50-over game. Finch’s final appearance was against New Zealand in Cairns last Sunday. He leaves a leadership void, along with a sizeable hole that needs to be filled alongside David Warner at the top of the order.

C – CHEEKY WIN

Kissonallforcheeks’ new trainer, Melbourne-based Nick Ryan, declared in the lead-up to the Let’s Elope Stakes that he fully expected the WA mare to prevail. How right he was! The daughter of Written Tycoon, aided by a peach of a ride from Mark Zahra, claimed the Group 2 feature to throw her hat well and truly into the ring for Group 1 events later in the spring. Still only five, Kissonallforcheeks boasts 10 wins and eight placings from 23 starts for stake earnings in excess of $1.1 million.

D – DOUBLE THE FUN

Mixed doubles at a grand slam event are often overlooked. To hell with that. WA pair John Peers and Storm Sanders are worthy of some love after they combined to take out the mixed doubles title at the US Open. Peers and Sanders prevailed 4-6 6-4 10-7 over Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Kirsten Flipkens at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It followed another tense three-set battle in the semi-finals, making their trek to the Big Apple a profitable one.

E – EXCELLENT EDITION

Another weekend of quality racing in Melbourne is nearly here, highlighted by an intriguing edition of the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. A capacity field with a range of different formlines is set to face the starter, with WA trio Graceful Girl, Showmanship and Red Can Man chasing Group 1 glory. The same applies to I Wish I Win, who is loaded with talent, but is yet to secure a start. Final scratchings tomorrow morning will be monitored closely by so many punters.

F – FAST AND THE FURIOUS

We are a month out from The Everest (1200m) at Randwick, yet tomorrow’s running of the The Shorts (1100m) is going to attract enormous interest. It is pretty much a mini-Everest, with the appearance of Nature Strip, the greatest sprinter on the planet, injecting irrefutable wow factor into the $1 million sprint. His battle with regular sparring partner Eduardo is just one of several stories within the race. Can Mazu handle this grade first-up? Is Masked Crusader legit or merely a tease? Does Lost And Running have the weapons to go toe-to-toe with the big boys? All will be revealed.

G – GIVE IT A REST

Rory McIlroy, we get it. You absolutely despise LIV Golf and everything it stands for. For a person who says he doesn’t care about those on the breakaway tour, you seem borderline obsessed. That’s how it appears every time you speak to the media. You have remained loyal. Others haven’t. It is what it is. Move on.

H – HIRD IT ALL

If you thought that Essendon Football Club, for the most part, didn’t believe that logic applied to them, you would have thought correctly. Any doubt that wasn’t the case was eroded this week when it was revealed that James Hird had interviewed for the vacant coaching position at the Bombers. The same James Hird who had his thumbprints over the “supplements saga” that has left the club mired in the mud for the best part of a decade. The same James Hird who hasn’t been immersed in the all-encompassing football industry over the past few years for various reasons.

I – INTO THE SUNSET

Think great Australian road cyclists and the likes of Cadel Evans, Stuart O’Grady, Michael Rogers, Simon Gerrans and Robbie McEwen automatically spring to mind. So too does Richie Porte, who announced his retirement this week. The 37-year-old Tasmanian competed admirably at the highest level for many years and was third in the 2020 Tour de France. Injuries and illnesses curtailed his career, but he can ride off into the sunset knowing he extracted everything he could during an illustrious stint at the top level.

J – JUVENILE JOY

Bookmakers Australia-wide can expect to see Zephyra and Never Ending feature in a fistful of multis tonight when they contest their respective finals of the Group 1 Westbred Classic (2100m) at Gloucester Park. Zephyra has proven herself to be a high-class two-year-old filly for trainer-driver Dylan Egerton-Green, while Justin Prentice’s Never Ending hasn’t put a hoof wrong in his four starts and has the advantage of barrier one this evening. They are brilliant juveniles in a season when it appears the two-year-olds are well above average.

K – KING OF GRASS

Father Time wins again. Unbeaten in world sports, he prevailed again overnight when Roger Federer, perhaps the most gifted tennis player we have ever witnessed, announced his retirement at the age of 41. In the Open era, there has been no better player on grass. He won a record eight Wimbledon singles titles, 10 Halle Open crowns and the Stuttgart Open on the lawn also. The Swiss maestro retires with 20 grand slam singles crowns, 103 tournament victories and content in the knowledge that he spent in excess of 300 weeks as world No.1, including 237 in succession. He is without doubt one of the greatest athletes of all time.

L – LACHED IN

Who have you got in Sunday night’s Brownlow Medal count? If Lachie Neale is your on-top selection, you are not alone. The prolific Brisbane midfielder took home Charlie two years ago and is TABtouch’s $3 favourite after another excellent home-and-away season in which he averaged 30 possessions, 15.9 of them contested and 7.3 clearances in a side that went 15-7 and narrowly missed a top-four spot. Expect fellow midfielders Clayton Oliver, Patrick Cripps, Andrew Brayshaw and Touk Miller to feature prominently.

M – MOORE PLEASE

Football fans get a little giddy every now and then when they witness a forward, either tall or small, do their business in front of goal, and midfielders break away from congestion or release a teammate by hand or foot thanks to uncanny awareness. The same sensation comes over those in the outer when a ruckman provides a moment of brilliance at a stoppage. Unfortunately the defenders aren’t the recipients of such adulation and that is a shame. Darcy Moore is as watchable as any player in the competition at the moment. A key defender with a forward’s instincts, Moore identifies quicker than most where a ball is headed and gets there first time and time again. He eclipsed All-Australian skipper Tom Hawkins a fortnight ago, was again superb opposed to Fremantle last weekend and tomorrow night stands Lance Franklin. It is a tussle worth the price of admission alone.

N – NO EXCUSES

When you are riding a 14-game winning streak like Geelong are, clearly you are doing a lot of things right. The ability of the Cats to hold up early in the face of a Collingwood onslaught in the qualifying final was admirable, as was their composure late. Because of that, they enjoyed a week off and now hit tonight’s preliminary final in the best possible shape against an opponent facing up to back-to-back MCG assignments. Geelong simply must win.

O – ONE DOWN, MORE TO COME

The future of men’s tennis has arrived. It is called Carlos Alcaraz. Despite having turned 19 in early May, the Spanish sensation is the new world No.1 after taking down Casper Ruud in the final of the US Open on Monday morning, WA time. Alcaraz’s four-set triumph followed consecutive five-set wins against Marin Cilic, Jannik Sinner and Frances Tiafoe in the round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final. Mentally and physically, he was bomb-proof. As we get closer to farewelling Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, we can rest easy knowing the game is in great hands.

P – PULSATING

Maybe it’s because it was a Group 1. Maybe it was because I’m Thunderstruck has a name that is so likeable. Maybe it is because race-caller Matt Hill nailed it as he invariably does. It’s probably all three combined. And that is why the final 400m of the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington last Saturday afternoon was one for the ages. Tim Clark produced a masterful frontrunning ride on Alligator Blood, but it was still not enough to deny a lunging I’m Thunderstruck in an absorbing finish.

Q – QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Hard not to like Justin Longmuir’s honesty when he fronted up to the media post-match last Saturday night. “Unless you win the grand final, you leave disappointed,” he said. “That’s how we should feel now, disappointed that we weren’t up the challenge … we have to get to work in the off-season and get to the level of the top four.”

R – RUFFLED FEATHERS

Junior Rioli is no Robinson Crusoe in asking to be traded. In saying that, his request is one that has incensed his former club — West Coast — the most. While Rioli is well within his rights to seek a fresh start, the Eagles are entitled to be bitterly disappointed at what they feel is a sense of betrayal given all the resources they have committed to the forward. Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett let it be known the club was furious at Rioli’s decision. Cannot wait to see West Coast and Port Adelaide square off next season.

S – SIN-BIN CENTRAL

There was always going to be an edge to last Sunday’s finals encounter between the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney. The clubs are diametrically opposed in so many facets and every match between the pair leads to neutral NRL supporters watching on. Even taking into account the hatred that exists, nobody could forecast such a brutal battle, with seven sin-bins recorded as players from both sides looked to assert their authority. For the record, the Bunnies prevailed 30-14 to advance to another do-or-die match this weekend against Cronulla.

T – TRILOGY TIME

Keep mid-April next year free if you love your racing. Ditto pacing. Ditto chasing. The announcement this week of The Western Trilogy, a $5.5 million slot-race concept encompassing all three codes here in WA was met with considerable excitement. The $500,000 Sandgroper (520m) will take place at Cannington on Friday, April 14 … the same night the $1 million Nullarbor (2536m) is staged at Gloucester Park. The following afternoon at Ascot, the $4 million Quokka (1200m) at weight-for-age is anticipated to attract some of the premier sprinters from interstate to tackle the best the west has to offer.

U – UNDENIABLE

Just as Carlos Alcaraz is worthy of his place atop the summit of the men’s rankings, Iga Swiatek is a deserving No.1 in the women’s game. The Polish right-hander boasts three grand slam singles titles, the most recent being over the weekend in New York. Swiatek dismissed Ons Jabeur 6-2 7-6 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to add the hard-court crown to her two French Open successes. Only 21, it must also be remembered that she chalked up a 37-game winning streak earlier this year. The world is her oyster.

V – VALE ASAD RAUF

The international cricketing community has done it tough over the past couple of years and it doesn’t get any easier following the announcement of Asad Rauf’s passing. The former international umpire died yesterday after a cardiac arrest. He was 66. An accomplished batsman in Pakistan in his playing career, Rauf officiated in 64 Tests (49 as an on-field umpire), 139 one-day internationals and 28 T20s.

W – WARNING SIGNS

It seems David Warner’s lifetime leadership ban, enforced after his involvement in “Sandpaper-gate” in Cape Town in 2018, is a thing of the past. The veteran left-hander wants to skipper the national one-day side and is preparing to meet with Cricket Australia officials. Warner’s teammates, both past and present, feel he has served his penance and is entitled to be considered for the role of captain. They obviously have a different understanding of the word “lifetime” than many others.

X – X MARKS THE SPOT

There is an unwritten rule that when the Haka is performed by the All Blacks, you stand your ground out of respect and observe. It hasn’t always been the case — remember England’s iconic challenge of the Haka at the 2019 World Cup? But the Wallabies weren’t wedded to the spot last night, forming a boomerang or V-shape and advancing as the Kiwis performed their pre-match war cry. It was the precursor to an absorbing contest, with the All Blacks benefiting from a dubious late call to prevail 39-37.

Y – YOU’RE THE ONE

Comes A Time and Startrade are prominent in the betting for tomorrow’s feature at Belmont Park, the $100,000 Nicopolis Stakes (1200m). Only a nose separated them a fortnight ago and if either of them is successful tomorrow, you’d suspect they will be very much at the pointy end of betting with TABtouch for the Hannan’s Handicap (1400m) during the Kalgoorlie round.

Z – ZAAKI v ANAMOE

Not for the first time (and let’s hope not for the last), the two superstars will meet in tomorrow’s running of the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m). The pair were brilliant first-up winners and will dominate the betting for the feature as they continue their build-up to the Cox Plate (2040m) down at Moonee Valley next month.




Recent Articles