Turf Deli Racing News

Blue Diamond Spectacular

The Melbourne Festival of Racing gets into full swing this week with one of the feature Melbourne Autumn events - the Blue Diamond Stakes for 2 Year Olds.

Two year olds are often a bit erratic, a bit wayward, a bit green and you never quite know what is going to happen next.

It is wonderful that the racing industry pays homage to Far North Queensland Cane Toad Racing with it's very own replica race in the Blue Diamond.

Herd them up, plonk some numbers on them, let them loose, watch them scamper in all directions and first across the line is the winner - just like the Blue Diamond !

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The Melbourne Racing Club at Caulfield is shaking racing up with a grab bag of new ideas, and yet have not considered introducing on course cane toad racing to compliment the equine action on race day.

Why not we ask? (don't say Turf Deli doesn't ask the tough questions).

The MRC have already suggested increasing the number of runners going around in the Caulfield Cup from 18 to 20 (plus a few emergencies on stand by). Safety issues have been raised about the tight squeeze out of the straight that often occurs in this race, but what punters really want to know is how they are going to handle the odds for the additional horses on the large tote display at the end of the straight – which only allows the numbers 1 to 20. Guess that's nothing some rope, a few large sheets of white cardboard, a black texta and a casually paid Irish back packer with a sense of adventure can't fix.

Then there is the idea of moving the Grand National Hurdle from Sandown to Caulfield, which Racing Victoria have knocked back, but the MRC are keen to pursue.

What about a Mad Middle East Dictator Race Day ? Seems to be a few of them around at the moment with some time and spare cash on their hands.

They are also keen to have the feature race as late in the day as possible to increase ratings leading into the Channel Nine news. This is obviously a blatant bid to capture that much desired demographic - those who stay tuned to the TV 24/7 waiting for the next fascinating instalment in Shane Warne's love life. Everyone knows little 2YOs should be tucked up in their beds dreaming of winning back to back Melbourne Cups well before the 6pm news comes on.