Sprint races to watch for in Australia

Many punters prefer the sprinters to the stayers because sprinters tend to race more often. Horses that race more often not only become familiar faces (so to speak) but also become easier factors to consider in future races. When punters have access to free betting, they tend to place their bets on sprinters. In Australia, the most famous sprinter to ever gallop was undoubtedly the undefeated Black Caviar, now in the broodmare barn.

Sprint races are also popular with the Australian racing industry. 2015 is an especially exciting one for sprint racing, as six nations host the ten races of the Global Sprint Challenge. The racing calendar features many Group One sprints, with these being the most prestigious for free bets from a book maker.

Black Caviar Lightning Stakes

Once just called the Lightning Stakes, it was renamed to honour (guess who?) Black Caviar herself. She won the race in 2012. Held at Flemington Racecourse usually in late February, this $500,000 (AUS) 1000 meter sprint hosts world-class sprinters. The 2015 edition was won by Lankan Rupee, a questionable runner for the rest of the year due to injuries sustained in the 2015 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington in March.

Newmarket Handicap

First run in 1874, this is another Group One sprinting event at 1200 meters also held at Flemington but with a purse of $1 (AUS). The handicap tends to be more interesting than stakes races because weights come into play during the final few strides. The handicapper's goal is to get all of the horses to hit the wire together, which can make for some wildly unpredictable results, such as the 2015 running where the heavy favorite, Lankan Rupee, ran sixth. Brazen Baeu won.

The BTC Cup

Run in May at Doomben Racecourse, this Grade One for three-year-olds and up is another sprint race where punters use their free bets from a book maker. There are often full starting gates for this race which makes the odds juicy. Last year's winner, Famous Seamous, is expected to try for a repeat win.

AJ Moir Stakes

First run in 1976, this sprint may not have the largest purse on the calendar, but it certainly is prestigious. It's also challenging to pick a winner. Seeing what horse winds up the favourite is nearly as exciting as the race itself! Run in late September at Moonee Valley Racecourse, this 1200 meter sprint was won by Black Caviar in 2010 and 2011. Last year's winner, Buffering, may not be able to run this year's running due to injury.

Darley Classic

Held in November at Flemington Racecourse, this prestigious 1200 meter sprint for three-year-olds and up is also part of the Global Sprint Challenge. This race, first held in 1868, was previously called the VRC Sprint Classic and then called the Patinak Farm Classic. Hopefully, it will still be called the Darley Classic come November. The purse is a mouthwatering $1 million (AUS.) This is a good race to use any free betting on as it is a weight-for-age instead of a handicap or one-weight-only race. Last year's winner, Terravista, may come back for a second win in 2015.

2012: A Year to Remember in Horse Racing

Looking back, it has been another eventful year in horse racing. Following are some of the highlights and lowlights, as well as a look at what can be expected going forward.

The Good

It was a year of champions at the Royal Ascot, with not one but two undefeated runners competing during one of the most noted social events of the British annual calendar. First up was Frankel in the Queen Anne stakes, winning by over 11 lengths and remaining undefeated. Frankel went on to win a total of 14 times in 14 starts before being retired still undefeated and put to stud in October. Following that spectacular opener was Black Caviar, who traveled halfway around the world to run in the Diamond Jubilee race on Saturday of the Royal Ascot. Expected to win by a similar length.to Frankel, she ended by winning only by a nose after her jockey eased up on her in the final furlong, causing her to slow down. Nonetheless, a nose is a nose, and Black Caviar maintained her undefeated status with 22 wins in 22 starts. 

The Bad

Damien Oliver, the jockey of Melbourne Cup fame, has been banned from racing for ten months for betting on a rival horse during his competition at Raceway Victoria and for using a mobile phone in the jockeys’ room before the race. Allowed to continue riding through the Melbourne Spring Carnival before admitting to the bet, he nonetheless did not deny it when charges came to light, circumstances that have caused others to question Raceway Victoria’s handling of the scandal and why charges were not brought to light sooner. 

The Crusader

Peter V’Landys finally won his case with corporate betting houses in which he asserted that waging operators should pay a one and a half percent fee to the racing industry based on the turnovers rather than simply gross revenue. The race-fields case, on file since 2006, was decided by the High Court in V’Landys’ favor. While the case was being fought, the value of the percentage was estimated at $100 million, an amount that V’landys put aside and held in trust until a decision could be reached.

Upcoming

Royal Randwick returns to give Sydney a racecourse to admire, with partial opening of the redeveloped grandstand in April for the Australian Derby, and expected full grand reopening in the spring. In addition, Black Caviar is set to start Melbourne in February. Melbourne betting scandals are still ongoing. 

This post was prepared by the guys at Free Bookie Bets, an Australian horse betting website dedicated to hunting down the best free bookie bets for punters. If you'd like to score a free bet, they can sort you out.

Black Caviar Gets Strong Support from Peter Moody

The weight of Black Caviar has been seen as a disadvantage but trainer Peter Moody has defended the chubby champion. Weighing 610 kg, the Black Caviar is 70 kg more than her Royal Ascot weight. However, Moody pointed out that she exceeded her normal racing weight with 30 kg only. The average weight of racing Black Caviar is 580 kg.

Moody explained that the Black Caviar has not participated in races for six months. However, he insists she is a bit overweight but not fat. He said there was still plenty of time to make her fit enough to participate in the $500,000 Lightning Stakes scheduled for February 16. 

Different television and radio stations raised concerns about the weight of Black Caviar and doubted her participation in the competition. The reports almost drove the trainer mad.

Before the Black Caviar took part in the Royal Ascot campaign, she had shed 40 kg and surprised many people with her lean appearance. She achieved a narrow win but performed below par, which was largely attributed to her lack of condition.

The Black Caviar has an impressive unbeaten 22-start career, and Royal Ascot was her last and most challenging run. When the Black Caviar came from quarantine, she stayed in the paddock for many weeks before taking six more weeks on Peter Clarke's water walker in Murchison. It was only last Monday that she returned to Moody’s stables in Caulfield.

Black Caviar’s campaign may include starts in T.J. Smith Stakes scheduled for April 13 at Randwick and two starts during the winter carnival in Brisbane.

Another Sydney-based trainer also came in support of Black Caviar, explaining that the number on the scale did not matter so long as Moody believed he had her fit. He explained there would be no difference if she looked tight and her breathing was right.

She may move to a V12 up from V8 if she remains above her normal racing weight because more weight means more power.

The trainer explained it was difficult to shed weight off training horses because they fed on grain-filled heavy-performance meals. The best ways of shedding weight are hard gallops and racing but the pressure may be too much for Black Caviar.

Any horse with a history of problems is not worth galloping too much.

Although horses may shed between four and nine kilograms per race, Black Caviar is unlikely to achieve that.