Racing for 2017 is nearly done and dusted. There have been some great highlights, there have been some awful lowlights, both on and off the track. There have been stars, but just like the England Cricket Team, there has been many duds racing this year, and in a nod to the Poms, here is the In The Sea XI.
To be in consideration for a start in the squad, you must not have won a race this year and/or turned it up at least once.
1 – Fell Swoop:
Once upon a time, he was a Group l winner in waiting. Once upon a time…2017 was the year we’d find out if he was a contender or a pretender. The latter fits the bill quite nicely. Seven starts this year for no wins, though he did place (aided by bias) in the TJ Smith behind Chautauqua. Amazingly, he was one of the first horses to get a slot in The Everest despite average form and he ran up to that when finishing last behind Redzel. Not sure what 2018 holds for him, but I doubt it’ll be a big race.
2 – Spieth (VC):
Had it not been for Tom, he would be captain, CEO, chairman of selectors, the whole lot. After the Darley Classic in 2016, most people, myself included, thought he could well challenge for the title as the best sprinter in Australia and indeed the world given the upside he had left. You could make a case he should have won the Lightning first up but post that, it was just ugly viewing with six subsequent starts, beaten by a combined margin of just over 30 lengths. Sold to a stud thank goodness. Hopefully he doesn’t burn a whole in the punters pockets ever again.
3 – Tom Melbourne (C):
If the openers can’t get the job done, we need someone reliable to steady the ship and who else but Tom. His Autumn was ordinary, so he was sent to Chris Waller. The trial pervs declared that he’d turned the corner and was ready to win races. And yes, he probably should have won first up, but after that, Tom just did what Tom does- Look the winner but was very humble in handing the race to someone else. 12 starts in 2017 for no wins and six placings.
4 – Guadalcanal:
If for some reason Tom is off his game, this bloke can fill the void. If you thought Tom Melbourne was a bludger, how about this bloke. 24 starts in 2017, managing just two placings. He backed up in seven days or less on 10 occasions. Total combined losing margin? 232.3 lengths…yes, you’ve read that correctly. Can we send this horse a plush Teddy Bear or some chocolates or a free hug or something? He ran on December 16 at Healesville and was beaten 16.75L over the mile. He is now retired.
5 – Onerous:
His last win came in January 2016. Chris Waller has tried, Team Hawkes has tried (again), and nothing has worked. To be fair, Mitch Beer/Max Hinton have done a good job with the horse in the Spring. But he still hasn’t won and he deserves his spot in the field. 10 starts this year for two placings, the latest being last Saturday at Caulfield behind Ozi Choice. But the other placing came too at Caulfield in July and fair dinkum, he should have won, but he didn’t want to attack the line at all.
6 – Tarquin:
I’d rather back a Mannequin than back Tarquin. He really has done bugger all in 2017, racing 10 times and managing just two placings, the highlight coming in the Moe Cup behind Count da Vinci. What got him in was the run on the Stakes Day at Flemington where he was hard in the market and attempted to lead all the way like he was Vo Rogue. Gone 600m out and I reckon I could have run quicker in the straight. In the spelling paddock, hopefully forever.
7 – Dibayani:
Of course he goes in. He’s Dibayani, who is nearly a house hold known name like Tom. Six runs in 2017, with the best effort being a fourth to win in the Apollo, though beaten nine lengths. Heavily backed to win the Ajax and did nothing, flashed home from the back in the Weekend Hussler before doing nothing in the Kennedy Mile. His last win was June 2013.
8 – Unequivocal:
She’s been a good mare for Noel Mayfield-Smith, but she’d struggle to win a benchmark race at Roma. Only the six starts in 2017 but has done little bar a placing on Oaks Day at Hawkesbury behind Duca Valentinois. Her last win came in the Kembla heat of the Provincial Championship in 2016, so it’s 18 months. I think that streak will continue.
9 – Seaburge:
After his second to Awesome Rock in the 2016 Emirates, we thought this could well be the horse to follow in 2017. Dear me how wrong we were. he caught the eye in the Australian Guineas and Toorak but that was it. Seven starts in 2017, ending the year with a token run in the Cox Plate where he was beaten 13 lengths by Winx as the $101 rank outsider. Not even sure a snip job between his legs will do the trick, but I know he won’t be in my thoughts as a winning prospect ever again.
10- So Si Bon:
He’s the up and comer who could challenge Tom Melbourne for the skipper role. If you told someone the background of the horse and the prep he had in the Spring, they wouldn’t believe. Robbie Laing stated many times that the horse was being kept to the mile after failing as a stayer in the Autumn. It all looked to be going sweetly after two outstanding runs to kick off the prep. Then all of a sudden, Craig Williams rode him upside down in the Bobbie Lewis. From there he backed up a week later over 1400m, then backed up a week later in the Sir Rupert Clarke where he ran third. Then had a month off and ran in the Kennedy Mile, then backed up a week later in the Emirates, then backed up a week later in the Zipping Classic (2400m) and by this stage, So So Bon had enough and figured he’d go out with a bang, attempting to bite the eventual winner The Taj Mahal. Now with the Hayes/Dabernig team, let’s wait and see.
11 – Chetwood:
He trials like Black Caviar, races like Eric the Eel. Has only raced four times in 2017 but has been a big flop every time he steps out. He came back last Saturday in the Razor Sharp where he was hard in the market, again off his usual brilliant trials, but like he did previously, he went out, looked to be bolting, but when it came to the crunch time, he folded and faded badly. Every squad needs a pretty boy who talks the talk and doesn’t walk the walk. Spieth has that title, but Chetwood is a good companion.
