October
DecemberYou're not missing much
All the hype and hyperbole about the Hong Kong international meeting must leave most Aussie punters lamenting that they have never ventured there.
Well from first-hand experience I can reassure them they aren’t missing much. You can only bet with the tote, where the all-up money is added in five minutes before the jump, often decimating your price.
That’s why the HK quinella pool is bigger than the win pool, as the local punters seek some value.
There is no point trying to watch the races live, as the inside track area is full of buildings so you only see the horses enter the straight.
Consequently the best thing to do is sit all day in the saddling paddock stands behind the main stand, where you can nick out for a quick wager and watch all the racing on the TV monitors.
Mooney Valley, which like Sha Tin is pressed for available land, also has the saddling paddock behind the stands. But of course at the Valley you can watch the entire race from the stands.
It may have been Hong Kong that inspired Randwick to place its "Theatre of the Horse" behind the stands. Watching on TVN I find this location irritating and I’m not the only one, judging by the few people who sit there.
Please, administrators. We punters need the saddling enclosure to be in front of the stands so once the money is on we can watch the whole event unfold before our eyes.
Bendigo (Vic)