WHATS YOUR FANCY FOR THE JULY

you reckon.... lol

Russell - I went for HT in that year and I was convinced that he would win because he ran the year before as a 3 year old carrying 55KG. The year in which he won, he again carried 55Kgs. I was sold because of this.

Interesting AL... you spotted the difference that most wouldn't. a lot of things have to factored in when we choose a horse which is quite a bit but i reckon we lucky in the fact that there are not "so many" horses to choose from. imagine a race with 50 plus runners... Will need one hell of a big track....

Another to factor in - Buy and sell is carrying 53 Kg's. 2,5Kg less than last year and the same weight that he had as a 3 year old in 2007. Apparently horses strengthen and get better with age!

Buy and sell has dissapointed of late though but may be worth an eachway go. He may have peaked a bit early last year and perhaps the gold challenge this year will bring him on closer to his full potential. He ran well in the gold challenge last year and was at his peak at the public gallops. If Buy and Sell had run on the day of the public gallops he probably would have won. This year he may be getting eased into the race and peak on the day.

You have to respect the fact that Felix chose B&S over Kapil. More theories to follow.

Thanks again Formgrids - so easy to build an argument when all the facts are just a click away. (Horse Search)

AL got a feeling about Buy and sell myself,was travelling very well entering the straight in the gold challenge but never picked up..

interesting banter.... Anton marcus jumped to Our Giant after the draw sparking thoughts that Smart Banker wont be able to overcome the draw and I cant see Our giant winning either after his previous races so that leaves 2 less horses to choose from when selcting a banker winner for your quartet....

Getting on the odds now might not be too good.... Reckon on the day of the races, odds will be better on the tote cause of the draws and outsiders that might just come into play this year.... But in my opinion I dont see 12 draw for PP a problem.

Got a theory about the draws - will post later - but lets just say that one should remember PP's new riding tactics. He has been placed a lot closer to the front lately, so they wont be dropping him out and there may be quite a bit of jossling for early position.

Yes indeed.. he will be running from the start to get into the first 5 positions... Remembering a good jump will definately be required and that he does. I fear if Aluminium gets in front early and doesn't too much out of the ride he is gonna be a BIG runner. If PP can stay on the heels of kapil throughout the run up to the 400 he will take the race. He needs a horse in front of him to give that burst of pace he is known for and take the lead but I hope he doesn't leave it for too late as Striker judges pace well and after a flying finish in his last race will be one to watch out for in the last 200. River Jetez, if she overcomes the draw and is still handy, gonna run in second or third, gaurenteed.

This July will be determined by the EPO stayers.
Nevermind the draw, you jump, ride the horse flat, 400 meters to go, pull the stick, once, twice,......and the horse keeps on finding....

watch races further than 1600 meters, geldings ...
you ride them flat, 400 meters from home, pull the stick, ears pricked, second wind, kick again, skip clear of the field by 4 lenghts....the horse keeps finding...going away from the field...

Hope Pocket Power is as good as they think...Pocket Power vs EPO


Sprinters at 4/10, 5/10...don't back them...
watch at the start, the jockey drinks a sip of water, gives the horse the rest from the cup...2 grandpa powders and the 4/10 stops at the 400 meter mark..cramps...vet cannot find anything wrong....


dont look so stunned..it happens every week..
Jockeys grab onto the starting gate poles....horse jumps alone
Forget to take the hood off..horse jumps and runs 10 meters with the hood on..
Horse does not negotiate the turn..jockey said the horse needs blinkers..trainer refused the blinkers...

Each time I took/take doubles R250k/R7K, R250K/R20K, etc...the 2nd leg of the double always went/goes missing...

Now I banker EPO horses in the pick6 and collect the pools..
from October 2 2008 till now, 17 pick6... smallest R360k and a few 1 ticket's
cannot wait for july pick 6...

Impressive Andre, I'm a bit stupid what is EPO?

The last Olimpics in China...they froze all the blood samples, as they were not up to speed to test for EPO.
The tests are being done, the woman that won the 20km walk, tested positive.
Cycling ... same story...


Erythropoietin updated Feb 2005
Pharmacological cheating in sports is not a new phenomenon. Unfortunately, the modern era has witnessed explosive growth in new and different ways to achieve false victory. Advances in biochemistry, medicine, and other fields have benefited humanity in countless ways. Sadly, however, some have abused these advances for, “pursuit of victory at all cost”. A recent article by Dr. Timothy Noakes (1) highlights the breadth and depth of the problem. He discusses several “cheating venues”, but for this article I wish to focus on one, erythropoietin.


Erythropoietin (pronounced, ah-rith-ro-poy-tin, and abbreviated, EPO) is a relatively recent entry into the deceitful pursuit of glory. EPO is a protein hormone produced by the kidney. After being released into the blood stream it binds with receptors in the bone marrow, where it stimulates the production of red blood cells (erythrocytes). Medically, EPO is used to treat certain forms of anemia (e.g., due to chronic kidney failure). Logically, since EPO accelerates erythrocyte production it also increases oxygen carrying capacity. This fact did not long escape notice of the athletic community.
Blood doping is the process of artificially increasing the amount of red blood cells in the body in an attempt to improve athletic performance. In the past this was accomplished by transfusion. The athlete would “donate” a unit of blood into storage and then 3 weeks later, after the body had completely replaced the blood loss, transfuse the unit back into the body. This would occur just before a big race, effectively giving the athlete an “extra” unit of blood. This enables performance improvements in endurance sports because of the extra oxygen carrying capacity. The practice has been outlawed. Not just because it is unfair but because of the dangers involved.

EPO has put a whole new spin on blood doping. No need for messy transfusions, just shoot up with EPO to increase your circulating erythrocyte mass. Until recently accurate testing has been difficult because the recombinant human EPO made in the lab is virtually identical to the naturally occurring form and there are no firmly established normal ranges for EPO in the body. The only previously available route to curtail cheating for sports governing bodies was to ban an athlete if the hematocrit (see side bar) level was too high (e.g., above 50%). Thus, over the past 10 – 15 years some athletes chose to cheat because, as long as they kept their hematocrit levels below 50%, there seemed little risk of getting caught. Of course the other way to get caught was highlighted in the disastrous 1998 Tour de France. Several team doctors and personnel from several teams were caught red-handed with thousands of doses of EPO and other banned substances. Ultimately about 50% of the teams withdrew from the race – either for cheating or in protest.

Fortunately, testing technology has now caught up and promises to stem the tide of abuse. There is now an accurate urine test that can detect the differences between normal and synthetic EPO. This test is now the standard and was the sole means to detect for EPO use in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. The reliability of this test helps explain the cascade of athletes who have been caught and, subsequently, banned from competition. This surge in positive tests will likely decline as the “word” gets out and EPO use declines -- at least until someone figures out a work-around. Of course, there is always the next great pharmacologic or genetic cheat just lurking around the corner to consider.

Ref(1) – Tainted Glory – Doping and Athletic Performance. Noakes, TD. NEJM. 351:9. Aug.26. 2004


Why is EPO dangerous?
The reason that EPO, and transfusion blood doping, is dangerous is because of increased blood viscosity. Basically, whole blood consists of red blood cells and plasma (water, proteins, etc.). The percentage of whole blood that is occupied by the red blood cells is referred to as, the hematocrit. A low hematocrit means dilute (thin) blood, and a high hematocrit mean concentrated (thick) blood. Above a certain hematocrit level whole blood can sludge and clog capillaries. If this happens in the brain it results in a stroke. In the heart, a heart attack. Unfortunately, this has happened to several elite athletes who have used EPO.

EPO use is especially dangerous to athletes who exercise over prolonged periods. A well-conditioned endurance athlete is more dehydration resistant than a sedentary individual. The body accomplishes this by several methods, but one key component is to “hold on” to more water at rest. Circulating whole blood is one location in which this occurs and, thus, can function as a water reservoir. During demanding exercise, as fluid losses mount, water is shifted out of the blood stream (hematocrit rises). If one is already starting with an artificially elevated hematocrit then you can begin to see the problem -- it is a short trip to the critical “sludge zone”.

Additional dangers of EPO include sudden death during sleep, which has killed approximately 18 pro cyclists in the past fifteen years, and the development of antibodies directed against EPO. In this later circumstance the individual develops anemia as a result of the body’s reaction against repeated EPO injections