In This Months Edition
FEATURE INTERVIEW: Ken CallanderIn this month's InForm interview, we talk to well known racing media personality Ken Callander. Ken only recently retired from the Sydney mounting yard previews which he did with his son Richard, but he's still as involved with racing as he ever was. In this interview with Peter Klein, he shares his thoughts on some of the turf stories he's covered and the personalities he's met in a lifetime on the track. Ken Callander
Photo Credit: AAP Image He started as a copy boy with the Daily Mirror back in 1962 and moved to the racing section shortly after. Some of his media colleagues over the years have included the likes of Jack Ward, Tom Brassel, Ossie Imber, and Bert Lillye. Now there's some combined years of racing experience for you. They taught him some tricks too, and like all good cub reporters, Callander quickly learnt the ropes. Back then, pay day was usually on a Friday. But if you had a valid reason, then you could request an early pay run on the Wednesday instead. Ken says that not surprisingly, most of the recipients of the generous early pay scheme all came from the racing department. There'd usually be a flood of applications on Monday after a bad day at the track on Saturday! Some of the excuses had to be heard to be believed. But they're a different crew now to when Ken worked at the Mirror. He points out the difference in today's racing writers; "Maybe it's the culture, but for these guys, it was racing first and last. They lived and breathed racing and they were all mad punters. I guess you'd say they were more racing people than journalists." It worries Ken that these days, hardly any racing journalist attends track work or bothers to write about it on a regular basis. But in the Mirror's hey day, a top horse that worked strongly on the Thursday would probably be the main lead in with that afternoon's turf story. "Today, you wouldn't know what work a horse has done, other than what you're told. And maybe that's something that's missing.' The mecca of Australian racing is the Melbourne Cup carnival. Callander was first sent down by the Mirror the year Galilee won in 1966. He reckons that's still the best stayer's he's seen. And his best punting result on the Cup was when top mare Jezabeel won in 1998. Speaking of top horses, Callander has seen plenty, but regards Kingston Town as the measuring stick. "He was always sore in the autumn and couldn't race then as an older horse, so his record of big race wins is all the more amazing. Galilee was probably the ultimate stayer and I'd give Vain the best sprinter and Luskin Star as the best 2YO I've seen." Asked about the best trainers he's seen, he thinks that Tommy Smith had no peer. "Tommy came to Sydney with absolutely nothing and won 33 straight training premierships. A fabulous horseman and the best trainer in my time. What about his daughter, Gai Waterhouse? "Gai's a chip off the old block. You're always up against it when trying to compare father and daughter, but she's an amazing trainer in her own right." Other trainers that have made an impression? Bart Cummings - "A great trainer for setting a horse for the one race and of course a great trainer of stayers." John Hawkes - "His record speaks for itself." Neville Begg - "A wonderful horseman and an absolute gentleman." Brian Mayfield Smith - "Ended Tommy Smith's reign in Sydney. Very, very good." Callander's seen all the good jockeys too, but opts for Darren Beadman as being about the best he's seen by a short half head over George Moore. Why? "Because he's probably just got a better big race temperament, whereas Moore could get a bit fired up. Darren's so relaxed. Things just don't get to him. Mick Dittman was also a great competitor and a thinker. If he didn't like what you wrote about him, he'd front you and tell you why he thought it was wrong. Then you had hoops like Peter Cook. He had untapped talent. Believe it or not, we probably never saw the best of him. Malcolm Johnston (despite his suspensions), because horses just ran for him. And I'd have to also include Ron Quinton, an absolute professional and Des Lake. Des was never beaten, especially when the money was on." Callander has been known to call a spade a spade. He writes without fear or favour and this has caused the occasional run in with people he's written about. "But I only call it as I see it. Usually, if I give a jockey a pasting after a bad ride, they'll talk to me about it later. The good ones take it on the chin and don't bear grudges. But I always try to be constructive with any criticism I hand out." There are three racing scandals that stand out in Ken's mind. One was the Mr Digby form reversal in 1981. Mr Digby was owned by colourful racing personality George Freeman and after having run well back only two days earlier, won by eight lengths at its next start after being heavily backed. Callander actually backed it himself the day it won and stewards questioned him as part of their enquiry. They accepted his wry explanation that he thought it could improve on its previous run. He also ranks the jockey tapes affair which Jim Cassidy was involved in, and the Fine Cotton ring-in as others that come to mind. Ken has owned his fair share of horses over the years. By far the best was a horsed called Zedagal, which Ken raced with his wife Helen and prominent Sydney bookmaker Col Tidy. The filly won a Blue Diamond Prelude before finishing unplaced in the Diamond of that year behind Mahassin. Ken also raced a half sister to Ben Lomond by Rangong (Hyperno's sire). But unlike Hyperno, it was no Melbourne Cup contender and was eventually sent home to New Zealand. Ken has firm views on the industry and how it effects owners. "If you look at the prize money and training fees over the last twenty or thirty years, they've probably gone up proportionally to CPI. Whereas stallion service fees and the price of yearlings has gone through the roof. If you just put on a game for the wealthy, then you'll lose the average Joe Blow who the industry depends upon. What racing in NSW has to do to improve, is unite the industry. There needs to be better liaison between Racing NSW and the clubs. The leaders at Racing NSW need to better understand the culture of racing. It's not just a prize money race." Outside of racing, Callander is a family man. He and his wife Helen have four sons and seven grandchildren to keep them busy. However he's got plenty of other interests that keep him occupied as well. He's actively involved in the Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation and was also on the fundraising committee which helped build the Calvary Hospital at Kogarah. Ken also loves a regular round of Golf and enjoys reading a good crime novel or autobiography when he gets the time. But his main recreation always has been and always will be having a bet. Next time you see him at the races, say G'day and make yourself known. It will be worth it for the tip and the customary "Good luck and good punting!" you'll get. Written by Peter Klein - Business Manager Racing
Racing Review & Preview Jockey Hugh Bowman and trainer Bart Cummings celebrate
their Magic Millions success. Photo Credit: AAP Image  Jockey Darren Beadman rides Gold Edition over the line to win
the 3 year old Magic Millions Trophy at the Magic Millions racing carnival on the Gold Coast Saturday, January 13, 2007 Photo Credit: AAP Image Meanwhile, at the Magic Million sales, the records continued to tumble. After the first four days of selling, 595 yearlings were sold at an average price of $182,191. All up, the sales turnover was $108 million, an increase of 35 per cent on last year's figures whilst the average price rose 30 per cent. The figures were helped along by trainer Gai Waterhouse with her purchase of $2 million for a Sadler's Wells/Sunday Joy colt. Gai was the leading buyer at the sales, putting her hand up for 26 horses for a total spend of $7,550,000. Other leading buyers were; Laird Racing Stable (Sth Africa) - 18 lots and Mark Pilkington Bloodstock (Vic) - 24 lots. Not surprisingly, the leading stallion was Redoute's Choice whose 35 yearlings fetched an average of $471,286. Punters aren't far off seeing the good horses return for their autumn campaigns. In Melbourne, class gallopers Red Dazzler, Haradasun and El Segundo resume on the Australia Day weekend. Miss Finland starts off her campaign against stablemate Tawqeet in the G1 Orr Stakes on February 10. And in Sydney, the powerful stables of Hawkes, Waterhouse, O'Shea and Cummings (both father and son) are full of quality horses just rarin' to go. Sports Review & PreviewYou can almost smell the sweat and leather and hear the crunch of the tackles and the roar of the crowds.Footy season is upon us, even though summer and the cricket season is lingering. The Super 14 season kicks off in February and the AFL and NRL will be playing their trial games and pre-season competitions this month. For footy fans it’s the start of another season of hopes and dreams but there is no doubt the focus is still on the cricket for the time being. While the Ashes have been won back in commanding fashion, Australia is still in the midst of tri-series against New Zealand and a hapless England, with the home-side likely to go through the domestic summer unbeaten in all forms of the game. The best of three finals series will most likely be against the Kiwis - just weeks before the Aussies head over to the land of the long white cloud for the best of three one-day internationals for the Chappell-Hadlee trophy. In their current form Ricky Ponting's men are odds-on to win in New Zealand as a warm-up act for their assault on the World Cup in the West Indies in March. Domestically, the Pura Cup is wide open with all states except South Australia in the running to be the nation's leading first class cricket state. In the Ford Ranger Cup one-day series, Queensland and Victoria are out in front on the table but WA and Tassie are not without a chance of reaching the final. Other highlights in February include the first round of the Davis Cup with Australia taking on Belgium in Liege. The onus will be on Lleyton Hewitt to deliver, and tennis fans will be hoping his form has improved since his Australian Open loss. Speaking of the Open, Roger Federer again proved he is the best tennis player on the planet, and possibly the best of all time, after going through the tournament without dropping a set. Experts believe he could be the first man to win the Grand Slam since Rod Laver. And Serena Williams proved a champion never loses class, only form, by bouncing back from a world ranking in the 80s to become the first unseeded woman to win the Open in decades. Another highlight in February is expected to the A-League Grand final. It will be played in either Melbourne or Adelaide, depending on who wins this weekend. Defending Premiers Sydney are still in the running but need to beat Newcastle this weekend to stay in the finals race. This weekend also sees the Australian Open Women's Golf at Royal Sydney, with a question mark hanging over Karrie Webb and whether she can keep her comeback on track after a couple of lean years. As always, there's plenty of sport to watch and enjoy in February. Written by Mike Osborne, Head of Sport and Racing
AAP Racing - helping you find the winners for 2007!It's been a big start to 2007 for AAP Racing clients, with our Fastform Five Ratings and Runners to Watch services, throwing up winner after winner over the past 6 weeks. Located on the www.aapracing.com.au homepage, Runners to Watch is a list of horses, carefully selected by AAP Racing staff, that are ready to win! Here's some recent results of our horses next two starts after being listed on AAP's Runners to Watch:
60 seconds with Zac Purton Attended a Jockey Seminar at Coffs Harbour. Any superstitions on raceday or before a race? None The best jockey you've ridden against and why? Darren Beadman - because of his dominance. What are some of major goals you wish to achieve during your riding career? I would like to ride in Hong Kong. Win a Sydney Jockey's Premiership as well as winning as many Group 1 races as possible. The best horse you have ridden to date. Eremein. The best piece of advice you've ever received and from whom? Treat everyone with respect. Away from racing and the racetrack, how do you enjoy your spare time? Just try and relax as much as possible. How do you celebrate after a big day at the races? A nice meal and a few drinks. If you could run racing in Australia for one day, what would be the first change if any, you would make? Increased prizemoney for owners. Do you have a personal motto? Work hard! The Intelligent Punter(Advertorial) The Intelligent Punter is a new web site that has been designed and developed to give you the edge over the average punter. Professional thoroughbred racing analysts bring you speed maps for metropolitan meetings and full pre-race analysis including suggested bets. Post-race analysis and articles of interest are also available. The Intelligent Punter is holding an Autumn Virtual Stable Competition with over $5000 in prizes to be won. Entry is free for registered members with entries closing by midnight on Friday 23rd February 2007. Registration is free and as a registered member you will be able to access all areas of the web site for free until 15th April 2007. This free period allows you to assess the benefits of joining as a paid member of the Intelligent Punter web site. As a subscriber to this newsletter the Intelligent Punter is offering you an extra free month of access until 15th May 2007. To take up this offer it is important on registering to fill in the "Promo Code" field with the letters "aapracing " Increase your punting IQ at www.intelligentpunter.com.au  Mounting Yard Tips - 'No sweat, don't bet'For the dwindling numbers who still go the races rather than watch on the TV, they still have a few advantages over the stay at home punter. One of the best guides a racegoer has, is looking at the horses in the mounting yard before they race. A lot of people are discouraged from doing this, figuring they don't have the skills required to assess a horse's fitness levels. True, it does take a lot of acquired knowledge and experience to know what to look for, but here's something anyone can spot - a sweating horse. Photo Credit: Steve Hart Photographics
What does it mean? When a horse sweats up, it means it is usually nervous or excitable. And that's bad, because it is expending valuable energy before its race. The racing maxim; 'He has already run his race' has its origins from this. So when a horse is sweating up in the mounting yard, be very wary of backing it. What to look for? Take a good look at the leading trainer's horses as they enter the yard. Almost without exception, they walk into the yard in a calm, relaxed manner. They are well educated and know what to expect. They save their energy for the task ahead and walk around the mounting yard without anything upsetting them. And their coats shine with the health and fitness of well toned muscles. On the other hand, a horse that breaks out in a sweat displays different characteristics altogether. They are obviously upset with their surroundings and sweating profusely anywhere from the neck down to the flanks and between the hind legs. Sometimes, the sweat will be so profuse, as to have turned to foam and run down the insides of their hind legs. There are other signs too, like a horse jog trotting beside its handler or rearing and trying to break away. Nervous horses are frightened horses and sometimes it is even possible for the whites of their eyes to be visible like they've seen a ghost. A horse that breaks out may be masking an injury that isn't apparent to the trainer or rider. The sweating can be in anticipation of the pain it knows it will soon encounter during the race. So a horse that breaks out in a sweat is an extremely risking betting proposition. When you notice your betting selection come into the mounting yard in this state, you are best off passing on the horse or the race. However, some professional punters actually look forward to these situations and can make money on the race in an unusual way. When a short price (usually odds on) favourite comes into the yard in a muck lather, it is sometimes possible to back every other horse in the race to beat it. There are some exceptions to the sweating rule:
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