It has been an eventful little week in the racing world, with the NZ TAB making the headlines. The new kid on the block in Queensland racing has hit the ground running, while vision also surfaced of a bloke who might know a thing or two. The Punt Drunk team has you covered for your Friday racing fix.
MR. STRIKERATE
The name Jack Bruce is a new one in Queensland racing, but we urge you to remember it. The young trainer has had just 23 starters, with his first coming back in late May, and already he has nine winners. That’s almost 40%. Since August 13, he’s had eight runners for six winners which is just insane for someone so new to it.
With that big strike rate comes a new legion of fans, with plenty of people taking note of just how good this young-gun is going. It’s not too late to jump on the bandwagon either. He has two runners in at the Gold Coast on Friday, with Barade contesting the Gold Coast Cup and Axe running in the Listed Goldmarket, before Matowatakpe tackles a Benchmark 85 at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Get on the Bruce Bandwagon, he is going places!
Jack Bruce – can train
— Rhys West (@RhysWest10) August 25, 2022
Feels pic.twitter.com/PAHHsKT4E3
— Christopher Dante (@cdwinters91) August 25, 2022
ANY KIWIS OUT THERE?
Gee it’s not a bad time to be a New Zealand local who fancies a punt with the TAB. During the week, NZ TAB announced a bit of a marketing stunt that would see them not take deductions across all three codes this spring. It doesn’t matter if the top five horses in the market come out and your selection is $26 into $3.50, you won’t be copping any deductions. How it is viable is beyond us, as we’d expect there to be plenty of rorts going on behind the scenes, but the casual punter will be reaping the benefits for the next three months. Time to set up a VPN.
How to open NZ tab account @racingTweeter1
— Linton Chataway (@puntaaa93) August 24, 2022
HE KNEW
There’s a fair chance that Dermot Weld knew what he was talking about when he won the 1993 Melbourne Cup with Vintage Crop. During the week, footage surfaced of Weld talking to the media post-race and well to say he got it spot on would be close to an understatement. Weld and his ’93 Cup winner set a precedent for international trainers and owners to target the race that stops a nation, with the Irishman declaring that “the Melbourne Cup will develop to be the two-mile race of the world”.
In the video, it also suggests that Weld didn’t prepare Vintage Crop for the Melbourne Cup in the ‘Australian way’, but he was quite happy doing things his way by not having a prior start in Australia before the first Tuesday in November. For the many international runners that came to Australia following that, it would take some 24 years for an internationally-trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup in their first Aussie start. Weld knew alright.
1993 Melbourne Cup Winning Trainer Mr Dermot Weld #vintagecrop pic.twitter.com/p3EvqHlZ2R
— History of Horse Racing (@horsevault) August 23, 2022
About Punt Drunk
Welcome to Punt Drunk – our daily column covering all the latest horse racing and punting controversies, dramas and headline news. Have a story or gripe or issue that just grinds your gears? Just hit us up in the comments or contact us page and our jaded, punt hardened Punt Drunk staff will give it the Punt Drunk treatment it deserves. Don’t expect pleasantries or typical racing media fanboy gloss from Punt Drunk – we’re on the punt and we don’t have time to bullshit; the next is about to jump…
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