As Jeff said - make 'em put up the dosh again and the pretenders would get weeded out real quickly.

Kevin, Fully agree the old concept was great, The old put up or shut up theme i loved it , so do you think on the old format Steve would not put up $5000 for Cosmic Rumble? If so i disagree in a 4 dog race my opinion is he will be very hard to beat , this race is not the best 4 dogs never has been its a one off affair of a 4 dog field, group status means nothing , them the rules .

Troy

The reason they stepped away from the "up front" system was they weren't getting the noms.

The diff. is when you have to judge on proven ability because there is more noms now due to the lack of a an upfront fee- CR doesn't deserve a free shot at a Group ace in what is effectively an upper class qually field. His just doesn't stack up against the others in anyway shape or form - they are all fast but he is the only one not to have run a place in a group race.

As an a starter in the old format I'm sure he belongs and I'm sure they'd have fronted up, b ut Birthday Boy trials track records by himself too and has a very quick win next to his name in the last few starts and also has a group win. CR doens't.

Would you rather a "better performed" dog that is not good enough to beat him??

And by the way - Bombastic Shiraz started in the Shoot Out without ever running a place in a Group race - and he won it and went on to win the Melbourne Cup and the Topgun - but I guess you wouldn't even have given him a start in the Shoot Out because his Group form was too poor.

(Like Cosmic Rumble - Bombastic Shiraz did win the Bill Collins Memorial in the lead up to the Shoot Out).

I'm all for a diversity of types of races for greyhounds - age, sex, distance, 2 dog, 4 dog, six dog, whatever. It actualy helps highlight the different talents and limitations of various dogs and settle some arguments (tho it starts others -LOL). The Shootout gives the fastest 500m dogs a chance to show that they really are the fastest, and the pretenders to be shown up. Not every race has to be an 8 dog field with a big advantage given to box draw and box speed. There are plenty of races like that.

BIG BIG difference...if u did some more research, it will show that it was one of the weakest periods of greyhounds racing in recent memory.....even BS subsequent Group 1 wins were in very average time........and I believe, not many paid up for the event as opposed to free enter recently......

cheers

Shane - I can't see how there weren't as many Group winners and placegetters racing that year as any other. So not being a Group placegetter leading up to the Shootout would have been a similar obstacle to overcome as it is this year.

I can remember people using that argument (that Bombastic Shiraz didn't have to beat much to win the triple crown) to argue that he wasn't really a Group 1 class dog and that he would be a failure at stud. History has shown that argument up.

Cheers,
Tom

You r getting our blinkers on in reference Bombastic Shiraz, I know u luv the dog....as a race dog, whilst he was fast, he was IMO, fortunate to be in a year where it was a very weak carnival series....he won these races in very average times, which reflect the quality of opposition and was the Greyhound of the Year, based purely off a few weeks of racing in one state....if u look at his record over he's whole racing career, u would be surprised that he could be ranked so high..thats my opinion....in reference the shot-out, again, NOT MANY DOGS NOMINATED!!! and the quality wasn't there.....it that simple

In reference the breeding barn, they all start at the same leve, only the opportunities vary......he's proved himself...

cheers

Troy

Just another case in point that you dont have to be a "set the track alight" type racedog to a be a champion stud.