OOTY RACES 2024 - FORM GOES AWRY – UNCHECKED INCONSISTENCIES

 

FORM GOES AWRY – UNCHECKED INCONSISTENCIES IN OOTY RACES 2024

 

It's deeply frustrating when horses seem to defy all logic, leaving followers of form and patrons—the lifeblood of horse racing—confounded.

 

At the races held in Ooty on Sunday, 5th May 2024, several inexplicable performances left spectators bewildered.

 

In the first race, 'WILBUR', who finished a distant 13 1/4 lengths behind the winner barely a week ago, suddenly surged to victory at lucrative odds, despite lacking any recent form to justify such a dramatic improvement. The question remains: how can a horse exhibit such a remarkable transformation within a mere week?

 

Moving on to the second race, THE STORM CAT HANDICAP (20-45) over 1400 meters, a bay mare named WONDERFUL ERA, hailing from the stables of N. Rupa, finished second by a mere half-length behind the winner. This same mare had finished a staggering 22 3/4 lengths behind the leader just a week prior on 27th April 2024, and a couple of weeks before that, she managed only a fifth-place finish, trailing just 4 lengths behind the winner. The inconsistency displayed by WONDERFUL ERA raises serious doubts about the reliability of form as a predictive factor.

 

In the 5th race, THE ASTORNOMIC PLATE Div 1 (1200 Meters), another horse, RELIC WARRIOR, a 5-year-old bay gelding one more from N. Rupa's stables, exhibited a performance completely at odds with its previous form. Three weeks ago, in R. No. 18 of this season, RELIC WARRIOR secured an impressive second-place finish, trailing by just 3/4 lengths behind Supreme Grandeur (1200m), who went on to win again. However, on 5th April 2024, RELIC WARRIOR surprisingly lagged behind, ending a distant 7 1/4 lengths behind the winner, Turf Melody, despite being a firm favorite at odds of 6/4. It's worth noting that Turf Melody had previously finished 4 1/2 lengths behind RELIC WARRIOR when Supreme Grandeur won. This time, despite being just one kilo worse off with Turf Melody, RELIC WARRIOR finished a whopping 7 1/4 lengths behind, indicating a drop of about 12 lengths. Could this discrepancy be attributed to RELIC WARRIOR's short odds of 6/4?

 

These glaring inconsistencies demand a thorough investigation by the authorities. Patrons of horse racing expect races to be conducted fairly and transparently. However, what unfolded on the first Sunday of May 2024 in Ooty races raises serious concerns for all involved.