Just a quick note that FTY will be having a freshen-up across April, with the next meeting for coverage at Caulfield on May 3.

It is pleasing to return consistent results across the Victorian Autumn Carnival, matching the standard achieved in the Spring. While somewhat disappointed at having to reduce our meeting coverage to Saturdays only, the database is now at a size where we are comfortable that the process will continue to produce this quality of information.

Watching the race live, it seemed for a moment like each of the three colts was going to challenge or even win the race. I’ll leave it to others to dissect the sectional splits, impact of the wind and the replays for excuses. But from what I saw on the fence, this was a race and a meeting where conditions played as much of a role as the condition of the horses involved.

Perhaps it isn’t a fair fight, but racing administrators in Victoria must be watching the crowds flock to the Australian Open with some degree of jealousy. It wasn’t too long ago that racing in Melbourne, particularly during Spring Carnival and Cup Week was considered a significant, if not essential, injection of tourist and hospitality dollars in the calendar.

It feels like more often than not, racing in Australia is its own worst enemy, shooting itself in the foot as the competition for hearts and minds gets stronger and more desperate. And quite often, these are the simple or little things which other sports and industries get right.

Let's take a moment to outline some of the things FTY observed over the last year which detracted from the racing experience, and are on our ‘let’s do it better’ wish list.

Cox Plate weekend has come and gone for 2024, and the signs of future development currently yet temporarily scar the suburban racecourse. The opinions of locals and visitors alike paint a picture of uncertainty, excitement and potential.

Punters are never going to be in charge of coverage, let alone programming and the over-bloated mess that is the breeders' love affair with excessive group 1 racing in this country. But let's pretend that one day, we could. What would the ideal mounting yard coverage look like, and is our current coverage of any use?