Woodland Park - Bowen

He goes from excellent (Nazare on the 25th, Booster Bob yesterday and even Lucy The Wire today) to poor. I know they are not machines but it's like having a two way miss in golf.

He is becoming quite difficult to predict, especially on the shorties. I know they can't all win but the aforementioned by dd was a poor ride.

We had this a while back, and I said nobody knows the instructions, if indeed there are any. So you can only take the rides at face value. The jock is the person on board, and it's up to him/her to react to any situation. As a punter I just want my horse - I can't remember the last time I backed Bowen - to win, and I don't care if it's the most boring race ever run. These 'glory rides' do nothing for me. Every time he is successful, I would always ask the question would said horse have still won if ridden closer to the pace, and in so doing had an easier race?

Within reason there should be are no constraints on what I say. That's what forums, and the like, should be for, particularly set against a background of constant media cheerleading. It would be a very sad day if forums just mirrored that dire state of affairs. You can argue about whether it does any good, but I would sooner raise a point, rather than just sit on it. Punters do pay into the game, but that's not to say those who don't punt shouldn't have a voice as well. Shutting down free speech has never been a good idea. Thankfully, we are in 2025, not 1825.

Held up again today, although ridden a bit closer. It seems pretty obvious it stays, but lacks a gear. How much longer before they stick it on the front end? It might have been a different story today had Bowen got a few lengths on the winner when that one looked to be struggling. Instead he chose to sit, and the winner got the jump on him.