2024 Ringwood Womens 400m Gift

Genevieve O'Brien starts as this years' backmarker for Ringwood 400m Gift off 15m.

Stokes is the obvious one here if she chooses to run. She was really impressive in the Black Pearl, but imagine she’ll turn her attention to Stawell. Jinks is another who would go really close, but again, I imagine she’ll choose Stawell.
My pick is Genevieve ‘Dallas’ O’Brien. Won Waverley off 20m and Rye off 17m. I think 15m will be enough for a field that doesn’t look particularly strong.

As a newbie can anyone explain to me why a number of the competitors in the women's 400m have recently done PBs eg. O'Brien, Watson, Pasquali but this hasn't been reflected in adjusting their handicap marks. I thought that all pbs needed to be declared?Also noticed that no one seems to have noticed the massive improvement in a couple of the runners performances as soon as the allure of the black pearl arose. Maybe I'm just imagining it. I'm happy to be educated!

Deflash if the new PB’s for these runners doesn’t put them under ceiling time , their marks won’t be touched. However it may effect their start marks for next season. Flint hard track will produce slick times

Thanks That'sthestats, your pb explanation makes perfect sense to me. On the topic of the flint hard track, I fully understand that track conditions/surfaces are a major determinant of times. However if that was the only thing that made a difference to times in this case then the whole field should have have improved times dramatically and they didn't. There were a few competitors who ran quicker times over a longer distance (given the field was handicapped back to scratch). Sorry I'm not buying your explanation on this one. We have some dodgy performances happening in this event and I believe I'm not the only poster to have pointed this out. Appreciate your advice nevertheless.

Deflash wrote:Thanks That'sthestats, your pb explanation makes perfect sense to me. On the topic of the flint hard track, I fully understand that track conditions/surfaces are a major determinant of times. However if that was the only thing that made a difference to times in this case then the whole field should have have improved times dramatically and they didn't. There were a few competitors who ran quicker times over a longer distance (given the field was handicapped back to scratch). Sorry I'm not buying your explanation on this one. We have some dodgy performances happening in this event and I believe I'm not the only poster to have pointed this out. Appreciate your advice nevertheless.

100% correct on runners improving suddenly after jogging down the finish at ballarat and keilor. Sorry but anyone notice the dramatic improvements by a certain someone who came under scrutiny in the Stawell womens 800 a few years ago. Really disgusting how this is allowed to happen week in week out and yet the handicappers fail to see this. Maybe it’s because the handicappers have a direct connection with her stable or maybe they are just naive but it’s really obvious to everyone else. It seems as though this runner only runs to her full potential when there’s a decent amount of money on the finish line. Jogging to the finish at Ballarat and Keilor and then 3rd in the black pearl something doesn’t add up, but something didn’t add up in the 2021 Stawell Women’s 800m either

QE2 wrote:

Deflash wrote:Thanks That'sthestats, your pb explanation makes perfect sense to me. On the topic of the flint hard track, I fully understand that track conditions/surfaces are a major determinant of times. However if that was the only thing that made a difference to times in this case then the whole field should have have improved times dramatically and they didn't. There were a few competitors who ran quicker times over a longer distance (given the field was handicapped back to scratch). Sorry I'm not buying your explanation on this one. We have some dodgy performances happening in this event and I believe I'm not the only poster to have pointed this out. Appreciate your advice nevertheless.

100% correct on runners improving suddenly after jogging down the finish at ballarat and keilor. Sorry but anyone notice the dramatic improvements by a certain someone who came under scrutiny in the Stawell womens 800 a few years ago. Really disgusting how this is allowed to happen week in week out and yet the handicappers fail to see this. Maybe it’s because the handicappers have a direct connection with her stable or maybe they are just naive but it’s really obvious to everyone else. It seems as though this runner only runs to her full potential when there’s a decent amount of money on the finish line. Jogging to the finish at Ballarat and Keilor and then 3rd in the black pearl something doesn’t add up, but something didn’t add up in the 2021 Stawell Women’s 800m either

Its the same as seeing some get dragged back 13m and still run 2 seconds faster at Bendigo than Beachside... Wouldn't mind my guys somehow finding a miraculous 20m+ improvement in a months time and when it is obvious it's going to happen. There is a difference between peaking and jogging. Alas as we say here in Scranton, whaddayagonnadoaboutit. Stewarding doesn't seem to want to actually see inconsistencies so I guess it's jog on! Hopefully no one's had some fettucine alfredo right Dwigt.

Ha! Yes, Jim Halpert noticed that one too. As a newbie noticing these things I'm just disappointed that the stewards and handicapper seem to just ignore these major discrepancies/inconsistencies. Doesn't look good for the integrity of the sport. What's that saying..."The standard you walk past is the standard you accept".

Well I hate to say I told you so! So many questionable performances of excessive improvement at Stawell so far.
Some athletes have been fined and others haven't?? I think we would all be much happier if there was some consistency but I'm beginning to think it's the same old story of "It's not what you know, it's who you know".
My only wish is that all the winners in the final day at Stawell tomorrow are deserving, honest winners.
And remember in athletics people will always remember two kinds of competitors:
1. Olympic champions
2. People who cheat at Stawell.
Choose wisely and don't be remembered for the wrong reasons.