THE importance of track bias should never be underestimated.
Recognising when track conditions confer an advantage on one horse over another is a powerful tool in a punter's armoury and last week's action on the equitrack confirmed the presence of a powerful bias.
And with seven more meetings scheduled for the sand, it is bias that should pay handsome dividends over the coming weeks.
With the artificial surface being prepared to produce such lightening fast conditions, front-runners hold an immense advantage for races run over the 1,050-metre trip.
Three of the six races last Wednesday were over the short sprint and all three winners were asked to take the lead early. In the first, Top News led a procession that saw the first four placegetters hold their positions from the off.
In the second, Steven King made sure Mughal Prince had taken full control by the first corner and Speedstar repelled all challengers in the fifth.