The Cairns Post

Faulkner hitting form

Penalty change big boost for Cup

- RUSSELL GOULD

CRICKET JAMES Faulkner didn’t stew for too long when he was dropped from the Australian one-day team, even though he didn’t really know why he was axed.

The all-rounder has been recalled to the Aussie line-up for the five-match limitedove­rs series against India, which begins in Chennai on Sunday, having been dumped for the unsuccessf­ul Champions Trophy campaign in June.

Faulkner, who was man of the match in the 2015 World Cup final, said the only feedback he got on being overlooked was that his bowling pace may have dropped, which was more confusing than anything as pace variation is at the core of his bowling.

He turned to family and friends for support, but also turned his attention to working on a knee issue that he believed contribute­d to the downturn in form, and his omission.

Faulkner, who has played 67 ODI games for Australia, said he still can’t do much running other than fielding or

3 Danishki $3.20 $1.30 2 Miss Kyeema $1.50 4 Bellabrook NTD. Q: $2.60. E: $6.10. T: $21.00. FIRST 4: (3 2 4 9) $36.40. Scr: 8,7L,1.

4 Miss Vegas $70.80 $10.60 9 Classy Anna $1.30 1 Never Tardy $4.50. Q: $72.60. E: $325.10. T: $4,042.30. A2: 4-9: $49.50, 1-4: $91.80, 1-9: $8.90. FIRST 4: (4 9 1 5) $4,335.00. All Started.

4 Kennie Colleen $5.70 $2.10 6 Zaze $1.80 14 Shiver Me Timbers $1.70. Q: $11.90. E: $26.60. T: $66.80. A2: 4-6: $3.80, 4-14: $5.10, 6-14: $3.30. FIRST 4: (4 6 14 2) $426.60. Scr: 3,11,16,5.

2 Apocalypti­c Fun $5.50 $1.30 6 Drawn To You $2.50 3 Sportstar Samuel $2.30. Q: $31.50. E: $43.70. T: $234.40. A2: 2-6: $6.00, 2-3: $6.30, 3-6: $13.90. FIRST 4: (2 6 3 8) $2,282.80. All Started.

7 Subtle Winner $9.80 $2.20 2 Maybe Even You $1.30 6 Collins Street $2.00. Q: $16.50. E: $27.00. T: $193.00. A2: 2-7: $4.20, 6-7: $9.40, 2-6: $3.50. FIRST 4: (7 2 6 3) $563.60. All Started.

3 Three Hats $15.50 $3.10 8 Rosetta’s bowling but a changed training program has him in the best shape he has been for some time.

“Any time you miss out on selection it’s tough. I have had a good chance now to have four months out of the game and I had a bit of a pre-season which was nice … getting strong and fit again,” Faulkner said in Chennai.

“I have been battling the past 18 months to be honest. Just physically with my knee and the state it has been in. But it’s as good as it’s been at the moment so I am pretty happy.

“My training definitely changed.

“I spent a lot of time on the bike. I haven’t spent any time running, other than fielding and net sessions when I am bowling. That’s the big change for me.

“And in the gym, there are exercises I can’t do, but some I can. It’s about being discipline­d with them … working on aspects I need to improve.”

Aussie opener Aaron Finch suffered a calf injury and will miss the first warm-up game but is expected to play in the series opener on Sunday.

Tamworth

Comet $2.80 10 Hebrides Maneuver $2.50. Q: $68.60. E: $163.70. T: $863.40. A2: 3-8: $24.20, 3-10: $11.00, 8-10: $14.90. FIRST 4: (3 8 10 7) $2,713.00. All Started.

2 Anecdote $8.40 $2.20 1 Skylimit $1.60 4 Hammoon Boy $3.30. Q: $15.10. E: $37.40. T: $209.80. A2: 1-2: $6.00, 2-4: $12.30, 1-4: $15.70. FIRST 4: (2 1 4 6) $472.60. Scr: 3. 4 Kennie Colleen 2 Apocalypti­c Fun $50.00. 14 Shiver Me Timbers 10 Greater Good.

13 Valente $18.00 $4.20 3 Premio Momento $1.10 12 Totally Kaptivated $1.40. Q: $17.80. E: $60.00. T: $230.50. A2: 3-13: $8.50, 12-13: $5.20, 3-12: $2.20. FIRST 4: (13 3 12 6) $687.80. Scr: 1,4,8,11,15.

10 Reserve Street $4.40 $1.70 11 Woulda Thought So $2.20 8 Milord $8.40. Q: $6.90. E: $11.30. T: $362.10. A2: 10-11: $5.00, 8-10: $27.80, 8-11: $34.20. FIRST 4: (10 11 8 13) $3,514.80. Scr: 2,3,4,16.

11 Princess Titanic $3.80 $1.60 8 Alloye $2.00 9 Bemboka $2.20. Q: $9.70. E: $18.00. T: $76.30. A2: 8-11: $5.10, 9-11: $5.40, 8-9: $4.10. FIRST 4: (11 8 9 5) $903.60. Scr: 2,7,13,15.

8 Holy Snow $2.10 $1.10 10 Yue Fei $1.40 4 Emandems $8.50. Q: $2.90. E: $4.60. T: $85.80. A2: 8-10: $2.00, 4-8: $14.70, 4-10: $16.70. FIRST 4: (8 10 4 15) $225.40. Scr: 1,9,14,16,11.

1 Hula Star $2.20 $1.20 6 Run To Paradise $1.90 3 Miss Two Pairs $1.90. Q: $6.10. E: $10.10. T: $49.70. A2: 1-6: $2.50, 1-3: $3.80, 3-6: $5.70. FIRST 4: (1 6 3 7) $130.40. All Started.

1 The Ultimatum $3.90 $1.80 10 Evolvement $11.70 6 Broadway Danza $5.00. Q: $98.80. E: $180.80. T: $4,032.90. A2: 1-10: $56.20, 1-6: $13.70, 6-10: $61.10. FIRST 4: (1 10 6 7) $9,456.20. All Started.

4 Time For Dancing $4.10 $2.00 6 Dash For Dee $1.80 12 Casino Blitz $3.00. Q: $14.50. E: $27.50. T: $184.20. A2: 4-6: $6.90, 4-12: $7.40, 6-12: $26.40. FIRST 4: (4 6 12 9) $1,694.20. Scr: 1,3,13. 11 Princess Titanic 8 Holy Snow $10.70. 11 Princess Titanic 8 Holy Snow. RACING Victoria has moved to “reinvigora­te the iconic link” between Australia’s two premier staying races by adjusting its rehandicap­ping policy between the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

The change follows a review into the performanc­es of Caulfield winners in the Melbourne Cup over the past 40 years uncovered an alarming trend of uncompetit­iveness.

Analysis showed only a handful of Caulfield Cup winners were able to contend after rehandicap­ping for the big Flemington race.

Any horse originally allocated 56kg or more for this year’s Melbourne Cup will now not be rehandicap­ped for a Caulfield Cup victory.

Any winner of the Caulfield Cup with a weight less than 56kg for Flemington is guaranteed not to rise above the 56kg threshold.

“There has been much debate around the impact the prospect of a weight penalty in the Melbourne Cup has had in dissuading connection­s from competing in the Caulfield Cup, and our analysis shows that there is indeed evidence to support this,” said RV chief handicappe­r Greg Carpenter.

“In announcing today’s change of policy, I want to ensure that people understand that any horse given 56kg or more in the Melbourne Cup will by definition already have a well-establishe­d performanc­e profile.

“History shows that in the past 40 years, no horse has been able to complete the Cups double carrying more than 56kg in the Melbourne Cup.

“Gurner’s Lane (1982) and Might and Power (1997) both carried 56kg to victory and won narrowly, with the second-placed horses carrying more in the weights.”

Pakenham Synthetic

 ??  ?? FITNESS FOCUS: James Faulkner of Australia is hoping to return to his best against India.
FITNESS FOCUS: James Faulkner of Australia is hoping to return to his best against India.

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