Kelly finding pace in Japan

Todd Kelly and his Nissan Altima during the debut V8 Supercars season. Source: Jerad Williams / News Limited

TODD Kelly stood beside a bank of computers in the NISMO bunker in Fuji, Japan.

"Do you want to see the car?'' he said, surrounded by an army of small men wearing white coats.

One of the NISMO guru's nodded.

Todd brought up a picture of his Jack Daniel's Commodore, the V8 Supercar he had spent four years building, tuning and refining.

The Japanese technician smiled.

"Easy,'' he laughed.

He pointed to the front spoiler.

"Make bigger,'' he barked.

Then to the body of the car.

"Make smaller,'' he continued.

And then to the rear wing.

"Make better,'' he said.

He looked at Todd.

"Go much faster.''

If only it was going to be that easy …

Last year Kelly Brother's Racing (KBR) made the bold decision to throw out a car that had been developed to the point of perfection and build a vehicle based on a road car that would not exist for another six months.

People called them crazy and told them they would fail.

Sunday's action at the Gold Coast 600 at Surfers Paradise - v8 Supercar Qualifying - Jack Daniels Racing's Todd Kelly Source: News Limited

But as Todd sat with the confused Japanese man, the one now saying; "Why anyone want to race car like that?'' Kelly knew his team had made the right choice. KBR would no longer be one of several Holden teams relying on handout from a factory in Melbourne. They now had a Japanese bunker, overflowing with engineers, designers, and builders. They now had NISMO - the people that make Nissan's go really, really fast - on speed dial.

And Todd knew the man now shouting in Japanese at the picture of the "heavy", "blunt" and "make no sense" Commodore on the computer screen, would not rest until he made his new car NISMO fast. Kelly new his Nissan Altima would see "Godzilla'' rise once more.

The international mission to see Nissan conquer V8 Supercars continued this week with KBR freighting an engine to Japan to be tested following a landmark engine deal with NISMO.

"We did a deal recently for NISMO to help with some of our engine development,'' Todd said.

"We've done everything in-house at Nissan Motorsport up until this point. We had a visit from the NISMO head engine engineer at the Grand Prix, and that resulted in them sending some test parts over from their version of that engine that competes in sports car racing, but unfortunately, that did not result in any improvement over here.

"NISMO has been extremely keen to work closely with us and help move us forward, so they sort approval to get one of our units over there and begin their own work on it.''

Nissan have spent more than $5 million dollars this year to take on Holden, Ford and Mercedes in the fast growing Australian racing series. No one expected miracles in the first year, but make no mistake, the Japanese giant is here to win. The Kelly's have been challenged endlessly by the new machine with horsepower and straight line speed caging the latest incarnation of Godzilla. The team has found gains in the engine and now Japan will find more.

V8 Supercar drivers Rick and Todd Kelly before the switched from Holden to Nissan. Source: Supplied

"Essentially, it's a fresh outlook and a fresh set of eyes, so sending our engine to NISMO will be verification of where we're at and how well far we've come with it this year,'' Todd said.

"The equipment that they've got at their fingertips to develop the engine is a lot higher-tech than what we have. They will be able to see things a little bit clearer than what we can."

The engine will be placed on one of the world's most sophisticated dyno machines and tested by the man who put the "Fast" into "Fast and Furious''.

"It's a much more controlled environment over there,'' Kelly said.

"Nismo's dyno cells are all extremely controlled temperature wise, and their repeatability of what they have is excellent. They have invested an incredible amount of money in the most up-to-date technology. Having this resource available to us is invaluable.

"They even have a transient dyno that they can run full lap simulation. That's not going to be used on our engine this time, but it could be a great option for us to use in the future."

Nissan have already gone from pretenders to contenders with a giant killing race win at Queensland Raceway proving their might. And the Kelly's have done a remarkable job going from zero to flat out in under 12 months.

"The gains have been good,'' Todd said.

"and I'm extremely proud of the work and progress that our team has made, considering this is exactly the same block and cylinder head that you'll find in your new Nissan Patrol.

"We've taken it to the max. To get to where we are, we've probably machined too much material out of the cylinder head to the point where we are really testing the reliability of the unit, but I'm really happy with the progress.

"I often think about the amount of time and money we've spent per extra horsepower. It would be a scary figure.''

But it is only the start of a journey that should have Ford and Holden running scared. The powerful company are demanding results and expect to see Godzilla break free from his chains next year thanks to some help from Japan.

"Straight-line speed has been the only thing that has slowed us down, and there's two things that have contributed to that - engine and aerodynamics,'' Todd said.

"Thanks to our own work at Nissan Motorsport, we feel that the engine has become an small component of our shortfalls, so the majority of our gains will come from aero which we're working through at the moment.

"Improvements with the engine will certainly help, so when we have both of those sorted for 2014, we'll be on the money."

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Read book extracts from ADP

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AS far as I'm concerned, Australia isn't just a place; it's a state of mind. It's the culmination of a journey I made with my heart and mind even before I made it with a 24-hour plane flight.

A few years ago, after a defeat that was especially hard to bear, I decided to take a holiday in a place as far away from Italy as I could find on the map. It was an escape, with no precise destination.

Italian soccer star forward Alessandro Del Piero arrives at Sydney International Airport in 2012. Source: News Limited

The important thing was to go a long way away. Much later I did something similar, although for very different reasons. It didn't happen after a defeat, but after I raised a cup as captain of the Juventus football team for the last time. I didn't have to escape from anything then; there was absolutely no need to run away.

But there are times when escape and change need the same approach, times when we also need to switch off physically and distance ourselves from our familiar routines. It's a leap to another level, a new stage in a video game that is totally different from the previous ones, and therefore even more stimulating, and must be tackled with a full tank of energy.

Image of Alessandro Del Piero taking a free kick for the Padova youth team from his book, "Playing On. Source: Supplied

Yes, that's exactly it: Australia has recharged me and given me what I needed. After leaving Juventus I received many offers, mainly from Italy-far more than I would have expected. After nearly twenty years wearing the black-and-white jersey-which Italians either love or hate, but which in any case divides them-I didn't imagine so many teams would consider placing bets on someone who until a day earlier had been an opponent and the captain of the rival team of all teams.

Managers, coaches and colleagues made me feel really flattered. Probably they were hoping to take advantage of any feeling of revenge I might have had against Juventus, but I've never felt that. You don't erase the past, or at least I don't. I've always said I'd never play for another Italian team, despite my deep respect for the other clubs. I kept to that.

Book cover for Alessandro Del Piero - Playing On Source: Supplied

At first, in the early period as a player free from any contract, I evaluated offers on the basis of the competitive level of the championships involved and the possibility of participating in the main international events (the UEFA Champions League or the Libertadores, since going to South America was one of the opportunities I'd been offered).

Basically I was still reasoning with the mental¬ity of the 'old' Alessandro Del Piero. I still hadn't realised I'd already moved beyond that level of the video game: it had ended with that unforgettable day at the Juventus stadium and the most spontaneous, sincere and amazing tribute ever from the black-and-white supporters.

Alessandro Del Piero of Italy kisses the World Cup trophy in 2006 (/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

I hadn't yet realised that I actually wanted something different. Not something more: that wasn't possible. I've been privileged in winning everything, both at club level and with the Italian national team in 2006, when we won the World Cup in Germany. For twenty years I raced along at 300 kilometres an hour, with a single obsession: to achieve perfection, which in sport means to win. And I left with a win.

What else could possibly give me those same feelings again? What could stand up to comparison without bringing on endless attacks of nostalgia? I would never have wanted to keep on playing and keep looking back instead of looking ahead as I'd always done. Better to stop. And so, while I was on holiday and trying to reorganise my thoughts after the flood of emotions that had overwhelmed me, I realised there was nothing more I could have.

Alessandro Del Piero in action for Sydney FC (Brett Hemmings/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

No, not more. I had to look for something different, a new experience that would make it worth sweating it out and training, while still using all my experience, with the head of an adult and the heart of a kid whose only purpose in life was to run around after a football. So my mindset changed: I stopped looking for a team and a championship that would allow me to relive what I'd already had.

I started weighing up the proposals that offered something more than a contract, more than money, more than the opportunity to go back to winning what I'd already won. Not a new team, but a new life. A new state of mind: that's the reason for Sydney FC, for Sydney, and for Australia. A new life.

Alessandro Del Piero thanks the Sydney FC fans (Mark Evans) Source: News Limited

Australia stands for a before and an after. Even once I'm no longer here I'll always remember this interlude as a watershed time in my life, and not only in my professional life. Before this, I was used to being Alessandro Del Piero all the time, on and off the field. I have always deliberately (and I would say proudly) kept my public side separate from my private one: Del Piero the footballer separate from Alessandro, the father, husband, son, brother, friend . . . But in Italy, and in Europe generally, outside the four walls of my home it's impossible not to be Del Piero.

Alessandro Del Piero pulling the strings for Sydney FC (Brett Hemmings/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

Mind you, I'm not complaining: the attention, and especially the show of affection I receive from people, make me feel privileged; I never forget that were no-one to rejoice at my goals, scoring them would not be worth the trouble. But I don't deny that at times, and especially since my children were born, I've become more persistent about looking for 'normality'.

And that is what I've found in Australia. I've rediscovered things I had almost forgotten: going to the park with my children (something I did with my father, when I was the child), walking around the city, being a tourist where I live, taking time for my family and for myself, and experiencing a new dimension I hadn't known before coming to Sydney.

Alessandro Del Piero of Sydney FC celebrates with fans (Brett Hemmings/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

In my life as a Sydney FC player many of my habits have changed; living my everyday life in a country so very different from Italy enriches me. This is not a value judgement; it's simply a fact. In Australia we are virtually all migrants-some who came early and some who came later. I've met so many Italians, for example, that some days I feel I'm still in Turin.

Each one of them has their own special story and they all deserve a book like this one. It's real life. Their love for Italy, even from such a distance, makes me even prouder to be Italian and at the same time makes me appreciate this country, which has succeeded in establishing its own identity partly through the diverse origins of the people who live here.

Sydney's Alessandro Del Piero fully focused. (Pic Brett Costello) Source: News Limited

This country is a great example: it has harnessed diversity as an asset without seeing it as an obstacle, and this is the basis of its community life and the cornerstone of a shared value system. It's some¬thing you pick up very quickly, when you go shopping, when you take your children to school, at restaurants and on the training pitch. It's a lesson I want to carry with me forever, and I'd like my children to do the same.

I realised at once, after just a few days Down Under, that I had made the right choice. On and off the field. I think all sportspeople should try to spend a period of their professional lives in Australia, because for anyone in my profession it's a sort of paradise.

Alessandro Del Piero celebrates a Sydney FC win with fans. Source: News Limited

What I noticed immediately is the general assumption that sport is a fundamental part of young people's education, and more broadly a cultural factor that is always present in people's lives. Here the correspondence between physical activity and wellbeing is well and truly apparent, you notice it very quickly.

In one of my first interviews with an Italian newspaper after I arrived in Australia, I said that one of the things that struck me most in Sydney was seeing how many people were pursuing sports activities early in the morning, at the break of day when I was heading for the training pitch..

Alessandro Del Piero with his famous tongue out celebration (Pic by Brett Costello) Source: News Limited

Clearly, when people have stopped being high-level athletes and become spectators, they obviously possess a superlative ability to appreciate the athletic and technical skills of other sportspeople. Here in Australia they love being there in person, being part of the event and getting totally involved, with great respect for the essence of sport but at the same time barracking and following the contest with fire and passion.

Alessandro Del Piero during his team at Juventus. Source: Getty Images

Don't think The Cove at Sydney FC is any less vociferous than the most enthusiastic curva I've known in the course of my European career . . . But 'anti'-barracking, for example, the organised and systematic booing of opponents to put them off, doesn't exist here.

And I'm convinced this is linked to a generalised ability to appreciate the value of sport, not just its results and not just barracking for your team. This is true for all sports disciplines, not only those with a great Australian tradition but also the newer ones like football that are gradually receiving more space and attention.

The welcome I was given was extraordinary. In every stadium I was applauded, in every city the Australian public showed its appreciation and its eagerness to see me on the field. Lots of people, especially but not only Italian migrants, have thanked me for making this choice. Actually, I'm the one who is grateful to them for all the emotions they are giving me and for everything I'm learning from this great adventure. The renewal of my contract with Sydney FC for a second A-League season shows how confident I am about this project and this Australian experience. I will do all I can to help the team grow further, improving on last season's results, and to help the continuing expansion of the Australian football movement, especially among young people and children who want to start this marvellous sport at an early age.

I'm not afraid of being accused of being narcissistic if I confess that one of the main reasons behind my accepting the Sydney FC offer was their absolute determination to get me. From the first meeting they made me feel truly important, by their actions and not just with their words, and above all they always linked the project to the Australian football movement. Of course I play for Sydney and my objective-and their reason for signing me on- is to make my team better and help it grow, but there's something more. From the moment I arrived at the airport and from the first training session, not to mention my first game, I had the honour and the responsibility of being celebrated as an emblem of football and of sports in general, a symbol of the growth of the whole Australian football movement. That is no small thing: it's almost the ultimate accomplishment one can hope for in one's career. Almost, though, because it's a career that is not yet over. The finale has yet to be written.

Playing On by Alessandro Del Piero (Allen & Unwin) will be published on Wednesday 20 November. RRP $22.99

Thanks to Bookworld, News Corp Australia and Fox Sports readers can order now and receive a 20% discount and free shipping. Click here!

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Saint Richo coming home

New St Kilda coach Alan Richardson. at his Park Orchards home with his wife Jo and two teenage sons (R) Ben and (L) Lachy. Picture: Colleen Petch. Source: Colleen Petch / News Limited

THE heartbreak of missing Collingwood's 1990 premiership still lingered as Alan Richardson wandered to the football one winter day the following year.

Richardson had cracked a collarbone during that finals series, but was hopeful of playing until coach Leigh Matthews subjected him to a brutal fitness test as he walked from the ground after completing Thursday's final training session.

The unsuspecting Richardson's collarbone popped, he was replaced by Shane Kerrison and he was still nursing that pain the following year.

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"That was his job,'' Richardson said this week of Matthews' tough love.

"He wasn't going to give me something that was predictable, he was going to give me something which would come in a game. He is a powerful man and I was pretty unaware.

"I was going to the football in 1991 and walking across the car park and I ran into John Kennedy Sr, who was my coach early in my career at North Melbourne. His message was, 'This will push you one of two ways. You will either feel sorry for yourself and it will be an anchor around your neck, or it will be something that drives you'. It was fantastic for a guy like that to show a level of care. It is something that has really helped me."

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More than two decades later, Richardson, 48, is finally a senior AFL coach after 114 games as a quintessential utility at Collingwood, three flags as coach at East Burwood and 13 seasons as an assistant coach at seven AFL clubs.

New St Kilda coach Alan Richardson. at his Park Orchards home with his wife Jo and two teenage sons (L) Ben and (R) Lachy and dog Max. Picture: Colleen Petch. Source: News Limited

It is no small part due to the lessons given by Kennedy and Matthews, who Richardson says was "incredibly empathetic'' in the days after that Grand Final heartbreak.

But while Richardson's football career has been well documented, his family life has remained in the background.

As it turns out 48-year-old Richardson spent a year away from his family after moving to Port Adelaide, confessing to wife Joanne that his dream of coaching an AFL club was probably over.

He and Joanne live on 20 acresabout 9ha of bush in Park Orchards, in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, with sons Ben, 16, and Lachey, 15.

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This week they have had to quickly abortabandon a family moveplans forthat would have seen him joined by the clan to join him in Adelaide next year.

The kids were booked in at Sacred Heart College and Richardson had a new 12-month lease on a bigger rental property. He isn't quite sure what he will do with that now.

Richardson is the kind of laid-back, suburban bloke, happy with a fishing rod every Christmas and birthday, and who loves camping and fishing with his mates to get away from the 24/7 focus of AFL.

"From a family perspective (2013) has been a really challenging year," he said. "No doubt the football side has been really rewarding. My coaching role allowed me to get back to Melbourne to watch other teams play, and I would stay over for a night afterwards, and they came over in the holidays, so we made it work, but it was a big ask.

"We would often do the Skype thing. The family wanted to see what dad was having for dinner. I had to prove I wasn't working all hours and getting takeaway, and while that happened a bit it was good to have a yak while we were all having dinner, so that worked out well."

In recent years Richardson missed out on senior jobs to Scott Watters (St Kilda) and Damien Hardwick (Richmond), and admitted he believed for the first time his chances had passed him by.

"My wife rode the journey with me through my career, and she knows I have been really committed to the cause of the footy clubs I have been involved with, but also in doing as much as I could to be ready," he said. "And it certainly looked like that had passed, in terms of the direction I had taken (as coaching director) at Port, so she was incredibly pleased for me and deliveredrelieved I was going to get an opportunity to steer the ship.''

Instead of interstate flights, his commute now will be a 40-minute drive down the freeway to Seaford.

He said he had spoken to players and staff who assured him the Seaford factor was a non-issue: "They really like and respect the facility they have got".

While he will ask plenty of St Kilda's senior players, who return tomorrow, he said he also planned to use Port coach Ken Hinkley's mantra of extending their careers, not ending them.

"I think their role in where we move as a footy club is critical," Richardson said. "The impact on the team from a leadership perspective will be significant. We have got some terrific people there, so I would be surprised if we didn't get the example I am after from that perspective.

"We are in a rebuilding stage of our list, so you have to earn your position. If you are a younger guy your behaviours and actions will determine if you play. And that is true of the older guys as well. They won't get positions in the team because of what they have done previously. It will be on the way they perform and the way they lead.

"But they cannot only extend their careers, but also be really proud when they do eventually leave that they have left a strong legacy that underpins future success."

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Bridge steals game for Wanderers

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A LATE Mark Bridge goal saw the rampaging Western Sydney Wanderers inflict a second successive defeat on Kevin Muscat's reign on Saturday night at Pirtek Stadium.

The Wanderers have opened up a six-point gap between them and Victory, who are now fifth, after the 1-0 win in front 15,854 as the rain pelted down all night.

Victory played well and attacked more but the notoriously stingy Wanderers gave up few chances and hit Victory with a late burst.

Sub Labinot Haliti, who had only come on 12 minutes earlier, expertly used his body to shield the ball from Adrian Leijer before wriggling free and supplying a low, skidding cross in between Nathan Coe and the defenders.

Bridge ghosted in on the back post to tap the ball in the back of the net leaving Victory keeper Nathan Coe no chance.

It was stiff for Victory, who were solid throughout the night but it's happened far too often in Wanderers games to be a fluke.

Victory now faces an important home game against Adelaide United, who drew 1-1 with Perth Glory on Saturday.

MATCH CENTRE: WANDERERS v VICTORY

Socceroos hopefuls from both sides were auditioning in front of new national team boss Ange Postecoglou, who was watching from the stands alongside the entire squad.

Victory's James Troisi probed all night without reward while Matthew Spiranovic, who retained his spot in place of captain Michael Beauchamp, did his chances no harm with a composed performance in the Wanderers defence in just his second start.

While Victory and the Wanderers are arguably the two fittest teams in the A-League, the home side's physical prowess is something to marvel at with players rarely losing a duel.

That was evident not only defensively but with Haliti's work in the Wanderers goal.

As is becoming customary with these two sides, the first half was a chess game - albeit a feisty one - as Wanderers withstood Victory's constant forward thrusts.

But chances were hard to come by, with Archie Thompson having the only genuine one inside the first 40 minutes before a late flurry to close the half.

With man of the match Shinji Ono pulling the string for the Wanderers, Brendon Santalab was centimetres away from connecting with Jerome Polenz's cross before end to end action ensued.

Connor Pain, Santalab and Thompson all had great chances within a few minutes before Mark Bridge had a brilliant shot tipped over by Nathan Coe.

Finkler came on late in the game at the venue he did his knee last season, but he couldn't effect the result.

WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS 1 (Mark Bridge 82m) bt MELBOURNE VICTORY 0 at Pirtek Stadium. Crowd: 15,854. Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones.

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Waller show just rolls on and on

Chris Waller will have a big say in the proceedings at Rosehill and Caulfield today. Picture: Mark Evans Source: Mark Evans / News Limited

THE spring carnival is almost over for another year, yet the Chris Waller juggernaut continues on its merry way with strong representation at today's Rosehill meeting and two leading chances at the Sandown Guineas meeting at Caulfield.

Waller has prospects in seven of the eight races, with his best chances appearing to be Fulgur in race four, Heart Testa in race five and Specific Choice in race seven.

The Peter Snowden-trained Paximadia and the Gai Waterhouse-trained Equator look set to fight out the Sandown Guineas in what should be a repeat of the Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington last start.

The Bart Cummings-trained Precedence can make it three straight in the Zipping Classic.

RACE 1 (1.10) SYDNEY

Betting: $2.8 Suit, $3.2 Runaway Star, $5 Good Job Bro, $5.5 Killcareless

Comment: Small but select field of runners lining up here. Killcareless is a promising filly resuming after a strong fifth to Thump in the Group 2 Coolmore Silver Shadow Stakes last preparation. She had plenty in reserve in a recent trial, and looks good each-way value today. Good Job Bro has been a model of consistency, who will relish the sting out of the ground and the 3kg claim for Yusuke Ichikawa. Suit can improve on his first-up performance in Melbourne and Runaway Star won well at the provincials.

Bet: Killcareless

Exotics: Box Quinella 1 Good Job Bro, 2 Polarmore, 5 Killcareless.

RACE 2 (1.50)

Betting: $2 Sheer Style, $4.2 Memorial, $5.5 Duccio, $12 Stratalena, $13 Careless, $15 Our Little Miracle, $51 Rock Esprit

Comment: Going with the race experience here in Duccio and Sheer Style. I expect Duccio to race a little closer today, and I liked the way he hit the line over the closing stages on debut. Sheer Style is on the quick back-up after showing good early dash last Saturday, before being overhauled by the very promising Earthquake. Rock Esprit can improve on his ordinary debut when he failed to get into the race. First starters Careless and Memorial, both from the Snowden camp, look to have plenty of upside heading into this. Our Little Miracle and Stratalena look the pick of the rest.

Bet: Duccio

Exotics: Box trifecta 1 Duccio, 3 Careless, 4 Rock Esprit, 6 Sheer Style, 9 Memorial, 10 Our Little Miracle, 12 Stratalena

RACE 3 (2.30)

Betting: $1.3 White Sage, $15 Titbit, El Of A Time, Rosalie, $31 Jeans Flyer

Comment: Hard to find anything that can topple the hotpot White Sage here. She's a highly promising mare racing through her grades and looks well in with the 3kg claim for apprentice Lester Grace. Destined for much stronger affairs than a BM80 here. Titbit, El Of A Time, Jeans Flyer and Rosalie look set to fight out the minor placings.

Bet: El Of A Time (place only).

Exotics: Standout trifecta 1 White Sage from 2 Titbit, 3 El Of A Time, 5 Jeans Flyer and 7 Rosalie.

Secessio (outside) is one of four runners trainer Chris Waller has engaged in race four at Rosehill. Source: Supplied

RACE 4 (3.10)

Betting: $2.7 Fulgur, $2.8 Secessio, $11 World Wide, $16 Hoylonny

Comment: Chris Waller has four of the eight runners engaged here in Permit, Secessio, Fulgur and Hoylonny. I think the Bede Murray-trained World Wide can stave off the Waller onslaught with only 51kg on his back after the claim for Lester Grace. He loves this track, distance, thrives on rain-affected going and meets Fulgur 7kg better for being beaten 1.6 lengths over 1800m back here in July. Fulgur looks to be the pick of the Waller runners.

Bet: World Wide

Exotics: Box quinella 2 Secessio, 3 Fulgur, 5 Hoylonny and 7 World Wide.

RACE 5 (3.50)

Betting: $2.8 Heart Testa, $3.4 Cape Kidnappers, $4.8 Black Magic, $11 Zaratone, Green Beret, $26 Ivory Cognac

Comment: They should get along here with some speedy types entered. Heart Testa will get a nice sit just off the pace and is undefeated over this trip. Green Beret is up in grade, but drops in weight and can give plenty of cheek. Queenslanders Black Magic and Cape Kidnappers are proven sprinters.

Bet: Green Beret each-way

Exotics: Box trifecta 2, Zaratone, 5 Black Magic, 6 Heart Testa, 7 Cape Kidnappers, 9 Green Beret & 10 Ivory Cognac.

RACE 6 (4.30)

Betting: $5.5 Malavio, $6 Ninth Legion, $8 Said Com, Soledad, $8.5 Merlin Mustang

Comment: Tricky race to assess with five runners resuming and the smart Malavio dropping back sharply in distance. Malavio is returning from Melbourne, where he finished sixth in the Crystal Mile (1600m) Group 1 at Moonee Valley on October 26. He should be able to take up a forward position today, and will take stopping with the 3kg claim for Lester Grace. Ninth Legion should be close to his peak after two runs back and will also race handy.

Bet: Malavio

Exotics: Box quinella 1 Malavio, 4 Merlin Mustang & 8 Ninth Legion.

RACE 7 (5.10)

Betting: $2.6 Specific Choice, $7.5 Got The Goss, $8 King Cobia, $10 She's A Girl

Comment: Specific Choice has always shown plenty of ability and caught the eye first-up when a fast finishing fourth. Meets similar company today, has won over this trip and look for him to be racing much closer from the good draw. The Canberra trained colt Got The Goss is racing well through his grades and is chasing his fourth straight win.

Bet: Got The Goss

Exotics: Box quinella 8 King Cobia, 10 Specific Choice, 12 Got The Goss & 13 She's A Girl.

RACE 8: (5.50)

Betting: $3.8 Gamba, $4.2 Koroibete, $5.5 Maximillian, $8 Hunter Jack

Comment: Difficult race to end the day on. The Gerald Ryan trained Koroibete looked a tragedy beaten first-up after missing the jump before striking trouble near the line. Down in weight for this and can handle the sting out of the ground. Gamba is a consistent mare sure to make her presence felt.

Bet: Koroibete

Exotics: Box quinella 1 Gamba, 4 Maximilian, 12 Hunter Jack & 14 Koroibete.

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Boos sound for hapless Heart

Heart coach John Aloisi ponders another loss, following his side's 2-0 defeat to Sydney FC at AAMI Park. Source: Robert Prezioso / Getty Images

THE boos were initially aimed at Richard Garcia, a former red and white star, but by half time they were firmly directed at current Heart players and the coach.

Melbourne Heart fans left AAMI Park exactly a week earlier frustrated but seemingly sharing the optimism possessed by John Aloisi.

Their side had lost to Western Sydney, but were impressive enough in general play and had created plenty of chances against a team regarded as the most defensively sound in the competition.

That goodwill had firmly dissipated by the time Joel Chianese tapped in one of the easiest goals of his life a minute before half-time to put Sydney FC 2-0 ahead.

It was only two weeks ago that the Sky Blues _ and their coach Frank Farina _ were under the pump.

For much of Friday night's game that same side comprehensively outplayed the home team.

A chorus of boos greeted referee Alan Milliner's half-time whistle and for much of the second period the crowd went relatively quiet, shell-shocked, much like the majority of the Heart players.

They urged their team on for the last 15 minutes as it peppered a Sydney team that retreated to defend its lead.

But they were soon rousing again to voice their displeasure after the game.

A chant of "Aloisi out" could be clearly heard at one end, a banner displaying the same words could be clearly seen at the other.

Even Aloisi was accepting of the supporters' angst.

"I can understand their frustration," Aloisi said.

"It's understandable because they don't want to see their team down the bottom and of course, with a performance like that, they've got every right to show their frustration and show their anger.

Sydney's Chris Naumoff heads the ball out during his side's win over Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park. Source: Getty Images

"I know what I'm like as a person and my players, they won't give up, they'll show that they've got fight in them, so do I.

"I've played in front of crowds that have done that before and been able to get over that."

Last week's crowd of 8070 was, according to chief executive Scott Munn, down about three thousand on initial estimates.

The terrible weather last Friday was a fair enough excuse for that.

Friday night's crowd of 8941 was, again, well below the predicted crowd of 11,000.

It might have rained all week in Melbourne but conditions were perfect.

The club requested to Football Federation Australia this off season that it be given bigger games, that too many Saturday and Sunday afternoon fixtures had counted against its pulling power.

Playing the Wanderers and the Sky Blues on back-to-back Friday nights are as big as it's going to get outside of derbies against Melbourne Victory.

On one hand, those crowds are two of the biggest the club has pulled outside of derby games in its three-and-a-bit seasons.

On the other, 13,752 turned up to watch this same fixture in February _ the first time Alessandro Del Piero had come to Melbourne to play Heart.

It is now abundantly clear that, regardless of the Del Piero factor, the capacity to grow the fan base further is hampered by a team that is not winning.

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Guy's investment paying dividends

Trainer Bryan Guy has two of the stable's recent winners, Dienekes and Dalton, running at Eagle Farm today. Picture: Mark Cranitch Source: Mark Cranitch / News Limited

BRYAN Guy says his hot streak can be put down to his long-term investment in young stock now coming to fruition.

When told his stable runners had won 14 races from their past 41 starts, Guy quipped "I'd rather it was 40 out of 41" before conceding he's enjoying the winning run.

"It's been a great month for sure and in fact the last couple of months have been good," he said.

"We've had a lot of young horses and it's been a matter of waiting for them to come through.

"A while back we didn't have many racing. It's all falling into line now and we're winning races."

Two of the stable's recent winners, Dienekes and Dalton, aim to repeat the dose today.

Guy and his stable clients have former co-trainer Michael Hawkes to thank for Dalton being in his care now.

"Michael rang me and said the horse was going on the market," Guy said.

"He said there was nothing wrong with him, but felt he would be better suited in Queensland because he is a QTIS horse.

"I rang some clients and we were able to secure him, so it was nice to win first up with him."

Guy's only fear today is that Dalton may be looking for further, but he's drawing confidence from the likely solid speed.

"It's a strong race because quite a few of them are looking for the good QTIS money," he said.

"We will be more than happy to let them run along and I think he can get a nice run back off them, despite the wide gate," he said.

Dienekes has been a familiar face around the stables for five years, but turned in one of his best career runs when winning at start number 57 two weeks back.

"After Janette's (Johnson) claim, he gets in on the limit, so he looks really well placed again," the trainer said.

Guy also has Nuptse and Lohan running in race 3 at Eagle Farm today.

Brisbane Racing Club course manager Bill Shuck was more relieved than most by the midweek rain, as water use at Eagle Farm and Doomben was reaching crisis point.

"We got a touch more than 50mm, which is the first serious rain we've had since mid-July," Shuck said.

"The big dam (at Eagle Farm) was down to about four metres (from a total depth of 15m), which is the lowest it's ever been (since being done in 2009). We only had enough left for about a month, but this rain makes us sweet right through until the end of January now."

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Sydney FC keep Heart winless

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SYDNEY FC surged to third on the A-League table after a 2-0 win over a diabolical Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park.

The result heaps pressure on Heart boss John Aloisi, whose side remain bottom of the table and without a win since February.

For the second straight week, the hosts went behind in the 27th minute, and never looked likely to recover as the Sky Blues kept a clean sheet away from home for the first time in 22 games.

The opener came after chief tormentor Joel Chianese was brought down in the box by Rob Wielaert and referee Alan Milliner wasted no time in pointing to the spot.

Alessandro Del Piero made Heart pay the penalty, sending Andrew Redmayne the wrong way.

Chianese added his name on the scoresheet just before halftime when he ghosted into the penalty area and tapped home Ali Abbas's low cross at the back post.

The Heart players were booed off by their fans at the break, but it could have been so different with Michael Mifsud wasting a glorious chance to break Heart's long goal drought after 14 minutes.

Played onside by Brett Emerton, Mifsud had just Vedran Janjetovic to beat, but he blasted his effort straight at the advancing goalkeeper.

But from that point in the game the Heart were subjected to attack after attack, with Redmayne making smart saves to deny Chianese and Nicky Carle, while Del Piero and Chris Naumoff also went close.

Sydney continued to dominate after the break and a second successive victory never looked in doubt as the Heart struggled to mount any decent attack.

Chianese missed a sitter from five metres out on the hour mark, while Aziz Behich got away with a clear handball in the area while trying to control a high ball.

Re-live the live action - with video highlights, polls, play-by-play updates and key stats.

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Sachin unbeaten after first day

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DELIRIOUS crowds greeted India's Sachin Tendulkar as he walked out to bat in his last Test match on Thursday, an emotional farewell game for a national hero whose 24-year career has made him a cricketing legend.

'The Little Master' faced 73 balls and finished the first day unbeaten on 38 from 73 balls.

Crowds at the Wankhede stadium in his home town of Mumbai erupted as Tendulkar went to the crease on the first day of the match, walking through a guard of honour created by his West Indian opponents, television pictures showed.

Each run was greeted with raucous applause and cheering, with several textbook cover drives exhibiting the elegant strokeplay that had marked Tendulkar out since his international debut in 1989.

The 40-year-old is ending an international career during which he became the all-time leading Test and one-day batsman and the only man to score 100 international centuries.

Ahead of the match, he said the last 20 years had been ``marked by some of the most challenging, exhilarating, poignant and memorable moments of my life''.

"The game has seen so much change over the last two decades -- from advances in technology, new formats, yet the basic spirit and passion surrounding the game remains the same," he wrote in a front-page Hindustan Times article.

The end of the "Little Master", who has almost god-like status in his cricket-mad country, has been met with nationwide nostalgia for his sporting feats.

As he strode to the crease, acknowledging the applause with a modest raising of his bat, Indians all over the country huddled around television sets and Twitter exploded with messages wishing him luck.

Tendulkar led the team out onto the field at Wankhede stadium in the morning and the toss took place with a specially minted coin bearing his image on one side, footage showed. Cries of "Sachin! Sachin!" echoed throughout the day.

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Excitement around the game has been building since last month, when he announced his intention to retire. Highlights of his innings and interviews have been looping on news channels.

"He's not just a cricketer. For me he's an ideal son, an ideal friend. The biggest thing about him is his humility," said fan Himanshu Kapadia, queueing for entry to the stadium with his two sons.

Among the spectators was Sudhir Gautam, Tendulkar's celebrity fan, who travels across the world to watch him while painted in the colours of the Indian flag -- with his idol's name written across his chest and back.

The star's wheelchair-bound mother Rajni was due to watch for the first time after a special ramp was built for her at the south Mumbai stadium, despite her previous fears that her presence at matches could bring him bad luck.

Along with Indian politicians, businessmen and Bollywood stars, cricketing greats Brian Lara and Shane Warne flew in for the game at Wankhede, where a huge security force has been deployed for the next five days.

Many followers expressed disappointment that only 5,000 out of 32,000 seats were for the general public, with the rest reserved for VIPs such as sponsors and cricket club members. Many seats were empty.

Such was the demand for the publicly available tickets that the main website selling them crashed within minutes of sales opening on Monday.

"We will be very fortunate if we get another Sachin," Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said at the toss. "So it is important that we learn from the great man."

Since 16-year-old Tendulkar made his debut in Karachi in 1989, he has racked up an astonishing 15,847 runs in 199 Tests, helping India win the 2011 World Cup and reach the top of the world rankings.

Along with Tendulkar murals, banners and billboards that have sprung up ahead of his last match, Mumbai's tattoo parlours have reportedly seen a surge in requests for designs of the sporting icon.

On a beach in the eastern state of Odisha, an artist created a huge sand sculpture of 200 cricket bats and Tendulkar's face.

"Sachin Tendulkar was the best batsman of my generation and it will be a privilege to be in Mumbai," wrote Australia's Warne, who is commentating on the match.

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Polenz: I'm not a malicious player

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JEROME Polenz knows he has to watch his step from here on, but insists there is nothing malicious about him despite the storm over his two recent dangerous tackles.

After a raking challenge on Richard Garcia in the Sydney derby - and subsequent Twitter exchange with the Sydney FC forward - Polenz was even more widely condemned for a high lunge on Aber Mawil of Adelaide in the recent 2-1 victory.

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Both were wildly out of character for a player whose poise was a key part of the Wanderers' success last season. But speaking for the first time since referees director Ben Wilson said both tackles should have earned Polenz a red card, the German fullback insisted that neither had been a calculated act of aggression.

"That's football and I guess in one sense it's good that people have something to talk about," Polenz said wryly yesterday. "As a player I try to get into good positions, to read situations before they develop to deal with them in the best way.

"Sometimes though you can end up in a bad position and make a mistake in your tackling. That for me is what happened - I truly believe that anyone who knows me realises I am not a malicious player.

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"It happens sometimes that you mistime a tackle, but even when I fight hard as a player it is never with the intention of hurting them. As a team we fight hard but we fight fair."

Now Polenz's attention turns to Melbourne Victory on Saturday night, a side still finding its way after the dramatic change of head coach. "A new coach normally means big changes, but Kevin Muscat can definitely learn a lot from Ange Postecoglou," he said.

"He won't change a lot of the style, we can expect the same Victory as before. In the long term he might but that's not our concern. Don't forget that we also are a team in transition - this season we want to keep the ball better and progress our game, that takes time.

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"It always takes time to find rhythm when you want to change things but you can expect big things from the Wanderers as the season goes on."

Part of it has been the dislocation of Polenz's partnership down the right flank with Youssouf Hersi, the understanding they forged last season ruptured by the bruising that will keep Hersi out of tomorrow's game.

But Polenz is certain that the collective is far more than just one player - Hersi or any other. "Of course we link up well, but we have lots of options if he cannot play. We are the Wanderers, we are more than Youssouf Hersi or Shinji Ono or Jerome Polenz," he said.

Richard Garcia posted this picture of his injured leg on Twitter. Source: Supplied

"Shannon Cole came in last week and scored the winner, Brendon Santalab came in and did well too. It's true that we win as a team and lose as a team."

There is though more bad news for coach Tony opovic with striker Tomi Juric's knee injury keeping him out tomorrow along with Hersi, meaning Popovic must choose between Labinot Haliti, Brendon Santalab and Mark Bridge to lead the line.

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