Horse Racing in OZ

[Firkinelle]

My son said he had a temperature of 41 deg in Adelaide.

ED: That's pretty warm even for Adelaide which does get some hot days around this time of year. We live in interesting times!! Hope all is well with you and your family and thanks Firky for your comment. Cheers.

[Charles49]

The Eastern seaboard of Australia has been experiencing some very weird weather lately. Last Monday the temperature guage here in Brisbane rose to 37deg Celsius. That's pretty close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the old language. Brisbane just doesn't normally experience hot temperatures like this as we are on the coast, however we did, and to make things worse there's another cyclone called Kirrily around, which is about to descend north of us into places like Cairns and Townsville, which are still cleaning up from the last cyclone (Jasper) a couple of weeks ago. Winds are at 130km/h with occasional gusts up to 180km/h. Anticipated rain is 300mm and blackouts will be widespread.
Wife and I have horses in Cairns so fingers crossed that this one peters out quickly. Our prayers go out to all along the coastal area that they remain safe from Cyclone Kirrily. .
Despite the hot temps and muggy weather racing continues and hopefully this week we can find a few more winners for you than last week,
Here are the venues for Saturday. Tips and selections will follow as we get closer to race start times.


MOONEE VALLEY: Track Good (4)
R1 no 1 Acid Wash 2nd
R2 no 3 Brooklyn Boss 2nd
R4 no 2 Running By 4th
R6 no 3 Independent Road Won $4.40
R7 no 3 Miss Tarzy 3rd
R8 no 1 Philosopher 2nd
R9 no 8 Veight Won $2.30
R10 no 6 Pereille Won $2.50


RANDWICK: Track Soft (5)
R2 no 2 Jumeirah Beach
R4 no 1 Glory Daze Won $2.20
R5 no 5 Castillian 2nd
R10 no 7 Tashi Won $4

SUNSHINE COAST: Track Soft (5)
R1 no 2 Ringer's Reward 2nd
R2 no 1 Lead Me On 2nd
R6 no 5 Golden Boom 4th

ASCOT: Track Good (4)
R1 no 10 Glascow Lass Won $3.10
R2 no 4 All Play
R3 no 2 Here For Cheques Won $4.40
R4 no 4 Secret Attraction
R5 no 6 Speak to Me 4th
R6 no 9 King's Parade 4th
R7 no 7 Acting God
R8 no 6 Real Danger Won $4.80


BEST BETS:
MV: R9 no 8 Veight Won $2.30
SC: R1 no 2 Ringers Reward 2nd
SC: R2 no 1 Lead Me On 2nd
SC: R6 no 5 Golden Boom 4th

LAY BETS:
MV R2 no 4 Ceerseven Won $3.40. Lay Bet Lost
MV R7 no 10 Interlinked Ran 2nd. Lay Bet Won

HAIL MARY BETS:
ASC: R5 no 8 Flower In The Wind e/w
RAND: R3 no 16 Atmospheric Rock e/w 4th
RAND: R6 no 10 Floating e/w Won $8.20
MV: R10 no 4 Danny's St Darci e/w

Cheers 'n 'Beers
Please gamble responsibly.

[Charles49]

Very sad to see the Gold Coast Turf Club receiving some pretty harsh criticisms after the running of their biggest race event for the year in the Magic Millions races. What happened was the favourite for the 3yo Magic Million event, Sydney Bowler, became cast in the barrier and couldn't be freed quickly by the barrier attendants. Much of the critism centered around the apparent lack of sufficient barrier attendants, however the horse was stuck fast and had to be released by carefully dismantling a section of the barriers. All competitors were sent back to the mounting yard as this transpired and when the race was finally set to go, minus Sydney Bowler, an hour or so had passed and the sun was very close to setting.
There was also an issue of adding extra barriers to the main set and this seemed to take longer than it should have. Yes I understand if you are the owner or trainer of a horse that clearly is the popular favourite, and you have expended so much of your time and energy in procuring and then training your horse, and its the favourite in a very strong market, and then to have it declared a non-runner because of an event that clearly is beyond anything that you could have anticipated, you will feel very very hard done by.
Personally I thought the Gold Coast Turf Club had worked extremely hard to get the track in tip top condition and to ensure that the very large crowd were well fed and there were plenty of drinks to ensure nobody went home thirsty. It was just a shame that a freak event marred what otherwise was a quality day's racing.

Here are Saturday's venues. Updates will occur between now and venue start times. So nice to see that we are back to normal race venues which means the conclusion of the silly season.!! No more out of town once a year bush tracks with no recent form guides!!

Best wishes for a successful day on the punt.


FLEMINGTON: Track Good (4)
R1 no 2 Bermadez Won $2.25
R3 no 9 Shaime 2nd
R4 no 1 Austmarr 4th
R6 no 10 Bel Air 4th
R7 no 1 Jungle Jim Won $3.90
R10 no 6 Mornington Glory Won $5.70


ROSEHILL: Track Soft (5)
R2 no 6 Associate 4th
R3 no 8 Gently Rolled 2nd
R4 no 4 Time to Boogie 3rd
R5 no 5 Soldier of Rome 3rd
R6 no 2 First Light
R7 no 5 Danaustar 3rd
R8 no 4 Step Aside
R9 no 6 Our Kobison Won $2
R10 no 4 Centrestone


EAGLE FARM: Track Soft (5)
R2 no 4 Deniliquin
R3 no 5 Jukebox in Siberia 3rd
R7 no 9 Black On Beauty
R10 no 9 Freedom Rally Won

ASCOT: Track Good (4)
R1 no 3 Madhi Girl Won $3.20
R2 no 7 Lord Shiva
R3 no 3 The Lady Is A Vamp
R4 no 8 Harmika
R5 no 5 Captain Pluto Won $2.20
R6 no 2 Starry Heights 4th
R7 no 9 Cosmic Hero 3rd
R8 no 7 Speak To Me 2nd
R9 no 6 Count The Sessions


BEST BETS:
EF R10 no 9 Freedom Rally Won
ROSE: R4 no 4 Time to Boogie 3rd
ROSE: R9 no 6 Our Kobison Won $2

LAY BETS:
ROSE: R4 no 8 Stromboli Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won
ROSE: R8 no 7 Buillt Won $4. Lay Bet Lost

HAIL MARY BETS:
ROSE: R2 no 2 Cenotes e/w @ $22 3rd
FLEM: R7 no 9 Pink Beauty e/w @ $8
FLEM: R9 no 11 British Colombia e/w @ $18
FLEM: R10 no 2 Wiggum e/w @ $7


Cheers 'n' Beers
Please gamble responsibly.
.

[Charles49]

Well the silly season is just about over and the big races for 2024 will start to appear. First cab off the rank will be the Magic Millions 2 year old Classic (race 8) followed by the Magic Millions 3 year old Guineas (race 9). Both races will be at the Gold Coast. Total prizemoney for the 11 races on the program is a whopping AUD $13.5m. Individual race prizemoney ranges from AUD$500k to a huge $3m. Other biggie on the program for Saturday is the Standish Handicap (Race 8) over 1200m which will be run and won at Flemington. Prizemoney for this time honoured race is $AUD $250K which pales in comparison to the prizemoney available at the Gold Coast meeting.

The Magic Millions is sponsored in part by Gerry Harvey, and his wife Katie Page, who is the CEO of Harvey Norman, a very large Australian Retailer. Gerry is some 84 years young and both he and Katie are co-owners of the Magic Millions which are arguably the best two races in Australia for 2 and 3 year old horses.

Proof that the silly season is not quite over came today with the news that Victorian Racing were upset that the King and Queen of England are scheduled to visit Royal Randwick racecourse (located in New South Wales) during their royal tour of Australia. Of course the State of Victoria have their noses out of joint because they don't have a racecourse named Royal and the King & Queen are not going to any of their race meetings. Proof indeed that the silly season is not yet over!!

Wife has a runner on Saturday in Race 2 at Glen Innes in the form of Strawberry Lady (2nd). Its currently the $4.40 Fav and has drawn the pole. Horse is a bit of a nut job as it appears to be afraid of its own shadow, however the good news is it has turned the corner thanks to its new trainer Sammy McGuren, who is a very caring person and has a unique way of calming horses in her care. What one would call a true horse whisperer! The Lady ran 2nd at her last start so if she can handle the step up in distance then she should be in the finish.

Here are the venues and selections for Saturday.
Best wishes for a successful day!


GOLD COAST: Track Good (4)
R1 no 13 Zhuang Shi 4th
R2 no 9 Too Darn Lizzie Won $2
R7 no 3 King Of Sparta Won
R8 no 1 Storm Boy Won $2.30
R9 no 2 Chrysaor
R10 no 2 Far Too Easy 4th


FLEMINGTON: Track Good (4)
R2 no 8 Golden Crusader 4th
R3 no 3 Otago Won
R5 no 1 Interlinked 4th
R8 no 2 Sghirripa Won $2.30

ROSEHILL: Track Good (4)
R1 no 6 Gelatin 4th
R3 no 1 Penthouse Won
R7 no 12 Naval College Won $3
R9 no 5 Pereille 2nd
R10 no 2 Testator Silens Won $2.40

ASCOT: Track Good (4)
R1 no 1 London's Image
R2 no 3 Silver Eye
R3 no 8 Bonjoy .............RACING ABANDONED AT ASCOT DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT.
R4 no 9 Comic Hero
R5 no 5 Speak To Me
R6 no 3 Manhatten Strip
R7 no 4 Upper Limits
R8 no 9 Wild Belle
R9 no 7 Espirit Garcon


BEST BETS:
GC: R8 no 1 Storm Boy Won $2.30
GC: R10 no 2 Far Too Easy 4th
ROSE: R7 no 12 Naval College Won $3


LAY BETS:
GC: R8 no 3 Parkour Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won
GC: R8 no 2 Spywire Ran 3rd. Lay Bet Won


HAIL MARY BETS:
GC R8 no 4 Highness e/w @ $5 Ran 2nd.
GC R9 no 1 Cifrado e/w @ $6.50
ROSE: R2 no 3 Divine Sinner e/w @ $11
ROSE: R10 no 8 Ebony King e/w @ $8.50




Cheers 'n' Beers
Please gamble responsibly

[Charles49]

Thanks Filthy. Yes history shows you are correct. Personally I hate this time of year as fields are reduced and odd things happen because many of the venues are out of their regular sync.
We do have some major races coming up in Queensland i.e the Magic Millions at the Gold Coast venue but otherwise we have this Christmas and New Year hangover period until normality reappears late in January. Personally I halve my betting stakes during this period as a bit of a safeguard.
Likewise may you also have a great 2024 and may the Punting Gods be kind to you this year.!! Cheers and best wishes.

[filthy_muck]

Thanks Charles.

Hope you have a very successful 2024. It is very tough this time of year - just need to push through!


Filthy.

[Charles49]

Well its the start of a New Year where we push the reset button and hope that our wishes for a successful year ahead on the punt eventuates. Last week we did have an improved result with 16 winners and 8 placings. Lets hope the good times roll on in 2024. Wife has her favourite horse Loburn Lass running around at the Cannon Park meeting at Cairns on Monday. Its topweight and will carry 60 kgs. She's drawn barrier 5 and with Chris Whiteley in the saddle she should perform well over the 1500m distance. Not to be outdone our son has Coastal Raider (SCR) running at Lismore on Sunday in Race 6. Sportsbet have it as their top pick. Its drawn barrier 11 which wont help, however it does have a senior jock on board in Matty McGuren and it hasn't missed a place in its last three starts, so its not without a chance.
The Eastern seaboard of Australia has been pummeled by tropical rain storms carrying sizable chunks of hail. Plenty of precipitation so the rain tanks are full as are swimming pools. Unfortunately there are a significant number of folk who have had their homes destroyed and plenty who lost power and are awaiting restoration. Such are the joys of life here in Oz.
Here are the venues for Saturday's racing. Selections will be posted between now and prior to the respective start times. Last venue time wise is Ascot which is one venue if you live in the UK that you can bet on without losing your beauty sleep. There's a selection in every race so you don't have long to wait for the next opportunity to have a bet.
Unfortunately the silly season is still with us with racing in Victoria and Queensland heading off to the bush which as we know from past history just makes the discovery of winners a little more difficult.
May I wish you all a Happy New Year and may the punting gods be kind to you in 2024.


GEELONG: Track Good (4)
R1 no 7 Fretta 2nd
R2 no 6 Trunk 2nd
R5 no 7 Carbonados Won $5.20
R6 no 9 Rey Magnerio Won $2
R9 no 2 Va Via Won $2.60
R10 no 4 Yellow Sam

RANDWICK: Track Good (4)
R2 no 5 Exploring
R3 no 4 Prince Invincible
R7 no 9 Cool Jakey
R8 no 18 Time to Boogie 3rd

GOLD COAST: Track Good (4)
R2 no 2 Spywire Won
R3 no 1 Arabian Summer Won $2.40
R6 no 7 Pasima 2nd

ASCOT: Track Good (4)
R1 no 1 London's Image Won
R2 no 3 Nero King
R3 no 3 King's Parade Won $5.40
R4 no 3 Civvy Street
R5 no 3 Costazita 2nd
R6 no 2 Belgrano Belle
R7 no 3 Playz With Fire
R8 no 7 Starry Heights
R9 no 3 Divine Belief 3rd


BEST BETS:
GC: R2 no 2 Spywire Won
ASC: R9 no 3 Divine Belief 3rd

LAY BETS:
GC: R2 no 3 Defiant Boom Ran 3rd. Lay Bet Won.
ASC: R1 no 4 Champagne Coast Ran 3rd. Lay Bet Won

HAIL MARY BETS:
RAND: R3 no 13 Ces Soirees La @ $20 4th
RAND: R5 no 8 Anythink Goes @ $14 2nd
GEEl: R3 no 7 Polanco @ $8


Cheers 'n' Beers
Please gamble responsibly

[Charles49]

Last Saturday was probably one of the worst days results that we have experienced here for quiet some time. I'm very keen not to have a repeat so fingers crossed. Here are the early selections for Saturdays racing in Oz. Hope Santa was kind to you this year and you are all looking forward to the New Year.
The family racing stable is not setting the world on fire however 2023 has been a good one for us with several wins for the wife and I, plus our son managed to snare a win with his first horse in Coastal Raider which also goes around today in the second race at Coffs Harbour, (Ran 3rd) and is a good chance of at least picking up some place prizemoney.
The star of the family stable last year was Loburn Lass. She did race last Saturday at Cairns following the aftermath of Cyclone Jasper. One of her really good habits is her ability to jump out from the barriers and head over to the fence to take the lead. Here is a video of her last run which displays her ability to get to the front and then box on at the pointy end of the race..
https://www.racingqueensland.com.au/...0231223/race/7
The Christmas racing period is never the best time to have a punt as fields are usually small and the good horses are missing as trainers, jockeys and owners try to get away for a much deserved break. In addition the temperature here is 36deg Celsius and expected to get even warmer on Saturday.
Big worry is today (Saturday) as the weather predictions include 37deg Celsius temperatures, damaging winds, heavy rainfall and fierce hail storms. Oh life is great in the Sunshine State!!
Notwithstanding that here are Saturdays fields and early selections. Fingers crossed for a better result than last week!!



THE VALLEY: Track Good (4)
R2 no 2 A Little Deep Won $2.40
R3 no 3 After The Impact
R5 no 1 Dunkel Won $3.90
R6 no 6 Piaggio
R7 no 3 Montather Won $7.80
R8 no 11 Divine Purpose 3rd
R9 no 2 Flying Mean 2nd
R10 no 6 Kin 3rd

RANDWICK: Track Good (4)
R1 no 1 Parkour Won $2.80
R3 no 11 Tavs
R5 no 2 Naval College Won $3.60
R6 no 7 Louisville 2nd
R7 no 4 Grebeni Won $3.30

DOOMBEN: Track Soft (5)
R1 no 7 Get Up Girl
R4 no 9 Emperor
R5 no 4 Midnight in Tokyo Won $2.45
R7 no 3 Show Me Mercy
R8 no 12 Chinny Boom 2nd

PINJARA PARK: Track Good (4)
R1 no 1 Givemeonereason Won $2
R2 no 5 Cosmic Chaos
R3 no 7 Just Famous 3rd
R4 no 1 Roundabout Glory 3rd
R5 no 13 Own The Queen Won $2.70
R6 no 7 Shot of Elegance
R7 no 9 Stormy Tawny Won $5.20
R8 no 2 Autumn Rebel Won $1.30


BEST BETS:
MV R5 no 1 Dunkel Won $3.90
MV R6 no 6 Piaggio
MV R10 no 6 Kin 3rd
RAND R5 no 2 Naval College Won $3.60
RAND R7 no 4 Grebini Won $3.30
DOOM R4 no 9 Emperor
PPARK: R8 no 2 Autumn Rebel Won $1.30

LAY BETS:
RAND R5 no5 Touristic Ran 2nd. Lay Bet Won
RAND R6 no 2 Miracle Spin Won $6.50. Lay Bet Lost

HAIL MARY BETS:
RAND R8 no 10 Super Bright e/w @ $13
RAND R10 no 3 Powerful Peg e/w @ $10 2nd
MV R4 no 9 Imapagethreegirl e/w @ $8




Cheers 'n' Beers
Please gamble responsibly.

[Charles49]

Very hot still in Brisbane with temperatures above 30deg Celsius. And we have had some nice rainfalls which have filled up the swimming pool where the water temperature was 32.5 deg Celsius yesterday when I managed to go for a swim. Of course the big news around here is that Cyclone Jasper crossed the coast near Cairns and has brought with it so much rainwater that its caused roads to flood, bridges to collapse and hundreds of homes to be flooded to the extent that possessions like fridges, beds, tables, cupboards and the like are now all out on the footpath awaiting the Councils rubbish truck to lift them up and dump them elsewhere. Very sad.
She who must be obeyed has Loburn Lass (Ran 2nd) going around in Cairns on Saturday in a 1500m race. Its been looking for a longer distance although the step up from 1200m is a bit of a worry. Still I expect her to be among the placings providing she can handle the track's soft 7 rated going.

Here are the venues for Saturday. Tips will go up shortly and lets hope its a winning day!

And of course its that time of the year when we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May Santa fill your stockings with plenty of winnings and may 2024 be a great year for everyone here on Geeks Toy.





MOONEE VALLEY: Track Good (4)
R1 no 4 Links 2nd
R2 no 5 Keane Enuff 2nd
R3 no 3 Harbin 3rd
R4 no 5 Staunch
R6 no 6 South of Houston
R8 no 1 Glentaneous Won $3.50
R9 no 10 Fearless Writer
R10 no 6 Veloce Carro


RANDWICK: Track Soft (6)
R4 no 7 Ningaloo Star
R6 no 8 Valiancy
R8 no 9 Perfect Thought


EAGLE FARM: Track Soft (5)
R1 no 5 I Am The Empire
R3 no 1 Weigall Tiger 2nd
R5 no 14 Jumeirah Beach 4th
R6 no 1 Storm Boy Won
R7 no 1 Acquitted Won $2.70
R8 no 6 Zarastro Won $3.30
R9 no 10 Bezique Won $2
R10 no 1 Go Wandji


ASCOT: Track Good (4)
R1 no 7 Watch Me Rock
R2 no 4 Sinful Living Won $2
R3 no 3 Leading Teddy Won $4.60
R4 no 9 Playz With Fire 4th
R5 no 2 Cold Shizzle Won $10
R6 no 5 Casino Seventeen 3rd
R7 no 2 Playhouse Patron
R8 no 1 Duchess Of Gossip 3rd
R9 no 2 Playthatfunkymusic 4th


LAY BETS:
EF Race 7 no 3 The Vowels Ran 3rd. Lay Bet Won
EF Race 10 no 12 Freedom Rally Won. Lay Bet Lost

BEST BETS:
MV R6 no 6 South of Houston
MV R9 no 10 Fearless Writer

HAIL MARY BETS:
RAND R3 no 1 Imatruestar e/w @ $11
RAND R4 no 11 Pad Thai e/w @ $22
RAND R9 no 10 The Dramatist e/w @ $26



Cheers 'n' Beers
Please gamble responsibly

[Charles49]

Another Saturday of racing is about to descend upon us and hopefully we can improve the strike rate for those elusive winners. As you may be aware Australia does receive cyclones during summer and we currently have one named Jasper crossing the Queensland coast a few hundred kilometers north of where I reside. It bought with it gusts up to 130 klm/h and left 35,000 folk without power. Thankfully despite predictions to the contrary Jasper is weakening to a mere tropical low so life can return to normal once the cleanup and repairs are completed. Oh the joys of living in the tropics. And if you think cyclones are just about wind, waves and a bit of rain then consider this. Daintree area in North Queensland had 624 mm of rainfall in just one evening.!! That's a lot of H2O. !!
Wife has Strawberry Lady (2nd) going around in Race 4 at Coffs Harbour on Saturday. Trainer has a high opinion of her but she is a bit of a nervous nellie when she goes to the track and the best she has done is 6th so far. This is not a strong race so she is a chance but I will sit on my wallet this time around and just watch what happens. Has been an interesting week on the punt. No joy to speak of until Thursday when I managed to pluck a 33/1 winner in the form of Pioneer Lass who was last on the turn and outsprinted them to the line to grab the chocolates. Then to add to the joy Chartwell won yesterday @ 10/1 and in the very next race Ekeler saluted at $16. Christmas has arrived early this year!! Lets hope the luck holds out for todays Hail Mary bets.
Big storm here in Brisbane last night with winds up to 170klm. Plenty of rain too which was good as the pool was well down before the precipitation arrived!
Thankfully the experiment with venturing into the country to run city meetings has concluded for this year so hopefully sanity will return and the results will be
back to normal expectations.
Here are the venues and tips for Saturday's racing. .



CAULFIELD: Track Good(4)
R1 no 1 Traffic Warden Won $2
R2 no 4 Ferago
R3 no 5 Fullproof
R4 no 8 Running By Won $1.80
R5 no 1 Is It Me Won $3
R7 no 3 Jambalaya 4th
R10 no 17 Kin 2nd


RANDWICK: Track Good (4)
R1 no 1 Amazing Eagle 2nd
R2 no 2 Vegas Outlaw Won $5.50
R3 no 10 Zouphoria Won $2.70
R4 no 11 Lyrical Gangster 4th
R5 no 13 Accappella Sun 3rd
R6 no 6 Union Army 3rd
R7 no 2 Kirwans Lane


EAGLE FARM: Track Soft (5)
R1 no 5 Liquor Won $2.40
R3 no 9 Indifference Won $6.70
R4 no 5 Maid To Fit 2nd
R7 no 1 Felix The Scat
R9 no 4 Far Too Easy Won $2
R10 no 7 Quality Time


ASCOT: Track Soft (5)
R1 no 4 Stormchaser Won $3.10
R2 no 2 San Fabrizio 3rd
R3 no 2 Billy Ray 2nd
R4 no 7 Super Smink 2nd
R5 no 12 Secret Attraction Won $8.40
R6 no 5 Belgrano Belle
R7 no 9 Rear Admiral 2nd
R8 no 13 Upper Limits 3rd


LAY BETS:
RAND R7 no 2 Kirwin's Lane Started $5.50. Ran Unplaced. Lay Bet Won
RAND R9 no 5 Dollar Magic
ASCOT R9 no 10 Ayrton


BEST BETS:
RAND R1 no 1 Amazing Eagle 2nd
CAUL R1 no 1 Traffic Warden Won $2
CAUL R3 no 5 Full Proof
E FARM R9 no 4 Far Too Easy Won $2

HAIL MARY BETS:
RAND R3 no 4 Hide Your Heart e/w @ $6 4th
RAND R7 no 15 Naval College e/w @ $9
RAND R8 no 10 Vintage Choice e/w @ $11


Cheers'n'Beers
Please gamble responsibly

[Charles49]

Well its the storm season here at present so plenty of heat and threatening storm cloud abound. We haven't quite got past the silly season yet as the Melbourne based racing has wandered off to the bush where racing will be conducted at the Ballarat racetrack. Nice track but hardly comparable to Flemington!!. Wife has wandered off to New Zealand with a heap of her girlie friends so she probably isnt aware that her favourite horse Loburn Lass gets a run at Atherton tomorrow in a seven horse field. (Ran 3rd) Its the top rated horse in the field and after its excellent second last start should go one better here.
Here are fields for Saturdays racing. Tips will go up progressively from now to about 3 hours prior to the start.
Good luck with your investments.


BALLARAT: Track Soft (7)
R1 no 5 Sunset Dreaming Won $2
R5 no 8 Excelleration
R7 no 8 A Little Deep 3rd
R9 no 3 Taunting Won $2.20

RANDWICK: Track Good (4)
R1 no 2 Burrandana 3rd
R3 no 5 Rapbidash
R4 no 8 Terra Mater Won $2.25
R5 no 2 Blue Stratum 4th
R6 no 9 I'mintowin
R8 no 3 Insurrection 2nd

EAGLE FARM: Track Good (4)
R1 no 4 Kureder Won $2
R5 no 3 Wengall Tiger Won $2
R6 no 1 Prince of Boom
R7 no 3 Better Get Set 3rd
R9 no 17 Helluva Barty 4th
R10 no 5 Evocator

ASCOT: Track Good (4)
R1 no 7 Sinful Living 2nd
R2 no 6 Final Siren Won $2.90
R3 no 8 Dun With The Blues
R4 no 4 Black Fantasy Won $2
R5 no 7 Playz With Fire Won $3.70
R6 no 1 Falcon Trader
R7 no 6 Metallon
R8 no 1 Zaaki 2nd
R9 no 6 Starry Heights Won $2.20

LAY BETS:
EF R2 no 4 Willinga Freefall Started $3.50 Fav. Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won
RAND R10 no 7 Way To The Stars Started $4.80. Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won
BALL R5 no 11 Kettle Hill Started @ $6.50. Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won

BEST BETS:
BALL R7 no 8 A Little Deep 3rd
ASCOT R9 no 6 Starry Heights Won $2.20
ASCOT R8 no 1 Zaaki 2nd
EAGLE FARM: R1 no 4 Kureder Won $2

HAIL MARY BETS:
RAND R7 no 13 Hinged e/w @ $20
RAND R5 no 8 Groove City e/w @ $51
RAND R2 no 7 Leandra e/w @ $14
ASCOT R8 no 16 A Lot Of Good Men e/w @ $18


Cheers'n'Beers
Please gamble responsibly

[Charles49]

The rain (and a bit of hail) has pounded down here in the last day or so, therefore expect heavy rated tracks in many areas.
Here are the venues for Saturday. Tips will follow shortly. Nice to see the flirtation with the bush meetings is over and sanity can now return.


CAULFIELD: Track Soft (6)
R2 no 4 Awash 3rd
R4 no 3 Miraval Rose Won $1.80
R6 no 2 Vilana 3rd
R7 no 1 Arkansaw Kid 2nd
R8 no 10 Muramasa
R9 no 1 Revolutionary Miss Won $3.70
R10 no 8 Ghaanati Won $4

ROSEHILL: Track Soft (7)
R2 no 3 Celestial Fury


DOOMBEN: Track Soft (6)
R2 no 2 Felix The Scat 3rd
R6 no 3 Acquitted Won $3.70
R9 no 3 Knights Choice Won $5.20


ASCOT: Track Good (4)
R1 no 3 Diamond Scene Won $2.50
R2 no 9 Yonga Lass Won $2.80
R3 no 6 Hang Glider
R4 no 8 Desennea Won $4.30
R5 no 2 Mungo Jerry
R6 no 2 Belgrano Belle 2nd
R7 no 5 Augment 4th
R8 no 7 Duchess of Gossip 4th
R9 no 16 Oscar's Fortune 2nd
R10 no 12 Upper Limits 3rd

LAY BETS:
MR9 no 3 Thassophile Ran 2nd. Lay Bet Won

BEST BETS:
MR2 no 4 Awash 3rd
MR6 no 2 Vilana 3rd
MR8 no 10 Muramasa

HAIL MARY BETS:
MR7 no 8 Vivy Air e/w $7.50 3rd
SR6 no 6 Knife's Edge e/w @ $25
SR9 no 6 Parry Sound e/w @ $12
SR10 no 3 Sebonack e/w @ $10


Cheers'n'Beers
Please gamble responsibly

[Charles49]

Yes I made a bad call in favour of India in the Cricket World Cup. Statistically, unbeaten India had the game at their mercy, and with 99% of the crowd cheering them on they should have beaten Australia easily. But they overestimated their ability, and once the likes of Kohli departed for 54 that was the end of the penny section and it was curtains after that. Big surprise was Australia winning the toss and deciding to bowl. The strategy worked as their homework suggested batting second on a better wicket was preferable, thanks to the arrival of the nightly dew. Personally I thought Travis Head's catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma was the big turning point. You just don't catch balls that are running ahead and to the left of you, and whilst you are wearing a cap, and blue coloured sunglasses. But somehow he did and when Lady Luck embraces you then good things happen, and that was the case as when it was his turn to bat he managed a masterful 137 which ensured the Cup travels south to Australia.
No more cricket tips from me. Its back to the horses!
The silly season is still with us with the city races in Melbourne and Sydney venturing out into the country. Results therefore can be harder to predict so bet cautiously at these venues. Best venue on Saturday is at Ascot where the Group 1 Railway Stakes will be run and won. Mate of mine has Tuvalu running in Race 8. Jamie Kah takes the ride and she is a top jock. Its a horse with a lot of ability and tries its heart out every time it runs. Wife has Loburn Lass (Ran 2nd) going around in Race 3 at Cairns today (Friday). Drawn the visitors alley but has speed so should get to the front. Trainer isn't gung-ho about its chances but its an honest mare so should run a reasonable race. I have one going around on Saturday at Inverell in the last in the form of Skreatch (Ran 6th). Its drawn the carpark and coming back in distance, however this isn't a strong field so I'm optimistic it will at least run a place. Fingers crossed.! Wife also has Strawberry Lady (Ran 6th) running at Grafton on Sunday in Race 4. Its form is rubbish and despite lots of early hype about its future its been a very disappointing conveyance. Trainer has been very patient so hopefully the Lady will mature and run a decent race otherwise its off to the sale ring.

Here are Saturdays racing venues. Tips will follow, and then the late mail, after which the In Play sign goes up and we are off and running..
Updates wont occur until after the end of the race card as I'm off to the city for a long lunch on Saturday! May the punting gods be kind to you.




CRANBOURNE: Track Good (4)
R1 no 1 Warmonger
R4 no 6 Haaracaine Won $7.70
R10 no 5 Jimmysstar Won $2.60

KEMBLA GRANGE: Track Heavy(8)
R1 no 1Touristic 4th
R2 no 2 Tribeca Star 4th
R3 no 3 With Your Blessing Won $4.10
R5 no 4 Burning Need
R7 no 3 Osipenko 3rd
R9 no 5 Headwall 3rd


DOOMBEN: Track Soft (6)
R1 no 5 Kureder Won $3.10
R3 no 6 Thankful Heart 4th
R6 no 1 Cacofonix 4th
R9 no 10 The Catch


ASCOT: Track Good (4)
R1 no 3 Diamond Scene Abandoned
R2 no 9 Playz With Fire 2nd
R3 no 6 Starry Heights Won $4.60
R4 no 11 Something Royal
R5 no 1 Casino Seventeen 2nd
R6 no 2 Magnificent Andy 2nd
R8 no 1 Tuvalu
R9 no 9 Triple Jay


LAY BETS:
ASCOT R8 no 7 Alsephina Started Fav. Ran 2nd. Lay Bet Won


BEST BETS:
CRAN R10 no 5 Jimmysstar Won $2.60
ASCOT R5 no 1 Casino Seventeen 2nd
ASCOT R8 no 1 Tuvalu

HAIL MARY BETS:
KG: R7 no 7 Palmetto e/w $34
CRAN: R4 no 5 Chihuly e/w @ $6 3rd
CRAN: R10 no 1 Tasman Park e/w @ $9 4th


Cheers 'n' Beers
Please gamble responsibly.

[Charles49]

The weekend is fast approaching so here are the venues for Saturday's races. Tips will follow with the bulk tomorrow and then the late mail will surface early Saturday morning AEST.
The silly season is upon us and that heralds the dispatch of racing out into the sticks to venues such as Newcastle (south of Sydney) and to the Sunshine Coast (north of Brisbane).
Makes it harder to pick winners so be cautious if backing selections in these two venues.
Good luck with your investments.
There is also a cricket match happening in India in the next 12 hours or so. Cant see the Aussie team getting up here as they against a strong Indian side and a hostile crowd. India are at $1.45 as I write so even though I'm normally against backing odds on I'm having a bet on India to win this one.



CAULFIELD: Track Good (4)
R2 no 10 Forbidden City
R3 no 3 Rhinoceros 4th
R4 no 7 Commemorative 4th
R5 no 11 Sghirripa 3rd
R6 no 2 Brave Mead 2nd
R7 no 2 Coeur Volante 4th
R8 no 11 Magic Time Won $4.60
R9 no 3 Brayden Star
R10 no 2 She Dances 3rd

NEWCASTLE: Track Good (4)
R3 no 2 Rematch Won $3.90
R5 no 2 King Of The Castle 4th
R8 no 3 King of Sparta 2nd
R9 no 8 Sweet Mercy
R10 no 1 Much Much Better


SUNSHINE COAST: Track Good (4)
R1 no 6 Barbie's Sister 2nd
R2 no 5 Rising Pacific
R4 no 4 Helluva Barty 2nd
R5 no 8 Colleagues 4th
R6 no 6 Hardware Lane
R8 no 3 Dune Forty Five Won $11
R9 no 1 Prince Of Boom
R10 no 1 Party For Two 2nd

ASCOT: Track Good (4)
R1 no 7 Mountain Ash 2nd
R2 no 2 Special Sort
R3 no 12 Yonga Lass Won $2.40
R4 no 1 Alsephina 2nd
R5 no 3 Keishi Boom Won
R6 no 7 Duchess of Gossip 3rd
R7 no 5 Red Can Man
R8 no 3 Oscar's Fortune 2nd
R9 no 7 Saloon Bar Abandoned

LAY BETS:
MR4 no 12 Miraval Rose Started Fav. Ran 2nd. Lay Bet Won
MR6 No 1 Arkanshaw Kid Started Fav. Ran 2nd. Lay Bet Won
MR10 no 1 Queen Of The Ball Started 2nd Fav. Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won

BEST BETS:
ASC R5 no 3 Keishi Boom Won
SUN R9 no 1 Prince Of Boom
NEWC R10 no 1 Much Much Better

HAIL MARY BETS:
MR7 no 8 Vivy Air e/w @ $25
NEW R3 no 15 Leica Model e/w @ $13
MR8 no 9 Buffalo River e/w @ 30/1

Cheers'n' Beers
Please gamble responsibly

[Charles49]

Thanks Firky for your reply. What's happened here is there have been a number of dead heats in recent times and this has raised the question of technology and is it up to to modern expectations and standards. I suspect that there are a number of non metropolitan courses that have had the same technology for a decade or more and they have avoided the cost of replacement equipment because its expensive and the reality is that it works fine for say 98% of the time. Whilst the decision has always been to view the head as the point of where the decision has been made there are some who have suggested that in the event of a photo not being able to split a dead-heat then the foot could be used to determine the winner. That one hasn't proceeded anywhere however the call for better technology is a fair and reasonable one imho as we should in this day and age be able to utilise technology to correctly determine the first three (and in some cases the first four) placings. There is a lot of money wagered on horse racing in Oz and I for one think its imperative that we get it 100% correct. I did read that one punter who backed No 11 which was the odds on favourite in the above photo had the photo examined by a company with state of the art technology and they gave the decision to number 11 as the winner. If you look closely it does appear that No 11 has reached the line first however there is a bees dick in it and one cant blame the Pakenham race Club for calling it a dead heat.
Does the same happen in Great Britain or do they have a better standard of technology when it comes to photo finishes?