Crio’s Racing: ANZAC Day

I can’t remember whether we had the ANZAC Day Holiday on the 25th or the nearest Monday back when I was a kid.

But I do clearly remember the sports options.

Every year the preceding season’s SANFL Grand Finalists would return to the Adelaide Oval. A huge crowd would walk down to the ground after the commemorative services, usually watching Sturt play Port during my primary school days.

The other option was the races and a big crowd could easily access Victoria Park on the City’s eastern fringe with diggers gaining free admission.

Over the decades it seems that, unfortunately, the races have lost touch with the day as the younger crowd has been seduced by the blockbusterness of the AFL’s hype.

I’ve no doubt that the race trains would have heaved with ex-servicemen in the post-war years.

Of course, as with all public holidays, there are still plenty of meetings to attend or to bet on (whilst watching the footy at the pub!). The best I’ve been to in recent times is at Avoca – a ripper venue and a great little meeting with a vibrant two-up school out behind the stand.

There will be only a modest crowd at Flemington for the St Leger meeting – a race which, like the fixture, has lost its lustre over time.

Given the midweek holiday I don’t expect much banter here.

Perhaps these numbers might form the basis for a MR Quaddy:

12,15,4/ 1,2,3,7/ 1,11,4,8/ 12,11.

I’ll stay tuned in case anyone has some thoughts to share.

Time to get stuck in to some form for Saturday – hopefully our weekend preview will be posted some time before Thursday night.

Good luck!

Comments

  1. Crio,

    This is a long, thin thread, but I remember Rick Clay-Hero being interviewd on radio prior to Chase the Rainbow;s return late last year, and bloke asked him if he had anything else worh a mention in his stable at the time. He quoted two. One I forget, the other was Befitting which is in the St Leger. In a race that can throw up a result, I will have something each way.

    Also, I bought a young mare in foal at the Inglis sales last May, with the knowledge that Peter Moody had bought a yearling half brother for $125K earlier in the year.

    That yearling is Crime Fighter, which lines up in a Listed Race tomorrow (R1) and obviously, a win by him would enhance my mares pedigree. Might be only marginally, but it’s a bit of a thrill nonetheless.

  2. Something for us to cheer tmrw. Been a bit wet here tonight.

    Seriously, what is ANZAC Day on Groote Eyelandt?

  3. Elvis,

    Good luck with getting Crime Fighter some black type, hope it can take advantage on barrier 1.

    Would there still be some old Japs in the jungle on Groote who think the war is still on?

    Lack lustre day everywhere but if it gets wet in Melb, Legcut in the 3rd grows a leg and although the 1000 is too short it’s drawn wide which seems the place to be so may be a chance at good odds.

    Race here are at Gawler…disgrace. The Anzac meetings used to be great, plenty of punters and old diggers looking worse for wear after an early start. It looks like they have conceded defeat with having a half decent meeting, hardly the Anzac spirit.

  4. I’ve got 4 local boys work for me mowing lawns etc. and when I told them today that tomorrow was a Public Holiday, one said” Yeah, that’s right, ANZ Day”

    Needless to say, Mining Royalties have ruined the mob up here, and with it, the last of the Japanese soldiers were seen taking their chances with the crocs.

    Jock, don’t like barrier 1 with Crime Fighter, though he is Nose Roll Off, Blinkers On.

  5. Beautiful morning here. Track will be perfect so no need to look for mudlarks.
    Befitting does look a St Leger type, Elvis, but would be getting several kgs off the top 2 in a Handicap.

  6. Obviously Qld Racing doesn’t give a toss about ANZAC Day when the TAB meeting was at Beaudesert, which has hosted only 1 other TAB meeting for about 10 years (that was a couple of months ago).

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