Great stuff from MAP Freeman on the lengths to which a father will go to bring his young bloke into the fold.
Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase
April 30, 2010 by 5 Comments
By Mark Freeman Mid-afternoon on the first Thursday of May through the 80s and 90s was always an important fixture on my sporting calendar. Slip down the tote, chuck on a 50c box trifecta and settle in for the fascinating spectacle that is Warrnambool’s Grand Annual Steeplechase. Such a gruelling test … up the hill [Read more]
Sandown Classic: Freeman and Flynn’s final spring fling
November 15, 2009 by 5 Comments
by Mark “Makybe” Freeman True to form, Sandown Classic Day proved a benefit for punters, with very gettable trifectas and first fours in the Guineas and Classic, a very gettable quaddie (even I managed 4 per cent of it!) and even a very gettable Big 6 that paid more than three large.
Racing: Let’s turn those few rusty shekels into an even bigger stash with a collective effort
November 13, 2009 by 7 Comments
By Mark “Makybe” Freeman Ahhh, Sandown Classic Day. I think it’s held as a benefit for the year-long punters. It’s almost as if all participants – jocks, trainers, books, horses even – conspire to share with the workaday punters what the once-a-year mugs drop in over the carnival. “You’ve had to suffer the goons,” they [Read more]
Racing: All aboard for top day at the track
November 8, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Mark “Makybe” Freeman It was ‘All’ brilliant at Flemington yesterday, punters. The star of the show, All Silent, was breathtaking in the Patinack, bless his superstar heart, and All American, who we’ve stumped up for previously in these pages, finally showed what he can do with the right drag into the race in the [Read more]
Racing: All Silent for me, but pace needs to be on
November 7, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Mark “Makybe” Freeman Lovely days racing ahead of us, punters, and plenty to get excited about on the punt. For my little stable of horses to follow, the Patinack is a cracker. I’ve got All Silent, Mic Mac, Nicconi and the Cat in that order among my top 10, so I’ll be all over [Read more]
Racing: Hell hath no fury like a punter scorned
November 6, 2009 by 6 Comments
My Mark “Makybe” Freeman Utter disdain – that’s what Eskander’s Betstar treated me with this week, punters. But read on, there’s a marvellous sting in the tail. Hell hath no fury like a punter who’s missed out on his cup trifecta because of a technicality – and in this case it was the Betstar’s website’s [Read more]
Gorilla jumps in; break out the Crownies, Daff!
November 3, 2009 by 11 Comments
By Mark “Makybe” Diva Our wide cup trifecta landed a very nice $1062 return for the hunnert invested after Shocking put paid to Godolphin’s boy – second again for the Sheikh. So for Daff’s cash we’re now well and truly in the black. I wish I could say the same for myself after today’s result, [Read more]
Drawing on past lessons
November 2, 2009 by 6 Comments
by Mark “Makybe” Freeman The big one is all about levering that lovely dead money in the tote trifecta and first four pools, punters. It’s about taking the opportunity to cream the healthy dividend off all the once-a-year types making selections based on cat’s names, gran’s birthday’s and fave colours.
A quality day at the Derby
November 1, 2009 by 2 Comments
by Mark “Makybe” Freeman Just a pleasure seeing the quality go around today, punters. How good is Typhoon Tracy? Sat three-wide early, but ran away with such authority. Managed to keep out of Hot Danish, having seen her soundly thrashed by Tracy at Caulfield. And Faint Perfume is also proving a gun. She was nice [Read more]
Makybe joins the Rockferry crew
October 29, 2009 by 4 Comments
By Mark Makybe Freeman Clambering to the summit of the racing season, punters, ready to drive our flagpole into the peak… er… to enjoy the best racing has to offer. Our oxygen (cash supply) is running low, but we’re alive and kicking. Always a fascinating program, Derby Day, all group races, including four group 1s. [Read more]
How it feels to be Barted
October 24, 2009 by 11 Comments
by Mark Makybe Freeman Savage bashing. Pilloried on the punt. Barted, Barted, Barted again (thanks P. Flynn for the handy new verb). Got the Plate completely wrong. The 3-year-olds I labelled ‘mediocre’ quinellaed the event. Whobe, Heart not good enough. Not even big El. Utter wipeout.
Like Moonee Valley’s turf, the Cox Plate is cut and dried
October 23, 2009 by 4 Comments
By Mark “Makybe” Freeman I can see clearly now, punters, the Plate has come…. it’s gonna be a deep, deep-pocket, fill-up day. After the raffle of last week’s Caulfield Cup, the 2009 Cox Plate is as cut-and-dried as they come. There are only three genuine top flight stakes-class performers – Whobegotyou, Heart of [Read more]
It’s “Bart! Bart! Bart” all the way to the post
October 18, 2009 by 4 Comments
by Mark “Makybe” Freeman Bart, Bart, Bart! When will we ever learn? Amazing, extraordinary, unbe-fuckin’-lievable … anyway, it’s all in the papers for you to read. Viewed did get an amazing passage through on the inside, while stablemate Roman Emperor worked harder for his second placing, so perhaps he might be the one to get [Read more]
Caulfield Cup: Tread carefully with the internationals
October 16, 2009 by 6 Comments
by Mark “Makybe” Freeman Amazingly wide Caulfield Cup this year, punters. With obvious favourite Speed Gifted missing and next in line Predatory Pricer (barrier 16, jump from 14) and Vigor (22, jump from 18) drawn poorly, the internationals are the default favourites. Despite racing in top quality races across the globe (in fact Cima De [Read more]
A change of Gears at the Caulfield Guineas
October 13, 2009 by 18 Comments
by Mark Makybe Freeman The mistake I made, punters, was to agree to frock up and take advantage of the corporate largesse on offer. Gears had lucked into some passes handed over by a buddy, and in we went under the assumed names. I’m still only coming good now – the reason for this “come [Read more]
Racing: Guineas looks a vintage edition on my favourite race day of the year
October 9, 2009 by 8 Comments
By Mark “Makybe” Freeman Magnificent card at Caulfield on Saturday, punters, and the weather is shaping up perfectly. My favourite day of spring, and easily the best to get along to. The Guineas looks a vintage edition, with those classy Sydney colts set to battle it out. I like Trusting from his last effort, and [Read more]
Racing: Makybe’s lowdown on the tipsters
October 7, 2009 by 13 Comments
By Mark “Makybe” Freeman While your correspondent got lucky on the weekend and other Knacker racing contributors, Crio, Budge, Craig and Peter, have done same in recent weeks, what of the pundits out there on the airwaves and in the dailies? Since some of you Knackers will find yourselves trackside in coming weeks, it’s timely [Read more]
Horseracing: All not silent on the Freeman front
October 4, 2009 by 8 Comments
By Mark “Makybe” Freeman Like our Sally McLellan would have it: “Did you see him go?” All Silent’s the guy we’re on about – we were aboard, and not since Shaftsbury Avenue slayed ’em in the Lightning have we seen such a blinding finish in a quality sprint race. The Mercedes-driving bookies we mentioned in [Read more]
Horseracing: Black type everyhwere on Turnbull Stakes day
October 2, 2009 by 19 Comments
by Mark “Makybe” Freeman Wow, punters (he barked, with eyes lolling and tongue wagging), Turnbull/Epsom Day is as big as ever this year. For footy fans joining us, this weekend is similar to the first week of the finals – the early home-and-away-like skirmishes are done with and we have top level racing in multiple [Read more]
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