Guineas Day. This is as good as it gets. A beautifully balanced programme at the crossroads of the Carnival, it attracts enthusiasts and leaves a legacy for Spring and beyond.
Turnbull Stakes Day Wash-up
October 7, 2012 by 22 Comments
Sydney racing has developed a (well-earned) reputation for small fields and lack of pace in their races such that many “look” like the traditional boat races. It was great to see some long overdue jockey initiative rewarded in a couple of big races on Saturday. The unbeaten Proisir, the latest of Gai’s over-hyped “superstars” was [Read more]
Crio’s racing: Super Saturday at Randwick
October 7, 2012 by 69 Comments
Crio is salivating over a big week in racing – a bumper Turnbull Stakes Day at Flemington and Super Saturday at Randwick.
Mug Punting: Me, Bernie and the Bookie
September 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment
My friend Bernie was one of those guys who was good at all sports. All sports were effortless endeavours to him. He was a star cricketer, footballer, runner, swimmer, golfer, tennis player, you name it, he could play it. Nay, he could excel at it. He even had interesting theories on sport. He always said [Read more]
Crio’s racing: Great value at Money Valley tonight
September 28, 2012 by 21 Comments
The Grand Final has stolen the headlines but there is plenty of good racing this weekend. Crio lays out his best bets.
Crio’s Racing
September 20, 2012 by 53 Comments
Cup weights are out, the J.J.Miller’s Guide is due in the shops and the Show is upon us…. the countdown to The Carnival can truly begin. Traditional lead-ups are no longer the norm. The fun now is in rating various formlines and evaluating their worth for upcoming riches without neglecting the primary need to find [Read more]
Crio’s racing
September 13, 2012 by 62 Comments
The John F. Feehan Stakes was always a chance to see how WFA middle distance horses handled the nuances of the Moonee Valley track and thus became a point of reference en route to the W. S. Cox Plate. Historically this timeline also fitted. “Feehan’s Farm”, on which the first race meetings were held in [Read more]
At the races with Dad
August 29, 2012 by 6 Comments
My father always had superstitions with numbers. He always told me to take quinellas, 5 and 7 always. For what reasons, no one really knows, yet there are times now when I’m at the track when I hear his voice, ” 5 and 7″. I just say,” yeah, yeah, 5 and 7 dad, I know”.
Jordan Childs chases first win at Tatura
August 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Shane Goss travels to Tatura to watch New Zealand hoop Greg Childs’s son, Jordan, looking for his first win.
Crio’s Racing: The last Saturday of Winter
August 24, 2012 by 25 Comments
Crio’s excited. Spring is around the corner and he can’t wait to decipher the form. Plenty of tasty tips for this weekend’s racing too.
Racing
July 26, 2012 by 18 Comments
There’s still room for sentiment in our multi-billion dollar “Industry” and sometimes it presents in the most humble of places – like at Pakenham on Tuesday , where the Grandson of Jim Moloney (Vain) rode his first winner and the Grand-daughter of Jim Houlihan achieved her maiden training success. The “new generation” will compete in [Read more]
The Race
July 8, 2012 by 3 Comments
The Race. Black Caviar’s got me thinking. When I was younger I rode a racehorse bareback in the Snowy Mountains, racing cattle horses through the bush. It felt likes something mighty, graceful. It didn’t gallop, it flew, then landed to fly again. Of course I fell, at speed. Twice. Landed in snow and [Read more]
Royal Ascot Tour Diaries – Day 5 – Fifty Shades of Salmon and Black
July 5, 2012 by 17 Comments
It’s a description not generally afforded to my own derrière. “Magnificent black rump”. But Black Caviar and I do share other common ground. Caulfield is our home track. We reside on the Frankston line. Mordialloc beach hosts our water-based activities – where admittedly Nelly has me covered in mid-Winter (as does Tom Hafey, incidentally). Today, [Read more]
What sport does to us
June 27, 2012 by 1 Comment
I love sport for the emotions and reactions it evokes in us. Like many others, I watched Black Caviar’s heart-stopping win early Sunday morning from my lounge room. It was too cold for Fed Square. Television is best when you can actually feel the tension coming through the screen. This was definitely the case from [Read more]
Royal Ascot Tour Diaries – Day 1 – Frank, Joe and the Guv
June 22, 2012 by 31 Comments
London. 4am. The sun already streams. Australian trainers would love fart-of-sparrow track-work in such early brilliant light. My own body clock is either still rooted, or the excitement of Royal Ascot opening day, and particularly Frankel, has me doing form and absorbing video previews and tips at this ungodly hour. It’s like Christmas morning [Read more]
Morning Suit Glory – The Royal Ascot preview
June 17, 2012 by 23 Comments
As compiled between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and posted on a sunny early Sunday morn from Gloucester Road, Kensington, SW7 ——————————————————————————————————— It was my Pulp Fiction moment, of sorts. Though it must be said, I was not riding shotgun in J.Travolta’s Chevrolet at the time – perhaps thankfully so, as recent “revelations” would [Read more]
Crio’s racing: Royalty or roustabout, racing has something to pique your interest this weekend.
May 31, 2012 by 12 Comments
Wednesday evening and the chill is invading. Quite rightly. Winter is officially starting, the footy season is halfway gone and the Melbourne metro meeting is a jumps feature double on a Heavy track at Sandown. Off peak? Don’t believe it. crio
Crio’s racing: Early tips for Doomben
May 24, 2012 by 33 Comments
Someone’s going to have to provide “colour” for the Brissie Carnival. Remarkably, I’ve never made it to the races in Queensland, an omission that always strikes me at this time of the year as the “Winter Carnival” hits top gear with the running of the time-honoured Doomben 10,000. crio
Sat’dy’s races
May 4, 2012 by 36 Comments
It won’t be easy backing up tomorrow on the bag. That, on face value, seems ludicrous, given that I’m stepping from Provincial races to the Rails at HQ (Flemington). But this has been no ordinary week. It is May. It is wet. Winter is closing in. I’ve been, like so many kindred souls, to the [Read more]
Packing Caviar
April 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Almanacker Hamish Townsend on Black Caviar for The Global Mail http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/packing-caviar/185/ Hamish TownsendHamish Townsend was born and raised in Geelong, supports the Cats and lives in Brisbane.
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