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’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.
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/
Crio’s Racing: Doncaster Day
April 19, 2012 by 4 Comments
Heavy rain and a resultant heavy track has put a dampener on what looked likely to be a vintage Doncaster Day this Saturday, with Gai preening her beloved More Joyous for a fabulous final fling. Randwick patrons should flock back after the momentous meeting last weekend. Highlights abounded. Pat Carey and Rhys McLeod won the [Read more]
Small steps in an industry built on four legs
April 18, 2012 by 6 Comments
On Saturday afternoon, I – as unassumingly as I could – entered the age-old ambiance of the TAB Sportsbar at a local pub. This is neither a first-time practice for me but nor is it a regular one. This is about family! With six minutes left before they jumped out of the barrier at Hamilton for [Read more]
Crio’s Racing
April 12, 2012 by 12 Comments
Racing returns to Randwick this Saturday for a star-studded meeting. It’s the time-honoured Derby Day though the 3 yr olds’ big day has to be shared with the mouth-watering return of Atlantic Jewel in the Sapphire Stakes, All Too Hard’s battle with Slipper winner Pierro in the Sires’ Produce and the anticipated Rain Affair/Foxwedge showdown [Read more]
Crio’s Racing: the Easter schedule
April 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Easter schedule has certainly changed in NSW and tomorrow (Saturday) we see the Slipper being run at Rosehill. Tinkler’s scratching of All Too Hard and some tough draws for challengers have made it look very much like Samaready’s year. I was taken with the effort of the maiden Narcissus and must respect all of [Read more]
Crio’s Racing: The Hard Sell
March 30, 2012 by 7 Comments
Starting now it becomes a hard sell. Ask anyone involved in “other” sports in Melbourne between March and October. But, for racing, it needn’t be a matter of giving up. Here’s where committed “horse players” need to get organized and develop a resilient punting habit to withstand footy’s destructive tsunami! I’m certainly not advocating that [Read more]
Gawd – Walshy and Alf Gard
March 27, 2012 by 2 Comments
by Mark Schwerdt I wasn’t a huge racing person (although I went a bit in my late 70s Adelaide Uni days, and even saw Dulcify fly home on debut at Morphettville at the juicy odds of 330-1), but still remember Alf as the cranky old bugger who presented the day’s racing highlights on the ABC [Read more]
racing…baton change
March 23, 2012 by 5 Comments
It’s the “Interstate Interchange”. Moonee Valley farewells Friday Nights with this week’s cracker William Reid Stakes meeting and then Rosehill picks up the baton on Saturday as Sydney’s Carnival formally begins with a challenging Coolmore Classic card. As is so often the case, weather will impact strongly on crowds and formlines. Valley Nights work with [Read more]
Crio’s Racing: Back to Randwick
March 16, 2012 by 8 Comments
It’s an unconventional fixture confronting form analysts this weekend. Racing returns to Randwick for a black-type Guineas meeting that conclusively transfers the Autumn spotlight to Sydney. Perhaps in acknowledgement of this, both Victoria and South Australia stage their Saturday metros “off-Broadway”, possibly a portent for future post-Carnival “venue diversification”.
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