The jumps are on in Ballarat today and Dandy Andy has picked a winner or two for punters.
Almanac Horseracing: Jumps Racing Preview – Ballarat, Sunday 6 April 2025
April 6, 2025 by 4 Comments
Almanac Horse Racing: Fun With Numbers 2
April 22, 2026 by 1 Comment
Pestwac goes back to the track with insights (?) into systems that improve the odds of you winning.
Almanac Poetry: Two Odes to the Joys of Going Racing…55 Years Apart
April 10, 2026 by Leave a Comment
Wayne Peake suspects that race-goers of the early 70s were closer to their post WW1 counterparts than to the racegoers of 2026
Almanac Horseracing: Maybe the Last Great Post-race Demonstration – The 1975 McKell Cup at Rosehill
April 7, 2026 by 2 Comments
The ‘failure’ of a horse expected to win often causes a hostile reaction from disgruntled punters as Wayne Peake highlights some notable cases from the past turf events in Australia.
Sal’s Preview 2026: Opening Round Preview – A bit misty optically
March 5, 2026 by Leave a Comment
What’s a footy season at t Almanac without Sal’s Preview? Sal returns with his take on Opening Round, track tips for Flemington and marks of respect on the recent passing of several sporting legends. (Welcome back, Sal! – Ed.)
Tulloch Done This: SP bookmaking in a country town
February 2, 2026 by 2 Comments
Pestwac (Tony Moffat) gets into a reminiscing mood and meanders along with some colourful memories from an old bush-town Australia.
Almanac Literary: – ‘The Marvellous Cup’: a story told in ‘Touchstone’, a biography of Samuel Griffiths.
January 6, 2026 by Leave a Comment
In this third extract from ‘Touchstone’ Murray Bird and Richard Griffiths, ‘The Marvellous Cup’ looks at the world of racing in Australia in 1890, and in particular the Melbourne Cup.
Almanac Literary: ‘The Bribe’ – a story told in ‘Touchstone’, a biography of Samuel Griffiths.
January 2, 2026 by Leave a Comment
In this second extract from ‘Touchstone’ Murray Bird and Richard Griffiths show that Samuel Griffiths was a man of great integrity.
Almanac (Irish) Life: My day at Páirc MacUílín, Ballycastle
November 7, 2025 by 20 Comments
Murray Bird recently had a couple of weeks in Ireland. He was so taken and moved by the people, their sport and their music, their friendliness and their likability, that he just had to get his thoughts on the page. This is an Almanac classic. It’s travel, observation and understated commentary. It’s wholehearted participation and engagement. Please, pour yourself a Guinness or a whisky, and immerse yourself in a superb account of a hurling game and what happened along the way in getting there. This is the story of a grand people and their rich history and culture.
Melbourne Cup: The Almanac sweep and trifecta
November 4, 2025 by 5 Comments
Here’s what the mugs at the Footy Almanac came up with.
The 2025 Melbourne Cup Field and an invitation to Monday evening’s digital (Teams) meeting of the tipping minds
November 3, 2025 by 4 Comments
Join the annual Almanac Melbourne Cup tipping round table, via Microsoft Teams, Monday night from 8pm EDST. Sweeps and form analysis to decide on the Almanac Trifecta.
Almanac Lunch: Cox Plate Eve with special guest Andrew Rule (Oct 24)
October 21, 2025 by 2 Comments
The Footy Almanac Cox Plate Eve Lunch is on Oct 24. It features Andrew Rule and his new book ‘The Chosen Few’. All welcome.
Almanac Horseracing (Memoir): Confessions of a teenage racegoer of the 1970s
October 10, 2025 by 6 Comments
Wayne Peake takes us on a journey recalling his initial attraction to, and later fascination and obsession with, the punt! It’s a slippery slope… (Welcome aboard, Wayne, some superb stories here – Ed.)
Finals Week 1 – Sal’s Preview: Let the Spring Begin
September 4, 2025 by 1 Comment
Sal offers his analysis of Week 1 of the AFL Finals as well as a his thoughts on the main races at Moonee Valley.
#AusJumpsRacingPreviews – Hamilton, Sunday 20 July 2025
July 19, 2025 by 2 Comments
Dandy Andy previews the big jumps meeting at Hamilton this Sunday (July 20).
Almanac Horseracing: It seemed like a good idea at the time – travels with the horse (Part 2)
July 13, 2025 by 6 Comments
Roger Lowrey and John Craven love their filly Briseis Eclipse and were willing to complete the eight-hour round trip to Warracknabeal to see her go round in the opening maiden. The sandwiches were noteworthy. The filly was at least honest andis not far away from a wine (by all reports).
#AusJumpsRacingPreviews – Sandown Lakeside, 1 June 2025
June 1, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Dandy Andy previews today’s (June 1) big card of jumps racing, with all the main features, from Sandown.
Round 7 – Sal’s Preview: Picking Favourites
April 24, 2025 by 1 Comment
Sal is brief and to the point as he takes a look at AFL Round 7 and the main races at Morphettville.
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