King Island is just a dot on the map to me – “anchored in the middle of Bass Strait” – but it hosts the most alluring of the TAB fixtures this Saturday. The local Racing Club, 117 years old, boasts of “Ladies Day”, one of 7 meetings in 2012/13 which combine fine produce, a unique experience and a sports event – an Almanacker’s “tick, tick, tick”. Doyen Daff has, I think, been there for the footy (a 3 team comp) and of course there’s yachting, but the races are the most likely to get on to my growing bucket list.
Maintaining a TAB status must be difficult for an outpost with a maximum field size of 8 (only reached in 2 of the scheduled 6 races!) but as a point of difference it beats the hell out of another weekend swinging the bag to empty betting rings at MV Nights and HQ (immensely grateful though I am to have work!).
Parents at junior cricket last week actually thought my racing tenure had finished and the races, like the Royal Show, had packed up and moved on. They were only partially wrong as it is a whole new landscape now. Look at noms on the RISA site and you will see thousands of hopefuls for scores of summer meetings, but metro money and interest has collapsed. A few years ago I anticipated country mid weeker work to supplement the Sat’dys but now I’m expecting to be rostered off City tracks as demand falls and technology intrudes.
Presumably some office and cricket/tennis club syndicates still like a flutter, so here are speculative tasters for the Flemington quaddy:
MR5- 1400m. Wide race. 17,13,9.
MR6- 1200m. Really good race. Amah Rock (5)! OK 1st up. Prob better 2nd up.
MR7- 1720m. 10 is fav. Look for value. 3 E/W.
MR8- 1400m. 8,5,4. Huge watch on Angola (13) from same stable as Ethiopia. May also want ground and needs to smarten up tardy barrier habits, but looks a prospect. 20/1.
Of course there are heaps of other great options this weekend which enable a combination of racing and socializing. Near(ish) to Melbourne, Woolamai and Yea have picnic days that, though weather dependent, come with my personal endorsement (perhaps some other time I can reminisce on both of those sites from yesteryear). Interestingly, Werribee are holding their Cup on Sunday. Let’s hope it has found a settled calendared date after being shifted about and even abandoned in recent times. Many of you will recall Werribee’s Cup Day as a big event on the Wednesday preceding the VRC Carnival and it boats some pretty impressive names on the honour board – try Makybe Diva (2002) and Even Stevens (1962). There are strong noms but I’m posting this prior to fields being finalized so no tipping yet.
Happy to continue the discussion with interested parties.
If you are having a try…. Good luck!
Goodness the Werribee Cup. Magistrate won it in consecutive years in the early 1980’s. I’m sure he was a rising 10 year old the second time.
Yea is a nice track, and i’m sure they have the ‘Sister Olive’ 3,000 metre race on Sunday. Unsure if i’m working Sunday, but if i don’t get a call, i might return there, as our previous visit was very pleasant. If i don’t go i’ll attend the Yea Cup on 28/1/13.
Glen!
Correct and correct – as usual Glen!
Magistrate won in Werribee in 1980 and 1981.
The sister Olive (3000m/about 2 laps) is R6 at Yea – Gold Viper heads the weights with 74.5kg.
Is Crabs entered?
Aerogard for Woolamai.
No Pete, only 4 starters, Crabs not there.
Maybe next year !
Glen!
Back from R and R and into the swing of racing again.
After seeing the once a year Adaminaby meeting it is imperative for small clubs to have a race meeting with a point of difference (there they had a competition for the best dressed person as a cartoon character- and it worked.)
Glad to see the posts coming and keeping Crio busy- as DD told me when I met him over the Carnival- we have to keep the faith not only at Carnival time
Adaminaby Oges, that’s some where near Cooma, Braidwood in the Snowy Mountains? Not a place i’ve been yet. Next year, i plan to visit Ardlethan.
Glen!
Glen – Adaminaby is 40ks from Cooma (2 weeks after we were there they had their annual race day at Cooma on the only flat land around)
According to one of the locals there is a Tourist Railway that goes past the course that gets the revellers there and the drunks home
I did see a course at Tumut and again it was washed away in a flood and rebuilt
Braidwood has a once a yearer I think
Didnt know they raced at Ardlethan.- as we travelled home that had their annual meet at Moulamein but didnt want to push my luck with the Management Committee
Crio- youve been listening to me too long about “bucket list race – meetings” in the “bush” but I can tell you thay are a lot of fun
The Seekers sang “The Carnival is over” . Does this mean the comments have stopped?
Elvis vs Budge et all
Braidwood is not in the Snowy Mountains , it is east of Canberra, on the way down to Bateman’s Bay.
Oges,
Taunt the Budge a second time.
He will be unable to resist
Braidwood is a very spooky place, very cold, I remember. Out of Can-berra heading toward the coast, just before Clyde Mountain, which is also spooky.
Oges, Budge is away with his son this weekend…though in the true spirit of “Holy Grail” he would shudder at being taunted a second time!
Glen, I did a little adaminaby overview with a link a few weeks ago.
Punters, I mentioned to some others at the Launch last night that it is wise to stick with Robbie Griffiths – another winner at the Valley tonight and “smart” money for another. Put his horses in any exotics.
And, finally, I assume no one saw the dividend for Mt Gambier trots tonight?…..
the Quaddy has paid $5.40 (the daily dub $1.80)!