Horse Racing in OZ

[Charles49]

This week the news here has been dominated by the G7 event in Cornwall. Looks like what was old is now new again with the accord reached between Australia and England looking very much like the old arrangement that existed prior to Brexit. Don't think we will exporting apples from Tasmania like we did prior to Brexit, as all of the farms have since been removed, however you will get to once again enjoy our finest beers and wines as our export products are better than what is sold locally. Australia is looking for a fresh live lobster market as well, so maybe you will also get to taste our world class lobster product. Believe me a cold beer with lobster is not the worst meal you will ever experience!!
Personally I'm grateful that it was Boris making the calls and not Joe Biden. Sad to see someone in that position that simply is struggling. As Kenny Rogers once said "You need to know when to hold them and know when to fold them". If he was a racehorse he would be enjoying lush green paddocks by now.!
The Brisbane racing carnival is now over and the action moves across to Belmont racetrack in Perth in Western Australia. Hopefully we can find a winner or two for you amongst the stars on show there.
On a personal note its been a busy week again with a small loss resulting from the 33 bets to date. Winners numbered just 5 with the best being Brooklyn Hustle at $8.50. There were 4 seconds and 5 thirds and the rest failed to trouble the judge.
This Saturday the below events commence with the first race at Rosehill kicking off at 11.30 am AEST, which is 2.30am London time, and the last will be run and won at Belmont at 18.45pm AEST, which converts to 9.45 am on Saturday morning London time.
And thanks too for those who read this and leave their Thank You's in the box...its much appreciated.

FLEMINGTON:
R1 no 9 Forbidden City
R5 no 9 Kurabui 3rd
R6 no 1 Namakwa 3rd
R7 no 1 Curran 4th

ROSEHILL:
R1 no 2 Verbek
R2 no 4 Wicklow Won
R4 no 6 No Comprimise Won $4
R5 no 1 Nikohli Beagle
R6 no 12 Tycoonist 2nd


BELMONT:
R3 no 4 All Day Session.....Pike rides..currently $14. ..No 5 Timely Outburst Won $2.70 is the danger
R4 no 1 Agent Jay
R6 no 2 Excellent Dream. 3rd..no 8 Brooklyn Pier is the late mail
R7 no 3 Amasenus Won $3
R8 no 2 Billy Ain't Silly
R9 no 6 Hot Zed 2nd


LAY BETS:
SR8 no 1 Belluci Babe Ran 3rd. Lay Bet Won
MR7 no 11 Aidensfield Ran unplaced. Lay bet Won

Cheers n Beers

[Charles49]

Cold air from Antarctica arrived last night so our overnight temperature went down to 6deg Celsius. That's the coldest June morning I can recall for some time so global warming isn't an issue here at the moment. Spotlight this Saturday is on Brisbane's Eagle Farm racecourse where the time honoured Stradbroke Handicap will be run over 1400m.Its one of six Group races there on Saturday so it will be a great days racing and one that I'm keen to get stuck into. Perhaps the most famous Stradbroke win was by a New Zealand horse by the name of Rough Habit which was stone motherless last on the turn but rocketed home to collect the chocolates. They named a bar at the racecourse after him following the win and I managed to spend some of my winnings there that day, recalling the excitement of backing good old Roughie.
This year the Stradbroke has 20 starters after scratchings so it will be another charge of the Light Brigade enactment when they turn the corner for the run home.
Covid-19 continues to dominate the news here with concerns here and in New South Wales about a couple that left Victoria, whilst that State was under lockdown, and drove to several New South Wales townships, and then ended up in Caloundra, which is a sea side resort area north of Brisbane. The woman passenger has tested positive to Covid, so now there is a panic in place to trace all of the folk that she may have had close contact with, in various shopping center's, motels, service stations, etc etc. Victoria has now come out of full lockdown and is a partial lockdown that somehow is expected to ensure that Covid doesn't spread. Still only one death attributed to Covid in Australia this year, so either we are doing an incredible good job at protecting the population, or we are just lucky, or the small population spread over a large continent has successfully hindered the spread of what is a disease that thrives on close contacts. Fingers crossed it stays out of our lives.
On a personal note have had 40 bets so far this week resulting in 7 winners, 8 seconds,5 thirds and 20 unplaced. My quest for longshot glory continued with two winners at long prices, Setanta @ 33/1 and Baller @ $14 which kept the Bank afloat. Interesting to see how the quest handles the tricky program at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Action for the fields below commences on Saturday at Randwick at 11.20am AEST , which is 2.20am London time and the final race will be at Belmont at 18.35 AEST, which I think is 9.35 am London Time. (If I'm wrong please let me know!)
The short experiment with UK Racing tips will now be abandoned as the results were simply below par. I may experiment instead with some longshot tips on Aussie races as these have held their own quite well of late.
Good luck with your punting picks and I hope and pray that all of you are staying safe from that rotten Covid disease that permeates our lives.

EAGLE FARM:
R3 no 2 Ayrton Won
R5 no 1 Zaaki Won
R6 no 9 Garibaldi
R7 no 5 Port Louis
R8 no 11 Vega One 2nd
R9 no 10 Brooklyn Hustle is a rough chance at odds Won $8.50


SANDOWN:
R1 no 5 Ranveer... Won $3.20.no 2 Hurtle is the late mail
R3 no 7 Sweet Sixteen....no 5 Quietly Discreet is the late mail
R5 no 5 Bedford 2nd
R7 no 6 Standoff....no 3 Seb Song is the late mail


RANDWICK:
R1 no 6 Sacred Field....no 4 Verne is the late mail Won $3.50
R3 no 2 Malkovich Won $4
R5 no 4 Zing 2nd
R8 no 9 Irish Songs
R9 no 10 Blondeau 3rd

BELMONT:
R3 no 1 Son Son
R6 no 4 Panzdown 2nd
R9 no 4 Born to Try 3rd

LAY BETS:
BR8 no 7 Wild Planet Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won
BR9 no 2 Odeum Ran 2nd. Lay Bet Won

Cheers n Beers

[Charles49]

This covid threat is not going away and looks likely to get worse as the virus mutates. But has Australia overreacted? Well there are many around at present who say we should be opening our borders to not only close neighbours but also to areas in the Northern Hemisphere. To lessen the chance of a spread here all arrivals should be tested prior to departure and again on arrival. If anyone tests positive its off to a purpose made centre such as Howard Springs in the Northern Territory where that can he held for up to 14 days to ensure they are no risk to the community. Now the question here has Australia over reacted?. Currently Victoria is in lockdown and the earliest they will be out is after 14 days have passed. This is the fourth time Victoria has been in lockdown so it must be pretty serious. Well at least you would think so. Now lets look at the deaths from covid in Australia for this year. The number is 1. No that's not a misprint just one single death. We don't even have one person currently in critical care so why the panic? Why are we asking Victorians to submit to home detention and what is the benefit here. Well its safety first based on a lot of maybe worse case scenarios.
And of course the economy is now ratshit in Victoria so the Government there has announced a raft of new charges such as land tax and increased levies in a desperate attempt to balance the books. Go figure!
On the personal punt scene this week to date I have 41 bets for just 6 winners, 3 seconds, 5 thirds and a whopping 27 unplaced. Normally that would have resulted in a large negative, however one winner was at $16, and another at $13, plus one of the placegetters ran third at 50/1 and paid $7 the place. So whilst I did finish in the red it wasn't that harmful to the Bank.
As you may have noticed I have trialling UK tips from a source here that is normally quite reliable. My impressions to date are that the selections are short, sometimes odds on and on paper that wont produce a profit, unless the win strike rate is around 44% or better. I will, for the benefit of giving the trial a fair go, post the selections for Thursday, Friday and Saturday; however, unless there is a remarkable turnaround then the UK selections wont continue.
Racing this weekend here is focused on Eagle Farm in Brisbane where the winter carnival continues where the highlight is the Group 1 Queensland Oaks.
The venues below commence with the first race being run at Rosehill at 11.20am AEST, which converts I think to 2.20am London Time. The final race of the day will be at Belmont in Western Australia and that's set down to go at 6.50 pm AEST, which is 9.50am London time if my calculator is correct.
May I wish you well with your punting endeavours and also of course a safe week away from that insidious disease that permeates our lives and lifestyle.


EAGLE FARM:
R1 no 2 Masaff 3rd
R2 no 5 Tutukaka 3rd
R4 no 1 Usanov Won $3.50
R5 no 8 Varda
R8 no 2 Media Award
R9 no 12 Georgie's Pride

FLEMINGTON:
R1 no 2 Grand Promenade Won
R2 no 3 Snickerdoodledandy Won $3
R4 no 10 Seone
R5 no 3 Yulong January Won $2.75
R6 no 8 Way to Go Paula 4th
R7 no 3 Reuber 2nd
R8 no 14 Sugartown
R9 no 13 Excelman

ROSEHILL:
R1 no 1 Cape Breton Won $4.10
R3 no 10 Wicklow...Won $4.10.no 6 Too Much Caviar 2nd is the late mail
R4 no 3 Oscar Zulu Won $5
R8 no 12 Mubariz Won $5
R9 no 12 Expat 3rd


BELMONT:
R3 no 1 Ultimate Command 3rd
R6 no 5 Tri For Us 2nd
R7 no 7 Graceful Girl Won $2
R8 no 1 Excellent Dream
R9 no 11 Bright Diamond 3rd

LAYBETS:
BR7 no 7 Yamazaki Ran 2nd. Lay Bet Won
BR8 no 1 Duais Won $2.60. Lay Bet Lost

UK RACING - Thursday
Uttoxeter R3 no 3 Chasamax Won $3.10
Chelmsford R4 no 3 Great King

UK RACING - Friday
Doncaster R1 no 1 Dollard Bid
Epsom Downs R2 no 4 Irish Admiral
Epson Downs R5 no 2 Dubai Fountain.

UK RACING - Saturday
EPSOM R4 no 1 Stone of Destiny ew 3rd
EPSOM R5 no 2 Bolshoi Ballet

Cheers 'n' Beers

[Charles49]

There are times when I think Australians sincerely believe that we are the so called "Lucky Country" and therefore they can sit back and enjoy this perception. Many are heavily reliant on the Government for their income and these include public servants, politicians, dole and other recipients of the generosity of the Government purse. Many of these are highly critical of the level of "income" and want supplementary benefits to compensate to enhance their position in society. Read here the "need" for bigger and better things like house, cars, boats and holidays.
The truth is that Australia is no longer the lucky country. We have a debt bigger than Mt Everest and our Governments of which we have seven States and Territories, and 540 Local Governments that ensure that we will never return in my lifetime at least to a balanced budget. We spend zillions on State hospitals yet my poor old mother in law who suffered a suspected heart attack this week and had to be rushed to hospital encountered what is known here as "ramping". So here we are at 8.30pm inside an ambulance that pulls into the emergency area and stops. Nothing happens and wont for 2 hours because we are experiencing a practise called "ramping". That's were the ambulance with two ambos and one patient sit on the ramp waiting for someone to come and collect the patient. That's both sad and disgraceful, but an example of how bad Australia has become due in part because of union involvement in rostering staff. And don't get me started about schools where our level of education results position us behind Kurdistan.It's no coincidence that union and left wingers are prominent here too with their agendas more important than the education of our young.
Our forefathers must be looking down on us with anger as they see the country they worked so hard to build ruined by greed,laziness and a I don't care, its not my problem,attitude.
On the punting scene its been a busier than normal week with 34 bets resulting in 11 winners, 8 seconds 4 thirds and 11 unplaced. Have been experimenting with a different selection method so the additional bets this week reflect the increased activity. I do get some UK tips included in the late mail so I will share these with you and see how they perform. If they turn out okay then I will include them on a regular basis.
The Group racing action switches to Eagle Farm in Brisbane this Saturday with the highlights being the Group 1 Queensland Derby over 2,400m and the
Sir Kingsford-Smith Cup runover 1300m. Kingsford- Smith was an aviator that contributed greatly to our history having made the first eastward crossing of the Pacific to the United States and then in 1928 he flew from the United States to Australia. Ironic isn't it that today we cant hop aboard a flight to the United States.!!
Enough of the rants, lets get down to finding some winners. Saturdays racing commences with the first at Randwick at 11.25 am AEST which converts to 2.25am London time. Last race will be at Belmont Park at 6.50pm AEST which is 9.50am London Time.
Here are the early selections which will be updated with selections and late mail as the start time looms.
Thanks to those who leave their "Thanks" in the box below...its very much appreciated.

EAGLE FARM:
R3 no 9 Ayrton 2nd
R5 no 2 Le Don De Vie
R6 no 3 Prince of Boom
R7 no 1 Explosive Jack 3rd
R8 no 13 Savatiano

CAULFIELD:
R1 no 1 Suduko..3rd..no 4 Set The Sails 4th is the late mail
R3 no 2 Pintoff 2nd
R5 no 8 Blinder...danger is No 4 Adelaide Ace 2nd
R6 no 4 Yonkers Won $3
R7 no 3 Spring Choice Scr
R8 no 5 Riot and Rose Won $3
R9 no 8 Bless Her 3rd

RANDWICK:
R1 no 7 Sacred Field 3rd
R2 no 14 Mansetta
R3 no 1 Stockman 2nd
R4 no 2 More Prophets
R5 no 7 Sixgun
R7 no 3 April Rain

BELMONT:
R1 no 1 Aint' No Other Man Won $2
R2 no 6 Graceful Girl Won $2.75
R6 no 2 Son Son 4th
R8 no 3 Elite Street

LAY BETS:
BR7 no 9 Senor Toba Ran 2nd. Lay Bet Won
BR8 no 1 Trekking Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won

UK RACING - Thursday
SANDOWN: R4 no 4 Sangarius 2nd
SANDOWN: R5 no 6 Ransom 3rd

UK RACING - Friday
Yarmouth R1 no 10 Akeringa 3rd

UK RACING. Saturday
Chester R6 no 5 Khezaana
Haydock R5 no 7 Toro Strike

Cheers 'n' Beers

[Charles49]

Last Saturday was the worst result ever since I started doing this some 20 years ago. There seemed to be no sane reason why horses who have a clear record of consistent performance suddenly failed to place. Now you can always forgive one or two because of a poor run as they may have been interfered with, came out of a bad barrier, jockey lost his/her compass and a myriad of other plausible excuses. But for 15 selections not to figure in the placings and just two winners is deplorable. So I rang a trainer in NSW to ask why? He responded by saying "Have you noticed anything different weather wise? Sure I replied. "We have had two days in a row where the temp went down to 7 degrees which makes it the coldest May mornings I can recall." "Well that's nothing compared to what we have experienced here where the temps have hit minus 4, and others have recorded minus 7 degrees. So what do you think that does to a horse who started a summer campaign and is now walking around with a blanket to keep warm?"
"Ok so what's the reason for the sudden drop in temps?" "The cause apparently is the unusual winds coming up from Antarctica. These normally reach southern Tasmania but this year for some unknown reason its gone up as far as Queensland. If you look at the temps for Stanthorpe area you will find minus 2.2deg Celsius. Have you ever heard of such a low temperature in May around Stanthorpe? And it also snowed!! "So how do you think horses perform when they are asked to compete in colder than normal temperatures?" They don't like it, just as we too complain when it rains, they also react to colder than normal conditions."
So what happened to global warming?? I asked with tongue in cheek! "Well its getting colder here and the records clearly reflect that, so those Greta enthusiasts out there should look at our weather trends. Its getting colder here...no bloody global warming in this part of the world!!

My personal bets this week reflect the poor Saturday results with 20 bets with 5 winners, 2 seconds, and one third with 12 unplaced. That's a loss for me as the price of the winners were not enough to cover the place bet losses.

This Saturday we return to normality with no major events outside the usual venues, with the exception of Belmont in Western Australia. The first race for the venues below will be at Rosehill at 11.25 am AEST which converts to 2.25am London time on Saturday morning, and the final race will be held at Belmont at 6.55pm AEST which converts to 9.55am London time.
I trust the results will be much improved this time around and our results are positive.


DOOMBEN:
R3 no 1 Stellar Magic
R4 no 5 Rocketing By
R5 no 1 Paradee 3rd
R6 no 6 Sugar Boom


FLEMINGTON:
R1 no 2 Snickerdoodledandy 2nd
R2 no 2 Holbien
R3 no 2 Lina's Legend...3rd
R4 no 2 Heart of Puissance Won $2.20
R5 no 5 Deep Dive...no 10 La Vina is the late mail
R6 no 8 Dickin Medal...late mail is no3 River Twain
R7 no 4 Horrifying Won $5


ROSEHILL:
R2 no 7 Overmann.....Won $2.50
R4 no 6 Blondeau 3rd
R6 no 2 Maranoa 2nd
R8 no 11 Ellsberg 2nd


BELMONT:
R1 no 1 Marocchino Won $1.70
R2 no 1 Flying Missile Won $2.25
R3 no 3 Born to Try Won
R4 no 5 Trump This......currently an $18 chance
R5 no 5 Bright Diamond 2nd
R7 no 1 Tinsnip.SCR..no 9 Billy ain't Silly is the late mail Won $2.30
R9 no 5 Chantorque


LAY BETS:
BR3 no 5 Socialist Startd Fav. Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won

FOOTNOTE:
Guys I tried to post some tips for the UK races yesterday but my source had some issues so it didnt happen. So today I'm posting tips for the UK just to see how they go. Depending on the outcomes I may make this a regular feature as betting into Australian races isnt easy due to the time differentials.
As always your thoughts and/or suggestions here are welcome.

UK RACING - Sunday Night.
FAKENHAM: R6 no 2 Dynamite Kentucky 2nd
NOTTINGHAM: R3 no 7 Ranchero Won $2.50

Cheers 'n' Beers

[Charles49]

Well another weekend is upon us and the world is not getting any safer with reports and whispers of impending clashes, stouches and even war, and of course the one subject that continues to dominate the headlines is that goddam virus. I did read reports that safe clusters were emerging in Europe, so you now have an opportunity to travel outside of Great Britain. I hope that's correct and those that can, do take advantage of the opportunity to visit, or revisit, places of interest within Europe.
Racing continues unabated here in Australia as if nothing has happened virus wise. Quite amazing actually and a credit to those who have managed to convince authorities that having people sitting at home betting is much better than doing nothing!!.
Had a big storm here last night which made a lot of noise and left our swimming pool overflowing but otherwise all good. We don't normally get storms like that in mid May so that's left a few scratching their noggins as to what's happening to the weather in Oz.
On the racing front here results have been ordinary with plenty of double figure priced winners saluting. My personal results have plummeted down the tube with 19 bets so far resulting in just 4 winners, 5 seconds, and 2 thirds.
Racing this week returns to the capital cities so hopefully the results will improve compared to last week where I couldn't even find a placegetter at Gosford.
This weekend for the venues below start at Rosehill at 11.30am AEST, which should convert to 2.30am Saturday morning London time. The lucky last will be at Ascot at 7.00pm AEST, which converts to 10.00am London time.
For those of you that read this blurb I do hope and pray that you are safe and well and you are handling the situation as best as you can given the circumstances. I also hope the Gods of Odds have been kind to you and you have found plenty of winners in recent times.
Here below are the fields for Saturday. The early selections will follow shortly and then the late mail arrives just prior to kickoff on Saturday morning. Hope you manage to find some winners.

FLEMINGTON:
R1 no 4 LaFargue
R2 no 8 Surecan
R3 no 1 Sartorial Splendor
R4 no 4 Hypnos 3rd
R5 no 3 Cordilla is the late mail
R7 no 1 Ranting...no 2 Altai Ranger is the late mail


ROSEHILL:
R4 no 7 Newsreader
R5 no 1 Prime Star
R6 no 7 Lost and Running Won
R7 no 5 Embracer


MORPHETTVILLE:
R2 no 6 Salamanders
R4 no 1 Rubisaki
R6 no 4 Shop Till I Drop
R8 no 9 Instant Celebrity 2nd
R8 no 2 Gytrash 3rd


ASCOT:
R1 no 7 Playing Red 4th
R3 no 9 Billy Ray.. 3rd..No 1 Son Son Won $2.40 is the late mail
R5 no 8 Graceful Girl 2nd
R7 no 1 Come Right Back
R9 no 2 Charlton Eddie....have a saver bet on No 7 Naughty By Nature

LAY BETS:
MORPH: R6 no 1 In Good Health Won $4.40 Lay Bet Lost
MORPH: R7 no 3 Dr Drill Ran 2nd. Lay Bet Won


Cheers 'n' Beers

[Charles49]

Well the missus's horse couldn't cope with the extreme barrier and tossed in the towel once it became apparent she wasn't going to get to the lead. That's her racing assignments for a while as she will now go for a spell and chew on some nice juicy grass on the central coast of New South Wales.
We have been having a bit of rain here lately which is sorely needed as the gauge is reading less rain than this time last year, so I hope that's not a sign that we will have a long,hot, and dry summer.
Heading off to the Northern Territory again shortly. First stop will be Darwin to catch up with some thirsty mates, and then off to Arnhem Land to see how the country has changed since we were last there. It's only recently that an all weather road has been constructed to the township of Gove in Arnhem Land, so rather then fly in as we have done in the past, this time the missus and I, with a couple of ex residents, will hire two four wheel drives, and do the 1000 kilometer plus drive from Darwin, and hopefully not hit too many kangaroos.
Racing here this week has been dominated by the Warrnambool three day event which features hurdle and steeplechase races on each day. These are rare now in Australia with the annual Oakbank Carnival in South Australia being one of the few programs that annually feature hurdle races. Protests by animal activists has been the major reason for the reduction, and even the events that still run are done so on the basis that the hurdles will fall over if you blow on them hard enough!! The Grand National Hurdle over 5500m is the highlight with prizemoney of $350K.
My personal punts this week totalled 17 bets with 9 winners, 2 seconds and 1 third and 5 that simply couldn't be bothered to have their photo's taken. Good result for a change.!
Local news here has been consumed by news of what's happening in India. Our Government had a knee jerk reaction and banned the entry of anyone from India for 14 days and if you did arrive here you faced up to 5 years in jail and/or up to $66,000 in fines. Of course someone forgot that our national cricket team are in India earning squillions so instead of heading back to Oz, some of them have headed off to the Maldives to pass some time. Fortunately our Government have backed down on the fines and any possible jail time after reassessing their actions in light of many protests, and have repented by sending planeloads of oxygen tanks to assist the Indian Government in dealing with the covid crises.
Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who is battling this goddam awful virus and we all hope and pray that vaccines provide us with the pathway back to normality. Please stay safe and if you get the opportunity to take the vaccine then please do so, subject of course to your Doctors advice.
Enough of the rant; lets get on with picking winners for Saturday's races in Oz. This is one of those odd weekends where racing heads off in different directions. The major races are at Morphettville in South Australia and Sydney races have been shunted off to Gosford, whilst Brisbane races have been punted down to the Gold Coast. Yes its the start of the silly season so lets hope we can find winners amongst this lot.
The first of the selected races below will commence with Gold Coast and the last will be at Ascot.
Gold Coast kicks off at 11.25 AEST, which is 2.25am Saturday, London time, and the last race will be run and won at Ascot at 7.00pm which is 10.00am London time.
The early selections will go up shortly and these will be amended once the late mail and scratchings are discovered.
May your day on the punt be a good one and may you all stay safe, and thanks to those who read this and leave their Thanks below. It's much appreciated.


CAULFIELD:
R1 no 1 Generation Won $2.10
R2 no 10 Excelman Won $2.30
R5 no 3 Holbein Won $2.30
R7 no 2 Redwood Shadow.. 3rd..late mail is No 1 Horrifying
R9 no 4 Aryton Won


MORPHETTVILLE:
R2 no 10 Biscayne Bay Won $4.50
R7 no 1 Explosive Jack Won $4.20


GOSFORD:
R2 no 5 Rammstein
R6 no 1 Signore Fox
R7 no 16 Stockman


GOLD COAST:
R4 no 3 Racecourse Road 2nd
R5 no 4 Ranch Hand 2nd
R6 no 1 Tycoon Evie
R8 no 2 Avilus. 4th...is the late mail and heavily supported.
R9 no 7 Wonderful Riri 2nd

ASCOT:
R1 no 3 Beret 4th
R2 no 2 Born to Try 2nd
R3 no 2 Flying Missile Won $2
R4 no 1 Chantorque
R5 no 1 Panzdown Won $3.40
R7 no 4 Marocchino... Won $2.80..danger is No 2 Trap for Fools. Scr
R9 no 5 Creator.......late mail is no 11 Billy Ain't Silly 2nd

LAY BETS:
MOR R5 no 5 Button Express Ran 2nd. Lay Bet Won
GC R7 no 3 Simply Fly Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won

Cheers 'n' Beers

[Charles49]

Just been enjoying a few days at a resort at Coolum which is a coastal area north of Brisbane hence the reason this post is a bit behind, time wise. Still getting over the effects of far too much grog in the system, but its not often I let my hair down, so all is good.
Last week wasn't much fun with plenty of seconds and only 7 winners including the lays.
She who must be obeyed has her little filly in a Class 1 Race at Gunnedah on Monday. Its drawn the outside alley, which is a definite disadvantage, and the horse inside her is also a speedster, so she will probably end up wide on a circuit that doesn't suit being off the rails. Haven't seen a market yet however I would expect her to be around a $8 chance in what is a tough race with several chances. SWMBO will be delighted if her little filly manages to finish in the top three.
On the personal punting scene managed to bet on 22 races this week, despite the fact I had none whilst at Coolum, and managed just 6 winners, 4 seconds, 3 thirds and the rest ran unplaced.
Racing on Saturday for the meetings below commences with the first race at Eagle Farm at 11.30 am AEST, which converts to 2.30am London time, and the last race will be at Ascot at 6.55pm AEST, which is 9.55am London time.
May the punting gods be kind to you all and please stay safe during these difficult times.

EAGLE FARM:
R1 no 10 Alpendurada
R2 no 8 Bold Executive
R4 no 2 George's Pride Won $3.75
R5 no 3 Guntantes 2nd
R7 no 1 Apache Chase. 2nd..no 4 Private Eye Won $2.50 is the late mail
R8 no 1 Trekking......Late mail roughie is no 3 Nicconova at $14.
R9 no 2 Fender Won $2.60

HAWKSBURY:
R1 no 1 Gleneagles Won $4.30
R4 no 12 Yangtze Rapids
R5 no 5 Athiri
R7 no 3 Ellsberg
R9 no 7 Serena is a rough chance @33/1

SANDOWN-HILLSIDE:
R1 no 2 Qeyaady Won $3.30
R2 no 8 Harlem Blues
R3 no 5 Cordilla 2nd
R4 no 3 Grand Promenade Won $2.40
R5 no 7 Dice Roll Won $3.25
R8 no 7 Spring Choice... Won $5...Late mail rough chance is no 4 Man From Uncle @20/1

ASCOT:
R1 no 3 Vadette De Star 2nd
R2 no 1 Fatale Femme 3rd
R4 no 1 Come Right Back Won $5.50
R7 no 5 Miss Conteki Won $2.50

LAY BETS:
MR3 no 9 Altai Ranger Won $3.20. Lay Bet Lost
SR8 no 7 Royal Celebration. Ran 2nd. Lay Bet Won

Cheers 'n' Beers

[Charles49]

Another excellent Card of Saturday racing awaits us and hopefully we can find plenty of winners. Last week was heading towards a very ordinary result until the eighth race at Ascot where little Hoi An despite being last at the top of the straight, sprouted wings to fly home at double figure odds. It paid $18 on Betfair but the $15 I received was a tad shorter, but nonetheless very welcome as the account sprung back into positive thanks to little ole Hoi An. On the subject of punting I have had 19 bets this week so far with 7 winners, 2 seconds, 1 third and 9 that didn't bother the camera.
The news that we are receiving here in Oz is that the UK is still experiencing lock-downs so I feel for you all. We only had to endure 3 days of lock-downs in Queensland and that was not pleasant, so I can only imagine what its like for you guys to have to endure extended lock-down periods. So here's hoping that this unwelcome menace that's creating havoc with our lives, disappears quickly, and we can all get back to normality asap. If its any consolation you are not as worse off as India for example, where its fast becoming Covid Central because they don't have lock-downs.
I did watch Prince Philip's funeral which went off without a hitch. It was a moving event and the world has lost a great man. He did visit Australia some say 21 times officially, others have the count at 35, as they included transit stops whilst on the way to and from Pacific Islands, including New Zealand. Either way he was very well liked here as he was in many other parts of the globe. I did have the pleasure of meeting him briefly (very briefly in fact!) when I was fortunate enough to be part of a three man crew that won a dinghy race at the Royal Hobart Regatta many years ago. He was a very inspirational person who created the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme that was a positive life changer for many.
Thanks again for those that read this blurb and especially those that leave their Thanks in the box below. Its very much appreciated.
Racing for the venues below commence on Saturday with the first race at Doomben at 11.32 AEST, which is 2.32 am, London time, and the last as usual will be run at Ascot at 6.55pm AEST which converts to 9.55am London time. Cant guarantee we will pluck another $15 plus winner but who knows when Lady Luck will smile upon us.
The early selections will be posted shortly and these as is the norm will be altered, amended, changed, added to etc etc when the scratchings and late mail are to hand.
May your day be a winning one and please stay safe during this difficult time.

RANDWICK:
R1 no 12 Ceasefire
R2 no 2 Kiku
R3 no 1 Lion's Roar
R4 no 1 Zaaki 2nd
R6 no 2 Hilal 2nd
R7 no 2 Masked Crusader
R9 no 2 Lost And Running Won $3

CAULFIELD:
R1 no 3 Gimmie Par Won
R2 no 3 Brookspire Won $4.20
R5 no 8 Winsum
R6 no 1 Alfa Oro
R7 no 4 Mahamedis
R8 no 5 Missile Mantra..2nd...No 6 Still A Star Won $4.60 is the late mail

DOOMBEN:
R1 no 1 Subterranean 3rd
R2 no 3 Seat Of Power 2nd
R3 no 9 Racing Paradise 2nd
R6 no 1 Tycoon Evie 2nd
R8 no 1 Simply Fly
R9 no 15 Skins Won $2

ASCOT:
R1 no 2 Platinum Label
R4 no 3 Tycoon Storm 2nd
R5 no 9 Stellar Vista....No 2 Kaptain Kaos 3rd is the late mail
R8 no 6 That's Funny Az
R9 no 4 Tinsnip Won $2.15

LAY BETS:
SR3 no 2 Khoekhoe Started $5. Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won
SR5 no 8 Eleven Eleven Started 2nd Fav. Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won


Cheers 'n' Beers

[Charles49]

If you live in Australia and you want to vaccinated then you need to exercise patience. I received my first jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine yesterday along with others and our next jab is some 12 weeks away. Thankfully no side effects, unlike my dear old wife, who had to raid the Panadol box in order to get some relief from headaches. Out of population of 26m, Australia has just ticked over 1.3m jabs, so we are well behind in terms of what needs to be done. But the good news is we can go about our business, attend footy games, talk in groups and with no masks.
Racing here is pretty much normal. And dear old wife managed to snare a winner at Armidale on Tuesday when her horse led most of the way to win comfortably paying $5.20 on the Fair.
This Saturday we have more quality racing here on offer and hopefully we can find sufficient winners in order to turn a profit. On a personal note I have had 19 bets so far this week, with 7 winners, 3 seconds, 5 thirds, and 4 unplaced. Much better result so hopefully the tide is turning in the right direction.
Racing for the venues below commence with the first at Randwick at 11.30am AEST, which is 2.30am London time, and the last race will be run and won at Ascot at 7.00pm, which I think is 10.00am London time on Saturday morning.
Here are early selections and venues. The selections will be altered, increased,changed, etc etc as we get close to final acceptances.
May you all stay safe and our best wishes to you all in what are difficult times.

RANDWICK:
R1 no 1 Converge Won $3
R4 no 2 Najmaty
R5 no 1 Montefilla...danger is no 4 Harmony Rose
R6 no 8 September Run
R7 no 12 She's Ideal
R8 no 7 Verry Eleegant ...heaps of knockers around for her today...but she is a class horse.
R9 no 1 Probabeel 2nd

CAULFIELD:
R1 no 4 Fanciful Toff
R3 no 3 Beau Rossa 2nd
R5 no 2 La Mexicana Won $3.25
R6 no 10 Arcaded
R7 no 10 Alfa Oro
R8 no 3 How Womantic


EAGLE FARM:
R2 no 1 Stellar Magic Won $2.80
R3 no 4 Guise Won $5
R4 no 2 Joymaker 3rd
R8 no 1 Vega One
R9 no 3 Axe Scr

ASCOT:
R1 no 3 Yardman
R2 no 2 Iseered Iseered 2nd
R3 no 4 Requisition
R4 no 9 Miss Conteki Won $2
R5 no 12 Sheikh It
R7 no 4 Big Bada Boom 4th
R8 no 9 Hoi An Won $15
R9 no 3 Amelaia's Contraire....early specking for No 2 Billy Ain't Silly Won $2


LAY BETS:
MR1 no 2 Mahamedis Started $1.90 Fav. Won. Lay Bet Lost
MR4 no 1 Mr Quickie Started $2.20Fav. Ran second. Lay Bet Won

Cheers 'n 'Beers.

[Charles49]

Australian news is consumed by Covid-19. One day its news that our vaccines have been held up by the EU because of greater need requirements elsewhere. Not so says the EU. Then we have the concern about blood clots from the Astrazeneca vaccine which reportedly affects 0.003 per cent of those injected and they seem for some unknown reason to be mainly in the 30-40 year old category. So should we stop and rethink? Perhaps the UQ option here is better as we have now learnt that apparently they have fixed the issues they had and its good to go and instead of two shots you only need one.
So its no wonder frustration abounds here as there have been only 1m of our population vaccinated so far and there are another 20m or so to go. UPDATE: Now we learn that Australia has done a u-turn with AstraZeneca's vaccines in that people under 50 years of age have been advised not to get the vaccine because of the risk of blood clots!
In my case I did get a call to pop in for a shot but alas no shot. Instead they insisted I fill out the answers to 11 questions that all started with "Do you or have you ever had....? Now we will just take your blood pressure, which was up a tad, reflecting my frustration level because all I wanted was a jab!
"Now as we don't have any vaccines yet (thanks to the crazy hopeless distribution business hobbled by National and State bureaucracies) would you mind coming back next Wednesday and we will (hopefully) give you your first of two jabs."
Fair dinkum. This lot couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery !!
The good news is that our friends across the Tasman have announced that New Zealand is open to all of Australia and you don't need proof of having been vaccinated in order to go. The bad news is that frustrated Australians have booked airline seats to the point where you cant get a seat for several months.
Frustrating as all of the above is my punting for the week has unfortunately followed suit. Of the 21 bets to date there have been just 5 winners, 4 seconds, 1 third and 11 that missed a place.
And before I forget thanks to those who post Thank You on the base of some of these posts. Its very much appreciated.
There are some very good races with quality fields at Randwick this Saturday. The Doncaster Mile has 22 acceptors with Mugatoo being the 4/1 favourite. Prior to the Doncaster there is the Australian Derby and TJ Smith Stakes.
Saturdays selections and race cards will be posted shortly. These races commence with Rosehill at 11.35 AEST which is 2.35am London time. The final race on the card will be at Ascot at 7.10pm Saturday, which converts to 10.10am Saturday London time.
The selections will go up shortly and these will be added to or changed as the late mail and scratchings are known.
May your day be a winning one and more importantly may you stay safe and well.

Very sad to hear this morning of the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh at the age of 99. He was a great man and a dedicated loyalist. His support of the Queen was quite amazing and he will be sadly missed by many. He visited Australia an incredible 35 times and I had the pleasure of meeting him on one noteworthy occasion. Rest in peace Your Highness and enjoy the tributes that will surely follow from those who love and admire you.


RANDWICK:
R1 no 3 King of Sparta
R2 no 4 The Irishman 2nd
R4 no 3 Flexible 3rd
R6 no 1 Anamoe Won $2
R7 no 16 Montefllia
R9 no 1 Mugatoo
R10 no 6 Never Talk 4th

CAULFIELD:
R1 no 4 Hunnam.. Won $4.50...no 2 Cheerful Legend 3rd is the late mail
R3 no 6 Alburq
R4 no 9 Garvoc 3rd
R5 no 1 Annavisto Won $2.70
R6 no 1 Liqueuro Won $2
R8 no 2 Grand Promenade 2nd
R9 no 5 Platoon

DOOMBEN:
R2 no 2 Humbolt Current 2nd
R3 no 5 Foreign Territory
R4 no 13 Amiche 3rd

ASCOT:
R3 no 2 Kaptain Kaos Won $3
R4 no 1 Ain't No Other Man 2nd
R5 no 7 Bogart
R7 no 9 Clairvoyance Won
R8 no 1 Western Empire...Won....No 4 Flash Ducati could be worth a tote ticket at 50/1 each way.
R9 no 8 Creator Won $4


LAY BETS:
SR8 no 2 Nature Strip Started $3 Fav. Won. Lay Bet Lost
MR2 no1 Dollar for Dollar Started $2.70 Fav. Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won

Cheers 'n' Beers

[Charles49]

Tried a different approach last week by reducing the number of selections. This resulted in 11 wins out of 17 picks so a 65% strike rate is encouraging.
News from Oz is that the UK strain of Covid-19 has arrived here and our panic prone State Government in Queensland immediately put us into a three day isolation in Brisbane whilst they pondered their actions. The biggest issue we have here is that the vaccines are being very slowly distributed and not all of our front line nurses have had their shots. In fairness our supply has been halted by the actions of Brexit countries and the fact that we sent several planeloads of our vaccine quota to Papua New Guinea where the virus has been running rampart. In my case for example I wont get my shot until the middle of April now because of the delays. And yes I am in lockdown, but only for another two hours, as we have been given a good behaviour pass to allow us to enjoy the goodies that Easter Bunny will surely bring.
Lockdown has not helped my punting as I have had 17 bets this week to date resulting in just 6 winners,2 seconds and 1 third with 8 unplaced. That last figure is the one that hurts.
Racing this weekend is focused on the Sydney venue where a number of quality races will be run and won.
Lets hope the punting gods are kind to us.
For the selections below, racing begins on Saturday with Caulfield at 12.25 AEST which is around 2.25am London time. The final race on the card will be at Ascot at 20.15pm AEST, which is 10.15am London time.
There are also races at Oakbank on Saturday which is one of the few courses in Australia that actively encourage races over fences. On Saturday the fifth race on their program will be the Great Eastern Steeplechase that is run over (almost) 5000 meters. It's not exactly like your Grand National in the UK, but it's arguably the closest race we have to your spectacular event. On Monday Oakbank will also host a hurdle race that is a must see. It's a great (long) weekend of racing in a country town that is fortunate enough to be close to some outstanding wineries.That may or may not be the real reason why I regularly made the pilgrimage to Oakbank every Easter to attend the races there during my time in South Australia!
Here are the venues for Saturday's races and the selections will go up shortly followed by the late mail.

OAKBANK:
(Great Eastern Steeple)
R5 no 4 Lucques..Scr..Danger is No 1 Zed Em.2nd

CAULFIELD:
R2 no 4 Agreeable Won $2.80
R3 no 8 Najimaty Won $3.50
R4 no 6 Black Penn
R5 no 15 Winsum 3rd
R9 no 9 Shandy

ROSEHILL:
R1 no 6 Conrad
R3 no 1 Cherry Tortoni
R5 no 6 California Zimbol 4th
R6 no 2 Harmony Rose

EAGLE FARM:
R2 no 2 Joymaker 3rd
R3 no 8 Clearance Sale Won $2.60

ASCOT:
R5 no 6 Clairvoyance 2nd
R6 no 9 Pletto 3rd
R9 no 6 Tycoon Storm Won $3.50

LAY BETS:
SR2 no 1 Master of Wine Started $2.30 Fav.Ran 3rd. Lay Bet Won
SR4 no 1 Krone Started $4.40 Second Fav. Ran unplaced. Lay Bet Won

Cheers n Beers

[Charles49]

Well its been an anything but normal week here in Australia. Our sunburnt country has experienced mass rainfalls all over the Australian continent and most of our rivers are at flood levels. Last Saturdays Golden Slipper event was postponed and the entire program will be run on Saturday, weather permitting. As I write this its 30degrees plus outside and the sun is shining brightly, which is quite different to the four days and nights of solid rain that we have just experienced. My rain gauge says we have had just over 300mm of rain which is an extraordinary reading for here. Thankfully I was able to divert rainwater from the roof to tanks and then into the swimming pool where I could drop the levels daily by backwashing. That way I dont risk large washaways which can happen in these types of events.
Enough of the local rant, lets get into racing matters.
This week has been a quiet week on the punt as several meetings have been cancelled so just 13 bets for 4 winners, 2 seconds, 1 third, and 6 unplaced. Hasn't been a profitable week but that's racing.
This weekend's racing features the second attempt to run the Golden Slipper Day which as you know from last week is the richest 2 year old event in the world. Hopefully the raingods will look favourably on Rosehill and it will all go off without interruption.
She who must be obeyed has an interest in a little filly which will run around in the second race at Port Macquarie on Saturday on a heavy 10 track. It has missed at least one track gallop and a couple of jumpouts, plus its had a couple of niggling events so it's extremely unlikely that it will break its maiden status unless there are nine scratchings in the ten horse race! Update: It ran third.!
Racing for the selections below commences with the first race at Bendigo which is lovely country town outside of Melbourne and famous for its gold fields where fortunes were made and lost. Bit like a normal day at the races when you think about it.!! Racing there starts at 12.15 AEST which converts to 2.15am London time. The final race will be run and won at Ascot at 20.20pm AEST which should work out at 10,20am London time.
Here are the race venues for Saturday and the selections will be posted shortly and then updated as the scratchings arrive along with the late mail.
Do take care and if you haven't had the vaccine yet, well stay away from pubs and clubs and areas where there are lots of folk.

ROSEHILL:
R5 no 3 Mo'unga Won $3.30
R6 no 2 Avilius 3rd
R7 no 8 Stay Inside.. Won $5.20..no 2 Profiteer is the late mail


BENDIGO:
R5 no 1 Chantrea 3rd
R7 no 8 Annavisto Won $3

DOOMBEN:
R1 no 2 General Wolffe
R2 no 4 Humbolt Current Won $2
R3 no 7 Guise Won $3.50
R4 no 5 Tara Jasmine
R6 no 14 Weona Smartone Won $2.30


ASCOT:
R1 no 4 Marocchino Won $2.15
R4 no 1 Western Empire Won
R8 no 3 Pure Devotion 2nd
R9 no 11 Miss Conteki Won

LAY BETS:
SR2 no 7 Sacramento Ran 3rd. Lay Bet Won
SR4 no 1 Addeybb Ran 2nd. Lay Bet Won

Cheers 'n' Beers

[Charles49]

This week I have been glued to the television watching the final races of the America's Cup which was eventually won by New Zealand. I did think the Italian boat Luca Rossi was a bit stiff because it lost one race when leading by a kilometer when she dropped off the foils in fluky winds, and then lost another when it failed to cover and let the Kiwi's loose to find better breezes. The positive out of these races is that the future of sailing is assured as these designs and concepts are taking the world of sailing to another level. Cant wait to see the next batch of upgrades which will be a far cry from the days of dinghy sailing that I once enjoyed on the Derwent River.
The wife has decided to purchase a share in another racehorse but this time its an all girl affair meaning trainer, jockey and owners are all of the female variety. Its a good concept as there are special races for females only and they do have attractive bonuses attached. She also has a horse entered in three different races next week. Which one it contests will be dependent upon the weather, barrier draw and strength of the opposition. Its had a few niggles and a short spell, so trainer thinks it will need the run.
Punting this week has probably been one of the worst results I have had for some time as I've gone from the penthouse to the shitehouse in just one week. From 26 bets this week, I have had 9 winners, no seconds,2 thirds and 15 unplaced. Several just missed a place which hurt, because I bet twice the number of units on the place as I do the win. Lets hope next week is a better scenario.
Biggest race this weekend will be the Group 1 Golden Slipper, race 7 at Rosehill over 1200m, where prizemoney on offer for the 16 contestants is huge at $3.5m AUD. That makes it the richest 2 year old race on the planet.
Racing this Saturday for the selections below begins at Mornington at 12.15 AEST which is 2.15am London Time and the last race will be at Ascot at 8.15pm AEST, which is 10.15am London time. Mornington races are always hard as they normally have large fields and few standouts.
Here are the early selections which will be updated early Saturday morning when the scratchings are confirmed and the late mail is to hand.
I hope that you are all safe and well and somehow managing to cope with the covid impediment that is consuming our lives and lifestyle. Please stay safe and well.
CAUTION: Sydney is expecting huge rainfalls on Saturday so please exercise care when betting at Rosehill.

ROSEHILL: MEETING POSTPONED DUE TO HEAVY RAIN
R1 no 2 Doubtland
R3 no 4 Written Beauty
R5 no 3 Mo'unga
R6 no 2 Avilius
R7 no 8 Stay Inside
R9 no 7 She's Ideal


MORNINGTON:
R1 no 1 Micro 3rd
R3 no 1 Garvoc 2nd
R6 no 2 Dom to Shoot Won $3
R7 no 7 Mount Papa Won $2.50
R8 no 1 Ancestry... 4th..strong late mail suggests a special here!


EAGLE FARM:
R1 no 2 Chico Milagro
R2 no 3 Bold Executive Won $3.75
R3 no 4 Abracadazzle Won $3.80
R4 no 4 King Gutho
R6 no 5 Joymaker Won $3.50


ASCOT:
R2 no 1 Magical Dream Won $3.50
R5 no 2 That's Funny Az Won $7
R7 no 4 Charlton Eddie 3rd

LAY BETS:
BR5 no 5 Maddi Rocks Ran 3rd. Lay Bet Won

Cheers 'n' Beers

[Charles49]

Spotlight for racing here continues to shine on Victoria despite the heavy crowd restrictions imposed by the guardians of our health and welfare. My take on the covid scenario in Victoria is that the Government there has been overly cautious and at times heavy handed with their rules and regulations as they tread what is a fine line between the rights of the citizen and the obligations of Governments.
There seems to be a ray of sunshine with what we hear is happening within Britain, however it must be heart wrenching for many of you as the presence of Covid-19 continues to dominate. The one ray of sunshine is the availability of quality vaccines and that provides us all with hope that a genuine level of protection will be afforded to each and everyone, irrespective of age, wealth or position. I certainly hope that life returns to some semblance of normality for all of us in the very near future.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all and with the Duke of Edinburgh who is struggling to combat various issues consistent with his 99 years of age. Remind me to tell you a true and funny story sometime about meeting the Duke here in Australia a long while ago and what I refused to do with my right hand.!!
And if you want to see world class match racing then try watching the America's Cup races currently being held in Auckland in New Zealand. The boats that have been developed are simply mind boggling in terms of what speed they can accomplish in just a ten knot breeze. Next race is today (Friday) at noon AEDT which is around 1.00am London time so well worth setting the record button on your tv, and watching later, when you have a spare hour or two.
Enough of the rant so lets get down to matters re horse racing.
On a personal note this week has been a higher than normal rate of activity with 30 bets to date, resulting in 10 winners, 7 seconds, 4 thirds and 9 unplaced. Small profit, so as always I'm thankful for any positive outcome.
Racing this Saturday, for the races below, commences with the first race at Moonee Valley 12.15pm AEST, which is 2.15am London time, and the last race will be at Ascot at 8.15pm AEST which converts to 10.15am London time.
Early selections are now up and these will be amended, altered, added or subtracted to once the late mail and scratchings are found. Enjoy the day.

CLASSIC QUOTE: "The horse I backed was so slow the jockey kept a diary of the trip!!" - Henny Youngman.

MOONEE VALLEY:
R1 no 1 Fanciful Toff 2nd
R2 no 7 Scorched Earth Won $2.50
R3 no 3 Irish Flame 2nd
R4 no 3 Ancestry Won $3.50
R5 no 1 Cherry Tortoni 4th
R7 no 2 Conceited
R8 no 9 Russian Camelot 2nd


ROSEHILL:
R1 no 4 Great House
R3 no 2 Ingratiating
R4 no 4 Colette 4th
R5 no 9 Wandabba
R7 no 9 Forbidden Love
R8 no 7 Buffalo River...no 11 Criaderas is the late mail


GOLD COAST:
R3 no 1 Sugar Boom
R4 no 2 Ligulate 3rd
R5 no 5 Socialising..3rd.watch no 1 The Candy Man 4th in this race...he is the most popular racehorse in Queensland!
R6 no 7 Sweet Dolly Won
R7 no 3 Outback Barbie 2nd
R8 no 13 Miami Fleiss


ASCOT:
R3 no 3 Bruce Almighty Won $3.20
R7 no 1 Western Empire Won
R8 no 2 Cuballing

LAY BETS:
MR3 no 1 Persan Won $6. Lay Bet Lost
SR8 no 6 Rock Ran 3rd. Lay Bet Won

Cheers'n'Beers