Macca

Well we went 3 from 6 today which is a vast improvement on last week (zip) All 3 that got up tightened in the market but 3-1 could be had on Lys Gracieux (BM) & Amangiri early doors. And Master of Wine (DZ) was a moral. I coffee outlay on all 6 races could have returned 10 coffees. And the 3 that won was a standout multi within the multi. Especially Lys Gracieux & Master of Wine. This week 6: 3 - 0 - 0

Lys Gracieux a class above ... thought Castelvecchio had stolen a march with the lightweight but the winner was far too good in the end. Winx-like acceleration over the last 2 furlongs. Seemed like a cleanly run race and there weren't too many hard luck stories.

The Cox Plate field is a very good one too ... much better than the last few years with the skinny fields and Winx dominating. I'm with BM's tip of Lys Gracieux although luck always plays a big part at the Valley. The horse will at least avoid getting locked in on the fence being from an outside barrier. A few of the pundits are predicting that the horse will race on the speed. Class should prevail. My preference is a wide exacta with 1 or 2 value winners and 1 or 2 value runners to get into 2nd. And a 'Spec' F4 just because it could pay a small fortune with the right combo. My value runners are Te Akau Shark, Verry Elleegent, Avilius & Magic Wand. But there are any number of chances with the Japanese horse on top. It is a very good field

Good job Wadda 'Vital Silver' was the one that pushed the exotics right up ... and its form was very good too but was way overs. Finished 2 lengths behind Sunlight & Santa Ana Lane in the Gilgai And its WA form was quite sparkling. We both found the loophole. Gotta love that. Speaking of WA horses ... the grey 'Pounamu' (a former ADATR favourite) is running in the Crystal Mile tomorrow. With Craig Williams on board. 8 years old now but it might get a place. I have to include it in the exotics being an old favourite. A sentimental inclusion though.

Just got the exacta in the Manikato Stakes ... with seconds to spare I included Loving Gaby to win to widen my initial picks. Sometimes you just get that feeling. Great ride by Williams. Bivouac had nowhere to go but that's the Valley. Paid well too. Playing with lots of house money tomorrow now. Beeeeaaaauuuuty!

Gympins got up for 3rd and paid $3.20 for the place Gorg. Wasn't far off winning. The 'Place' multi always has merit I reckon. Put 4 together and the odds can be 25-1 or better. Might try a couple of place combo's at the Valley tomorrow. As well as a coffee on our 6 picks (see above) 1 coffee becomes 2500 coffee's. That's a lot of coffee. Alex Watson territory.

I'm usually early with my tip Wadda but have been absolutely flat out lately. All work and no play! And the 5 picks are all beauty's. It's as if everyone else has read my mind! Like 'em all! Best Bet Saturday Moonee Valley Race 10 No.5 Amangiri (Win) $3.50

You need to have this thread as part of your 'Alerts' Wadda. That's apart from the ADATR thread needing to be your 'Go-To' home page. Who needs google when we're trying to win the folding stuff?

Well I gave everyone the heads up on Haky Wadda! Held on for 3rd. And that's what I was banking on when putting on the trifecta.

Leaderboard in the Tipping Comp 8 - JV7 7 - Dee Zephyr, Go the Biff 5 - Dappa Dan 4 - DeeSpencer, Layzie, Clintosaurus, Gorgoroth, Macca

I rarely, if ever, get the full percentage Gorg but a nice 3 figure return, all the same. Small outley, half decent return is my motto. I really like the Country Cups as betting races. Seem to have the luck in them for some reason.

I got the trifecta in the Cup as I thought 'Haky' might run a bold race so had to include it (as previously stated - see post #3856) O'tauto was a good place bet (in all reality) but you've always got to have a little on for the win. A 3/7 split works ok. Still, Harbour Views looks a horse for the future. Odds too short today though.

I reckon one of the Prince's wins. 'Steel Prince' is looking for the 2400m or more (with Oliver on board) whilst 'Prince of Arran' is the class in the race. Supernova should be thereabouts too. 'Haky' will probably be leading upon settling down and might run a bold race. And with $240k on the line for winning the Geelong Cup they'll all be going all-out for the win.

Replay time ... including a look back at Shadow Hero's win in the Champions Stakes run last week at Randwick (lining the horse up against 'Thought Of That' in the Derby - also replayed) As well as the Caulfield Cup & The Everest.

As for our dearth of stayers and middle distance perforners ... it comes down to the horse buying public. No good blaming the A-end of the problem (the actual horses) The buyers want sprinters only so that's what we breed. So it's entirely our own fault No good blaming the 'Invaders' either. We opened the door with our quest for instance results so again, we are to blame.

The Cup has about 5 main chances including Steel Prince with Oliver on Board (R7 No.11) And Oliver is on a good chance in Race 6 ... No.7 'O'tauto' (13-1) Good each-way odds for a horse that gets into the finish a lot. And it has raced at Group level. Good first up form as well. But each-way. Likes to get home late but has drawn wide to get back anyway. Up against 'Harbour Views' & 'Impi' but I rate O'tauto' as being as good as those 2.

Geelong Cup to be run on Wednesday (otherwise known as the battle between Ireland & the UK) 11 horses in the field with 6 from Ireland, 4 from the UK & 1 from France. No Aussie or NZ bred horses to be seen. But the $400k in prizemoney on offer would just about attain Group1 status in Eorope. The Geelong Cup!

I listened in to half time but the game was effectively over after the first 5 minutes. Costly errors allowed Dallas to score 2 x TD's without much trouble But you have those days ... you're at the Bills next and then 3 tough games at home (Bears, Pats, Seahawks) Need to win at least 2 and probably 3 of those 4 games.

Out for a month only by all reports. Which is great news for the League. But good news for my Packers ... we're at KC next week. Doesn't guarantee anything of course but Mahomes being out is a significant loss.

The distance allows horses like Sunlight & Graff to participate. Sprinter/Milers although I agree Wadda, 1400m would be a much better distance. Or maybe 1600m. The final field will be very good though. Classique Legend, Kolding & The Inevitable can run as well. Also Amphitrite & Ten Sovereigns. The design allows for the crack 3yo's like Merchant Navy & Autumn Guineas & maybe even Derby* winners to race on into their 4 year old year. Brutal is another that might have been retired to stud otherwise. It's a really good idea. *A Derby or Oaks winner in the Autumn/previous Spring might be able to drop back to the 1500m ... it could be why they decided on that distance. Horses can go up to the distance or drop back to the distance?

All the State bodies have to vote a race like the Everest into Group status and the word is that Racing Victoria won't agree. The individual States control most things horse racing. Which in turn only strengthens the resolve of Racing NSW and Peter V'landys. But things could change if RV want the All Star Mile to have Group status. The other big race without group status (that hasn't even been run yet) is the Golden Eagle ($7.5Million) The inaugural running of the Golden Eagle happens on Derby Day. But I believe it will be an immediate success. For those not in the know the Golden Eagle is for 4yo's only and is run over the distance of 1500m. Currently Arcadia Queen & Brutal are equal favourites (3-1) for the inaugural running of the race. And they run for $7.5Million. And I reckon Racing Victoria might create another couple of big races in the Autumn. They've already started to do so with the All Star Mile to be run the week after the Australian Cup/Newmarket Hcp. Not sure they'll extend into Autumn like NSW has done with the Spring but a bigger program within our Autumn.

Well the champ* (Beauty Generation) got beaten. It's no Winx! Had every chance (once it got out) but got run down. Rise High won from Waikuku, Beauty Generation and then Ka Ying Star & Southern Legend. They ran 01:32.82 for the mile. Very slick. Exotics paid quite well accordingly. More so the exacta & F4. *Another champion race horse in Stradivarius lost out as well last night at Champions Day (Royal Ascot) Track was a bog though so it had excuses.

Weekend Special (Monday 2.00am) France Ligue 1 Monaco vs Rennes Monaco (Win) & +2.5 Goals Match Score $2.60

And there's some good racing today with 2 feature events up at Sha Tin along with the Horsham Cup (R6) and Seymour Cup (R7) And Race 7 at Horsham & Race 8 at Seymour both carry prizemoney of $100k and that's good coin for Sunday country racing. They race for $200k in the Seymour Cup. But I'm watching those races only but will have a couple of bets at Sha Tin in the 2 feature events. In race 3 at Sha Tin (The Premier Bowl) Pakistan Star & Full Of Beauty should fight out the finish whilst in race 8 (Sha Tin Trophy) Beauty Generation should win from Waikuku & Rise High with Ka Ying Star & Southern Legend running on.

In the U.S.A "Mer De Glace' would have almost certainly been disqualified as it cut across runners in the straight before it was clear. But they have more stringent rules over there. The actual racing is far cleaner over there as a result. But over here the luck can often run your way when winning. As it stands Lane copped a suspension but the $150k winning percentage (plus sling) will sweeten things and more than cover the $20k fine. And the punters (including myself) collect. Beau Mertons & Michael Dee also copped suspensions from the race. But the same thing happens a lot in these big races (with crowded fields) It stands to reason that jockeys are going to take chances. You win some, you lose some. The jockey on 'Best Solution' last year (Patrick Cosgrove) copped a suspension despite the horse winning the race. The only real detterent for riders taking undue risks would be to bring in more stringent penalties (like in the U.S.A) ... but that won't be happening in a hurry DZ. So it will be more of the same where some of the winning punters will feel they've got some payback whilst others will feel aggrieved. That's racing.