Macca

I mainly do exacta's JV and I've got Noire on top with a couple of others. The race in question is a good one for the exotics. Should be a great day's racing.

Acting is in race "6" Gorg ... Horse no.4 I've included it already in an Exacta. Quick from the barriers and the speed map has the filly leading on settling down. Slow 'em up and then sprint away in the straight (?) ... not a lot of early speed in the race so it might take some catching. If I get time I'll post up a preview of Saturday's racing but it's a terrific card at Caulfield (the Toorak Hcp is a really good betting race) whilst up at Randwick there are 5 stakes races which includes the inaugural running of the Silver Eagle.

You're right JV ... good pick up! I was in a bit of a hurry late last night and neglected to adjust the scoreboard Which makes you the new leader. And ironically, the 'Schillaci Stakes' is being run on Saturday. So you've hit the front right on time. Leaderboard in the Tipping Comp 6 - JV7 5 - Dee Zephyr, Go the Biff 4 - Macca 3 - Dappa Dan 2 - DeeSpencer, Layzie, Clintosaurus, Gorgoroth p.s We are actually playing for a sheep station! At least that's what I thought we were playing for!

Leaderboard in the Tipping Comp 5 - Dee Zephyr, Go the Biff 4 - JV7, Macca 3 - Dappa Dan 2 - DeeSpencer, Layzie, Clintosaurus, Gorgoroth

Best Bet Saturday Caulfield Race 7 No.5 Avilius (Win) $2.50

Jay Gruden out at Washington.

And here are the major replays from yesterday I'll post up a replay of Surprise Baby's Bart Cummings win when it becomes available

Favourite now Wadda ...

Weekend Special Monday 2.00am German Bundesliga Eintracht Frankfurt vs Werder Bremen Eintracht Frankfurt Win (+2.5 Goals Match Score) $2.80

Pats Bears Ravens

Leaderboard in the Tipping Comp 5 - Dee Zephyr, Go the Biff 4 - JV7, Macca 3 - Dappa Dan 2 - DeeSpencer, Layzie, Clintosaurus, Gorgoroth And here are the games again ...

5 other Group 1 races to support the Arc at Longchamp tonight Wadda. As a follower of European racing most of the horses involved are now quite familiar. Apart from the 2 x 2yo Group 1's. For those interested go to www.racingpost.com for a comprehensive form analysis and guide. Enable will stamp herself as one of the very very best if she can win a 3rd Arc. The fact that it's never been done before says a lot. But as previously stated, I give 'Softsass' a real chance. The race is on at midnight tonight. As for our best bets, Osborne Bulls pulled up lame and my default move is to go back to the class. As it was, I should have picked Sunlight (BM's pick) or Surprise Baby. But you live and learn. As for Surprise Baby, we've now got a local horse and an adopted local (Steel Prince) to cheer on in the great race. Surprise Baby is a real show too. Won very well yesterday and came home in 00:35.16 for the last 600m. That is good going in a 2520m race.

Fair point and Bedford could be a genuine contributor. We have to find a way and I suppose I'm looking at known commodities as well as speculation recruits. Bottom line is that if McDonald & Weideman fired this season we'd be just looking for the add-ons to make our forward line one of the best. And some back-up to the 2 talls. But instead of that we've got Petracca, Melksham & Fritsch as 3 medium sized forwards but we still lack real marking power. And a forward or 2 who can play in a physical way. The little fellas come into it almost as a matter of course if the big boys are fit and firing Small forwards are valuable but they need to be working in a funtional forward line line. So I'm advocating having one before the other. Thus my call for Jones & Viney forward. At least they"d fight hard for the ball and whilst Viney is a bit dodgy in front of goal he can get a lot better with a lot of practice. Jones is fine in front of the big sticks. And competition within the ranks is always healthy too. They are both competitive beasts but both are good team men.

We could up the ante to 4 years and front end his contract. Hopefully we've got a final card to play and length of contract gives real security. It's always a gamble and we've been burnt previously but that stuff is in the past. We need to win and we need to win now. And if we don't spend the money on players like Elliott, those who we've already got listed get the money instead. The cap has to be filled somehow. 100% these days but I stand corrected.

The Occam's Razor remark wasn't necessarily attached to what I'd said beforehand. It was said to AF in terms of looking for the most obvious reason why we performed poorly this season. And in my opinion, you don't have to look very far. One could conclude that the reason we performed poorly this year is because we couldn't be stuffed trying. Or one could look for a more complex answer. But in my opinion it's the former argument. We did not turn up. So AF may believe it's a lot more complex than that (I'm presupposing) and he has every right to have that reasoning. At other times I might agree with him but not this time Ralph. Bottom line is that the club failed and we've reverted back to kind. If you don't agree so be it. Look, I get it. People don't want to get too despondant about their team because they want to believe that success is just around the corner. But that's not how I'm wired. I don't need that stuff and prefer realities. So what is your evaluation of the season? And I don't want any excuses. Give me a brutal assessment (if you can) By the way, every team gets injuries and every team has off-season surgeries. So if our list management team, FD & Coaching can't cover for a few injuries, then that's the fault of the club as well. You're supposed to have depth in pro sports.

AVB is constantly injured and we can't be relying on him.being available. Hannan is overated. I don't dislike either player but one doesn't play and the other doesn't play very well. Got any other options? Show me some talent As for fitness, try bone-lazy. The team hardly gave a yelp all season and should be called out for it. Actually, Lewis did call out the playing group with his speech at the B & F. Don't let them off the hook AF. We've let them off the hook in the past by sacking coaches. Look at all the assistants that have departed. What does that tell you? It tells me the message isn't getting through and the players are calling the shots again. Occam's Razor.

What I saw this season is a whole forward line that doesn't apply pressure. Do any of them know how to lay a tackle? For the most part our forward line was dysfunctional. Let's not mince words here AF. Jones is in the forward line to get the ball a dozen times and kick a couple of goals. Which would be a big step up to what we see now. As for forward pressure, he'd be no worse than the ineffective lazy lot that are there now. In fact, Jones is an ideal type. Don't compare him to Eddie Betts and the like. There are a number of different types of small forwards that can be effective. He'd only be a fill-in for a year anyway Anyway, if his midfield days are gone and we're looking for better options in the backline then there's only one area left where he could play. Unless you don't play him at all - and that won't be happening because he's still better than 2/3's of the list (which is filled with C & D graders)

I'm not a Hannan fan AF. He jogs around too much and doesn't play with any urgency. Spargo isn't good enough either but he has a go for a little fella. And Garlett is gone. With Lockhart - who knows? Needs a pre-season. I'd be playing Jones and/or Viney forward as the smalls. Both are good enough and are much better options than the aforementioned. And, they're experienced. Jones is done as a midfielder anyway and Viney goes alright in the midfield but is wasteful with his disposal. Throw them both forward or rotate them forward. We need better options than Jones in the backline too.

I wouldn't have. Tom is a much better player than his brother and has (or had) an uncanny ability to create space for himself. And his kicking issues only ever related to spacial awareness. As a key forward, that spacial awareness issue is not really a factor. Oscar often ends flapping about at ground level. He gets outbodied too easily and everytime I've seen him within range of goal he looks completely lost. A no from me but I like that you're thinking outside the sqaure AF. As for recruiting talls, don't forget that Tim Smith, Keilty & Frost are all as good as gone and they all played as talls So they need to be replaced (at least somewhat)

Oscar has zero goal sense. And he's like Pruess in terms of being able to play as a KPF. At his age (just like Preuss) he's got too much to learn anyway I wouldn't waste my time on such a notion. The chances of it working out are remote. We'll either draft another option (late pick) or trade for a fringe KPF from elsewhere. Well, at least I hope we do.

Too risky for me Pates. Both could fail again and then what? The odds aren't great that both will fire. If one fires we might get by with Fritsch, Melksham and Petracca to help out. If we got Elliott it's almost problem solved. May forward? Bit tricky doing that now with the likely departure of Frost. We need to at least recruit a spec key forward. My preference would be to trade for a proven talent but decent KPF's are very hard to acquire. It doesn't seem like it's on the club's radar but you never know. So a late pick in the draft as we did with the McDonald Bros. Or trade in a fringe tall from another club. Petty looks like he's been earmarked to play and develop as a KPD. Again, especially with the likely departure of Frost.

Oscar has 1 year or 2 left on his contract? Martin, Blease & Gysberts were all traded out despite all 3 having 1 year left on their contracts And we've paid out 1 or 2 players in the recent past. The names escape me right now but it's at least 1 player. There are no set rules surrounding contracts ... in overseas sports players are traded despite being on 4 or 5 year deals. Eventually the same thing will happen here. We've seen lots of change even in the last 5 years. Players nominating clubs they wish to be traded to will end up happening mid season. Get ready for it As for Frost, contracts aside, the club has just let him go because they don't want to keep him. And Frost might have indicated he wants out and the club has decided to not stand in his way. A mutual agreement. To me there's no big deal. Business decisions are made and you get on with it. I doubt we'll get much for Frost but we were never going to get much for him regardless of how things went down And how do we know that a deal with the Hawks wasn't made 'In principle' quite a while ago? I wouldn't be surprised My guess is a late 3rd round pick.

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is on tomorrow night at midnight and Enable is going for it's 3rd win on the trot (which would be a record) I'm hoping it does win but at $1.80 it's a bit short. However, 'Sottsass' represents good value at $8.50 and is a good each-way chance. It's a 3yo but horses at that age have a great history of winning the race (18 of the last 25 winners) And Sottsass has been very impressive at it's last 2 starts. Maybe the quinella? Interesting that the Arc still went ahead during the 2nd World War (apart from 1939 & 1940)

I ended up a little way in front with a couple of late collects ... Kolding to win & Surprise Baby with Dealmaker in a double Could have been a bumper day if what I coupled up with Sunlight had have saluted. The crew went 1 from 5 today which surprised me. But I got a bonus double earlier in the day when the race caller on the radio called 'Profit' as running 2nd or 3rd. Ya gotta love a bonus win. I only realised I'd won when I checked my balance an hour later! The punt taketh away and the punt giveth.

Kings Will Dream wins the Turnbull in a remarkable comback ... the horse was pulled up in last year's Cox Plate and there were grave fears that the horse would even survive. And now it comes out and wins the a Group 1 over the classic 2000m. Amazing. Has to be a real chance for the Cox Plate now. Mystic Journey couldn't find a run and Mr Quickie didn't come on till late either. Hartnell game again and gets up for 3rd (again) The old war horse just won't quit. Finche (2nd) looks a real cups horse.