Macca

I haven't watched a lot of A League but I watched tonight's game and it was quite entertaining. The 1st goal was a ripper. Overall coverage was excellent.

That horse is a mare ... I'd rather come back as an entire. A Group 1 performing entire. They can retire me as a triple crown winning 3 year old because we all know what comes next. Actually, in theory, that 'entire' lifestyle sounds quite exciting. Where do I sign up? ?

Former Australian galloper and last year's QLD Derby winner 'Dark Dream' is contesting the G1 Hong Kong Classic Mile tomorrow ... won it's last start up there in a good grade by 4.5 lengths. The HK Mile is obviously much tougher but it has been installed as favourite. The race is for 4yo's only which is the Derby age in HK. The preceding race (Centenary Vase) will be a keenly contested affair as well - some old favourites are running around again but it's looks a trifecta race with at least 3 winning chances out of the 9 runners. Group 1 Hong Kong Mile Group 3 Centenary Vase Best Bet Strike Rate 78: 30 - 12 - 12 Australian Group & Listed Races

Monday Morning France Ligue1 07.00am $2.20 PSG Win (+3.5 Goals Match Score) vs Rennes

Endless Drama blows the start and then Tom Melbourne wins. What are the odds? That's racing! Good old Tom still has his supporters though - started at 4-1.

I'm newly rusted on to Laddies so I'm not sure what the TAB offers now DZ Going straight out on KC wouldn't have been all that different anyway in terms of the odds offered ... and lets face it, the 3rd pick should have saluted anyway. But sometimes the close one and the luck goes the other way and you get the win.

While I've got ya, on the Monkey Business thread DZ and myself have been trying out a 3pick only ... I pick each if it's just the 3 of us. I cashed out on the first 2 picks last week for a handy collect for the cost of 3 coffees. I then reloaded on the 3rd pick in another multi but dipped out ... but, most importantly, the collect was there to get on the board. Not sure what DZ did but he might have let it ride. And but for a line of scrimmage infraction in the NE/KC match, we would have snagged 3 from 3 at 20-1.

Leg 1 on the board ... you're back with gusto Wadda! But this ain't no picnic, we need 2 more for the collect! Best Bet Strike Rate (running tally) 76: 30 - 12 - 11 Australian Group & Listed Races

These are open forums Wadda so I welcome all views ... doesn't mean I'm going to always agree though. Often the best way to arrive at the truth is to open things up for discussion.

Ha! Sporting arguments fall into the same area as religious & political discussions. Endless drama indeed. Anyway, with Coral Bay drifting a tad I ended up getting 58-1 (boosted) As always, fingers crossed. There are a few races that I'm interested in today ... more so the Blue Diamond Preview's. But just watching (no bets on the 2yo's) with a view to the future. Welcome back Wadda

Very impressive again by Whispering Brook in the Australia Stakes ... beat a crack field and the horse is a winner. Running excellent times too so the horse could have a decent Autumn.

Horses are a breed of animal that were born to run (and jump) ... they've been on this earth in some form for over 50 million years. Humans for about 250,000 years. The human and the horse became ideal partners as a transportation device. Later on we started racing them. Natural progression/natural selection. What happened was always bound to happen. It comes under the 'Stands to Reason' banner. Before the car it was the horse. The pig is a slaughter animal. So is the sheep, chickens, beef cattle, goats, etc etc etc. We eat them as a matter of course. Some cultures eat dogs & cats. Some even eat Kangaroos and crocodiles (Aussies) The indigenous Australians ate Koala's. Maybe they still do. You live off the land, that's what you do. By comparison, the horse gets treated quite well. If we didn't ride or race horses we'd probably just eat them. So it's ride & race or eat. You wouldn't keep a horse as a household pet unless there was a equestrian aspect to the whole thing. It is estimated that about 250,000 cats & dogs are put down in Australia each year. Unwanted pets by everyday Australians. Yes, I broaden arguments. Because it's necessary. Context and all sides of an argument is my specialty. Anyway, I reckon I'd rather be a horse if I wasn't a human. The gambling aspect is a tricky one ... many punters are addicted and often punt badly as a consequence. But if gambling on the horses was banned it would go underground immediately. The key is to bet with expendable income only and then bet smart. Or not bet at all. On this thread I push the agenda of the best against the best. Group racing is at the forefront of my thinking - not the 7th at Moe. Overseas Group racing as well. The gambling aspect has a direct association obviously but it's not at all like the mindless poker machine industry. Not even close. You could ban poker machines but then the roads North would be filled with Pokies people heading for the border. Nationwide - maybe. But what are the chances? I overreacted as well and have deleted my reply also. Apologies.

Numerous people spend their entire lives devoted to a footy club ... lots of money invested (over time - tens of thousands of dollars), countless hours with an emotional investment that is endless. And if you're a demon fan you might spend up to 10 or 20 hours per week reading and contributing on this site. And for the last 54 years - no big wins (premierships) zilch. Now that is what I'd call a gamble. A very very big gamble. And if you're under 60 years old - no return. And I don't have a problem with that as I'm one of those Demon supporters. So it's a bad thing to have a flutter at the races with the chance of actually winning something? Half their luck I say.

?

And a few more feature races to look out for tomorrow Blue Diamond Preview C & G (Caulfield) Blue Diamond Preview Fillies (Caulfield) John Dillon Stakes (Caulfield) Carrington Stakes (Randwick) Sunshine Coast Cup (Sunshine Coast)

Decent sort of field in the Australia Stakes tonight DZ Especially in comparison to the corresponding race last year where there were only 6 acceptors in a race won by 'Thronum' ... the 'All Star Mile' is definitely on the radar for any number of horses that can run a decent 1200m up to a mile whilst a few 2000m WFA performers can drop back to the mile as well. My preference in the gallops is watching the best of the best go at each other and it all starts tonight by the looks of it. Hope you back a winner!

Best Bet Randwick Race 7 No.1 Endless Drama $5.00

Good old Zippy lacked a bit of zip today ... never looked like it even with McEvoy on board. I'm on Cape Richards though - fingers crossed! Edit: Ugh.

If it runs a drum I'm adding it to the strike rate Wadda! Michael 'Dee' on board too. Zip a Dee Doo Dah is a big show today as well ... Canterbury Race 6 No.2 $4.50

Starting to sort out the NBA as the season goes on ... Home team - win only, H/F or Q/Q/Q/Q. We're nearly 50 games into the season now so with the playoffs on the horizon, the good teams will be wanting to shore up a decent seed for the post-season. It's also worth keeping an eye out for teams that play on back to back nights and are away from home. Home teams have an even bigger advantage in those situations. Last 10 games sees the Warriors, Bucks, Raptors, Utah & Nets all at 8 & 2 or better (GSW 9 & 1) whilst the Pacers, 76ers, Celtics, Wizards, Nuggets & Portland are all at 7 & 3 (last 10) GSW as a banker either home or away is a decent percentage play.

Well, you're probably right re the Pats deferring but from the KC point of view, they were virtually allowing the Pats to score first in a NFC Championship game. And the Pats score TD's and they do it early. And the KC defense is not well renowned. Regular season - 31st in yards allowed, 31st in passing yards allowed, 27th in rushing yards allowed and 24th in points allowed. That's ugly. And they give the ball to Brady first up. The Pats have also got chips on their shoulders and they have mastered the 'Us against Them' factor to the nth degree ... you give them the ball first up and they're insulted. KC were asking for trouble with that move. Ultimately, winning the toss in overtime won the game for New England but only because they are always capable of scoring a TD with relative ease. The Pats have mastered the art of controlling the game on their terms - even at the toss of the coin at the start of the game they can't lose. That's how good they are. Belichick is an absolute genius and is easily the best coach in any sport right now - probably all time.

I agree the face mask calls are often rather innocuous but they have been red-hot on calling that type of infringement all year especially when it comes to the QB's. So the call on Goff should have been made same as the later pass-interference call on the Saints WR. From a technical standpoint the face-mask call on Goff had to be called. A penalty is a penalty regardless of whether we believe it should be called or not. I have the same type of attitude towards the 'Around the Neck' call in footy - most of the those types of frees paid should never be paid as most of the contact is innocuous & incidental. But it is what it is and we have to put up with it. There was a roughing the passer against Brady that was totally innocuous but none-the-less, a 15 yard penalty was paid against KC for the softest of contact. Again, the rules are the rules. I don't like it as much as you do. The NFL needs to look at its own rules and make them as bullet-proof as possible. The over-zealous over-protection of the QB's would be a good place to start. And why would Andy Reid give the ball to Brady to start the match? Now there is some highly questionable play calling! Shouldn't one do the opposite to what the opposition wants? Or is that too old school?

Tipping & gambling are 2 completely different animals Gorg. When it comes to the hard-earned, I'm quite reasonable. As for tipping, you've made me and others look like complete novices in this post-season comp! Still, you're not quite over the line yet and your 2 rivals know that you'll almost certainly be picking the Rams to win the SB. Unless you decide not to! ?

Whilst I agree that the non-call to Lewis was so bad that it could only be described as ridiculous, there was another obvious non-call on a face-mask incident against Goff that would have given the Rams a fresh set of downs on the Saints 2 yard line. As it turned out, the Rams had to settle on a field goal instead. And given how hot the league has been on protecting the QB's, it's astonishing that they did miss that face-mask call as well. Rules are rules. It's my belief that both non-calls cancelled each-other out. Doesn't make it right because 2 wrongs don't make a right but the Saints got lucky as well.

Well I have cast my vote in the All Star Mile - 'Extra Brut'. And yes, it is the hip-pocket talking as I got a very nice collect in the Derby last Spring after including the horse late (what dreams are made of!) Here is the list of horses and all the profiles of all those 130 horses that have been nominated To vote, go here - All Star Mile Vote Application