Macca

Yeah Ivictory broke the course record for 1200m at its last start at Happy Valley (01.08.52) but ... its up against the Group 1 horses for the first time. And the Group 1 horses have run similar or better times at Sha Tin. Some have run around 01.08.00 flat. This is a classic reason why I prefer trifectas. I get 'em all running around for me! (well, not all Wadda) I reckon Ivictory can get into the finish but so can about 4 or 5 other horses (especially Mr Stunning & Beat the Clock) It should be a cracking race, all the same. The Mile race & 2000m Group 1 races on the card have similar back stories. Here are the 3 races ... The Champions Mile The Chairman's Sprint The Audemars Piguet Qeil Cup The racing never ends for me ... as of next week Morphettville and Dommben get into full swing and then there's all the big group racing from Europe that starts up next week as well (and that lasts for 4 or 5 months with 1 or 2 Group 1 races every week) It's good therapy and a good distraction if the footy team isn't traveling well ?

Sportsbet & the TAB have both got the first 5 available in the golf ... Ladbrokes may well have it up tomorrow.

The 4 picks are in and here they are Wadda ... in order of when the events are decided. Geelong (1-39) vs Sydney $2.10 (Sat 1.45pm) Crusaders (1-12) @ Brumbies $3.75 (Sat 7.30pm) Boston Celtics (-4.5) vs Milwaukee Bucks $1.95 (Sun 10.10am) Day/Ruffles (Top 5) it is a pairs event) Zurich Classic $6.00 (Monday morning) Adds up to 92-1. Cashing out before the golf is an option or 2 separate bets (first 3 events & all 4)

My best bet for the weekend is at Hawkesbury as well ... Hawkesbury Race 6 (The Godolphin Crown) ... No.10 Sedanzer ($4.60 win & $1.85 place) It is a very consistent horse that could have easily won its last 5 races. It finishes off its races well. It's a decent field but the horse has drawn the 3 gate and is trained by Gai Waterhouse.

I've got no issue posting the 4pick up Wadda and my mates are welcome to tell their mates as well. The mate who does NRL also sometimes does AFL or Soccer. The American sports mate really knows his stuff (across the 4 big sports) With the golf mate it's a top 5 position only (not the winner) His theory is that a number of the better golfers will rally late. I don't follow golf closely so I defer to his knowledge. I reckon 4 picks is enough in a multi especially if there is individual value in each pick ($3+) If I get a chance I'll post up the 4 picks sometime after they all come in. I do a 1-12 or 13+ margin pick with Super Rugby as I rarely miss with the actual winner ... I also look for a bit of value. No risk, no reward. After Super Rugby I concentrate on the Internationals & Six Nations.

I'm putting together a 4 pick multi on weekends where myself and 3 mates have 1 pick each. Similar to what we do here with our best bets. No luck first time up last weekend but they're all keen to continue it on ... we all specialise in different sports ... I'm Super Rugby, one is NRL, one is American sports and the other is AFL or golf (of all things!) It's based on all participants having one good thing every weekend and then working as a team.

You've got to laugh at some of the comments made about a horses chances. They will quite often talk up a horses chances and then finish off with "Not in this" Or talk down a horses chances and then end with "Should win" The weight comments are often only referring to 1kg or disingenuous ones where there is an obvious anomoly.

Before that last race it was carrying weight and racing quite well. Its last run was in the Doncaster hcp where a lot of good horses got in at low weights

The Group 1's are back on next week so the Hawkesbury Cup will have to do Wadda My tip is Mister Sea Wolf to win ... so its that and Equador so far Over to you BM

@Wadda We Sing Do you want to kick things off again re the trifecta?

It's a tricky race but 4 sets of eyes makes the process of finding the right combination easier ... there are only 1 or 2 horses that probably won't feature in the finish out of the 11 runners and whilst the favourite has real claims, there's more than a few that can win the race. It's a good betting race DZ and our choices might come down to current form vs previous form at Group level. A decent dividend beckons.

I'm reckoning Hawkesbury Race 7 The Hawkesbury Cup might be a good choice for our trifecta race ... it's a good betting race with a lot of familiar horses albeit Group 3 standard performers. Could be a decent dividend for the right combination. Let me know what you think @Dee Zephyr @Wadda We Sing

After having an early look at the Saturday fields there's a few trifecta races that might take the fancy - I'm easy on what the preference is because my main aim is going to be the 3 Group 1 races at Sha Tin on Sunday. Anyway, here are the 5 races I picked out but there might be a few others that suit I've marked the Doomben race as my 3rd preference as there are only the 8 runners and therefore the value may not be there. Hawkesbury Race 7 Hawkesbury Cup Morphettville Race 6 City of Adelaide Hcp Doomben Race 8 Victory Stakes Hawkesbury Race 5 Hawkesbury Rush Hawkesbury Race 6 Godolphin Crown Best Bet Strike Rate 44: 20 - 9 - 2 Trifecta Strike Rate 1: 1 - 0 (+$102.50) Australian Group and Listed Races

Capitals/Penguins match-up in the 2nd round of the playoffs could be a beauty. Game 7 of the Toronto/Boston series is on Thursday Morning 9.30am AEST ... I reckon we'll get more of the same after today's ripsnorter.

Trapeze Artist to race on! And the owner has insured the horse for $50Million. The horse will race on for 12 months and then be retired to stud. So it's next Spring, Hong Kong in December, the Autumn and then Royal Ascot and then that's it. Maybe 10 -12 Group 1 races in all but it might only be 8 or 9.

'Homeland' just continues on with its excellence. Nearly at the end of season 7 and the story lines seem never ending. 'Billions' is great and is getting better in its 3rd season. Paul Giamatti & Daniel Lewis continue to shine but Asia Kate Dillon is stealing the show portraying Taylor Mason. And 'Westworld' has just started up again (Season 2) ... First episode was action-packed but I'll need to listen to a few podcasts to find out what the hell is going on. The time-lines need figuring out too but the various podcasts clear things up.

Enjoy your break bm ... one of us will alert you on the trifecta race once we decide which race it is. Picking a decent trifecta race is half the battle - my preference is the Group 1 or Group 2 WFA or SW fields but that's just me. Thanks for your ongoing contribution too ... we need all the expertise possible! The format will probably be the same (3 - 5 - 5) and the tipping order may well be the same considering we won first time up. But that may change going forward. It was ... W/2/3 ... Wadda W/2/3 ... Macca W/2/3 ... binman 2/3 ........ Dee Zephyr 2/3 ........ Dee Zephyr

The other link didn't work so I'll try again ... Explaining Nick Foles' new contract and what it means for Carson Wentz, the Eagles and Foles himself (and the fans?) So often these articles are written in a way where it's like reading an article out of the Financial Review or BRW. You have to read between the lines to figure out where you sit as a fan of the team or the sport. Personally, I don't really care about the money but unfortunately, that's what a lot of sports are about these days. The money. And it might be a CB or in the OL for the Packers ... Derwin James, Minkah Fitzpatrick & Denzel Ward have been touted for the secondary. Quenton Nelson would be a terrific pick-up as an OG

It's all academic now anyway Dappa ... at least for this season at least. Foles would have to be happy with the revamped deal. And a lot of non Eagles fans would be happy to see Foles staying as well - apart from those who might want to see the Eagles weakened. My view is that I am glad he is staying.

That's not quite right Dappa ... you and I thought he may get traded before the 2018 season but it looks like he'll at least start the season in the absence of Wentz. We were talking about the possibility of Foles being traded whilst his currency was high etc etc. That is how I remember the conversation. Gorg's opinion was that he'd stay.

That's right Dappa ... from memory Gorg made the call that Foles would end up staying. I suppose the whole 'will he/won't he stay could go on for quite some time though ... especially if/when the Eagles make the switch back to Wentz. It's still newsworthy from my point of view. As for the draft, I know that the Packers have a stack of picks outside of the first 3 rounds ... 12 picks in all over the 7 rounds. Whether we use them all is another matter. Our needs are many especially at CB, RB, OL, OG, SS & TE. I'm not up with all the prospective would-be draftees but I never usually am until the last couple of days or so before the draft ... and sometimes just on the day! The other question is whether the Pats trade up for a QB prospect - there's been plenty of talk especially surrounding Josh Rosen. Interesting fact that I heard the other week ... that a 3rd of all NFL players from year to year are undrafted players. Considering there's over 2000 total players in any given year on various rosters that makes about 650+ undrafted players.

I've only heard that we may well find out some time this week (whether the horse races again) The connections obviously can't do both (race on or retire to stud) but one of the owners was talking about another season (Spring & Autumn) and then Royal Ascot. But he said it as if it was an option only ... the other option is to earn up to $40Million in stud fees. Money talks and we've seen what often happens previously. The Everest must be tempting though ... worth about $7.8Million to the winner next Spring. And there's obviously a lot of high stakes Group 1's from 1200m up to a 1600m (it would get the mile you'd reckon) both here and at Sha Tin, Japan & Europe. Here's the other Group 1 from yesterday - The Champagne Stakes ...

I like it ... And DZ for short?

Well, the trifecta collect has got to be worth more than 1 win you'd reckon Wadda ... here they are in separate formations ... Best Bet Strike Rate 44: 20 - 9 - 2 Trifecta Strike Rate 1: 1 - 0 Australian Group and Listed Races

They ran a track record (01:20.33) in yesterday's All Aged Stakes and that might mean that Trapeze Artist's rating could go up a point or 2. If that happened the horse would become the 3rd highest rated horse in the World (according to the Rankings) I hope they don't retire the horse to stud but I'm not holding my breath on that one. Here's a replay of the Group 1 All Aged Stakes ...