Macca

I've got it in for 2nd, 3rd or 4th. I've marked the 1, 12 & 15 on top.

I'm still going to have a First4 in the race having had a decent look at the field running last night.

Started off with a winner with 'Pure Elation' ... looks a real good horse too. Dan Zephyr has been scratched due to the state of the track at Caulfield.

The Zephyr at 7.50 for the place ... 'Handsome Thief' & 'El Sicario' scratched which means Milwaukee is now favourite. The race has got a First4 feel about it with a few of the lightweights now in the betting. Can Dan deliver a payday for us? ... here is the field again Australian Group & Listed Races

Here are the current 'Longines' World's Best Racehorse Rankings (up to April 8th) Plenty of Australian bred horses on the list and a number of familiar names from Hong Kong ... those who are interested may need to enlarge the page to read with more clarity. Levendi is the latest Australian horse to make the elite list. One would think that Winx will be the outright No.1 horse if she wins tomorrow.

A day late but here are my picks for the first round of the playoffs (winners in dark italics) I'm not sure any of us that have a go at the winners have ever got any more than 5 correct but it's hard to see many of the underdogs progressing past the first round ... Winnipeg vs Minnesota Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia Vegas vs LA Kings Tampa Bay vs New Jersey Boston vs Toronto Washington vs Columbus Nashville vs Colorado Anaheim vs San Jose As for which team can win the whole shebang, could it be the the Vegas Golden Knights? That would be something to see. Winnipeg are in hot form along with Anaheim. But it's playoff hockey where anything is possible. And how far can Washington advance?

Viridine's a very good choice Wadda ... I'm as confident as ever with the 3 picks. So much so that I just got on a 75-1! That seems overs for 3 quality thoroughbreds all with excellent current form. Here are the 3 Best Bets ... Randwick Race 5 No.1 Viridine $3.50 Randwick Race 6 No.2 Hiyaam $5.50 Randwick Race 8 No.1 Almandin $4.20

Haven't heard anything but they might be concerned about Winx running out the 2000m with the same superiority as a 7yo ... at the Mile she's got them covered but Humidor tested her at last year's Cox Plate. In the lead up to last year's Cox Plate Winx had 4 other runs (Warwick Stakes 1400m, Chelmsford Stakes 1600m, George Main Stakes 1600m & The Turnbull Stakes 2000m) Considering that they're talking retirement, that's a fair bit of racing. You would have to believe it would be a reduced program anyway. The Underwood Stakes over the 1800m might come into play (The Underwood is run 4 weeks before the Cox Plate and at 750k, it's a race well worth winning) But I'm taking a guess D77 - who knows?

In the Queen Elizabeth Stakes I reckon Ambitious might run a good race. Winx should win with Gailo, Humidor and the Clapper running on but the Japanese import could easily get into the finish. They are my top 5 D77 with Winx on top obviously. But it could be a really good race and I'm not sure Winx will have it all her way. The Coolmore Queen of the Turf (Race 9) is a tough race to find a clear winner ... a good betting race with about 8 horses having real claims to win the race. The dividends in the Trifecta & First 4 could be quite substantial.

Ha! Dan was only 2 lengths off 3rd last week and the horse that ran 3rd (Milwaukee) is a clear 2nd favourite for this upcoming race. The favourite is going to take some beating though (Handsome Thief) And I had Almandin earmarked as my best bet D77! However, there's a couple of others that I like at Randwick but I've settled on a standout in the Oaks ... Best Bet: Hiyaam Race 6 No.2 Randwick $5.50 A very impressive winner at it's last outing in the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) and the horse is also very consistent (3rd in the VRC Oaks, 3rd in the G2 Phar Lap Stakes and a 4th in the Wakeful) Drawn the inside gate so should get a great spot in the running. Trained by Mick Price with Michael Dee on board again. Overall Best Bet Record 36: 19-7-1

It doesn't get any less painful on viewing the replay of the Derby Wadda. So close. Win, lose or otherwise I'll post up the youtube replays if not for just the recognition of the group winners. I'm still looking for Kementari & Brave Smash to come flashing home in the other two Group 1's but they're not to be seen!

Here's a replay of 3 of yesterday's Group 1 races (Australian Derby, Doncaster Hcp & T J Smith Stakes)

So what did you end up doing Wadda? By the way, they ran some slick times yesterday at Randwick - especially 'Trepeze Artist' (last 600 in 33.89) & Happy Clapper (01:33.17 for the 1600) But the other quick time was 'El Dorado Dreaming' ... it ran 01:22.10 for the 1400. The connections might have known that the horse had real speed but none of the experts knew (nor the punters!) I'm not sure a horse can fluke a time like that carrying 54.5 kgs as a 2yo. It won't be starting at a 100-1 in it's next outing.

600k for the connections would have been an unexpected surprise and for those few that backed it (probably the connections again!) ... another surprise. It's form wasn't woeful but even with the benefit of hindsight it was hard to see it winning. Oohood was another that got out too late. Still, 200k for 2nd is a nice consolation prize. A lot of shouda, couda, wouda's today. But that's racing.

I ended up having a go at Ascot and got a decent return with Money Maher. There's a couple of feature races at Sha Tin tomorrow so I'll roll a bit over and hopefully come up trumps. A couple of straight out bets and a trifecta & double looks promising (Race 7 & Race 8) And I reckon we'll hit 100 pages up sometime during the Spring carnival Wadda ... there's nearly always something to talk about especially if our best bets start saluting. A lot of horses disappointed today though ... Kementari, Brave Smash, Alward, She's So High, Harmattan and a few others never really looked like it. With the odd exception horses settling midfield or a couple/few back on the fence never got out all day.

Yep ... Happy Clapper a worthy winner and had to carry weight as well. A whole host of horses have disappointed today ... and none of our best-bets saluted either. But the Demons have broken the losing streak against North! Won well too. Should have won by a lot more but a 37 point win will do. The monkey is off the back!

Really unlucky - the horse nearly created history ... the good news is that the Demons are getting on top. Had the Ace each-way and in a place multi so still alive.

And the Demons are just keeping in touch at the G ... need to lift Wadda. Oohood got out late but if it had have got out earlier it probably wins. That's the story so far with a lot of the fancied runners.

No Wadda, we're not getting JJ's tips at all. Annoying I'm tuning into the footy soon enough so it's a distraction we didn't need anyway. Nearly all my bets surround the Randwick card so it's tune in every half hour or so

Shane Adair is doing the tips today at Morphettville ... JJ is hosting. Might just take a look today and see how he goes. Done a couple of place cards ... that way of betting goes back a long way - before Quaddies and 'Outside' of normal betting. From memory it was a 4 race card where the place odds were higher and you'd add the odds together instead of multiplying.

Holy Snow missed the start and then got out too late ... had it each-way so no harm done. A good thing beaten though.

No ... not there Wadda. I'm keeping an eye out for them.

Late Mail (aka just to complicate things even further) Ormito in the 5th at Randwick ($10 win $3.30 place) ... from the same source as last time (When it ran in the Adelaide Cup) It's not a super-strong field and D Weir does train the horse. Another one for the place card?

This time a couple from 'Jamiroquai' from a ways back ...

Yeah I've saved a bit for a place multi D77 ... haven't done it for ages but there's some standouts tomorrow. Because of the decent fields the odds are better.