Macca

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.

Tosen's odds have come in big time from Wednesday ... gotta get on early with the decent odds for the good horses. Brave Smash was $3 for the place yesterday and is now $1.95. All those Morphettville hot favourites have shortened appreciably too. There's definitely a pattern with regards to the odds offered. Especially in Adelaide.

I still vividly remember when many jumped off 'Jeune' after Shane Dye declared that it couldn't win the Melbourne Cup. What a horse was Jeune! In its next start after winning the Cup it won the CF Orr stakes over 1400m running a scorching time.

There's often a fine line between ultimate glory and being an also-ran Wadda ... Tom consistently gets into the finish - that much we do know. If the jockey had not have dropped the persuader with 300m to go the horse may well have won it's last start and the story-line could be a lot different. It is not like it has started hot favourite and then not run a drum like the 'Tosen' ... speaking of which, could Tosen Stardom return to form? Big odds and it often bounces back from a disappointing run. I've backed Kementari but I see threats in that race everywhere ... the race should be a beauty. Eagerly looking forward to it.

Yep ... I like Ace High as well and had already backed it before you made it your best bet Wadda. It is the class horse of the race and the others have to prove themselves. As you said, this is the race that the horse was set for all along. So that's 2 best bets so far with @binman & @Demon77 to follow ... French Emotion - Bendigo Race 6 No.2 ($3.80) Ace High - Randwick Race 7 No.1 ($5.50) I like your place card there as well but what about 'Tom Melbourne' at $4.60 for the place? Carrying only 52kgs it's sure to be flashing home. In fact, that race (The Doncaster) could easily result in a blanket-finish.

Lite'N In My Veins keeps bobbing up and it keeps running well D77 ... that race is a tough one though with any number of chances. Good fields in Bendigo, all things considered. Gator liked my best bet 'French Emotion' and Chris Waller who trains it made mention of it this morning on RSN. It's a good price too. Gator also likes Really Swish in race 3 and the Hayes horse 'Pure Scot' in race 8 ... both represent very good value. As for the first day of the Championships there's strong support for 'She's So Fine' in race 3, 'Don't Give A Damn' in race 4, Alward in race 5, Oohood in the Sires Produce, Ace High in the Derby and Kementari in the Doncaster - this is after watching both 'Form Line' on the Sky Thoroughbred channel and 'Get On' on the racing channel. I'll be keeping an eye out for JJ's tips at Morphettville on racing.com but there are a lot of very short-priced favourites in Adelaide this week (apart from races 2, 4, 8 & 9) Might be some value tips in those 4 races from JJ.

I like a few chances this upcoming weekend including 'Enbihaar' (Race 1 Randwick), 'Despatch' (Race 3 Morphettville) and 'Beat the Clock' (Race 7 Sha Tin) but here's my best bet... French Emotion ($4.20) - Bendigo Race 6 No.2 ... trained by Chris Waller with Brad Rawiller on board. The horse has drawn a decent gate and should at least get into the finish (paying $1.75 for the place) Overall Best Bet Strike Rate 33: 19 - 6 - 1 Australian Group & Listed Races Footnote: 'Brave Smash' ($8.50) is my each-way bet - running in the T J Smith Stakes the horse has a more than decent finishing burst ... 5 weeks off since the Newmarket should have freshened the horse up nicely.

Final fields and barriers are up already for the Four Group 1's at Randwick this coming Saturday ... 'Ace High is $6.50 favourite in the Derby, Redzel is $2.50 fav for the T J Smith and 'Oohood' is favoured over Seabrook in the Sires Produce (although that may change) The Doncaster has produced a really good field with Kementari opening as $4.20 favourite over Happy Clapper & D'Argento. And if you want to give Tosen Stardom another chance you can get 60-1 ! The horse is carrying the same weight as Happy Clapper although both those horses & Humidor are giving a lot of weight away against the rest. Tom Melbourne is only carrying 52kgs - currently $4.60 for the place. Here's a replay of last year's T J Smith, The Doncaster & The Derby ...

Here's a replay of yesterday's 2 Group 1 events ... The Tancred Stakes & The Vinery Stud Stakes.

In the end (for me at least) it comes down to the ease of navigating the website and the best odds on offer ... the TAB loses out on both fronts Wadda. Sat up and watched half the races from Dubai last night and then watched the rest of the races this morning ... some great racing on offer with a lot of good horses involved. I didn't bet on the races apart from a very small multi that didn't work out. They make a very big deal of it over there. Anyway ... here's a replay of the Dubai World Cup followed by the Derby ...

You cleaned up Wadda although we made real hard work of it. Still, a win is a win is a win. Having a go in Dubai tonight? ha ha I've got a 4 pick multi going just for an interest bet ... all favs so I hope to get the chance to cash out. The races from Dubai are on the racing channel - just kicked off.