I’m a Melbourne Cup addict. I can name every winner of the race off the top of my head since I was born, and without giving too much away that figure is fast approaching the 40 mark.
I will probably spend 95 per cent of the next day being completely consumed by ‘the race that stops a nation’.
MELBOURNE CUP PREVIEW AND TOP TIPS
I’ll read every article, watch every Cup-related TV program, catch every news bulletin, hear every interview with all the major players, and take in several hours of coverage on the day itself.
I’ll change my mind six or seven times about which horses to leave in or out of my Cup quinella, trifecta and first four. I’ll touch base with several of my ‘expert punter’ mates and we’ll discuss the merits of each of the 24 runners.
Yep, just the thought of that analysis is giving me the shakes.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when Cup fever grabbed me, but I could have a pretty good guess.
The year was 1983.
A young fella by the name of Jim Cassidy rode a horse called Kiwi to victory on that first Tuesday in November.
I dutifully picked out the horse on the morning of the race after my dad, a keen punter, asked who I’d like to pick in the “big horse race” that afternoon. I’m not sure what made me pick Kiwi that day, but perched up on a rickety old couch, glued to the Rank Arena television with my after-school snack, I rode that horse home with plenty of vigour as it made a remarkable dash from last to first.
That winning feeling was matched only by the excitement of dad arriving home from work that night with a fistful crumpled up Henry Lawson notes.
I was hooked.
I didn’t realise until many years later the great story behind Kiwi and how he was a farm horse bought for $1000 to round up sheep. And so has begun a lifetime of Melbourne Cup memories.
Like in ’89, when I organised my first sweep behind the bike sheds at school, only to be accused of rigging it because the horse I drew, Tawriffic, got the cash.
Or in ’94 when I tried to smuggle a walkman into one of my HSC exams as dad’s hero Wayne Harris rode Jeune to victory, meaning he’d need a security escort from the TAB to his car.
Then there’s day the great Makybe Diva won the first of her three Melbourne Cups in 2003. I almost missed my flight home from Flemington because I’d forgotten how many bookmakers I’d backed her with.
That’s enough about me and my Melbourne Cup addiction. Here are a few hard and fast rules to get you through the day.
Most people who have a bet on the Melbourne Cup are once-a-year punters. The vast majority of them will head to their local TAB without the faintest idea of even how to fill out the bloody ticket.
My advice is to go on Monday night. Avoid the crowds, the anxiety, that last-minute rush. There’d be nothing worse than having picked out the Melbourne Cup winner, only to be still standing in the queue when they jump.
I’m working up a nervous sweat just thinking about that.
Take a mystery trifecta. It’s worth six dollars to box it. It means you get three runners and they can finish in any order. With the astronomical prize pool on offer and some luck, who knows, your small investment might be worth a few thousand bucks after the race.
If you’re going trackside, only take what you’re prepared to lose. Let’s face it, not everyone is going to be a winner, so if you’ve got a budget stick to it, especially if you tend to loosen the purse strings a little more freely with every drink you consume. Plus, have you seen the ATM queues at the races? Good luck!
As for a tip? They’re pretty much like a-holes. Everyone’s got one.
Ignore them all and go with your gut.
Have you ever tried your skills in a Racing daily fantasy competition? Put your best picks to the test for one day and see if you can scoop the pot with Draftstars. Looking for great odds on racing and sport? PlayUp is your best bet. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Without a Fight completed the rare Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double on Tuesday as star jockey Mark Zahra went back-to-back in the big one after…
The race that stops the nation is upon us again. Every horse in the Melbourne Cup has reasons they can win, and reasons they…
Those who want to have a really big collect on Australia’s greatest race, without risking too much, have to look at the exotic bets.
While most of the attention is on Ciaron Maher and David Eustace's Gold Trip, there's no reason why stablemate Future History cannot upstage him.
Champion jockey Damien Oliver is quietly confident his Melbourne Cup mount Alenquer will be passed fit to give him a farewell ride in the…
Melbourne Cup day is here again, and it’s never anything less than exciting. The Cup itself will of course be full of drama and…
