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I've never heard a conversation about footy or cricket that I haven't wanted to join in immediately. If you disagree with me, you'll be made to work very hard to change my mind!
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The Melbourne metropolitan tracks have had their spring carnivals, so Ballarat gets its moment in the sun this weekend, bringing Saturday feature racing to the country.
Melbourne spring racing hits Sandown this week, with the carnivals of Caulfield, Moonee Valley and Flemington in our rearview mirror for another year.
The racing excitement continues this weekend with action from across the country. Here’s your best bets.
It’s almost Stakes day at Flemington, the last day of the Melbourne Cup week carnival at Australian racing’s headquarters.
We’re halfway through the Flemington Melbourne Cup carnival, and Derby Day and Cup Day haven’t been the easiest cards to find a winner.
The lightly raced, emerging younger horse is on the rise from a Melbourne Cup perspective.
The Melbourne Cup. It’s not just the race that stops a nation. It’s the sporting event of the year in Australia.
Melbourne Cup day is upon us once more. From a punting perspective, it’s the toughest card of the year – 10 races, capacity fields, and horses from all over the country (and the world, for the Melbourne Cup itself) bringing different form to line up.
The biggest week of racing for the entire year awaits, and each day we get closer to the race which stops a nation.
The most exciting time for racing fans is upon us. Melbourne Cup week has finally arrived, kicked off as always by Derby Day – traditionally this has been known as punters day and what better way to look ahead and find some winners.
The VRC Derby is one of the oldest races on the Australian calendar, steeped in history going back all the way to 1855. Phar Lap won the race in 1929.
We’re on the eve of history at Moonee Valley this weekend as Winx looks to complete her awesome foursome of Cox Plate victories. Across Friday night and Saturday afternoon there are 16 races before we get to see the legendary mare, and everything else is preamble.
We’re right in the thick of the Melbourne spring carnival now, and this weekend sees Moonee Valley get their time to shine with 18 races across their Friday night / Saturday double. It’s doubtful we need to go elsewhere to find some winners.
The Caulfield Cup is one of the four majors of Australian racing, alongside the Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate, and Golden Slipper.
There’s some Friday-night action this week before the weekend proper gets under with a bumper Saturday of racing, where most of the attention will be focused on Caulfield.
What a huge day of racing awaits on Saturday at Caulfield.
Caulfield Guineas Day down in Melbourne and The Everest being run at Randwick has produced what will be the best day of racing Australia has to offer.
It’s finally here. The Everest isn’t the race that stops a nation, but it has certainly become the race that has captured the attention of a notoriously fickle Sydney sports market.
The Spring Champion Stakes is the last Group 1 of the Sydney spring, and in recent times it’s rare when the race hasn’t had a lasting impact.
Turnbull Stakes Day is an important cog in the Melbourne spring carnival.
I will admit, they do seem to get in pretty easily.
Melbourne Cup review: The vitality of youth dominates again
He could just be a good thing, Thinkin’ Big. I’m very keen.
The horses that filled the placings behind Alesandro at Cranbourne don’t recommend his chances, based on their subsequent runs.
VRC Derby preview and tips
Yeah, Aramayo has been great all prep really, hasn’t put much of a foot wrong. I’m a fan, and he’ll enjoy Flemington. I just think MBE is over the odds compared to him.
“Being set” for a race like the Derby doesn’t really do anything for me, given they basically all have been. I’m sure Home Ground will stay, I just think he’ll be slower than a few others.
VRC Derby preview and tips
Always hard to judge, across continents, seasons, racing styles, era’s. Some of the things Winx has done I find it hard to believe any others could match.
Moonee Valley Group 1 Previews: Cox Plate and Manikato Stakes
Thanks Peeko. I quite like the Friday/Saturday double, but I can understand those against it.
Moonee Valley Group 1 Previews: Cox Plate and Manikato Stakes
I can’t wait for the race Razzar, it’s going to be so hectic. Plenty of speed and tactics are going to be required, with quick decisions needed. He might just be too good, but I’d need $3.50 to be backing NS.
Moonee Valley: Group 1 Moir Stakes preview and tips
We’ll see! The four year olds are dominating at the moment, and I’m happy to be with them. Happy to look at some value.
Randwick Super Saturday: Previews and tips
Breaking a track record on your own steam is no mean feat, especially at WFA. Agree though, I couldn’t back him at those odds in by far his hardest test yet.
Yeah, it’s always on that time, could do with it a race earlier.
Moonee Valley: Group 1 Moir Stakes preview and tips
You’re assuming I have a problem with what happened to Brayshaw, I think.
AFL rule changes are coming: The good, the bad, the indifferent
I still don’t see why. We want the players to take shots at goal, correct? Rather than passing to create better opportunities? So therefore, encourage them to take the shots by add more value.
AFL rule changes are coming: The good, the bad, the indifferent
In this situation, isn’t a behind more of a penalty than it currently is, so we’d want to incentivize goals more, and make them worth more than six?
AFL rule changes are coming: The good, the bad, the indifferent
I thought week one of finals was probably the most intense I can recall, that laster for longer across the four games than usual. High pressure, high intensity will always lead to lower scoring, but I thought the games were great.
AFL rule changes are coming: The good, the bad, the indifferent
I tend to agree, but my biggest issue is that we’re always seeing unintended consequences when rule changes happen.
As long as we have coaches that want to coach defensively, there will always be unattractive footy that the AFL doesn’t like.
AFL rule changes are coming: The good, the bad, the indifferent
I don’t have a problem with a lot of the niggles and punching, but I understand that some would.
I couldn’t believe my eyes at the scheduling of Collingwood in week one of this years finals. It was staggering at the time, and that hasn’t changed.
AFL rule changes are coming: The good, the bad, the indifferent
The building of forward pressure leads to congestion, and I guess in some ways depends on it. The AFL is obviously keen to strip that back.
AFL rule changes are coming: The good, the bad, the indifferent
I just had a bit of a hectic day on the whole, I never got a chance to reply. I read most of them though, some very entertaining comments, including ripping into me which I don’t mind.
I don’t think it’s so much about writing Grunt off, but it’s always hard to know where the new 4yo’s sit, and we’re not sure of his best distance yet. Three absolute class horses at the top of the market, if Grunt can win he’ll be a player in everything he contests.
Group 1 Memsie Stakes Preview
Yeah, I’m not sure how much of a punting option the Memsie is. History is pretty clear though – single figure odds and Group 1 winner previously, so you’d think it will be one of the three big chances. No result will surprise of those.
I don’t mind early 3yo races, particularly SWP. I find that those carrying the penalties find it hard to win, so I’m always looking for something on the minimum that’s in form and has a touch of class.
Group 1 Memsie Stakes Preview
Macca, who cares whether you get something out of it? I do. Others do. The players obviously do.
You may not like Quarter Pounder’s either. Does that mean McDonald’s should take them off the menu?
Andrew Gaff: How many weeks, and where will he be next year?
I don’t have a problem with niggle, it’s a physical, heated game. I understand if the AFL wanted to crack down on it, but I have no idea why supporters would want that.
Andrew Gaff: How many weeks, and where will he be next year?
The cult of purity, I like that.
Andrew Gaff: How many weeks, and where will he be next year?
Funnily enough, I thought it was real time speed that showed it more evidently. Either way, there is no doubt in my mind it hit the post, nor in Josh Jenkins’.
Andrew Gaff: How many weeks, and where will he be next year?
Paying a free kick for hands in the back at the five minute mark of the first quarter doesn’t fundamentally change the game if they get it wrong. Removing someone with a red card does. The AFL have shown they are not competent enough to have that responsibility.
Andrew Gaff: How many weeks, and where will he be next year?
I could have put “the good old days” in quotations like I did there.
And footy is at its best when fuelled by spite. And it does get the blood of players, coaches and supporters pumping. That’s undeniable. All of these things raise the level of intensity, and footy is at it’s best when intensity is high.
Andrew Gaff: How many weeks, and where will he be next year?
I think if Best Solution was a true long distance stayer he would have had a crack at it before now. Clearly a high class horse, it would be interesting to see him at a WFA run over two miles I suppose.
Melbourne Cup review: The vitality of youth dominates again