Sport is made for betting

Derby Day at Flemington is the pinnacle of the racing year for me, unfortunately it's now up to 17yrs since I was last able to attend! Not that anyone else can this year either. A day full of Group races (4x G1, 2x G2, 3x G3) and quite simply, if anyone invites you to a wedding on this day, you shouldn't be friends with them any more. Whilst it's labelled 'Derby Day', the Derby simply isn't a feature race worthy of the eponymous title. A 2500m race just three months after horses turn three simply doesn't lead to great racing. The field is poor, with no depth, just highlighting how many owners are traditionally happy to run to get owners' tickets for the greatest raceday in the southern hemisphere, if not the world. Imagine running the (English/Epsom Derby) on the first of April? At least the Kentucky Derby at the start of May, is run at 2000m, which is about as far as any American-bred horse ever wants. All the east coast Derbys in Australia used to be r...

The Melbourne spring carnival heads to Caulfield, affectionately known as 'The Heath' for the time-honoured and lucrative Caulfield Cup. Won by Japanese raider Mer de Glace last year, it earns the mantle of 'the greatest 2400m handicap in the world', a rich Group 1 traditionally run at a high-pressure tempo. Mer de Glace wins 2019 edition. Image credit: Herald Sun The quality of the race seems to ebb and flow regularly. This year I think we have a cracker, but... such is life in 2020, there'll be virtually no-one on course to witness it. In drafting this preview, I've also had some input from previous blog contributor Arod, spliced in where useful, starting with his track & weather forecast: "The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting anywhere between 10 – 20 mm of rain between now (Ed. Wed night) and race  time and going by today’s reports the track might need the water. Reports have a few horses pulling  up sore. Rain is predicted for ...

The European flat racing season comes to its natural conclusion in this messed up hell of a year. The queen of the turf, Enable, goes for an historic third win but it has been wet and cold all week in Paris, making it a tough old slog in deep ground. There won't be much of a crowd there to 'bring the house down' if she wins, in front of no more than 1000 paying spectators, but the racing world will be tuning in across the globe. =============================================== Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe   ParisLongchamp, 1605 local, 1505 BST, 0005 Monday Sydney time.  2400m, Group 1 Weight-for-Age, (no geldings)  Approx €3m.  Expected Going - Heavy.  1.Persian King - 4yo, Kingman/Pretty Please - Andre Fabre - Pierre Charles Boudot   Star French colt stepping up to a mile and a half for the first time. Won the French 2000 Guineas (Poulains) on heavy ground but ran fourth (only time in his career finishing worse than second) in the Jacques Le Marois, almo...