[AusRace] A few weeks in 1973 - Gala Supreme wins The Cup

Mon Jan 22 20:17:23 AEDT 2018

You should write a book Tony

On 22 Jan 2018 4:37 PM, Tony Moffat <tonymoffat at bigpond.com> wrote:

In 1973 it was virtually impossible to buy breakfast in Footscray. I was on a push bike, a girls green one, with those braided or knitted covers over the rear wheels so that a dress would not get enmeshed there, I had a plastic covered wire basket, there were white plastic feathers on the bar ends. I was cashed up, $1900 and instructions from Bron of where to go to get a feed, she was having anything bacon, twice. Impossible. I found a likely place, I did buy milk and cornflakes, and there was the possibility of a fry up, everything except the flame was present. The nice man said, mite, no. If it was tea time perhaps. Anyway I left the shop, with my papers, Goldtop and vittles’ to see a horse on the footpath further  up, eating from a rockery. Intriguing I thought so I went up towards it and it took off a few paces, had a nibble again, a second go, then went off at a hand canter up the wide footpath until it went from view due to the trees blocking that. I cycled homewards, I thought, and ended up outside Western Oval, I knew where I was now and home from there was easy. It seems horses are bettered catered for, breakfastwise, in Footscray, or had I strayed into Maidstone. The horse, of course, did not have to tussle with these queries, only that there seemed to be rockeries everywhere, a feature unobserved until now.

It was Melbourne Cup Day and it was busy at 6.30am, sunny and it felt warm, in my jumper. Twice I passed horses, one being ridden and leading another, and the other ridden by a large man. I asked after the run away and it was known, it had been out and away, for several days, if it was the same, twice it had been hemmed in on a reserve near the river, it jumped in and swam to get away the first time, and ran across the timber bridge towards Flemington race course the second time. The chasers don’t have jurisdiction for the river, a sort of ‘you in Sherriff Buford Pettigate county now’ quote from a bad picture set in Mississippi, and of course, there was no person over there to receive it, so it may have rattled back over the timber bridge again, seeking rockery plants undoubtedly.

Bronwyn was not going to the Cup, expletive deleted no way. I went alone, one of thousands. It is very atmospheric, often Melbourne shows are, footy, boxing, the visit by HM The Queen and there is an energy that is felt, a swelling noise as they come down the straight, in this case. The footy in Sydney is not so passionate, the result is, but the umpires seem to be the focus of attention, League, and in Union there is quietness until the full back gets involved. These are personal observations, tell us your own. The racing is different, they all ride in the Grandstand don’t they, my goodness. The pies are better, the seating too, there seems to be a group isolated somewhere up high and around a corner, the well to do or something, but they generate some noise themselves.

I was going today to back Gala Supreme, it won but there were other races and a few good runner form lines in those. I back multiple runners, for a win or include them in a quinella, trios then trifectas were coming. The raw form calculations had Glengowan2, Swell Time2, Lord Ben2, Australasia 1*, Gala Supreme2, Daneson 2.

My first bet, of the day, was $10 tote place for Lord Ben. I took it out of calculations straight away. It was 150/1 win so a $35 place dividend was hoped for, it ran about 8 lengths, 13th.

Australasia had won the McKinnon on Saturday with 57.5 in slowish time and had 49.5. It was 9/1 when it won and 9/1 today. It’s price was moving, they were shopping it, it beat Glengowan, and I don’t know what happened in the Coongy, not many did know really as Lettsy got a 150/1 home, the run between it had won as well. Keep looking

Glengowan had 56.5, an apprentice, wide, two miles, it was second to Australasia in the LKS McKinnon on Saturday at 3’s, it was 4th in the Cox Plate at 3’s, it won the Caulfield Stakes at 6/1. It was in the quinella, Master Harris knew what to do, the trainer had been unswervingly loyal. It had a lot going for it, price, form,

Swell Time was second, beaten a head in the Cox Plate and the jockey swapped, it’s price was moving, they were shopping around a lot, it had won the Caulfield Cup remember,33/1  to 16/1.

Daneson had won the Hotham Handicap on Saturday by 5 lengths in slowish  time, 4 seconds outside the record, but it’s price there and it’s margin meant they were serious when they ran it.

Gala Supreme was 2nd in the Caulfield Cup and won the Herbert Power like a favourite should, 1.5 lengths, with distance to the rest. Jockey Reys was often demonstrative and this time he was effervescent. I got the quinella without having a win bet and had backed it in a double to win the Cup, 175/1, I had 4 bets to total $40, had it into the Caulfield Cup too, 33/1. I backed it in quinellas which I won and had a $5 win bet on the tote, to show Stuart, a pro then, and to have it framed on the wall of my bar, if I ever got one.

I backed Brugan for a place, it was 250/1 in the ring but 70/1 on the tote later, somebody liked it off course I guess, the Finger effect it was called. I included Red Hope in some quinellas.

I got there, on course, through the turnstiles, just as the big horses were warming up near the hurdle start. The ring was quiet, there were two men wrestling in the cafeteria, over seats, dear me. I had a quinella Chendru-Wahinbee, and a $2 place on both. Chendru placed at $3.50($2), when $14.50($2) with the books. This might happen when Cummins horses run, and it needs to be researched, this was my thinking then.

I stayed out of the Highweight, poor form, but there was Midnight Cowboy and Stuart took Workman and it won. I had a Chiko. The cafeteria was a crime scene now, there were flash bulbs flashing and blokes in handcuffs, and a semi-circle of lookers on.

I stayed out of the next too, the 3rd,  although late I walked up the lawn amongst the crowd and meandered to have a look at the ring there, it was busy for this race, and Stuart saw me and nodded no, so we both stayed out. The Finger effect occurred, 3rd at 200/1, there was nothing to select it, a 7th the fortnight before, the winner was 2/9 (1.20) that race and Legal P was 66/1 pre race,50,25,15,25/1 in the fluctuations and paid 14/1 on the tote, that demonstrates interest, information not available but acted on, ridden by a no nonsense man then and another today, it was 40/1 on the tote and 10.50 place but 200/1, the Finger effect, you think.

The 4th was easy, after the fact though, Love Life, Harry White, form factor 1- I had a place bet on Palace Angel, Bluey Lambie 50/1, 90/1 tote, $36 place, it was leading and lost, 2 lengths 7th they said. There was a Finger effect here too, Lahassa tied with Palace Angel in running, but no form and not touched otherwise. Love Life was 13/2 (5/1 tote). I had everything back and in the kick now.

The Cup was next.

Stuart backed Valiant Lodge in the next, it won, and I helped him put a fair bit on around the place, I think some would have taken the lot but Stu likes to bet in three bites, I got some on at 3’s and we both got the remainder at 9/4. He stood bolt upright when he realised he had missed a saver, well an interest, while talking and socialising he let Just Victor run against him, it was unplaced 21 lengths off, it was owned and trained next door to where he lives, it was 9 on the tote and 16 in the ring, he didn’t spend his money but he castigated himself for missing a loser it seems. Missing one doesn’t take you closer to a winner, does it, or is it only closer to the next bet? Very deep.

Race 7 was a Highweight and there were a few form free runners. I backed Galdare, unplaced, with a different jockey, 62.5 kg. The previous run was the week before in the Craven A and off good form it ran third 1.5 lengths a second off the record in a field of 26, 26 down the straight, where do you look. That Craven A stakes was the last of the unlimited fields ever, although Stu says there was another soon afterwards, there you go. I got 40/1 in that race, $11 place, and this race I got 5/1 straight out. If I was chasing I would have stayed out of it, the ring is near the cafeteria, there were Chikos, and it was second from the top, try saying $10 each way Galdare while mincing a Chiko , without spraying.

Race 8 I had place on Step Ahead, Rick McLeish, safe at  50/1 but $130+ on the tote, Here’s to You 7/1, and Bastille Beggar and Dayton in a quinella with Heres’ to You – came second, and I missed with the rest.

It took an hour to get to the river, and 10 minutes further to get home. There had been an  enormous crowd waiting to get out and away and onto  transport. It was a winning day as I wrote, there should be more.

Stuart and I were going Thursday if it was fine, it was, and fast. Bron came with us, it’s just a stroll from her place to the course, you can hear the course caller some days.

Stu got Count Cobbler in the first, as did I but took an interest in Jo Gar and Volga, one the favourite, very short in the end and the other 40/1.

Stu said he had made his money and would watch on, or spend a $20 here and there if he felt like it. He felt like it because he had a place on Munastre in the next, won at  $9.90 place tote, but 100/1. I nearly, nearly, involved the Finger effect, form stream 2, 2nd.  We stayed out of the next for a cup of tea and a talk and a perv. And the next, Oaks, fillies, 2500, no.

Race 6 was the Black and White Cup, it was led by Higgs on Burly at about 3/1 ON. Stu doesn’t do Higgins, he likes to look for value elsewhere and there may well be, given the betting popularity of his mounts. Stu found Tudor Peake earlier and had planned to be home by now, he wasn’t, he was betting on that, a sizeable plonk as they say, and I had a little for the same reason, and quinella with Sheltara and Burly so I had the favourite somehow. Tudor Peak did it for us, 25/1.

Stu left and I had worked out on Race 7. I ignored Higgins, it works more often than it should and had a win bet on Bush Win 9/1, Lord Metric 12/1, and quinellas with these and Think Big, so I had Higgs I had the favourite, then I had a place bet on Overtone and Supers Pride. It reads as desperate don’t it. I wasn’t, each of those had good merit for inclusion. Bush Win won.

I went home after that, while racing continued.

I went on Saturday with Bronwyn. We had a meal, a walk through the stalls and around the back to the stables, where they were playing two up, really. I started in the 4th race and missed with Merry Heart, 2nd. Bron had Cobbermine, Jockey T Finger, unplaced 33/1, he’s gorgeous.

Next, the George Adams, I had I’m Scarlet, Harry White 16/1, and Taj Rossi won 9/2 late, it was evens 5/2 on and off for a long while and money for All Shot and Portico caused its odds to lengthen.

Race 6 a welter there were too many could be’s and we watched. F Reys again, 7 winners from 21 rides in the month I read.

Race 7 CB Fisher Plate, this was Gala Supreme Plan B, it was scratched on the morning. I picked Igloo but it was too short and I couldn’t readily select a quinella partner. No bet. Bron was talking with our evening dinner date(s) and we left with them. It was a good night.

  I didn’t have a bet in the last, I didn’t have a selection to go with Here’s to You either.

I went to Sandown the next weekend for their Cup. I picked Gala Supreme and saved on it, and The Bite 8/1, and they ran 3rd and 2nd.

Race 6 I backed Final Morn, and had a quinella with it and two others. Fail

Race 7 I backed Here’s to You 5/1 and it went longer then started at 11/2, it won well, I had Lord Ego line for a place and a quinella, it came fourth. I was up on the day, fare, entry, Chiko,fare.

I had Midnight Cowboy and Worple in a quinella, bewdy $45. Time to go.

Next morning we went for breakfast in Footscray, that place she knows and told me about at the start, where I saw the runaway horse, where they have bacon, twice, look for the rockeries, near Western Oval.

What I did then. It’s a bit more involved, because I make it, but I multiply the best two of the last three finishes, and rank the answers. So, in the George Adams Handicap 11 Taj Rossi was 411, multiply the best two of those 1*1= 1, do the same for 5 I’m Scarlet 512 = 1*2= 2. I do two other things, but those things are to the ranked runners and it just strengthens their reasons for involvement. Horses beyond 9/1 don’t win as they should, as their odds would have you believe, there are so many of them also, consider this point.  Too many possibilities, leave it.

Cheers

Tony

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