[AusRace] Tim's Plan - a system

[Tony Moffat]

Tim was a pilot, flying groceries mostly from Melbourne to the gas fields in
South Australia and far western Queensland. He was an employee of the
catering crowd out there somewhere. He said they flew things in because it
was more reliable than the trucks, what with bad roads, and 17 pubs, the
occasional thunderstorm flooding, and the more normal dust storm, and him
bringing in the groceries enabled the chef(s) to offer a varied menu, to
guests, against the stodge ordinarily provided. 

His name in our ring was Pontious - I'll explain the origin of that if I
have to. Pontious wasn't present at every meeting, mid-week yes and two
Saturdays a month. Otherwise he was in the air from Essendon in his Piper
Commanche (Cherokee?) VH - hotel something something to pass over Ouyen,
land and refuel at Broken Hill, where personal purchase items for company
staff were loaded, cigarettes by the carton, Playboy, pictures on 16mm reels
(Hud, Geronimo, North by Northwest) then onto Quilpie after stopping over in
Innamincka (Playboy for the boss) onto to Charleville to refuel, and
overnight. He might have one passenger to bring back, only a resignee as
others came out on leave on regular commercial flights, and besides he only
had two seats and he sat in one of those. He slept in the plane, and
showered in the aeroclub, and ate fruit for tea although he has eaten raw
cauli, Brussel sprouts and capsicum. Remember, he carted these things up
there and believed his feeding was carte blanche, both because he could and
there were boxes and bags of the stuff. Next day, the return was a long day,
downhill he said, all the way to Melbourne for a mid afternoon landing when
the plane was checked, refueled, and prepared for reloading next morning.
Two trips a week, every week, unless the oil camps had visitors then he
might do another overnighter, with fish, cray fish (for Japanese executives)
or cryovac beef for Europeans and Americans, although the Italians,Greeks
preferred lamb, minced at that, everything frozen in pressed metal
containers, to load out at 600 pounds. Next morning he went to Broken Hill
to refuel then went downhill again, his words until the following Tuesday
when he repeated what had occurred before. Four days, every five weeks, the
plane went in to get its vitals checked, and was washed and polished, Tyre
deflation was the only problem he had, once, and he carried his wheel as a
spare but it had sat there for a couple of years now. It was his because he
bought it.

I am sure Tim never placed a main bet with us, with the others in the ring,
yes he did, but with us he would sometimes cash a cheque by agreement with
Marie - often if he was 'off' on the day and was going on that afternoon and
night. He did frequent the rails with his $500 to $800 on a favourite and he
had a few smaller dips in our ring, with us perhaps, not as a saver, just an
interest. 

Tim backed the favourite, not every race, often in small fields, nearly
always in jumps races, nearly always in fillies and mares and then nearly
always when a select group was riding them, Higgins and co.

Having put his main bet on the favourite he then looked at the remaining
runners. In a 10 horse field, with one horse covered, he figured he had 9
horses to choose from, and two places to fill if he conceded the favourite
would win (hopefully) or place (likely) then horses priced at 9/2 or more
were overs, and he took one in that band to win, and moved down the price
field a lot to back a runner showing 9/2 the place. .

He did his homework on the favourite, dissected the form, everything to
satisfy himself it was worthy of a bet. 

In a 9 horse field he looked for horses in the range 8/2 - 4/1. 11 Runners,
after backing the favourite, he went for 5/1 runners. I can't vouch for the
maths involved. 

The dividend displays, back then, were a handy tool for him. There were 3
win and place teams where we were and none of those would let you on without
a win component to the bet. We were win only. He seemed to succeed with his
method of outlay and return. His brother was a professional, and may have
done similarly, taking in modest amounts of winnings but often enough to
make it worthwhile. Both used the daily double to effect.

An interesting bloke. I flew with him one Sunday, down the coast and around
Cape Otway to Camperdown then I drove his International Scout back to
Melbourne. Horrible. He sold it within a month I reckon. 

I saw him some months later at Lakes Entrance airport (old) where I was
balancing and weighing loads for delivery off shore. He called out '4/1 the
field' and I looked up and saw him, and Mrs Tim. He was retired then, but
not for long I reckon. He had given up punting, he said. So had I.

Today 01/08 - 

Cheers

Tony




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