An Eye on the Spring: Cups, Controversy and Cashing In
“Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.”
-Rainer Maria Rilke
Rilke wasn’t talking about racing. Poets rarely are. And at any rate, betting the horses wasn’t all that popular under the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm. He preferred yachting along the Norwegian coastline to examining horse flesh and extrapolating form. But each to their own…
I’d take playing the ponies over the Norwegian coastline any day of spring. There isn’t much doubt that it is a pretty part of the world where the rich and those with the right connections drink and flirt and spend their days and nights in the sun. A good life and a good time. But, having spent some time camped in the beautiful village of Karasjok learning Sami and drinking vodka, I’d take a sharp formguide, a sharper suit and the tumultuous ride that is the spring carnival.
The smell of freshly mown lawn and just laid horse manure. Cigars and champagne. The prissiness of expensive fillies. The condescending manner of precocious colts. Champions. Controversies. Doubles. The Cups. The Cox. Torn up betting tickets and the annual coat tuggers. Bookmaker bleeding. Grandstands packed to the core, cheering and yelling and acting madly, for the best horses and jockeys in Australia.
What a wonderful time of the year.
And the most profitable and most satisfying way to teach the books a lesson is to bet you’re fancies early on. The August Special, so to speak. Find the good things for the spring and get in early when the price is juicy and the doubles are on offer. Something about the early bird and finding worms…
So now, The Good Oil. The horses to follow, to get on early and watch the cash roll in. So get the Millers guide out and keep your bookies telephone number handy. Both will be necessary, as will a nice roll and a packet of Dunhills. Six of the best. The Six you will ride like an ancient rollercoaster, wanting to throw up when the going looks bleak and scream with joy when the nut looks made.
El Segundo- To my eye, the heir apparent to Makybe Diva. He looks a champion of the future and the future is now. This lightly raced five year old (11: 6-2-0) is my top selection for the Cox Plate and a fairly confident one at that. Last preparation he went from winning a Werribee class six to nailing a quality field in the WFA Group One Yalumba Stakes. It was an amazing progression and he will only come back better this spring after a good long spell. Expect him to dominate the WFA races this spring, particularly when he gets to a mile. The $11 on offer for the Cox Plate (Tidy Betchoice) is a gift and should be gulped up. He is also nominated for the Caulfield Cup and while having the class to win it this year after being slaughtered last time, there is some doubt as to whether he will race. Follow until he loses a leg.
Fields of Omagh– The mighty FOO goes around again for another spring and will again put in some stellar performances this time around. And these efforts will usually be at substantial overs. Last preparation, he won at Group One level, beating a handy field that included Perfect Promise, Headturner and Confectioner. He still has ability in those old legs and he always saves his best for Cox Plate day. He is a former Plate winner and placed there as recently as last year. Look for him each-way in the Cox Plate, particularly considering you can get $26 with Supertab. He is tough as nails and in a year with no proven superstar, he can put in one grand farewell.
Ice Chariot- At this early stage, Ice Chariot is the top Melbourne Cup selection and a potential staying star of the future. He looks like the next Yippyio. He was dominant over the Brisbane winter carnival, winning like a champion when put over distance. His win in the Queensland Derby was brilliant, absolutely shattering a decent field. Ron Maund has a good team at the moment but he is by far the best. With so much upside, he looks set to lead the Aussie charge in retaining the Melbourne Cup. The $26 (Hurley) for the Melbourne Cup is superb, as is the $21 for the Caulfield Cup with the same outfit.
Accumulate- He may be the horse to put the name J.B Cummings on the Melbourne Cup just one more time. He is an out-and-out stayer who showed his true mettle at the conclusion of his last full preparation when he won three on end, finishing with the 2005 VRC St.Leger. Last preparation, he showed some real glimpses of talent, particularly in his last run when finishing only 2 ¾ lengths behind Lad of the Manor and Makybe Diva over the unsuitable 1600 metre trip. He is well worth a bet at the $67 available at most betting agencies for both Cups. The only worry is how he has returned from the fairly serious injury he suffered last spring.
Thin and Crispy- This unheralded galloper is much more talented than most pundits think and he is ridiculous odds for the big races. Last preparation, he was around the money in some good quality races and will be better off this time in. He returned well last start, finishing on the heels of the placegetters at Group Three level. He will be at his best when put over a mile-and-a-quarter and further and could snare a big race at stupid odds. Currently, you can hit 100’s on him winning either Cup and $67 on him winning the Cox Plate. Those prices are over the odds. Big overs.
Wahid- The next New Zealand superstar, possibly of a Bonecrusher-esque calibre. He is a more seasoned Xcellent. He dominated the racing scene over the ditch as a three year old, culminating in a dominant Derby victory despite being drawn wide. He has plenty of ability, shown by the fact he won fresh over five furlongs as a two year old and then winning over a mile-and-a-half. He is a future superstar and will measure up when he gets to Australia. At the moment, he is only nominated for the Cox Plate, where he is a very good bet at the $26 on offer. But he will be a real threat if he is a late nomination for the Cups…he can just stay.
Those are the six. Follow them. Watch them. Back them. Idolise them. Pay homage to them. Cuss them. Ride them. Collect on them.
They, of course, are not the only stars of the spring. Fringe champions like Eremein, Minson and Lad of the Manor will make an impact, as will those looking to take it to the next level like Apache Cat, Above Deck, Dante’s Paradiso, Rewaaya and Vroom Vroom. These ones need to be treated with respect, caution and winning hopes.
So that is it. The spring of 2006. Layed out for you like a Berenstein Bear picnic.