Gelding’s tips for 3 January 2015

IMG00123-20101219-1210The Gelding’s attention is on Moonee Valley today for his first go around of the New Year. After finishing 2014 on a high, he is looking to get off to a quick start.

As always the bets are on an all up and each way basis.

Stop Press: Meeting pushed back due to heat with first race to jump at 5.50pm.

Moonee Valley

Race 2 Horse 4 – Spanish Love (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 3 Horse 11 – Second Bullet
Race 6 Horse 6 – Tan Tat Sun (now scratched)
Race 7 Horse 11 – Pink Perfection
Race 8 Horse 10 – Reldas (now also for the ladies at the Tennis club)

Good luck and good punting!

The Gelding

Jarryd Hayne and the NFL – a story

As an avid fan of the NFL, I am having difficulty following the Jarryd Hayne efforts to sign with an NFL club. Reports today have the former Eels NRL star returning to Australia due to visa problems. Those ‘problems’ meant he could not sign a contract with an undisclosed NFL team.

First thing I would say to that is ‘what a mistake to make’! Next thing I would say is just how would the NFL team sign Hayne? The NFL has eligibility rules and I can’t find any one that would have allowed him to sign now.image

I read with interest on the Sportsbet site that the ‘rumour’ is that he has signed a ‘futures contract’ with Detroit Lions. On the basis of that, Sportsbet has wound in the odds on Hayne participating in the NFL. However, signing that contract wouldn’t let Hayne play this season as such a contract doesn’t take effect until March 2015 and, by the way, that type of contract cannot be signed until AFTER the end of the NFL season. So then what has Hayne signed, if anything?

I discussed the subject of Hayne playing in the NFL with a senior Seattle Seahawks official in November this year and his response was decidedly underwhelming. Almost a Jarryd who?

I wish Hayne all the best in his endeavours to crack the NFL, but, there appears to be a lot of spin and not much substance to this story at the moment.

I figure he is closer to playing in the NRL in 2015 than the NFL!

Gelding’s red hotties for 20 December 2014

Mar 13 2011 026The Gelding’s attention returns to Flemington tomorrow and is looking for one final path to punter’s glory prior to the New Year!

As always the bets are on an each way and all up basis.

Flemington

Race 3 Horse 3 – Roundabout
Race 4 Horse 4 – Taiyoo
Race 5 Horse 5 – The Sicilian
Race 8 Horse 3 – De Little Engine (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 9 Horse 1 – Kaiser Sun (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)

Good luck and good punting!

The Gelding

Friday musing – cricket, Nathan Lyon, Shane Warne, Michael Clarke…

Chris Barwin HillsWhen Nathan Lyon bowled Australia to victory in Adelaide last weekend with a twelve wicket haul it got me thinking about Shane Warne’s record against the Indians. Warne who is Australia’s best ever spinner only had one five wicket haul in an innings against the Indians (6/125) and no ten wicket hauls for the match. In addition, his bowling average against the Indians was 47.19 which is way over his career average of 25.41. His average was probably not assisted by his first test results against a rampaging Ravi Shastri, but even when his career developed he didn’t get good results against the Indians. Maybe Lyon deserves more credit for his bowling than he is currently afforded.

Another thing to come out of the Adelaide test was the vulnerability of Michael Clarke to injury. First he injures his back swaying out of lyonthe way of a bouncer and then he does his hamstring when jogging to pick up a ball. Both pretty innocuous incidents that would occur several times in a game. If I was him I would be concerned sneezing! In some ways he has been lucky to last into his thirties given how injury prone he has been throughout his career. The sporting world is littered with talented sports men and women who have had their careers abbreviated due to injury.

Have a great weekend!

Friday musing – Golf, Jordan Spieth, cricket, Sean Abbott….

Chris Barwin HillsWell Jordan Spieth proved that his Australian Open success was no fluke by returning to the US and taking out a quality restricted event and beating the world number two by 10 strokes! As I suggested last week this guy looks to be the next superstar of world golf and to put away a quality field the way he did was nothing short of spectacular. He will be a very big drawcard next year when he returns to defend his Aussie Open title.

I was amazed to see Sean Abbott return to the fray so quickly after the unfortunate events of a few weeks ago. As I stated in an earlier “musing”, if it was me I would have considered giving the game away speithor at least having some time off, but he has got right back on the horse. Good on him and it must be a testament to his mental toughness that he can get back to bowling so quickly. That sort of resilience should make him a good test player if his bowling makes the grade.

Have a great weekend!

Gelding’s five best bets for Flemington tomorrow

gelding2The Gelding’s attention is on Flemington tomorrow as he looks to finish the year on a big note. Last week should have put a few pennies in the Christmas Club for the ladies at the Tennis club. After the year they have had it will be chicken and champagne for the celebration, not dry biscuits and spumante.

As always the bets are on an all up and each way basis.

Flemington

Race 2 Horse 1 – Calming Influence
Race 5 Horse 2 – Tuscan Fire
Race 7 Horse 4 – Kingdom of Dreams (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 8 Horse 2 – Tried And Tired
Race 9 Horse 7 – Making Mayhem (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)

Good luck and good punting!

The Gelding

Geldings red hotties for 6 December 2014

42The Gelding’s attention is fixed firmly on Sandown today. After a return to form last week, he is looking to put a little pre-Christmas cheer in every punter’s lives with his selections, especially the ladies at the Tennis club!

As always the bets are on an all up and each way basis.

Sandown

Race 1 Horse 3 – Jacquinot Bay
Race 4 Horse 3 – Taiyoo
Race 5 Horse 5 – Da Little Engine (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 6 Horse 1 – Lord of the Sky
Race 9 Horse 2 – Aeratus (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)

Good luck and good punting!

The Gelding

Friday musing – cricket, golf, Jordan Spieth…..

Chris Barwin HillsLast weeks Musing was devoted to Phil Hughes and I must say the despite not knowing the guy, it continued to affect me through the week. Now that we have had the funeral we can move on.

In my opinion the big thing from last weekend was the performance of the 21yo American, Jordan Spieth in the Australian Open. Currently ranked at number 158 in the world, he shot a 63, which was poignant in itself, to win the open easily was an amazing performance. The course was probably at its most difficult when he played andspeith I understand the best score from earlier in the day was 67. So he shot a score to win the tournament that no one else got close to during the day. And he is only 21! This is the guy that almost became the youngest US Masters winner, so he is no slouch and he could be the next world wide super star in golf now that Tiger Woods cannot seem to re-capture his former brilliance.

I know I have made this observation before, but Peter Donegan wasdonnes one of the commentators doing the golf telecast and he is one of the best all round sports commentators in Australia. He does the golf, he does the horse racing, he does the VFL football, the Olympics, is there any sport he cannot do? I struggle to think of any one better. Tim Lane and Bruce McAvaney have a higher profile, but PD is the ultimate support act.

Have a great weekend!

Gelding’s hot tips for 29 November 2014

MarkThe Gelding’s attention returns to the metropolitan area tomorrow when racing is at Moonee Valley. After an inglorious weekend on the punt, he is hopeful that it was the fresh air of the countryside that dimmed his usual sharp talents for spotting a winner.

As always the bets are on an each way and all up basis.

Moonee Valley

Race 4 Horse 4 – Kingdom of Dreams (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 5 Horse 8 – Cobblestones
Race 6 Horse 9 – Eruption (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 7 Horse 10 – Kaiser Sun
Race 9 Horse 7 – Tango’s Daughter

Good luck and good punting!

The Gelding

Friday musing – vale Phil Hughes

Chris Barwin HillsWell I think yesterday must have been one of the saddest days in Australian sport that I can remember with the passing of Phil Hughes.

I got home and my daughter asked about my day and I replied that I was feeling numb, shocked and saddened about the young man that lost his life that day. Cricket is not a dangerous sport, yes there is the risk of injury, but you don’t pad up thinking your life is on the line.

This is a tragic accident and the prevailing mood these days when there is a tragic accident is to look for someone or something to blame. It was an accident pure and simple no blame should be levelled in any direction and there is no need to make any rule changes.

If it was a lower order batsman, then there may be some justification to look at the rules, however, with the level of protection batsmen have at their disposal these days the physical threat of a bouncer is not what it used to be.

I wonder how this will affect the bowler, Sean Abbott. It will be interesting to see how it impacts his career. I think if it was me I might consider giving the game away or at least take a break from the game for a while.

Sport has its highs and lows, but grief should not be part of a recreation.

Vale Phil Hughes