The 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
When 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 
the 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!
The 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
Last 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 and
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 was
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!
The 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
Well 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
The Gelding’s attention this Saturday is unusually at a provincial meeting at Ballarat. When asked what he thought of tipping on a meeting in the country, his response wasn’t all that enthusiastic…”Hard to get excited about a country meeting on a Saturday after the Spring Carnival”.
That being said, he is enthusiastic about the tips!!
As always the bets are on an each way and all up basis.
Ballarat
Race 3 Horse 6 – Gracious Prospect
Race 4 Horse 2 – Reigning Meteor (by Northern Meteor)
Race 6 Horse 1 – Prompt Return (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 8 Horse 6 – Vilonova (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 9 Horse 1 – Eximuis
Good luck and good punting!
The Gelding
I was watching the friendly between the Socceroos and Japan during the week and I considered that Australia created the best of the chances in the first half, but didn’t have sufficient strike power or effectiveness to take advantage of those chances.
It would seem that if Tim Cahill is not on the park, we can’t score. I did hear one “expert” suggest that reason was related to the Dutch system of total football which does not produce strikers. I felt like ringing up and offering the names of Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben. I think that as a the A League 
improves and it is improving, more strikers will come to the fore. I raised the name of Tommy Juric last year and I still think he has the most potential of the younger brigade. Watching the game also got to me to thinking about how many of the current national squad would make it into the 2006 World Cup squad. Putting aside Tim Cahill, I think perhaps only Mile Jedinak could justify inclusion.
The next big test is the Asian Cup and it is on home soil so there will be no excuses.
Have a great weekend!
The thing that really piqued my interest in the sporting arena this week was the story about Phil Mickelson calling 16 year old US born Australian Ryan Rufflels (the son of former tennis player Ray Ruffels) to try and get him to Arizona State University on a golfing scholarship. Apparently Ryan plays off plus 6 and in a recent monthly medal at the Victoria Club shot rounds of 10, 9, 7 & 9 under. Wow! Golf seems to be producing some real prodigies at the moment and hopefully Ryan can go on and create a name for himself. Which country would have the bragging rights? I think that while he was born in the US, he grew up in Australia and took up golf in Australia, I consider that to be enough to claim him as an Aussie.
It was interesting to see that less than 25,000 people for the International T20 match against South Africa last Friday at the MCG. That is a disappointing crowd and casts a bit of doubt about the overall interest in the cricket coming into a summer where Australia will be hosting the One Day World Cup. Apart from the Ashes that is always well patronised, the cricket does seem to be losing its mojo. I have mentioned this in the past and in my opinion, it has a lot to do with the year round coverage of cricket throughout the world. The football is played over a period of six-seven months and then there is the build up and anticipation for the following season which is all very well staged managed by the AFL. The international cricket season has started with very little sense of anticipation and not helped by the recent test flogging at the hands of the Pakistanis. Time will tell if they can build some momentum into the World Cup.
The major races of the spring have now been completed and there was a number of notable performances, however, I do not think that any horse stamped its authority on the spring. There was not a dominant sprinter, there was not a dominant weight for age performer and there was not a dominant stayer. Having said that the “one off” performances of Terravista, Adelaide and Protectionist (you could also add in Admire Rakti in the Caulfield Cup) where truly great performances.
Have a great weekend!
The Gelding’s attention is firmly fixed on Sandown this Saturday and he described the fields as being very ‘open’ (Gelding talk for hard to pick a winner). Notwithstanding that, he has set himself for a break out day!
As always the bets are on an each way and all up basis.
Sandown
Race 5 Horse 2 – Pride of Penzance
Race 6 Horse 1 – Sonntag
Race 7 Horse 2 – Stratum Star (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 8 Horse 5 – Generalife (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 9 Horse 3 – Politeness
Good luck and good punting!
The Gelding