Sports

Weekend musing – UFC & Ronda Rousey hit Melbourne

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Chris Barwin HillsNot much has grabbed my imagination this week.  It’s been business as usual on the Aussie sports scene

The Australian cricket team won as expected and the Socceroos also won as expected. Melbourne United in the NBL had been winning unitedbefore last night with one of their wins with a bit of help from the match officials. Melbourne Victory won the FFA cup as expected. Nothing in horse racing was as near as interesting as the Melbourne Cup, save for the racing being a bit more interesting due to a less biased track.

One thing which has created a bit of discussion around the traps is the UFC event featuring Ronda Rousey at Etihad Stadium this weekend. I am not a big fan of UFC, but I don’t mind it and it is certainly more interesting than main stream boxing these days. I rouseydo not subscribe to the view that it is too brutal as I think the sport is well governed and there are probably less injuries in the UFC than there are in boxing. I think one of the reasons why the UFC has somewhat supplanted boxing as the preferred “blood sport” is that it does not appear to be controlled by the likes of Don King and other entrepreneurs and it doesn’t have the multiple factions and associations that have split world boxing. If boxing wants to reclaim lost ground they need to win back the public and have one unified governing body to control the sport world wide.

Have a great weekend!

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Friday musing – Travis Dean, Tarzino, Michelle Payne

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Chris Barwin HillsGreat to see young Victorian batsman Travis Dean make two unbeaten centuries on his first class debut last week. He joins four other batsman to have done the same thing, but he is the only one todean remain unbeaten in each innings and he also scored the most runs. My only concern would be that the other four are hardly household names. Arthur Morris also achieved the feat, but the game was not an official first class game. Hopefully Travis goes on to emulate Arthur Morris who was a very good opening batsman for Australia.

Tarzino was a very impressive winner of the Derby as he hit the front very early in the straight and nothing could run him down. However, two things stand out regarding the race, firstly no horses were able to tarzinomake ground out wide on Saturday (or Tuesday for that matter) and secondly, the horses that finished behind Tarzino really looked to lack a little class. He beat second by a length and a half with a further four and a half lengths to third. Hardly a vintage year, whereas the Oaks looked to have three or four genuine chances and I think we might see a few of them go onto bigger and better things.

The Melbourne Cup provided a bit of the “romance of the track” with Michelle Payne saluting with a 100/1 shot with her disabled brother paynethe strapper, I don’t think anyone begrudged them the success. What a great story. A lot of traditionalists have decried the internationalisation of the Cup in recent years and it was great to see the race won by local owners, with a local trainer and a local jockey.

Enjoy the weekend!

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Gelding’s red hotties for Flemington on 7 November 2015

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MarkThe Gelding’s attention remains at Flemington tomorrow and after a pleasing outing last week (especially for the ladies at the Tennis club) he is looking to build up his resources

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

Flemington

Race 2 Horse 4 – Vetox
Race 3 Horse 3 – Secret Number
Race 6 Horse 2 – Chautauqua (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 7 Horse 4 – Bow Creek (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 9 Horse 9 – Malaguerra

Good luck and good punting!

The Gelding

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Gelding’s red hot tips for Derby day at Flemington

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42The Gelding’s attention is on Derby day at Flemington with four Group 1 races for decision and a great start to Cup week.

After a mediocre day on the punt last week, the Gelding is looking to bounce back today!

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

Flemington

Race 3 Horse 3 – Disposition (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 4 Horse 1 – Exosphere
Race 7 Horse 7 – Tarizino (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 8 Horse 1 – Royal Descent
Race 9 Horse 6 – Delectation

Good luck and good punting!

The Gelding

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Friday musing – Melbourne Cup selection, Terry Bailey, Jake Carlisle and the Wallabies

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Chris Barwin HillsI must say I was very impressed with the win of Winx in the Cox Plate last weekend. I discounted her chances as she had not been around the Valley before, but she went around that home turn like a winxgreyhound lure while Criterion went around it like a Mack truck. Clearly Criterion will be better suited by the open spaces of Flemington and is worth some serious thought for the Melbourne Cup. I also like Preferment and Amralah for the Cup.

While we are on the races, the attack on Terry Bailey was very baileydisturbing. From all reports Bailey would not be concerned, but in cases like this it is always the family that is vulnerable. When officials who are trying to uphold the integrity of their sport or the law are attacked in this way and to have this type of threatening behaviour makes you wonder about the fabric of our society.

I remained silent on the Jake Carlisle trade last week, but was bemused by the scrutiny his manager has come under this week given he knew of the video before the trade went through. As Carlisle’s manager he is charged with getting the best deal for his client, it is carlisle
really up to the suitor to do their due diligence. The video was supposedly doing the rounds of various media outlets for a week before it came to light and the jungle drums suggest there was other material out there which may have betrayed his proclivities. The suggestion is that the Western Bulldogs & North Melbourne had done their due diligence and dropped out of the chase early as a result.

Good luck to the Wallabies this weekend in the fight for the Webb wallabiesEllis trophy. Against the Kiwis they will have their work cut out, but they have shown that they can beat the All Blacks if everything clicks, so fingers crossed.

Have a great weekend!

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Gelding’s red hotties for Cox Plate day 24 October 2015

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sean & geldingThe Gelding’s attention is on Moonee Valley today and the running of the Cox Plate. After picking the Caulfield Cup winner last week, he is looking to make it two in a row.

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

Moonee Valley

Race 4 Horse 3 – Mawahibb
Race 5 Horse 1 – Serene Majesty
Race 6 Horse 7 – The United States
Race 8 Horse 1 – Lucky Hussler (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 9 Horse 1 – Criterion (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)

Good luck and good punting!

The Gelding

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Weekend musing – Moto GP, AFL Trade period

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Chris Barwin HillsI am not a big motor sport fan, however, I started listening to last weeks MotoGP from Phillip Island when I was walking the dog and when I got home I sat down and watched the final six laps of the race. What a fascinating race with many exciting overtaking manoeuvres grand prix
with the top four riders duelling throughout and Marc Marquez taking over in the last lap to win. At one stage with a couple of laps to go he had been shuffled back to fourth. I don’t think I will suddenly become a motor sport fan on the back of that race, but it was certainly very exciting. Maybe if Formula 1 could replicate the same excitement it would improve in popularity, particularly at the moment Mercedes dominating.

Well the AFL trade period is finally over with plenty of trades going through, even players like James Aish who Brisbane said they wouldn’t trade getting where he wanted to go. One trade that didn’t go through was Cam McCarthy from GWS to Fremantle. One thing I mccarthydidn’t realise until last night was that McCarthy was only one year into a four year deal. I can understand players wanting a trade with a year to run on a contract, but three years? Why sign a long term contract and then ask for a trade in the first year, it doesn’t make sense. I think in reality, he hadn’t done much until this year so his manager got him a long term deal, he then has a good year and he suddenly has some currency. I certainly don’t blame the Giants for not doing the trade.

Have a great weekend!

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Gelding’s Caulfield selections for 18 October 2015

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Mar 13 2011 021The Gelding’s attention is split this weekend. He has one eye on New Zealand racing, because Malcolm Turnbull is there…..no not really. The real reason is because his horse Del Rios is racing at Rotorua.

His other eye is on his home track at Caulfield where the prestigious Caulfield Cup is being run. After a big day at the track on Wednesday he is feeling confident with his selections.

One thing the Gelding doesn’t like today is the Caulfield Cup starting at 5.40pm – disgraceful he says and a sign that the media has taken over horse racing!

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

Rotorua

Race 2 Horse 7 – Del Rios (an each way special for the ladies at the Tennis club)

Caulfield

Race 3 Horse 1 – Ball of Muscle
Race 4 Horse 2 – Ambience
Race 6 Horse 6 – Sadler’s Lake
Race 7 Horse 8 – Under the Louvre (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 9 Horse 6 – Mongolian Khan (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)

Good luck and good punting!

The Gelding

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AFL Trade Period – Dangerfield, Carlisle, Selwood, Hawthorn…..

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Chris Barwin HillsWell I must say that not much has grabbed my attention this week save for the AFL Trade period, but even that drags on like unwanted guests. It was good to see the Patrick Dangerfield deal go through early and both clubs should be commended on how it was all done. I cannot Dangerfieldbelieve that Dangerfield has copped grief from Adelaide supporters when he gave them 100% throughout his time there and didn’t go for the money, because he could have got just as much from Adelaide and more from other clubs. I do feel some sympathy for Adelaide, over recent years they have lost Kurt Tippett, Phil Davis and to a lesser extent Nathan Bock, with Dangerfield now leaving there is some pretty fair talent out their doors in recent times.

I must say that my club, Essendon has always had the reputation for over valuing their players and as a consequence being difficult to deal with at the trade table and I have to say that from a distance carlislethat looks like a fair assessment. I don’t think that Jake Carlisle is worth St Kilda’s pick 5, but I do think that he is worth more than their 2nd round pick and it is interesting to see that the best team in the competition, Hawthorn, has now come out and put two late first round picks on the table for him so they must rate him higher than I do. On my estimation he would be worth around the 15-18 mark, but should Carlisle agree to go to Hawthorn, the Bombers could snare both of those selections.

There has also been a lot of discussion regarding the compensation picks for free agents moving clubs and it does seem incongruous that Melbourne got pick five for James Frawley and West Coast get pick 35 for Scott Selwood. I know Selwood didn’t make the grand final frawley
side, but he has had an injury interrupted year and he is former best & fairest so pick 35 seems a little on the light side. Having said that, Hawthorn getting pick 19 for Buddy Franklin seems ludicrous and perhaps Hawthorn should have adopted the same tactic that Adelaide adopted for Dangerfield to secure a better draft pick for one of the better players in the competition.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the trade period pans out.

Have a great weekend!

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Gelding’s red hot tips for Caulfield races 10 October 2015

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MarkThe Gelding’s attention returns to his home track at Caulfield tomorrow and with the Spring Carnival upon us he is looking to make a good start for the ladies at the Tennis club.

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

Caulfield

Race 2 Horse 1 – Lankan Rupee
Race 6 Horse 7 – Kermadec (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 7 Horse 7 – Disposition
Race 8 Horse 1 – Pasadena Girl
Race 9 Horse 1 – Press Statement (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)

Good luck and good punting!

The Gelding