After The Race

In a few hours the running of the 2014 Melbourne Cup will take place.

One of the runners for tomorrow

This is not a race I personally ever consider seriously betting in because there aren’t really enough lead up races over the distance of two mile over which it is possible to make fair comparisons of the form of all the horses in the Cup field itself. As a handicap race too, with too little ‘exposed form’ for the runners going into the event, it is thus somewhat of a lottery in many respects.  At the same time, those horses that appear to have good form over the rather specialised distance of 3,200 metres can often be far too short priced in the betting to offer any kind of decent risk proposition.

But it is a great spectacle all the same.

After it is all over, bodies are often lying all over the grounds! Usually from the effects of alcohol – that could be an omen this year since there is a horse in the race called ‘Who Shot the Barman.’

I’m certainly not tipping that horse to win but what a great name it has all the same.

Heroes and histories are made in a race like this. The entire nation of Australia literally stops as the race is run and the whole thing has a feel of tremendous occasion.

 

Illuminati?!
No - Aussie bookmakers!

After the race it is very usual for the newspapers to come up with some amazing story about the winner, which, had we all but known beforehand, would have made our task of finding the winner completely simple!

When I am not gambling in a particular race, I am observing the people. Some of the wealthiest people in the world will be attending the Melbourne Cup. Dozens of celebrities too.

Sometimes a huge long-shot outsider wins the race.

For a professional gambler – as I am – the Melbourne Cup is a holiday. I could have something on an outsider, but I would not be disappointed if one of the favourites won.

When a racehorse gets into a big race like this, it will demonstrate its prowess. It will be able to back up its claims to speed, endurance, courage, bravery, heart, skill, talent, intelligence. Not many things can do the same. Modern politicians, for example - by comparison, despite the fact they claim to be human and of a higher grade of life than horses - are cowards in every sense of the word.