BACK IN THE DAYS

pirates Wrote:

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> two races i will never forget were teds ambition
> beating caboteur in the merchants at greyville
> under master rider michael roberts and caboteur
> the late grant kotzen and the daily news 2000m
> duel between potomac and model man


"two races i will never forget were teds ambition
beating caboteur in the merchants at greyville
under master rider michael roberts and caboteur
the late grant kotzen"

great race and great jocks, thanks for the reminder(tu)

Racing in Australia in the 1970s and 80s was brilliant. The Melbourne tracks had up to 200 bookmakers and 20,000 spectators every Saturday.
The atmosphere was electric, the characters abounded, huge bets were laid, big bookies never knocked a bet back back. There were occasional big demonstrations against beaten favourites (particularly at the Saturday night trots, when drivers copped bombardments of anything from beer cans to racebooks)
The jumping events added colour to the race days, and there were strong provincial meetings during the week in the near towns to the city..
Racing got lots of publicity in the daily newspapers, and in every day life, a large percentage of the population had an interest in the sport.
They were the glory days.......now the tracks get 3000-5000 on a Saturday, bookies are down to about 40, there is no calling of the odds any more, and the provincial meetings go as low as 4 bookmakers and a couple of hundred people in attendance.
But they were wonderful memories....

Anyone remember the Swan Boat rides at durban's Blue Lagoon in the early 60's??

http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af194/bidahorse/Bluelagoon_zps70aee7ff.jpg?t=1348252784

Speaking of good doubles, the late Tobie van Booma, who I always had a couple of Rand on, winning both major features at a big Turffontein meet...Rooting Tooting' in the SA Oaks - a chance ride (25/1) - onto Evening Mist (66/1 into 40/1) in the Administrator's Cup (I think it was called then).

Evening Mist incidentally was Mike de Kock's first big race feature coming shortly after he took over yard from RHGinsberg, beat hot favourite Foveros that day

Noble Victory beating Foveros ( Basil Marcus ) by approximately 10 lenghts on a rainy day at Greyville

Here's my 'Back in the Day'(stand in the que) ATC

Sea Cottage, In Full Flight, Foveros,
Politician, Divine Act, Empress Club, Jet Master,Horse Chesnut, Ipi Tombe, Pocket Power

Great Memories all of them!

Titch Wrote:

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> avanza Wrote:
>

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>

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> > @titch
> >
> > ever wonder how much the 25 percent take out
> > affects your winning chances?
>
> At the risk of belaboring the point the 25% take
> out does not affect ones winning chances only your
> winning amount...much like taking 35/1 on roulette
> wheel but has to be better than black jack when
> the bank can often take your money without even
> having to draw a card??

Of course it affects your winning chances, your chance of being a WINNER, not your chance of winning a race.
Titch, you well connected, so you need other idiots to feed the kitty that you profit from.... that is why you such an aplogist

avanza Wrote:

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> > avanza Wrote:
> >
>> Of course it affects your winning chances, your
> chance of being a WINNER, not your chance of
> winning a race.
> Titch, you well connected, so you need other
> idiots to feed the kitty that you profit from....
> that is why you such an aplogist

Firstly being "well connected" as you choose to put it is not a recipe for success by any stretch of the imagination, if you are not prepared to use your own initiative and put in the time to study you will be hard pressed to win...case in point is the 2nd race @ Clairwood where Dangerous Liason was by far the best horse in the race and anyone connected to the stable would have been aware of this fact however the inside draws down the straight are DEAD and it is very very hard if not impossible to win from there so anyone "in the know" that was not prepared to put in the time to study the card and just backed it blindly on the strength of the work it has been showing would now be left with their tickets...I have been actively involved in the industry for 40 years and I battled thru the early part of my racing career and took the knocks on the chin (and there were many) and enjoyed the wins when they came so I will not make any apologies for now being in a position that allows me to sometimes obtain a bit of help from friends that I have known for a long long time...but if i have learnt one thing about the game it is that there is no way that I could ever make a living out of punting and once I came to terms with that fact I enjoyed my racing for what it is ..a hobby, whoever told you that the game is easy and that all horses hold their form was an idiot, so instead of crying foul every time you have a losing streak rather try being realistic and look at the big picture...

"so instead of crying foul every time you have a losing streak rather try being realistic and look at the big picture..."(tu)

I always borrow money from a pessimist, he doesn't expect it back:D

Pirhobeta Wrote:

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>
> I always borrow money from a pessimist, he doesn't
> expect it back:D

LOL the vast majority of my mates are by definition pessimists they too don't expect anything back...

Piro and titc
You have admitted to not being able to profit from racing, and declare your punting a hobby.
Well therein lies an honest truth that many a debate has screamed for.. making money from punting is almost impossible ever with 40 years experience.
the average plonker has the delusion that he can actually profit from punting... and they are impoverished by it.. it is no better than casino gambling in any form. The bottom line for any punter out there is.... you will lose!!!

avanza Wrote:

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> The bottom line for any
> punter out there is.... you will lose!!!....

so only play with money you can afford to loose and enjoy the wins and treat them as a bonus..