Have you got your grain of salt ready? Yes? Good! You might need it considering what I said last year [1] before the Melbourne Cup.
I have to agree with most experts who say that Makybe Diva will not win. It was fairly obvious in my view that she wouldn’t be scratched, but she won’t win. Don’t get me wrong, I think she is a very good horse, but I just don’t think she will win.
Perhaps that is best forgotten…I did manage to pick the horse which came second, so it wasn’t a complete disaster.
This year I am tipping four horses in no particular order, hopefully they will be the first four across the line.
3: Railings
5: Geordieland
11: On A Jeune
20: Glistening
I’ve also picked up Yeats in John Kerr’s New Day Australia sweep, I’m in a sweep at work and don’t know which horse I have yet, and will probably be in another sweep by mid-morning.
I also have three tips for the race following the Melbourne Cup
1: Roman Arch (Update 9:25am: It’s Scratched…sorry)
2: Polar Bear
13: Dr Nipandtuck
Update 9:25am: On my way into work today I stopped at an ACTTAB agency (Hello Margaret…good to see you again after all these years) and put a two dollar boxed quinella on both races, costing $12 for the Melbourne Cup and $2 for the next race (I’ll explain that if you like). I also placed a 50 cent place bet on the Melbourne Cup costing $2. This is where I found out that Roman Arch is scratched, and running on my policy of not changing a bet, continued the bet with the remaining horses.End Update
Channel Seven will have full coverage of every race and associated events at Flemington, hosted by my favourite television sport personality Bruce McAvaney. Southern Cross Syndication are the exclusive distributor of the Melbourne Cup to commercial radio (other than the racing stations) and I will probably listen to 2CC’s relay of it, possibly while watching Channel Seven and checking the delay.
For those of you who are nowhere near a radio or a television, Sport 927 [2], 2KY [3], ACTTAB Radio [4], 2UE [5], 2GB [6] and many others all have webstreams and will all be covering the race, which gets underway at 3pm. Of those, 2UE and 2GB will likely have a surrounding program, whilst the others will have mahy other races to cover before and after the Cup.
If you have an account with the NSW or Victorian TAB, you can watch the race [7] live online via Sky Channel.
And of course, if you have a gambling problem, contact your local gambling support service, which in the ACT is Lifeline on 13 11 14. Of course the best advice is to avoid a gambling problem in the first place by following the simple rule of “only bet what you can afford to lose”. Lifeline also have a bunch of information and advice on gambling problems here [8].
Good luck!
Samuel
Comments Disabled To "Melbourne Cup Tips"
#1 Comment By the_total_cynic On November 7, 2006 @ 7:42 am
“Gambling is illegal” —- Bat Masterson, 1879.
#2 Comment By Jey On November 7, 2006 @ 9:04 am
Good work on the mental health etc warning
#3 Comment By Samuel On November 7, 2006 @ 9:51 am
Looks like the law has changed Cynic (and Mr. Masterson).
Thanks Jey, I know not many online publications will take any notice of, or write any notices about, gambling problems today…but I see no good reason why Internet publications should be exempt from that particular rule affecting broadcast media, especially when the TABs have links to gambling support services on their websites.
I’m happy to provide that bit of assistance…it’s not much, but it’s a start.
#4 Comment By Jey On November 7, 2006 @ 12:19 pm
There’s various mental health guidelines for newspapers, one which is to included similar info after stories about topics such as suicide, depression, gambling, alcoholism etc.
It’s unfortunate that the majority of newspapers don’t include them. They’re only guidelines so they can’t be enforced but it’s only a few extra lines of text, easily obtained, for e.g, on the web.
#5 Comment By the_total_cynic On November 7, 2006 @ 12:19 pm
Gamblers should be re-educated in a concentration camp.
#6 Comment By Roger Mellie On November 7, 2006 @ 1:09 pm
It seems the_total_cynic is skating on this ice with that reference to concentration camps. When he posted as John B1b5 he also made reference to Leni Riefenstahl and her romantic transcendence to nazism throug her films that he watches.
You sir are a fool!
#7 Comment By Colonel Moodus On November 7, 2006 @ 2:55 pm
Mr B4-B2 didn’t stay away for very long, did he? I’m locking up my cat.
#8 Comment By Clayton Northcutt On November 7, 2006 @ 3:10 pm
And here’s me thinking concentration camps were used as internment facilities when all along they are used for education.
#9 Comment By Roger Mellie On November 7, 2006 @ 3:23 pm
A hello to Colonel Moodus. Welcome back.
#10 Comment By Colonel Moodus On November 7, 2006 @ 3:28 pm
Thanks, Roger. I’m still, ah, beavering away over here. How’s the weather in Australia today?
#11 Comment By Roger Mellie On November 7, 2006 @ 4:04 pm
Man it’s cloudy. About 15 degrees I reckon. I have to go to work now and I am seriously pissed off about it. I have the lifeline number so all is ok. Is it cold there yet?
#12 Comment By the_total_cynic On November 7, 2006 @ 7:49 pm
All gamblers report to your friendly neighbourhood concentration camp for re-education . hup, hup, hup !
#13 Comment By Loki On November 7, 2006 @ 8:23 pm
You seem to have a very odd fixation with Nazis and concentration camps John … err, I mean the_total_cynic.
#14 Comment By the_total_cynic On November 7, 2006 @ 10:31 pm
Ten shun ! To your local concentration camp for re-education – quick march !
Left, right, left, right, left, right !
#15 Comment By Colonel Moodus On November 7, 2006 @ 10:53 pm
meow! I guess it’s got boring over at latinobutts.com. Just another failed dramatic exit chuckaspear style.
First cold day this autumn over here, Roger. A very strong, cold wind.
#16 Comment By Loki On November 7, 2006 @ 11:31 pm
I don’t think all this concentration camp talk is very helpful the_total_cynic, or whoever that faceless person hiding behind a keyboard is.
I don’t get the gist of your very odd and off topic post … who needs to be marched off, and who decides?
Sorry, but I think it’s tin membership for you!
Such unwelcome behaviour will surely put you on thin ice, and I can only hope that no-one else gets hit in Samuel’s cross fire when he is forced to act!
#17 Comment By the_total_cynic On November 8, 2006 @ 8:46 am
For those gamblers who are not sure where to find their local friendly Concentration Camp, just look under “C” in the Yellow Pages.