I’ve pretty much decided that I will be backing the Japanese horse Prognosis. I was fortunate enough to get a lift out to Werribee earlier in the week with my apprentice to have a look at the international horses. I marked Prognosis as being fit and keen. He’s not in the tie-ups when I go looking but I find him walking alone around the top small ring. He’s a relaxed walker, in a rug, and is doing numerous laps. He’s still there when I check back an hour or so later. In the tie-ups Pride of Jenni is cribbing, or biting on the woodwork of the stall. I don’t like this behaviour as I prefer my horses to have no vices. Via Sistina is nibbling on the chain of the tie-up. Nibbling has a behavioural handicap of -1 per cent in the book but I guess since this isn’t football it is quite OK to ignore the one percenters. In the parade ring Via Sistina looks good with her head down while the favourite is bandaged on all four in the Japanese custom. I don’t get to see them in the yard.

Via Sistina streets them and obviously benefited from her three lap gallop a few days ago. Prognosis is no match but runs on well for second. I was quite happy with $1.70 for the place on the tote with a 1.15 multiplier which gave me $1.95. However I’m afraid I sustained a small loss for the day with two unsuccessful bets earlier on the card.

But I’m ready now. Primed for The Cup!

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I like having a go at the trifecta in the big cups. And this year I’ve decided to add one more selection, which makes eight horses. That’s 336 combinations, so I’ll do a flexi and box them for $200 which will give me 59.5% of the dividend. The first horse to check out is Duke De Sessa, a horse I have previously observed with a perfect attitude, and my selection for a place bet. The horse looks fine in the subterranean stalls, keeping an eye on the strapper. Then the favourite Buckaroo, who has an unusual splayed stance in the stall, and his chestnut stable mate Land Legend. Circle Of Fire is lonely tucked up in his corner stall and I can’t leave out my favourite trainer Peter Snowdon’s Huetor. Gai’s Eliyass is not in the stalls but doing laps of the parade ring as you would expcct and Godolphin’s Zardozi seems OK. I toss in Savedaty Sadaty to make up the eight. Two obvious lays are Warp Speed, with this head up and pawing, and a restless, head up and shivering Warmonger. It was no surprise to see Warmonger break though the barrier.

The Duke puts his foot down at the 600 and Buckaroo can’t catch him. As the trainer Ciaron Maher said post-race, it was an easy watch. The trifecta paid $346.10 which flexed down to $205. The Parkinson’s is slowing me down and I find that just checking out the stalls is lot of walking for a measly $5. So I’ve pretty much decided to give up the blog after The Cup but I’ll leave the site up for a bit longer since the archives go back some 14 years!

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