I’ve never really been a fan of The Valley, with its tight turning corners and short straight. What did Bart say? A good Quarter Horse track? But I’ll go along because it is such a big day. And I’ve resolved not to have a bet. Just watch them go around. I arrive early for the first with only six starters in a thousand metre dash. Whoa! What’s that? Beast Mode. Head down, totally relaxed, an absolute standout. I throw my resolutions out the window. I have to have a bet! I like races with only five or six runners as the place dividend is often surprisingly good. Beast Mode is showing a decent $1.85 on the tote so I plonk it on. The divvy is displaying an extra five cents because the World Pool is in operation on all races today. They jump and run and the beast absolutely slaughters them. I’m feeling quite smug, but there must be a malfunction with the screen as it is showing $1.01 for the place. I check my phone. It’s showing $1.01 too. My phone can’t possibly be broken because it’s one of those new iPhones. Correct weight! And the dividend is not an error. $1.01! In my fifty plus years at the track I have never seen such a small divvy. It must be the World Pool. Is number seven a lucky number for Chinese punters? Oh dear. I may have won but it feels like a loss! Time to pull my head in and go back to those resolutions.

I hold off till the last race, the big one, the weight for age championship. Oh look, there’s Via Sistina! Oh, wow, doesn’t she look good. A bet! A glance at the screens. $1.01 for the place! You’ve got to be kidding! But since it’s a day of broken resolutions I back it for the win at $2.10 with a boost when I never back for the win. I pick them to win and bet for the place. Thank goodness the eight year old mare dug deep and got up by a nose. I see it paid $1.95 the win and $1.15 the place. And I managed two out of two for the day, but nothing to boast about – a loser and the favourite in the Cox Plate?

I briefly consider following the punters pouring onto the track to rip up a piece of the turf or running rail. But I don’t need any souvenirs. I’ll be happy just to see the reconfigured track in two years time.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.