I’m lucky to get a leave pass today because I’ve got to go to a wedding. So I’m only here for four races. Don’t young people know that there are races on Saturday? But four is better than none, and they are my favourite races – two-year-olds and mares.

There are crows over Caulfield. A murder of crows, and this is some considerable murder. There must be over 200 of them, sitting on the roof of the grandstand doing Graham Kennedy calls. Every so often they take off and wheel and circle about in the sky. Very impressive.

Crows over Caulfield

Actually, they are not crows, but ravens. In the olden days when I used to be a bird watcher and not a horse watcher I was very pedantic about making sure everyone knew the difference between a raven and a crow. These days I’m not so fussed. And I remember that these are Little Ravens not Australian Ravens, because they lift their wings up when calling and gather up into these huge mobs.

Crows or ravens? Is it a portent of doom? Death even? Vincent and his cornfields?

There’s a standout in the two-year-old, Curtana, prancing around the mounting yard, but everyone seems to have seen it and backed it. It wins like a good thing and returns $1.04 for the place. Avionics looks good and solid in the next and this will be the second time I have backed her. I miss the $2.20 with the books and put it on the tote at $2.10. A nice strong win. The Robbie Griffiths stable is on fire. It’s nice to be ahead, but I give it up straight away on Emblem of Liberty in the next. If I was laying horses I would have opposed Miss Alia, who was led into the yard by the clerk of the course, a very bad sign, and then proceeded to put on a show until led out early onto the track. As I was placing my bet on Emblem of Liberty the tote lass reminded me that there would be only two place dividends. I’m never ever reminded of that, so she must have thought that I was a bit of a dill. I could only mumble that I hope it gets second, but I left the window with that faint chill you get when a goose walks over your grave. It’s those blooming crows. Emblem of Liberty of course runs third.

I leave with what I started with. But the wedding is starting to look good. And I managed to get a nice snap of the bride.

The bride

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