With Oliver on board he'll probably come 2nd!

i like mad rush, but i think they are just looking for a good performance before the melbourne cup

Going over the race for the final time, taking into consideration the rail out six and a firm track, I surprised myself with the runner that kept jumping out at me....

ICE CHARIOT.

The horse is so much better on firm going and I'll be having a good crack at him each way. The horse to beat is....

GUILLOTINE.

While the big money has come for my original selection

ZAGREB

For my exotics I'll be throwing in the three Kiwis...

RED RULER, NOM DU JEU and BOUNDLESS.

As for Weekend Hussler I predict that they'll want him riden close to the lead and if they go slow he'll put in a good show for his fans on what should be a leaders track. Littorio and Maldivian are the best of the rest.

While I should be here gloating about my successful prediction regarding Weekend Hussler's demise (Thumps and all) I've got bigger issues.


ZAGREB

Since August 9 I've had these two little bits of paper in my wallet, the first a TAB ticket explaining how I've backed a horse named Zagreb in the Caulfield Cup at $60, the amount to be returned if successful $1,800. The second is a similar bet but at $70 for the Melbourne Cup, this one to return 1,400 if successful.

Now I know it aint an amount to get all suicidal about but I rather enjoyed the idea of having one of the race favourites go around for me at 60/1 (you feel smarter than you know you really are) The night before my wife said not to get my hopes up as he'd probably get hit by lightning or come into some other bad luck just as Mouwad did the day before the Doncaster and Redoute's Choice did the day before the Australian Guineas...and how Shogun Lodge dropped dead as did Unworldly, Oscar Schindlar never made it to race day while Doriemus was nosed out of the big race....

Every one of these horses had been backed for their up coming race by myself at fixed odds (majority were second legs with bookies after winning the first leg) and I'd be cirtain that my wife was a double agent for the bookies had my bets been for reasonable sums....alas that wasn't the case BUT it doesn't make things any easier.

Oh yeah, she also blames me for her father's unraced 2yr old dropping dead of a heart attack during track work...but I didn't name the stupid thing EXPLOADABUL. No it ain't rubbish. Had just been transferred to the Mick Price stable from pre training with Ledger and was flying. Was thought to be a real chance for the Blue Diamond and was in the market at 60/1. Why shouldn't I have had a couple of dollars on it.....the last 2yr old they had was Principality and it won the stupid race.

But as I'm reminded that was still 12 months before I met my wife.