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Turf Deli Racing News
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Historical Flemington
Flemington is such an important part of Melbourne and Australian history with the track first being opened in 1840 and the first Melbourne Cup being run in 1861.
The first bookmaker money back bonus wasn't introduced until some years later.
The crowds flocked to the course in huge numbers in those days, as they didn't have Channel 78.
So when you visit on course, it is like visiting a museum.
There are even real life dinosaurs, or as they are more commonly known these days, racing journalists.
It is entertaining and educational at the same time.
So learn more about Melbourne's history at Flemington, whilst you have a pleasant day out at the races.
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Here are some of the items of historical interest you should be watching out for:
The Walk Of Fame
As you walk into the course from the main roundabout entrance you can tap dance your way along the paving stones recording over 150 years of Melbourne Cup history.
Just like the big Hollywood stars each Melbourne Cup winner has their own plaque. Leap from PHAR LAP to THINK BIG. PIPING LANE to SAINTLY. MAKYBE DIVA to MAKYBE DIVA to MAKYBE DIVA (that move is called the MAKYBE DIVA shuffle).
It is one small step for man. But one giant leap for punting. Then several hours later you return in the opposite direction in the post race Walk of Shame. And that is nowhere near as elegant.
Historic Roundabout
It is not well known that the roundabout at the main entrance to Flemington on the corner of Epsom and Racecourse Roads is an important part of Melbourne history.
This is because most of history passes you by as you wait several generations to get through it. It is like one of those time machine movies when history flashes past as you stay stationary.
Statues
PHAR LAP has one. MAKYBE DIVA has one. Bart Cummings has one. And this year a tribute to the late champion jockey Roy Higgins was unveiled.
We think they should give RED CADEUAX a statue too - the poor fella has run second three times now in the Melbourne Cup and
really deserves some sort of lasting tribute.
CARBINE's Original Stall
That small wooden box out near the stables isn't actually an old style portable toilet. It is actually the house that CARBINE grew up in.
CARBINE was PHAR LAP's Great, Great Grandfather, which was a very moving episode of Who Do You Think You Are?
Tote Machines
Flemington is also vast repository of technological history. Have a good look at the tote window when you have a bet. Those machines were first installed in the early 1990s.
We should know because we served our punting apprenticeship on them, until we discovered it was more fun to be on the other side of the window.
Twenty five years later they are still in operation, belting out 1000s of tickets a day. Just think back about what mobile phone you had in 1990? No? What about what computer?
If your computer is more than a few years old these days you just toss it and start again, making these machines the technological and archaeological equivalent of Stonehenge.
They are a wonder of the modern technological age - and are mainly held together by rubber bands, Blu-Tack and paper clips. No they don't have wireless connections. They only just got upgraded from Morse Code.
Flemington Heritage Centre
The racecourse has its own heritage centre
where you can learn all about racing history which is so much more interesting than political history. We bet most Australians can name more Melbourne Cup winners than they can Prime Ministers.
The Committee Room
If you are ever lucky enough to get an invitation to the VRC Committee room, definitely take it. The majestic wood panelling and lavish decor will straight away tell you that you are way out of your class comfort zone.
The VRC has a huge collection of old artwork which is regularly rotated and in the olden days instead of getting a flag or a cap a horse would be immortalized in a magnificent oil painting.
Some of the paintings of the crowds on the lawns are quite mind blowing - and not one single person in the picture is posing for a selfie.
Racecourse Tours
For a small fee you can do a race course historical tour, which will take you around the course, the stables and the mounting yard.
Little hint - the tour hits the mounting yard just after the horses have left for the next race, so time your tour for the Melbourne Cup and stride through the mounting yard like a person of much importance.
Missed a newsletter?
Spend a productive afternoon at work browsing through years and years of old content and cheap laughs in our newsletter archive.
Plus fifteen years worth of feature race previews in our form guide archive.
Relive the form analysis of Cups past. Such sweet memories.
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Having a bet over Cup Week?
If you are going to have a bet over Cup Week it is worth checking out what the bookmakers have on offer.
You don't have to bet with the TAB!
You can open up an account online and be up and running in a few minutes, place all the same bets as the TAB, and often getting better odds and lots of additional bonus offers.
Which means you can make your punting dollar last even longer.
Sportsbet are offering:
Matching the value of your first bet up to $150
- New accounts (ACT, QLD, TAS, NT only)
* Residents of other states. Don't be scared away by the asterisks. Once you open an account you are eligible for all the rest of the bonuses on offer.
There are always plenty of additional bonus bets going around.
Top Tote Plus
- best price out of the three TABs and Starting Price so you are always going to get better odds.
Weekly money back refunds
Power Prices
- better odds between Saturday 10am and 11am. We do much of our punting shopping in bulk through this offer.
The weekly money refund specials are especially good. It means you can just back a horse straight out to win and go for glory, with an insurance return if it gets beaten and runs a place. These are real money back offers too, not bonus bets like some
betting agencies.
Money back
on the Melbourne Cup if your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd.
Click here to open a Sportsbet account.
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Last Week's Results |
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We Punt - Rain, Hail or Shine
It was a standard Melbourne day weatherwise for Derby Day. Thunder storms and heavy rain in the morning. Bright sunshine in the afternoon. What do you mean it is hard to know what to wear?
The track strongly favoured those racing close to the rail, but that is often the case on Derby Day and we issued a warning about that in the form preview. In the tips we managed to just hold our head up,
with two winners on top and four winners in the selections from 9 races, including a nice value winner in the last race.
Race 3: 3-DISPOSITON 1st W=$2.80 - top pick
Race 5: 3-EXCESS KNOWLEDGE 1st W=$4.00 - top pick
Race 7: 7-TARZINO 1st W=$2.90
Race 9: 9-ECLAIR CHOICE 1st W=$14.60
Unfortunately the Lay of the Day got up, which means we could be primed to go 4 for 4 this week. The Betting Portfolio got most of its money back with the Best Win bet of the Day getting a narrow photo - and
then having to survive a protest. They make you work pretty hard these days for a $4 winner.
BEST WIN: Race 5: 3-EXCESS KNOWLEDGE 1st W=$4.00
2015 Spring Campaign: 15 weeks - 5 profits - 9 returns - 1 wipe out. Net: $-291.70
View last week's Derby Day 2015 results.
See how the tips and Betting Portfolio are going at the Bottom Line.
Check out the horses to follow this spring in our Black Book.
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This Week's Free Form Guide
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Flemington - Melbourne Cup - 3rd Nov 2015
TRACK: GOOD(4) - WEATHER: FINE - RAIL: OUT 2M
Follow the link for this week's form guide: Melbourne Cup 2015
With our unique, detailed and critical form analysis for the feature race.
The form guide for Oaks Day Cup will be out mid Wednesday afternoon.
Can't open the link ?
If Turf Deli is blocked at your work, you can receive this week's form guide in a text email, via auto response by sending an email to text@turfdeli.com.au once you receive this email.
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Cleverly Disguised Ads
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THE MOUNTING YARD
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Expert punters know how important it is to check out the condition of your horse in the Mounting Yard before the race.
#3 - THE HEAD
Look for alert eyes that look at you and say "Back Me - Trust Me - Believe In Me" in a deeply hypnotic manner.
The horse's ears should be pricked up and listening attentively to every word of what people are saying about them, so they can respond with a witty Twitter rebuttal
(all horses have their own Twitter accounts these days)
- "I so do not look fat, how dare you!"
- "No, I had no choice in the jockey's colours and yes they do look ridiculous"
- "Why is this camera following me around? When will you guys from A Current Affair ever give up?
The head is also vitally important in a horse's conformation as it lets you know which end is the front. You want this end to go forwards when the race starts.
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THE BART STATUE
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Sadly this will be the first Cup Week without racing legend Bart Cummings who passed away earlier this year.
The most photographed item during Cup Week has never been the Melbourne Cup winner, nor the latest Hollywood celebrity
jetting in to pose in a fancy marquee- it has always been the Bart statue.
Wander past at any time during Cup Week and you will find madly grinning punters posing with Bart for a photo opportunity.
We are pretty sure, that if you read the fine print on your entry ticket, you will find
it is actually one of the compulsory Terms and Condition of entry to get your photo taken with the Bart statue.
Even now he has passed on, the legend and the icon that was Bart will surely live on and the statue will be more popular than ever.
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FLEMINGTON TRACK GUIDE
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If you are heading out to races during Cup Week check out our Flemington Track Guide.
Handy hints with associated nonsense about where to meet, where to hang out and how to avoid the queues on course.
Getting There
- The train is the only way to go - don't even think about driving. Trains leave Flinders St and Southern Cross every few minutes during Cup week and will take you straight there.
Enjoy the scenic ride as you go through the Flemington industrial estate and past the large pie in the sky in the Showgrounds. Remember to touch on and that you need to pre-book tickets during Cup Week as there are no tickets for sale at the gate
Toilets:
- It always pays to know where the sturdy, spacious permanent toilet blocks are. If you go out the back of the course, towards the main car park, past the bookmakers ring, just near the Flemington Heritage centre there is a major, solid, permanent and very under utilised toilet block.
No frustrating lines for the ladies in their race day finest.
Charge Up:
- Between Facebook check ins, numerous selfies, messaging back and forth to catch up with people and browsing all your different betting accounts it is a long tiring day for your poor mobile phone. So make sure you are fully charged before you leave home, and find out where the re-charging booths
are on course. Because once you are off the air you are going to miss out on all the fun!
Location of phone charging booths.
Know Your Tote Operator
The TAB always wheels out a lot of short term, very inexperienced casual staff during Cup Week, many of whom have not even set foot on a racecourse before - yet alone had a bet, and have had minimal training.
If you bet on course and bet in cash be patient and understanding. But also watch out for the experienced tote operators who can quickly and accurately enter your bet. You will know instantly which tote operators are on the ball
and which ones just give you a confused look like you are speaking in a foreign language.
Train Safety
- Please check the circumference of your extravagant headwear. Wing span is the key term here. Just for the safety of the eye balls of other commuters.
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HAVING A BET DURING CUP WEEK?
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We obviously get some revenue from Sportsbet which helps keep everything on Turf Deli free.
So if you enjoy what we do, or have had a win following our tips and can help us out by opening a Sportsbet account - it would be greatly appreciated.
If you are going to have a bet over Cup Week it is worth checking out what the bookmakers have on offer.
You can open up an Sportsbet account online and be up and running in a few minutes, place all the same bets as the TAB, and often getting better odds and lots of additional bonus offers.
Sportsbet are offering money back
on the Melbourne Cup if your horse runs 2nd or 3rd
Click here to open a Sportsbet account.
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Contact Us : info@turfdeli.com.au
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