Who Backed Skalato ? 26/01/01 First of all we better make one thing clear - we are not making Skalato the Dud of the Week - rather those who in their infinite wisdom, decided to back him, 1st up, on Australia Day at Caulfield. Small field, wet track, lack of pace, a potential boom horse resuming after a great Spring Campaign, but for a new trainer who had yet to really get a feel for him, and who really did not sound all that confident when interviewed before hand. Add to that the stigma of the drugs conviction (its funny how when little things go wrong in a horse's preparation, missing runs, missing gallops that they can totally fall apart). All of which really put Skalato into a very large barrel with lots of very big and scary unknowns swimming around ready to pounce - when he did not perform there was always going to be a stack of reasons why he did not produce the goods. So what odds would you take on such a dubious betting proposition ?? 9/10, in the red, or about $1.90 for the decimal crowd… And surprise, surprise, he over races early (watch out for this - it may be an on going problem) and finishes 4th. Seriously it is one of the great wonders of the world as to where the money comes from to put horses like this at such short odds. If you decided that this was good value, and was worth a visit to the Holy ATM Temple of the Future Redemptions, then we here at Turf Deli have several very attractive investment opportunities that you are sure to love. Maybe investing in Turtle Farms would grab your interest (the shells of the mature tortoise being highly sort after, and only taking 80 years to reach maturity), or how about buying some prize real estate on a luxurious island resort in the Pacific Ocean, only one previous owner, the French Government, with an estimated 1/2 life of a meagre 10,000 years. We will gladly accept your hard earned in a convenient off shore bank account…