Print out this week's free form guide for the
Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2011



Latest odds :
Caulfield Cup - Cox Plate - Melbourne Cup

Turf Deli Racing News

Ever Changing Names

This week we are off to Caulfield for the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes over 1400M. Or at least we think so. It can be a bit hard to tell in some years because this race tends to change its name more often than not.

This is the race that you will often hear trainers warmly refer to in interviews about their up and coming spring stars as "that Group 1 1400M race - whatever it is called this year".

And for good reason too...

Over the last twenty years this race has changed names so many times it is a running joke amongst punters, who have a much more sophisticated sense of humour than simple vaudeville mother-in-law gags.

This race has changed name, and changed name, and changed name - from the Marlboro Cup, to the Show Day Cup, over to the VicHealth Cup, up to the Eat Well Live Well Cup, around to the Dubai Racing Club Cup and finally the bouncing ball landing on today's title of the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

Back in the good old days we used to get a Show Day Holiday, which was a nice excuse to have a day off work on a Thursday and head to the races. That's after you had quickly nicked past the Showgrounds and picked up a racing show bag, crammed full of betting goodies. Included was a cheap plastic horse shoe, your very own horse poop scooper, a trifecta bet calculator (vital in the days before flexi bets were allowed) and a Fine Cotton disguise kit - so you can play the Ring In game at home and confuse your parents. Which child is that ? However, the horse colouring book and texta set was always a big disappointment as it was such an uninspiring colour range (grey, bay, chestnut, brown, black).

We have to say we do miss the golden age of tobacco company sponsorship. In those golden, smoky, hazy days, when the jockey came back to scale and said the horse was "having a good blow", he didn't mean he was puffed and would improve on the run - he meant he was out the back sucking back on a cancer stick before the mounting yard presentation.

_______________________________________________________

It is not commonly known that there is a actually a bitter and fierce competition raging between this Caulfield race, and the staying race on Derby Day at Flemington, as to who can change names the most.

You know that staying race - the last chance to qualify for the Melbourne Cup ?

One of the most important and most closely watched races on Derby Day ?

Does the Lexus Stakes ring a bell ?

How about the Saab Quality ?

Or even the Lean Cuisine Quality (serious !) - that was a time honoured race - simply heat for 5 minutes in the microwave and voila !.

Or even the Ten News Stakes or the Crown Quality or the Dalgety or the Hotham Handicap or...

_______________________________________________________

Finally though the Melbourne Racing Club seem to have settled on the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

We have to say one thing we don't think racing clubs in general really make the most of is the long history and tradition involved with racing.

Ask around your friends, pretty much everyone has a grandfather who was a bookie or a trainer or the like.

Sure there are a few statues around the place, and the Walk of Fame of Cup winners as you enter Flemington from the car park is a nifty idea, but so much more could be done with racing's fine history.

You should enter a racecourse and be flooded with the century or more of history that goes with these events.

Caulfield did re-brand itself as Classic Caulfield for many years, with promotions containing lots of sepia footage and wise, knowing old men in pork pie hats - scratching their heads wondering what race they were watching this week.

However, Caulfield has had to move with the times and more recently moved away from Classic Caulfield and more towards weekly promotions to draw a crowd - so more like the "3 party pies for 99 cents" Caulfield (just taking the piss by the way, the party pies were yummy - thanks).

Last Week's Results

Thank goodness for free entry

A bumper crowd of over 12,000 flocked to Caulfield last week to take advantage of the free entry, the 3 party pies for 99 cents and to see BLACK CAVIAR do a few laps of the mounting yard - and then refuse to have anything at all to do with Giaan Rooney. Which we can kinda understand actually. Let's just hope Giaan isn't standing by the winning post on Caulfield Guineas Day when the champ steps out to race next - which would be courting disaster for the unbeaten super star.

Great promotion by the Melbourne Racing Club. With mid week meetings at Sandown already offering free entry there is a good chance of more free Caulfield meetings to come.

The Racehorse of the Year awards were also presented in Melbourne during the week, and in a monumental upset the surprise joint winners were the three ponies who had to service the large throng of kids seeking free rides at last week's Caulfield meeting.

Which could only mean one thing - last week's tips were kinda ordinary and we are trying to distract your attention from the cold, hard facts with crappy gags.

Just the one short priced winner on top, and two others in the top three, but nothing special in the way of odds.

The Betting Portfolio got back just under half of its money with a collect on the measly trifecta with the short priced favourite of the day, but there was no value there. However, we are still in the black overall this spring.

2011 Spring Campaign : 6 weeks - 3 profits - 3 returns - 0 wipe outs - Net : +$128

And would you believe it ? Actually you probably would - the Lay of the Day Race 2: 8-PANIPIQUE got up again ! That is an incredible 4 winners in 6 weeks - from the horse we are declaring can't win. We are on a hiding to nothing now. If we tip a 100-1 shot as the Lay Of The Day it will invariably win - so there is nothing left to do but put on a brave and slightly bemused face and to keep on laying short priced favourites. You may want to start backing them though - though suspect many have already.

The only plus was that we did declare our Roughie in the detailed form for the main race to be 15-SOUTHERN SPEED who put in a huge run to kick clear half way down the straight, before finishing 2nd at W=$28.90.

View last week's Underwood Stakes 2011 results

View the list of Horses To Follow.

See how our tips and Betting Portfolio are faring at the Bottom Line.

This Week's Free Form Guide

Caulfield - Rupert Clarke Stakes -24th Sept 2011

TRACK: DEAD(4) - WEATHER: SHOWERS - RAIL: TRUE

With chaos in Melbourne next week due to re-arranged football finals we will be attempting to cover the double header, being the Manikato Stakes on Friday night and the Turnbull Stakes on Sunday, both in the same mail out. The Turnbull Stakes meeting will get priority though.

Follow the link for this week's form guide: Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2011

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.

Cleverly Disguised Ads

ADOPT A JOCKEY
___________________________________________

Come Spring time these cute little cuddly fellas are always so popular.

Everyone wants one or wants to look like one at the fancy dress Melbourne Cup BBQ.

Remember a jockey is not just for Spring Carnival.

At the end of every Cup Week unloved jockeys are often just left abandoned on the steps of the local TAB.

So think about adopting a jockey. They are available in a wide range of silks / colour schemes so they can make a great garden feature.

FOLLOW THE MONEY
_________________________________________

If you want to play along with our weekly Betting Portfolio, you can make the most of your money by opening up an account with IASBET and taking advantage of the bonuses that are on offer.

For a small deposit, plus the added bonuses they offer you can follow the weekly tips every week and have a bit of fun on the punt this spring carnival.

Impress your friends with your punting prowess !

IASbet.com now offers Cups Doubles

Contact Us : info@turfdeli.com.au



Help promote Turf Deli. We run a fun and free service.
If you like what we do then tell your friends and click on that forward button

Subscribe | Unsubscribe