Based on a series of plausible events in a regional Victorian town

A bit of a sad event today – Elvis ‘Ricky’ Thurgood, a much-loved jockey who suffered the most traumatic of brain injuries in a fall during the 1980 Easter Cup at Caulfield, leaving him in a coma for well over a year, and with multiple physical deficits requiring 24-hour care from his family for the rest of his life, left us overnight at the age of 62.

Despite his family being told he wouldn’t survive that night, Ricky made it through another 41 years with their loving care – To me, that’s the human spirit on display right there.

So as a state of anarchy descends into New South Wales and Victoria, Group 1 racing returns for the Spring with the race formerly known as the Warwick Stakes, the Winx Stakes, and just judging by the field, it’s the only barrier trial in Australia to have Group 1 status.

Seriously, in a field full of semi-decent horses, 13 out of the 14 runners are 1st Up, with the lone exception being Kolding.

A bloody barrier trial badged with a Group 1.

Looking at the other boring races on tomorrow, there’s a whole heap of other Group races at Randwick that I won’t pay attention to until 5 minutes before they jump, including Kenny Callander’s favourite race the Silver Shadow Stakes, the Carlyon Cup is at Moonee Valley, which apparently wasn’t named after Les Carlyon, and over in WA we have one for the Seinfeld fans….

THE NEWMAN CUP

The country cup that is an enigma wrapped in a Twinkie.

So on that note, it’s on to Crazy Craig, and you wouldn’t believe it, I finally restored his familiar theme song of ‘Lucky Lips’ by Cliff Richard, and what do you know, he finally picks a winner after about 3 months.

If that’s not a sign for me to keep it going, I don’t know what is, so to begin CC’s thoughts for the week, here’s the sound of Sir Cliff’s Lucky Lips!

As sent via carrier pigeon on Friday at 2pm AEST:

Each-Way Pick of the Day: Think It Over (No.2, Barrier 2) in the Winx Stakes at Randwick (SR8), 3:45pm AEST

1400m Group 1 WFA

Trainer: Kerry Parker, Jockey: Brenton Avdulla, 59kg

Hello hello again lockdown suffer-erers, it’s Crazy Crazy Craig, the Boy From Bairnsdale, and last week I bloody well said I was going to get a winner in Perth one day, and look what happened….

I GOT A WINNER IN PERTH!

That’s right, you can all kiss my arse, because I’M BACK IN THE GAME!

So with my confidence now at undeservedly high levels, I’m going tipping in Group 1 races, and if you knew me and Crazy Colin, you’d realise that’s ironic, because we’re the opposite of Group 1 performers!

Speaking of which, I wonder what is the opposite of a Group 1…. a maiden at Bairnsdale on a Tuesday?

Anyway, I’ve thought the Winx Stakes over for my Each-Way Pick of the Day, and I’ve gone for Kerry Parker’s Group 1 winner Think It Over, who, unlike half the pea-hearted horses in this field, is a PROVEN 1ST UP PERFORMER.

6 starts 1st Up, for 3 wins and 2 second placings.

I’ll be honest, the first time I saw who was training Think It Over, I thought to myself “Why is Kerry Packer training horses?”, then I realised Kerry Packer died 15 years ago and was reincarnated as a goanna, which was a punishment from God for all the tax he avoided.

Anyway, I can cop Verry Elleegant being the favourite for the race because she’s a ‘Verry’ good horse who won this very race last year, but I reckon Think It Over will be putting in a big run 1st Up, and we should remember, he ran 4th in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at the end of the Sydney Autumn, and finished just a length off Verry Elleegant, who was only a half length off Addeybb!

That’s good enough form for me, so THINK IT OVER is my EACH-WAY PICK OF THE DAY!

Pick of the Day: Degraves (No.11, Barrier 4) in Race 9 at Moonee Valley, 5:45pm AEST

1500m Cox Plate Multi Membership Handicap

Trainer: Robert Hickmott The Williams family, Jockey: Jamie Kah, 54kg

On to the POTD, and on Wednesday, Crazy Colin climbed over the fence and told me he had a joke lined up about Degraves lined up a month ago that went something like this:

Where do undertakers bury their corpses?

…..

…..

……

DEGRAVES!

I thought it was a bloody good one meself, then one of Lloyd or Nick Williams bloody well had it scratched a few hours later and pissed the whole thing against a wall!

Must be because Lloyd heard it and realised he’s not that away from finding himself in Degraves!

So as we go around for Take 2 of that dead joke, Degraves, the Irish horse from Ireland and son of Camelot, has been kept so fresh by Rob Hickmott since his 1st Up Australian win at Flemington on June 19, that he’s now greener than Yoda and Kermit the Frog put together!

And Kermit would tell you, it’s not easy being green!

Anyway, it looks like Rob and the Williams father/son combination have been looking for the right race to resume in as they potentially target better races in the months ahead, and it appears the Macedon mob have got it with this last on the card at Death Valley, because he’s got a low draw, a relatively light 54kg, and he gets the ultimate gear change in Victorian racing that you wouldn’t see listed in a newspaper…

Jamie Kah 1st Time!

Now, you can easily make a case for a horse like Shot Of Irish to win the race, given he does seem to handle the tight Moonee Valley track better than most horses do, but I’d contest that and point out the last time Shot Of Irish was at the Valley, he nearly killed Dwayne Dunn!

AND I’M NOT JOKING!

But he won’t kill me, and hopefully he won’t be doing anything to Degraves, because he’s my PICK OF THE DAY.

As always strangers, stay safe during these dark ages, don’t lock up your daughters and your sons unless you absolutely have to, and remember, I’m Crazy Craig, and that’s why they call me Craaaaaaaaaazy Craig!