Have a look at the 300m mark in the Sir Rupert Clark Stakes… Way out wide, the favourite I’m Thunderstruck did bloody well to stay upright and run on to finish 3rd:

Well friends, another Group 1 Saturday is done and dusted, as Eduardo rolled Nature Strip in The Shorts, and while Verry Elleegant’s class shone through in the George Main at Randwick to claim her 9th Group 1 victory, Sierra Sue, the horse that would make Kenny Callander’s tongue bleeding profusely, has completed the journey of Mildura Cup winner to Group 1 winner in the space of 2 months, and Daniel Moor, on his 40th birthday, rode his maiden Group 1 winner in Australia, and it’s a good thing Moor has a song that perfectly matches his surname:

But more importantly for us, thanks to She’s Ideel powering home in the Kingston Town Stakes at Randwick, THE PICK OF THE DAY ACTUALLY BLOODY WELL WON, AND THAT MEANS WE CAN SOUND THE VICTORY TUNE!

Well done to everyone who was insane enough to listen to Crazy Craig’s rambling, and I was definitely one of those people, and luckily enough I got 3-1 on the mare, so my losses were more than covered.

I suppose my other highlight of the day was when I encountered Mr Crypto at the Waterford TAB, who told myself and my good mate ‘The Critic’ that Trump will be reinstated as US President, 207 companies are making a new currency, and that Bill Gates will be meeting a noose in Brazil at the end of the month.

He wouldn’t name his sources, but I think it started with Q.

One final note before I look at today’s picks, I’m disappointed that when Atishu won the Bill Ritchie at Randwick, Darren Flindell, even as he said “Atishu with a nose in front” didn’t have the presence of mind to utter…

“Atishu, Atishu, we all fall down!”

Each-Way Pick of the Day: Timson in Race 4 at Caulfield – 7th

I genuinely thought Timson was the omen bet here on No Hope Avenue, especially after a bit of good news emerged involving my former neighbour Tim ‘The Toolman’ Walker, but as it turns out, Casterton maiden form doesn’t quite make it to Caulfield….

Must be the toll fees.

So yes, despite solid backing, Timson bombed the start and just wasn’t up to it in the Guineas Prelude, and the honours went the way of the classic combination of Peter Moody & Luke Nolen with Lightsaber, who shone very bright and sliced open her opposition with relative ease:

Pick of the Day: She’s Ideel in Race 9 at Randwick – WINNER ($2.80)

If you ask me, this was some good old-fashioned chalk eating.

Barrier 2, 53 kilos, on her preferred Soft track thanks to that big band of rain that hit Sydney, dropping down from Group 2 company to a Group 3, and pretty much everything went to plan for She’s Ideel, who sat up behind the leaders on a moderate tempo and just peeled off the back off Entente at the top of the straight, and had the race done to a dinner at the furlong pole, while Montefilia got going late on to take 2nd in the most predictable quinella of the entire day.

Very pleasing to watch from a punting POV, and very well earned by Jason Collett and Bjorn Baker, because She’s Ideel had been threatening a result like that since her 1st Up 2nd in the Winx Stakes.

I suppose she’s now off to The Metropolitan!

Conclusion

Just touching back on Verry Elleegant, she was sired by Zed out of the mare Opulence in New Zealand.

You know what Zed’s stud fee was in 2015?

$500.

From that $500, VE has now won 9 Group 1s, and has prize money of $9,265,744.

And let me tell you, that 9-time Group 1 winners club is full of some deadset cult heroes – Tobin Bronze, the Goondiwindi Grey Gunsynd, Bonecrusher, and Northerly.

A truly fantastic mare in the post-Winx age of Australian racing.