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

So we’ve just come off the violence of the Warrnambool carnival, and my bank account currently resembles Ric McIntosh’s voice after the Grand Annual…

Rooted.

Although, unlike my bank account, I think Ric’s voice will recover by next week.

So while the Warrnambool council now spend the next week cleaning the streets of punters with hangovers, the Wagga Wagga carnival still rages on, William Pike has moved to Queensland, and on Saturday it’ll come time for week two of the Adelaide carnival and the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes for the mares and fillies, and this year marks 10 years since Black Caviar won the race to bring up win No.20, and the Brisbane carnival goes down to the Gold Coast for the Hollindale Stakes, the race in which last year Zaaki announced himself to the world as a semi-decent English horse who was ready to turn into a Group 1-winning All-Star in Australia.

There’s also the feature race meeting in Gosford, with the Gosford Gold Cup, The Coast, and the Takeover Target, named after the greatest cult hero horse in 21st Century Australian racing, bought and trained by a Queanbeyan cab driver for the grand total of $1375…. He went on to win $6,000,000.

Now, that’s the cue for Crazy Craig, and if you were paying enough attention last week, you’d notice the lunatic actually picked a winner in the form of Kirwan’s Lane at Hawkesbury, and somehow it paid $7, and I can report I sent that information to the Vatican as proof of a miracle….

I haven’t heard anything back from our old Argentinian mate Frankie, but in the meantime, hopefully Crazy Craig can pull off another miracle this week, because just like Sir Cliff Richard, he’s got Lucky Lips!

Value Pick: Away Game (No.6, Barrier 1) in the Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville (AR8), 4:02pm ACST

1200m Group 1 SWFA

Trainers: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace, Jockey: Linda Meech, 56.5kg

Hello hello everyone, it’s Craaaaazy Craig TBFB, and let me tell you a story about what happened to me during the week – I was walking down the street with Crazy Colin, and we met this young fella in tears because of something that had happened at school, and so I turned to him and I said “Young fella, don’t feel sad, you know what’ll make you feel better?”

“A scratchie!”

So I gave him that scratchie, and he smiled because he had no clue what it was!

Anyway, after doing my bit for the community, I’m making another visit to Adelaide for another Group 1 race, the time honoured Bob Sangster Stakes, named after the Pom who made a living (And lost most of it) battling the Sheikhs and the Irish in the sales rings of the world, and after my usual 5 minute search of the form guide, I’ve settled on a horse trained by the masters of the ‘Bool in Maher and Eustace…

AWAY GAME!

I imagine with a name like that and the fact we’re not racing in Victoria, she’ll be wearing the white shorts as the visiting horse!

Anyway, Away Game has been kept fresh since her run in the Galaxy at Rosehill on Golden Slipper day, where the Heavy track just didn’t work in her favour and she ran 7th by 3 lengths to Shelby Sixtysix!

How crazy is that knackers, we’re actually using Shelbysixtysix as a form reference!

But, prior to that, Away Game ran 2nd in the Oakleigh Plate and 3rd in the Magic Millions Sprint, so she’s still capable of running a good honest race, and we have to remember that 2 years ago, Away Game ran in this race AS A 2-YEAR-OLD, and finished 5th!

So in conclusion, Linda Meech stays aboard, the mare is back on a Good deck where all of her career-best runs have been, she’s coming in off a 6-week freshen, and as I always never say with Value picks, it doesn’t bother me if they don’t win, but if they’re given every possible chance, well, I won’t be disappointed when they turn to shit!

AWAY GAME – My VALUE Pick of the Day.

Pick of the Day: Salateen (No.9, Barrier 11) in Race 9 at the Gold Coast (BR9), 4:13pm AEST

1200m Listed Australian Turf Club Trophy

Trainer: Tony Gollan, Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy, 54kg

On to the Pick of the Day, and it’d be wrong if I didn’t take a gander at the Goldie on their big day, and it came down to a choice between the BAT OUT OF HELL or some boring Listed race, and me being me, I chose the ATC Trophy, and instead of going for the favourite for the Pick of the Day, I’ve gone for the second favourite Salateen!

Why?

Because I’m an absolute LUNATIC, that’s why!

Now, Salateen was with Peter & Paul Snowden up until the start of this 2021/22 season, when the I Am Invincible mare headed north through the Great Wall of Tweed Heads and joined Tony Gollan’s stable, and she really hit the ground winning with 2 wins from 4 starts in the Spring, and she won the Listed Nudgee Stakes on New Year’s Day at Doomben, and hasn’t raced since Magic Millions Day on the Gold Coast in January, when she ran 6th in the Fillies & Mares race.

Returning to the scene of the crime, Salateen had a hit out in a trial at Doomben last month, she seems to do her best work fresh with 2 wins from 4 starts 1st Up, she’ll handle any ground with wins on Good, Soft & Heavy tracks, and a key piece of information is that Tony went out and solicited the services of the great Kerrin McEvoy from Sydney to mount her with 54kg, so assuming Maccer gives her a good steer and gives her every chance of winning, then we might just get a good performance out of the mare!

So there you go, Salateen, my PICK OF THE DAY.

The Random Gough Whitlam Pick: It’sourtime (No.3, Barrier 7) in Race 5 at Caulfield, 2:25pm AEST

1100m BM100 Ian Miller Handicap

Trainer: Danny O’Brien, Jockey: Fred Kersley, 54.5kg

Well, it is election season….

“Time for quaddies, Time for multis, It’sourtime, It’sourtime, yes It’sourtime!”

Enjoy your Saturday folks, stay safe, stay negative, KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD, and remember, I’m Crazy Craig, and that’s why they call me Craaaaaazy Craig!