Nature Strip confirms that Shelby Sixtysix is also better than every UK-trained sprinter:

I hope someone told that Pommy commentator his name is NATURE STRIP, not NATURE STRIPE.

Now I’m no form expert, but I believe Nature Strip’s gap job also confirms that in addition to the great Shelby Sixtysix, who left Nature Strip for dead in the Challenge Stakes this year, the following active Australian-trained horses are also better than every single UK-trained sprinter:

Eduardo (Defeated Nature Strip in 2021 The Shorts and the 2021 + 2022 Challenge Stakes)

Home Affairs (Defeated Nature Strip in the 2022 Lightning Stakes)

Masked Crusader has also run within 3 lengths of Nature Strip several times, making him better by default..

In fact, I’d wager 75% of the horses running around in BM90s at Randwick would win no worse than Group 2 sprints in Britain.

So with two more days of Royal Ascot to come, in which Artorious and Home Affairs will get the chance to rip one on Europe’s finest, it’s on to more local matters, with the Ipswich Cup meeting in Pauline Hansonville, including the Cup and the Gai Waterhouse Classic, the A.R Creswick at Flemington, the W.J. McKell Cup at Rosehill, and the Belmont Guineas at some track in Burswood.

Yes, those truly are races to set your watch to, and by that I mean set your watch so you can have a nap during the race.

So it’s on to Crazy Craig, fresh off landing a winning double last week against all lack of expectations, so much so I completely missed both of his winners while I was at the footy, and instead of the Lucky Lips this week, I would note that tomorrow is Sir Paul McCartney’s 80th birthday, which makes me wonder if there’ll be some kind of Omen bet to find, but for the time being, why not celebrate him with Wings’ greatest hit…

Mull of Kintyre.

Seems appropriate that Nottingham Forest got back into the Premier League this year.

Pick of the Day: Grand Pope (No.8, Barrier 11) in Race 2 at Flemington (MR2), 12:25pm AEST

1000m BM78 Country Racing Victoria Handicap

Trainer: Nick Ryan, Jockey: Jye McNeil, 55.5kg

G’day folks, Crazy Craig TBFB here, back for another week after my big WINNING DOUBLE last week, and in spite of my success, would you believe it I still get the same fat-headed smug pouty flogs who think I’m not a very good tipster!

Well let me tell you something…

BROKEN CLOCKS ARE RIGHT TWICE A DAY!

Now, last week I mentioned that Crazy Colin said he was going to try his hand at selling lettuce leaves to KFC stores, and this week he went to them and said “Don’t call me, I’ll call you”, and guess what happened…

They kept putting him straight to an answering machine, and now everyone in the bloody Macedons is eating cabbage!

It’s crazy stuff, knackers!

Anyway, I’d better try and win enough money to buy enough lettuce to last 2 days, so we’re off to Flemington to tackle the straight, and I’ll have a crack at the horse named after John Paul Young, I mean John Paul II….

GRAND POPE!

Yes, Grand Pope resumed two weeks ago down the 1100 metre straight at Flemington, where he was running along quite nicely until he copped a bump at the 200 metres, which left him to charge home into 3rd place behind Diamonds, in the kind of run that said “Get on me 2nd Up, Crazy Craig!”

So now the time has arrived for that 2nd Up run, Jye McNeil stays aboard, he’s drawn for a perfect run down the outside rail, and perhaps most importantly of all, he gets a huge weight swing on Diamonds, dropping from 59.5kg down to 55.5kg, while Diamonds jumps up from 59kg to 59.5kg!

So just about everything looks ready to go here, which means I’ll go for Grand Pope to smite the heathens, because he’s my PICK OF THE DAY.

Value Pick: Holyfield (No.3, Barrier 16) E/W in Race 8 at Ipswich (BR8), 3:53pm AEST

1350m Listed Eye Liner Stakes

Trainer: Annabel Neasham, Jockey: Brodie Loy, 55.5kg

Shouldn’t be too hard to spot Holyfield at Ipswich….

He’ll be the horse with an ear missing after he encounters another runner called ‘Iron Mike’!

Random Sir Tom Jones Pick: Welsh Legend (No.9, Barrier 4) E/W in Race 7 at Rosehill, 2:30pm AEST

2000m Listed W.J. McKell Cup

Trainer: Chris Waller, Jockey: Jay Ford, 53kg

Well, we got a return two weeks ago knackers, let’s have another crack….

Gee, I want to take off my undies already!

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!