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

Alright friends it’s another Saturday, and yesterday we had a true great of the turf leave us behind…

Fields of Omagh, aka FOOOOOOOOOO.

One of the greatest Moonee Valley specialists to ever grace Moonee Valley, because with respect to his Cox Plate record:

5th in 2002 (to Northerly), won it in 2003 (defeating Lonhro), 2nd in 2004 (to Savabeel), 3rd in 2005 (to Makybe Diva), and he won it again in 2006 as a 9-year-old in what was his final start, defeating future Cox Plate winner El Segundo by a lip, claiming the record as the oldest horse to ever win a Cox Plate.

Outside of that, he won the 2006 G1 Futurity at Caulfield, and was a gallant runner-up to Northerly in the 2002 Caulfield Cup.

Another great staple of the WFA ranks of the 2000s departs us… farewell FOO.

Of course, the main highlight for this weekend of racing is the time-honoured feature event of Queensland racing…

The Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm, full of great winners like Rough Habit, Rough Habit, Rough Habit and Rough Habit.

The Group 1 JJ Atkins is also on for the 2-year-olds, but nobody cares about that except Gai Waterhouse, who cares about it so much she’ll be watching the race from Germany.

Outside of that, it is the early stages of Winter, so the only other races of note are the Listed Bob Charley Stakes at Randwick, and the Group 3 Strickland Stakes at Belmont, which is in Burswood, and not many people know but the Strickland Stakes was actually named after the founder & owner of Strickland Propane, Buck Strickland.

Taste the meat, not the heat.

So it’s on to Crazy Craig, and we’ll simply act like last week never happened, so here’s Elvis Presley!

P(r)ick No.1: Without A Fight (No.3, Barrier 11) in Race 6 at Eagle Farm, 2:38pm AEST

2200m WFA Group 2 Sky Racing The Q22

Trainers: Anthony & Sam Freedman, Jockey: Mark Zahra, 59kg

Hello hello everyone it’s Craaaaazy Craig TBFB, Scratchie King of Bairnsdale, and I had a shitter of a week, mainly because Crazy Colin stole my money to pay for his piss, which meant I couldn’t buy some scratchies for the down on their luck folk of Bairnsdale!

He really is CRAZY COLIN!

Anyway, this weekend I figured with the Queensland Carnival at it’s zenith, I may as well keep trying to find winners in Queensland, which is harder than actually finding a winning scratchie (Let me tell you that!), but I might just get one in the Group 2 Q22, which sounds like a sister ship of the QE2, and I like the Freedman-trained Irish horse from Ireland…

WITHOUT A FIGHT.

This is his 3rd Start in Australia, he actually came for the Melbourne Cup last year, when he was trained by Simon & Ed Crisford, ultimately finishing backward of midfield, he was then kept in Australia by the other Sheikh Mohammed and transferred to the Freedmans, and it paid off last start when he won the Lord Mayor’s Cup 1st Up at Eagle Farm.

Still, you know who wouldn’t back Without A Fight, purely because of his name, because they loved to fight for their right?

THE BEASTIE BOYS.

P(r)ick No.2: Hard To Cross (No.5, Barrier 1) E/W in Race 7 at Sandown, 3:20pm AEST

1600m 3YO Ive>Handicap

Trainer: Patrick Payne, Jockey: Jye McNeil, 54kg

Forget about the horse, you know what wasn’t as hard to cross as people claim it was?

The Rubicon.

Look at the damn thing.

That’s not a river, that’s just a stream after 10mm of rain.

No wonder Ceasar got knifed so easily, that was like walking on carpet compared to Washington crossing the Delaware.

P(r)ick No.3: Ginger Baker (No.7, Barrier 2) E/W in Race 9 at Belmont (PR9), 4:46pm AWST

1650m 78+ Rating Amelia Park Handicap

Trainer: Vernon Brockman, Jockey: Chris Parnham, 57kg

The horse in career-best form coming into the last at Belmont, named after the DRUMMING GOD who made Cream as good as they were….

PETER EDWARD ‘GINGER’ BAKER!

John Bonham, Neil Peart, Phil Collins, Stewart Copeland, Nick Mason, you know what they all have in common?

They were all influenced by Ginger Baker.

THAT’S HOW GOOD HE WAS.

Pick for the Stradbroke… I dunno, I’ll have a Think About It and get back to you.

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