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

Hello friends, on we go to the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington, on this the 20th anniversary year of the Diva winning her third Melbourne Cup, although the old Craiglee Stakes (renamed in 2006) was a race Makybe Diva never raced in, let alone won…

Also, speaking of ancient history, with Baraqiel winning the Moir Stakes last weekend, Leon Corstens joined a rare group of trainers who have won a Group 1 after turning 80, among them:

The master staying trainer George Hanlon won the 2000 Caulfield Cup with Diatribe (In a course record that still stands) and the 2001 Sydney Cup with Mr Prudent aged 83, his last before he passed away in 2010 aged 92.

Bart Cummings famously won the 2008 Melbourne Cup with Viewed aged 80, then won several more Group 1s with the likes of So You Think (Most notably the 2009 & 2010 Cox Plates) and his last Group 1 was Hallowed Crown’s 2014 Randwick Guineas in partnership with grandson James at the age of 86, before he passed away in August 2015 aged 87.

Jack Denham won the 2009 Rosehill and Randwick Guineas with Metal Bender aged 84, his last Group 1 victories before he passed away in December that year aged 85.

And Les Bridge won the 2024 Randwick Guineas and Doncaster Mile with Celestial Legend aged 85, and is still going strong with runners in today at Kembla Grange.

I’d imagine if someone like John Hawkes (Born in 1949) hangs on for a few more years, he’ll be in this club.

Anyway, other major races on today include a meeting at Rosehill that features multiple Group 2s, among them the Run to the Rose with a fortnight to go until the Golden Rose, the Sheraco Stakes and the Theo Marks, Flemington also has the Bobbie Lewis up the straight, the Archer Stakes to get ballot exemption for the Melbourne Cup and the Let’s Elope Stakes, Morphetville has the Listed W.H. Wylie Handicap, and another great race on the day is the Griffith Cup, the very same town where my mutual associate Mr Alfonse lived during Robert Trimbole’s reign of terror…. unlike poor old Don Mackay.

So it’s on to Crazy Craig, and his Lucky Lips were back with a bang last week as Rosberg won on debut at the Valley… unlike Keke and Nico Rosberg, who took several years to win a Grand Prix.

The Bill Clinton P(r)ick: Arkansaw Kid (No.4, Barrier 2) in Race 6 at Flemington (MR6), 3:05pm AEST

1200m Group 2 Quality Bobbie Lewis

Trainers: Ben, Will & JD Hayes, Jockey: Blake Shinn, 56.5kg

Hello hello hello everybody it’s Craaaaazy Craig TBFB, Scratchie King of Bairnsdale, and let me the tell you the down on their luck had a FILL-UP with Rosberg’s win last week, and the newsagencies of Bairnsdale were absolutely pumping, because when the lucky lips bring in winners, we SUPPORT the down on their luck and the local economy!

Now, we’ll start off with Flemington and a run down the Straight Six in lieu of the Makybe Diva Stakes, because Via Sistina will win it blindfolded, and I like the look of Arkansaw Kid, not only because he’s run two damn good 2nds in the last month, but because he’s most likely named after the best Arkansas kid of them all…

Former US President ROCKABILLY Bill Clinton!

I think you’ll also be able to recognise the song Bill plays when Arsenio Hall walks on stage… Heartbreak Hotel!

The Baywatch P(r)ick: Beiwacht (No.3, Barrier 4) E/W in Race 8 at Rosehill (SR8), 4pm AEST

1200m Group 2 3YO Run To The Rose

Trainer: Chris Waller, Jockey: Adam Hyeronimus, 57.5kg

There appears to be nothing special about the name Beiwacht, it’s just how Germans pronounce Baywatch, still the most popular show in Germany due to the starring role of Deutsch lord and saviour David Hasselhoff…

Let’s not forget as well that in 1989, David Hasselhoff performed a concert above the Berlin Wall at Brandenburg Gate on New Year’s Eve, a few weeks after the wall had fallen, attracting a live audience of some one million people, performing the No.1 smash Looking For Freedom…

Having heard The Hoff’s vocals, the formerly hopeful East Germans immediately jumped the border and began rebuilding the wall even higher than before.

Enjoy your weekend 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!