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

Alright friends, on we go through the Spring past the midway stage of September, Preliminary Final weekend we’ll call it, and the highlight of the day’s racing will be the Group 1 double of the Underwood Stakes and Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield, and the Sir Rupert Clarke is a race that Craig Williams has won 7 times in the last 20 years, while the Underwood Stakes still carries ballot exemption for the Caulfield Cup, although no horse has done that double since Elvstroem in 2004, while 2024 winner Buckaroo goes again, with the only repeat winners of the race since 2000 being Northerly (2001-02) and Alligator Blood (2022-23), who has the rare feat of winning the race at Sandown and Caulfield, while Black Heart Bart won the race twice (2016 + 2019)… he went from being favourite in 2016 to winning at 100/1 a few years later.

As for the other races, Randwick hosts a heap of Group races, namely the Kingston Town Stakes, the Bill Ritchie Handicap, the Tea Rose Stakes for the fillies, the Seven Stakes (Which is actually a Listed race) and The Shorts:

This used to be the day that they ran the George Main, but that was renamed the King Charles III Stakes in 2023 and is now run on Everest day, having previously been a ballot exemption race for the Epsom.

Another highlight of the day is the country cups, one being in Bowraville in the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, the Dalby Cup in the Western Downs of Queensland, and the Mount Magnet Cup in the historic Midwest WA gold mining town of Mount Magnet, and they called it Mount Magnet because the current historic townsite had a prominent hill to the west, which seemed to be a magnet for idiots looking for gold.

Fun fact, if you look north from Mount Magnet, it is exactly true north.

Of course, this Sunday also features the Flemington meeting for the Oaks and Derby previews, a meeting that in recent years was as a midweek meeting at the end of September, one of the few midweeks to be held at Flemington outside of Melbourne Cup week, the other being ANZAC Day when it falls on a weekday.

So it’s on to Crazy Craig, and would you believe it, ANOTHER WINNER came up last week as Arkansaw Kid, with the power of Bill Clinton’s saxophone…. a set of Lucky Lips good enough for the White House!

The Caitlyn Jenner Pick: Buckaroo (No.2, Barrier 8) E/W in the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield (MR7), 3:40pm AEST

1800m WFA Group 1

Trainer: Chris Waller, Jockey: Blake Shinn, 59kg

Hello hello everybody, it’s Craaaazy Craig TBFB, Scratchie King of Bairnsdale, and once again our charitable cause rampages on with another winner to keep the scratchies flowing onto the streets of Bairnsdale, all in the name of PULLING UP THE DOWN ON THEIR LUCK!

Because that’s what good blokes do, they RAISE up those who would otherwise be slumped to their knees in despair!

Some people use scratchies, others use stubbies of beer… on that note, hello Crazy Colin!

Anyway, this week I’m going to do a seldom seen attempt at a Group 1 double – The Underwood into the Rupert Clarke, and we’ll kick it off with the Underwood and an old South Park clip…

BUCKLE UP, BUCKAROO!

The Robbie Williams Pick: Angel Capital (No.9, Barrier 13) in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield (MR9), 4:20pm AEST

1400m Group 1 Handicap

Trainer: Chris Waller, Jockey: Damian Lane, 53.5kg

And through it all
He offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I’m right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won’t break me
When I come to call
He won’t forsake me
I’m lovin’ Angel Capital instead

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!