Alright friends, it’s the long weekend in South Australia, the ACT and Victoria, with nowhere else special enough to get another public holiday, with the Adelaide Cup lying in wait on Monday, while the little highlight for the Mexicans is the Newmarket Handicap Day at Flemington, which no longer features the Australian Cup after it was moved back to the end of the month, a far cry from the days when you’d get the Newmarket on the Saturday, while the Australian Cup was on the long weekend Monday…

But, on the bright side, they’ve got the All-Star Mile again, now with a Group 1 badge!

Of course, the fun fact about the Newmarket Handicap is that it’s one of only 2 races at Flemington that can hold 24 runners.

The other race?

The Melbourne Cup.

Another fun fact, this year is 20 years since Takeover Target won the Newmarket Handicap, backing his up his Lightning Stakes win and overrunning the future super sire Snitzel, Golden Slipper winner Stratum, and the future sprinting queen Miss Andretti:

That made Takeover Target only the second horse after Bart Cummings’ Maybe Mahal to ever win all three sprinting Group 1s at Flemington (The Salinger/Champions Sprint, the Lightning and Newmarket), and that win got Joe Janiak an invite to Royal Ascot to run in the King’s Stand Stakes…

And 3 months later, one of the greatest bargain buys in Australian racing history delivered the goods, won the race, and was rated as the World’s Best Sprinter in due course.

And for the other plebians of Australia, we also have the Bunbury Cup, the Group 1 Randwick/Canterbury Guineas and Canterbury Stakes at Randwick, named as such because they used to be the only Group 1 races held at Canterbury Racecourse, with the Randwick Guineas being the first leg of the 3YO Triple Crown.

So after that history lesson it’s on to Crazy Craig, and you can say same old shit different week for Crazy Craig, because he still hasn’t found a winner since that double on Lightning Stakes Day…

Just like he can’t land himself a winning scratchie ticket.

The Seasonal Pick: Autumn Boy (No.1, Barrier 3) in The Randwick Guineas (SR8) at Randwick, 4:35pm AEDT

1600m Group 1 3YO Set Weights

Trainer: Chris Waller, Jockey: James McDonald, 56.5kg

He’s won in the Winter, he’s won in the Spring, he’s won in the Summer, now we have to find out…

CAN AUTUMN BOY WIN IN THE AUTUMN?

The Aha Pick: Ahha Ahha (No.11, Barrier 5) E/W in Race 8 at Flemington (MR8), 4:15pm AEDT

1600m Group 3 Mares

Trainer: Clinton McDonald, Jockey: Ben Melham, 55kg

One letter removed from Aha, one letter removed from Abba….

Still, the last time I checked Abba didn’t create the most successful music video of the 1980s!

Crazy Crappy Group 1 Picks

All-Star Mile: Tom Kitten (No.1, Barrier 7)

Canterbury Stakes: Lady Shenandoah (No.7, Barrier 9)

Newmarket Handicap: Tentyris (No.2, Barrier 12)

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!