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

Alright friends, as the rains tumble down on Perth and wash away the Ascot meeting, we have arrived at the end of the Rosehill carnival with the running of the Group 1 Tancred Stakes and the Vinery Stud Stakes, the last of the lead-up races to the old AJC Derby next week with the Tulloch Stakes, plus the Emancipation and the Doncaster Prelude for the great Randwick mile on Day 1 of the Championships.

And, Flemington hosts the time honoured Australian Cup, the last Group 1 of the Autumn in Melbourne, and a race that at one point in history was run over 3621 metres, a lazy 2 furlongs more than the Melbourne Cup, then was shortened to 2821 metres in 1963, and eventually became 2000 metres when the metric system kicked in, and I would like to present a 25th anniversary edition of the Australian Cup…

2001, when Northerly got a taste of weight-for-age racing, sat three wide and still destroyed the field (Which included Caulfield Cup winner Diatribe) with a course record time, becoming the first horse to crack the Flemington 2000m in under 2 minutes.

Another odd fact – That race was held the day before Peter Hayes had his fatal plane crash.

So it’s on to Crazy Craig, and last weekend it was GOLD, GOLD, GOLD MEDALS for Crazy Craig – Another winner for the madman!

The John Denver Pick: Idle Flyer (No.6, Barrier 5) in Race 7 at Rosehill (SR7), 4pm AEDT

1500m Group 2 F&M Emancipation Stakes

Trainer: Matthew Smith, Jockey: Zac Lloyd, 56kg

Hello hello everybody it’s Crazy Craig TBFB, Scratchie King of Bairnsdale, and I figured after actually picking a bloody winner, I just had to come back and try and bring myself back down to reality, and there’s no better day to do it than a day with 2 of the great Group 1s on the card, which were both won by some deadset legends like Octagonal and Makybe Diva…

Now you’d be lucky to just win 1 of them!

Anyway, we’ll start the day off with the Tancred card at Rosehill, and I’ve gone to the favourite in Race 7, who has a name that could’ve been a John Denver reference…

IDLE FLYER.

“Don’t know when I’ll be back again…”

Well, we found out the bloody answer!

The Liam Neeson Pick: Taken (No.12, Barrier 18) E/W in Race 10 at Flemington (MR10), 5:35pm AEDT

1600m Royal Ascot Handicap

Trainers: Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr), Jockey: Jamie Melham, 54.5kg

I don’t know who you are.

I don’t know what you want.

If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don’t have money.

But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.

If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you.

But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.

“Good luck.”

Crazy Crappy Group 1 Picks

Vinery Stud Stakes: Belle Cheval (No.2, Barrier 2)

Tancred Stakes: Aeliana (No.9, Barrier 8)… still I wouldn’t be putting any money on it

Australian Cup: Leica Lucy (No.10, Barrier 3)

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!