Melbourne Cup Day

[YM-Mundrabilla]

There is good news and bad news...........

Today, 5 November 2024 is the Melbourne Cup Day Public Holiday.

There are three cruise boats in town.

The sun is shining and the sky is blue and the temperature is around 25° C. For once Melbourne weather is perfect.

That's where the good news ends:

• Due to other commitments I didn't get out to take any photos.
• I picked both the winner (80 to 1, I believe) and second place getters in the Melbourne Cup but did not have a bet
• I don't gamble on horses, dogs and rarely on Tattslotto (only when I stand to win at least $40 million).

Oh well ..............

[Malcolm G]

I was told at an early age - Only back an absolute certainty, which as everyone knows does not exist. There are folk who believe otherwise which keeps bookmakers in business.
I also can pick winners, the only certainty being that if I back them then they will lose, probably spectacularly.

[Dartskipper]

Like Malcolm, I was also warned off betting at an early age, but my Dad did a bit of reverse psychology.When I mentioned betting on horses, he replied "How many poor bookmakers do you think there are?"

However, Mum did win 5 shillings on the football pools once. Vernons I think. (Dad did the Littlewoods coupon, because they paid out more he said!)

[Engine Serang]

Are youse all "Wee Free's"?

[Dartskipper]

We may not be quite exactly like the Inkspots, but......

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=3QxoSkribbU

[Engine Serang]

I note, with some......, that the winning Jockey was Irish. Have you none of your own?

[YM-Mundrabilla]

I was tempted to say that he was one of your mob but decided not to give you the credit.
Irish horses are bad enough .........................

[Engine Serang]

Motown saved us from the Ink Spots. But there are 4 of them and we don't know if they have Red Edged Bibles?

[Makko]

My Grandmother, uncle and aunt all emigrated to Oz. It could be said that, for many years, I had more family in OZ than ENG!

Anyway, my grandmother was quite a character, a skilled card player for cash. She loved to bet on the geegees and have her daily quarter of gin. During WW2, she found work on Wallasey Docks (Grandfather was a guest of the Germans at Milag Nord) driving trains and cranes. But I diverge.

My grandmother lived in Sydney, a short walking distance from a racecourse. I suppose that she thought that she had died and gone to heaven: Her days comprised of placing her bets, going to the racecourse to watch her horses win, go and pick her winnings up, drop by the pub next to her house for some Guinness and buy her gin, go home for a nap and, then, in the evening, go to the old people's social club, fleece people of their pensions at card games, drop by the Bingo (probably winning) and go home to bed. And, all the while, smoking four packs of cigarettes. Next day, repeat!, and so on!

There is another coincidence to this - Her father, Tommy Cann, was from Nor'n Ireland, Belfast to be precise. A staunch Orangeman. My Dad called him Pops, so when my daughter asked what my grandson should know me as, I said "Popps".

Pops or Tommy, used to say to my father, "Tis better to be lucky than rich!". I wonder where the gambling streak came from? I bet every year on the Grand National, no more than five pounds total for me, my wife and daughters, keeping alive a long tradition!

Rgds.
Dave

[Dartskipper]

Since ES didn't approve of the Inkspots, I found this classic about a horse that didn't win a race.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=XhAec0h4lds

[Varley]

Had Pa had an ear for music he could have written enough of those to recoup his losses.

[Saudisid]

The Owner of the Company my " Old Man " was Master with had Race horses. My Mother saw one was running one day . She put 2 bob each way on it. Came in. For a few months she had a jam jar with her winings in it. That was what she used for her flutters.. The Company was Maritime Shipping and Trading and the Qwner [ both of the Ships and the Horses was George Takmengi [ Spelling ]. It all happened in the mid 60's. Alan

[rustytrawler]

Around 5 years ago my aunt phoned me to say she had won £100 on a scratch card, true story i said well done buy yourself something nice, an hour later she rang me again saying that it was not £100 it is £1000, i told her to ring the number on the card, she phoned me again half an hour later, my ant is in her 80s..she had read it wrong again, two days later a man from the scratch card came to give her a cheque for £100,000. how about that.

[Varley]

Pa did those as well. Unfortunately never one of THOSE!