Guess what's not too far away? That's right - the Melbourne Cup.
So, you've only got about seven weeks to agonise over your selections, search every lead-up race for a horse you need for your trifectas and First4s only to change your mind on the morning of the race. And, of course, then watch that horse dash home for third at $20 a place.
But this piece isn't about this year's Cup. It's about the coolest Melbourne Cup winner this side of Flemington. Older readers will recall Subzero's 1992 Melbourne Cup win. But his career post-racing has been even more entertaining. He was a clerk of the course's horse for Racing Victoria for almost 15 years only to be ‘‘retired'' by the onset of arthritis.
Nothing sub-standard about Subzero
His temperament is outstanding, which is why he is used as a promotional tool for the Melbourne Cup, visiting schools and allowing the kids to pat him.
And it's pretty obvious he's a true-blue Aussie, judging by this quote from his owner, Graham Salisbury, courtesy of racing.com.
‘‘I'll have a barbecue at home and might have 30 or 40 people over, and I'll just open up his paddock and he wanders up to the house and will swan around with all the people so they all give him a pat.
‘‘He'll have a carrot and some bread from the kids, then he'll have a stubbie and away he'll go. I used to give him a can, but he'd crush them, so we're back to stubbies for Subbie now.''
Sheer genius.
Time to get serious
So, we need to talk about the Lazy Fiver. It's had several incarnations since I introduced it to this page in early 2013. There have been patches of brilliance largely overshadowed by general mediocrity (speaking of which, General Mediocrity would be a great name for a horse - an average one, naturally).
The problem has been there's no great pressure on me to get it right, other than the waves of abuse I get from people such as a certain cricketer who once scored 249 not out in a second grade game 20 years ago.
That's changed.
The kind people at the TAB bookmakers' desk are offering up $25 for me to put on the Lazy Fiver each week.
All you have to do is email me each week with the correct answer to my topical question and I'll draw a name out of the correct answers. That person will have $25 on the nose of the Lazy Fiver. As such, don't be surprised if I back some $2.50 or $2 shots. I want to give you a return!
Please include your full name (no fake names) and your contact phone number. Entries close each Thursday at 9am.
First question for next week: Which horse won the Hannon Memorial in Oamaru last Sunday?
Lazy Fiver
I see no reason why Arden's Concord can't win again in race 2 at Ascot Park on Sunday, particularly as he stays in the same grade. Get on.
