SELECTIONS - 28 August 2006

POOMA selections:

There are no POOMA selections today

Non-POOMA selections (and ruffies in red below):

Echuca 5-3, 8-5, 9-2

Lay of the Day: With only two meetings today and some of the shorties looking like having real chances it's quite hard to come up with one to pot. However, as this is a daily pick and I have to go for one I'll pick Goulburn 2-2 Hannabah $2.50 even though she, too, looks to have a strong chance - [LOTD 19 from 23]

Today: Echuca and Goulburn, eh? I was at Goulburn a few years back, as I had a couple of horses running (both finished 3rd) and was walking on the road behind the grandstand when a movement up ahead on the ground caught my eye. Focusing on it, I saw that it was a baby snake about 12 inches long, a dull gray/black colour with yellow/orange stripes. I thought, "Is that a Tiger Snake?", remembering that they strike at the drop of a hat. Authorities will tell you that they live quite peacefully until they're disturbed at which point they'll strike. How the heck can you be anywhere near one without disturbing it? There's a good reason that the bastard things have the reputation for aggression that they do (along with Funnel Web spiders). Just as I was contemplating the above a gentlemen walked down the road from the opposite direction, reading his formguide and entirely oblivious to the potential danger that lay just metres, and a few years of growth, away. The other potential serpentine breed that it could have been was a Red Bellied Black Snake, a relatively benign and timid fellow. However, the answer as to who its parents were was answered when the little bugger lifted itself up into the familiar S shape that a Tiger Snake assumes when preparing to strike and lashed out at the leg of the erstwhile unaware perambulating punter, missing by a good two feet. The bloke continued on past me never knowing the dire threat he had faced. About this time, my mate had joined me and I asked him to confirm the identity of the radarless, striped slitherer. He worked with horses and out in the paddocks all day and knew exactly what it was. Attracted by the commotion caused by a few people standing and staring at the ground, an old feller from the Salvation Army left his spot, chosen wisely next to the IN gate and not the OUT gate, and walked down the road. Spotting the snake on the ground ahead of him he decided that the best thing to do was to shoo it away so he took off his hat and waved it next to the snake. Now thoroughly agitated in a way that I only get when accosted by charity collectors dressed in koala suits, the little thing lashed out repeatedly at the hat. He really had quite poor aim. My mate pointed out that these things are a real menace for horses and that we had to do it in. An excellent plan, methinks. Assuming the pose of interested bystander I was asking my mate how 'we' (being anyone other than me) should achieve this outcome when a hefty bloke wearing great big boots happened along, saw the problem, lifted a large right foot and brought it crashing down with an effectiveness that ended the need for me to get an answer to my enquiry. Figuring that a small Tiger Snake might have a fully grown companion in the vicinity we wisely retreated to the pavillion. In race 3 there only look to be three chances: 1, 3 & 11 assuming the first starters are no good. 4-2 Eddie Rapido was a Lay Of The Day two starts back when running home well for 3rd at Wagga. He put in a similar performance last start at this track and the slight step up in trip will suit. 8-1 Nip The Tip looks the goods for the Hawkes/Beadman Jr combination. I've never been to Echuca so can't tell you any stories though my mate Roger has been and can. Remember to bring your own NoDoze, though. There's nothing that really stands out but I'll definitely be checking out the prices of the Moody runners in races 3, 5 & 6, as they look in winnable events. The first race is pretty amazing in that the entire field of 3YOs is unraced. That must be quite a rare happening. For the record, and having no idea of the trials etc, I'll go for 12-Tricky Vicky, as she's by Viscount and that sire seems to be getting quite a few nice horses.

Yesterday: It ended up being a fair day yesterday with the POOMA and the nominated horses elsewhere all doing the right thing. Escadaire's performance had a lot of merit given he did all of the work up front. He can go on with it. In the last race at Ballarat, First Cru showed that she has a fair amount of talent and if she went to town for a midweek race she'd sneak in on the limit and be competitive. In the Hurdle at Hamiltom, Wild Kingdom won at his debut over jumps helped along by another tip top ride from Paddy Payne. He's a fair flat performer so you'd expect him to win a couple more hurdles as he goes up in grade. In race 6 there, Fulta was back last but picked them up like they were nailed down to win impressively. She's a lightly raced 6YO mare that must have had problems after her first start, as she didn't race for nearly a year and a half after that. The way she won today she'll be winning again soon. Consolidation did a rare thing in the last race at Hamilton and won at his 2nd start in Class 1 company when coming off a Maiden win. He is another who looks like he'll go through his grades and is definitely worth following.

POOMAs: Another POOMA selection landed the prize when Escadaire got home at Ballarat. He was a well backed favourite and paid a bit over $3 on the totes.

LOTD: Caesar's Jewels started $3 at the Sunshine Coast, had a good run and threatened to win but just failed to run out a strong 1300m and finished 3rd.