The race that stops the nation

So yesterday was Melbourne Cup Day.

For Australians, that will be fairly self-explanatory. For the rest of the world, I should explain.

I have the fortune of coming from the most sports-mad country on earth. One article I read recently suggested that it was because it was the only thing we did better than the rest of the world (not sure about that – I think our annual alcohol consumption has to be up there with the Germany’s and Russia’s of the international data…) but whatever the reason, we are mad for pretty much anything sporting, and crown our sports heroes the way Americans worship movie stars and the Czechs chess players.

There are several annual highlights of the sporting calendar – the Australian Tennis Open, the AFL Grand Final, the Boxing Day Test, but none has the glamour and universality of the Melbourne Cup. Australia has the distinction of being the only country on earth that stops for a horse race. Yes – the pinnacle of the Spring Racing Carnival is the $3 million Melbourne Cup and literally the entire country comes a standstill at 3.00p.m. on the first Tuesday of November to watch. It is a public holiday in Melbourne, and those who don’t actually go to the races, go to barbeques and luncheons. For the rest of the country, TVs are wheeled out in banks, offices and restaurants, and anybody strolling the streets madly finds the nearest electronics store so that they can watch the TV in the window.

This year’s cup was a massive win for the bookies. Apparently over $200 million was bet on the race this year, but the favourites are still running so the bookies have completely cleaned up. I remember watching them load up the horses into the starting gates and one of the commentators said “now there’s Delta Blues, who could be interesting – he has been overlooked in the pre-Cup lead-up but I think he has the ability” etc. etc. – and I thought, “that’s who I should have put my $5 bet on! Of course he went on to win, stunning the nation. I had put a bet on the horse that came second – Pop Rock, purely because I liked the name, but resisted my father’s suggestion that I double my $5 bet to allow for a place as well as a win, so lost my money!! (also an annual tradition!)

One thing that traditionally bugs me when watching sporting events is the post-race, post-match interview with the winner, when they are heaving and panting so much that they can barely speak, and all they really want to do is go to the changerooms and hug Mum, but they have to talk to Bruce McAvaney or some other twit about how thrilled they are. And no event bugs me than when they do this for the Melbourne Cup. Some git on a horse goes out with a microphone and chases the winning jockey around the turf, trying to get some sense out of him. And in this case, not only is the jockey exhausted and puffing, but he is trotting up and down on a horse, so you only get about one word in three anyway. So I was absolutely thrilled when they attempted this yesterday with the winning jockey. Problem was – he was (is!) Japanese. So his response to all the silly questions hurled at him was, “Berry Happy…Supa Hoss…Berry Happy…Berry Happy”. I was laughing myself silly – thought it was brilliant. Sadly, I don’t think it will deter them from doing it again next year, although I sincerely hope this chap comes back and repeats the performance!

Anyway – my actual point was a great story that I missed on the news last night. My parents screamed at me to come running to the TV to get the kick story on the news, but by the time I made it to the living room it had finished. And then, in between the prime-time news and the late news, the Senate voted to overturn the ban on stem-cell research, so as you can imagine, there wasn’t too much time for feel-good Afghanistan stories in the late news. But I will give you the story now, and a picture I have taken from The Daily Telegraph website – I hope that by linking and crediting I am not committing any copyright violations? This gave me a good chuckle…

Troops celebrate the Cup

COURAGE won the day as Australian troops in Afghanistan celebrated the Melbourne Cup with a race of their own.

Not to be outdone by the celebrations back home, the diggers yesterday held the inaugural TK – short for Tarin Khowt where they are based – Derby donkey race at the Australian base in southern Afghanistan.
The field was slightly smaller – six donkeys – and the course a little shorter than the two miles run at Flemington – the donkeys did one lap of the ring road inside the Australian base.
Lieutenant Colonel Mick Ryan, commander of the Australian task force, said the race was won by Trooper Tim Brush, from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Darwin, who was riding a donkey called Courage.
"We had six riders, all the riders were Australian soldiers ... and that was followed by a big Aussie barbecue," Lt Col Ryan said.
"The race went very well. It was quite a bit slower than a normal horse race, of course, but there were no injuries and all the riders completed the race."
Lt Col Ryan presented the victorious jockey with a polished replica of the Melbourne Cup which was made by soldiers in the workshop.
This morning the troops enjoyed a breakfast before watching the big race live on satellite television.

hmmm - the jolly picture is not uploading at the moment. I will post this and then try to add the picture later