The Melbourne Cup has always been a tradition in my house. I remember growing up during my school years
and making sure that I was always home,
to be around for that time of the afternoon when the “Race That Stopped
a Nation” ran – I am wondering how the teachers never cottoned-on to that as every year, on the first Tuesday
of November, I would be home and sick!
Or, at worst come home at half day because of a sudden onset of migraine that needed me to go home to my bed.
This was an event that my mum and I shared together: Every Sunday prior to the race we would be
scouring the papers, getting all the latest mail and advice from the columnists
so that we could make our informed choices then mum would make her way down to
the local TAB so that she could put on our bets – which for my mum was a huge
event as she would walk in and throw herself on the mercy of one of the tab
locals to find out how to fill in the cards.
On her return from the TAB, back in front of the tv armed with all sorts
of goodies to watch the flamboyance and glitz, we would sit patiently waiting
for the parade of champions.
Think Big, Van der Hum, Gold & Black, Arwon, Hyperno, Subzero,
Jeune, Saintly, Might & Power and Jezabeel – to name a few…we stood up and
cheered them all home…willing each one on to victory. Not forgetting of course
the year that the Goondiwindi Grey ran third carrying a massive 60kg. These moments were certainly a highlight of
my childhood and they are memories that I will always have and cherish.
And the rich stories that have come to light from the journeys of these
horses to actually get to the race. In fact, the magical stories that come from the Melbourne Cup are probably more important than the Cup itself.
In conversation with a friend the other day I was shocked to hear myself
talking the great race down… and further I wondered how I had become so cynical
of the actual thoroughbred industry itself.
This year the Melbourne Cup is a totally different race. No longer is it the reachable dream of the
battler owner-trainer who has a horse that "goes-good". Remember Snowy Lupton
& Kiwi, Les Bridge & Kensei, George Hanlon & Arwon or even the
fairy tale inaugural Melbourne Cup winner Archer - who walked from Nowra to Melbourne to take his place in the race.
Rather now, the Cup is a race
of the internationally bred high-dollar flyers who also come with their own
overseas-grown jockey. Interestingly enough, the actual timing of the race
itself is also geared towards overseas betting markets.
It really goes deeper than that:
Australians no longer breed stayers because the race clubs are no longer
scheduling staying races. Which means
when it comes time for the Melbourne Cup, the cupboard is bare.
The racing industry these days is now geared towards early 2YO sprint
racing with the State bonus schemes also encouraging with enormous winning
bonuses.
I have never been an advocate of early 2YO racing when clearly most horses
are not mentally capable or physically mature enough to handle the whole
business of racing. Hand in hand with 2YO racing are the yearling sales that
encourages a yearling horse to be grown
artificially to the size of a 3YO.
Is horse racing now all about those who have the most money to spend on a
horse, a service fee or yearling?
Is it about growing them quickly and not realizing their full potential so that they can win the bonus scheme
money?
Or is it about rearing a foal with love and nurturing it through its first few
years until it’s mentally and physically ready to be broken in?
Yes I will be watching the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday and I will be
thinking of the fond times that I spent with my mum, however, there will be no
fairy tale finish in 2011.
After all these years I still hold the dream of breeding a stayer; a
Macdougal, or a Gold and Black – I guess you never know what tomorrow may
bring.
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