A WEEKLY REVIEW

The Good

Closer to Eureka Stockade than Regal protocol, Harold Dwyer took the honours this week by giving his mare, Asfoora, preference over an audience with King Charles at Royal Ascot.

Dwyer, from Ballarat, the scene of the gold miner’s rebellion against the Crown in 1851, interrupted the meeting with His Highness to saddle Asfoora and make sure she was right, and on time, for her engagement in the Group One sprint.

King Charles was chivalrous and granted the trainer’s request to postpone the chat until after the race. Some reports indicated he wanted to talk about his school days in Victoria. Cynics figured he was more interested in the tip.

Anyway, Asfoora did what five other Australian sprinters achieved in the event, made possible by Newcastle trainer Paul Perry who transported Choisir to Royal Ascot in 2003 when it was regarded as mission impossible. Choisir was followed by Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007), Scenic Blast (2009) and Nature Strip (2022): all topliners and superior to Asfoora making it more of a gamble.

“It’s an incredibly expensive trip,” Dwyer commented with a good idea of figures having studied accountancy. Owner Akram El-Fahkri, second generation migrant with Lebanese bloodlines, was satisfied and later decreed; “It is one of the most satisfying things to win a race here.”

Cost came to the fore in a tweet from champion American trainer and Ascot regular Wesley Ward to Racing Post: “The money we run for at Ascot wouldn’t be even the equivalent of a maiden race in the states”.

Asfoora earned $(A)729,000 for the triumph while the $3 million Stradbroke at Eagle Farm on the same weekend returned connections $1.8 million with far less overheads.

Perhaps successes by the Swans and South Sydney hardly had Royal patronage but can’t be overlooked.

The Rabbits scored their fourth successive win, hip-hip hurrah for new coach Ben Hornby, rekindling a semblance of the renowned spirit, against a below strength Sea Eagles with an out of touch Cody Walker but had Damien Cook, Jye Gray and Keaon Koloamatangi firing.

Small enough to ride at Randwick, Gray at his first start after a spell filled in admirably for Latrell Mitchell while Koloamantangi regained the power and purpose he had to gain State Of Origin status last season.

The Swans did as expected against GWS with the debut of Caiden Cleary, noteworthy because he kicked a goal with his first touch of the ball.

Max Gruzewski also had his initial game for GWS with two goals, but AFL make it memorable for players with the introductions to the major grade having families present when they get their first-grade jersey.

Hopefully Liam Le Blanc, who opened his innings for South Sydney last Saturday, was also given something to remember. Le Blanc, from Queensland, only had a short stint on the field but looked promising.

The Bad

“Gil picks up the TAB – but it’s mug punters who pay, as usual”, headlined the Fitz Files in the Sydney Morning Herald (June 22, 2024) by my former stablemate Peter FitzSimons.

Fitz gave his interpretation of statements by Gillon McLachlan sounding positive after recently taking over the reins at Tabcorp.

“We have so many platforms for mugs to lose their money on and it will be so alluring for them that we’ll all be rolling it for years to come ….,” Fitzy analysed McLachlan speak.

Actually Tabcorp, the major financial artery for New South Wales racing for one, isn’t going that flash. Punters and the racing industry, frowned upon by Fitzy, contributes more than $1 billion in Federal and State taxes annually and the economic value to the economy is estimated to exceed $5 billion per year.

“At least the money we suck out of the mugs stays here in Australia so that is something yes? “Fitzy again.

It certainly is. Consider the opposition to Tabcorp, the Corporates, that have the chaff to advertise excessively and send shareholder dividends abroad.

Mug punters, the bane of Fitzy’s bile? Dave the Dasher, a racecourse gad about and expert on the subject, rated mugs inferior but necessary along the lines of India having “untouchables”. Mugs here are very touchable, as in gullible.

Not all horse players are mugs. Some win, many get pleasure out of having a bet. You don’t degrade people for buying lotto tickets and racing is a four-legged lottery. Mugs could be what I term as punt-drunks. Like alcoholics who drink to excess they just have to have a bet.

Bill Mordey, journalist and fight promoter, was the epitome of a punt drunk but never regretted his habit. “Break Even Bill” wouldn’t leave a poker machine motionless or a Tab agency below turnover average. He gambled millions. When enforcers, “the toe cutters”, were collecting unpaid debts, accrued from SP bookmakers, from mugs the settling was a toe for every month the bet was outstanding. Mordey pronounced: “You’ve still got 10 months to settle”.

Recently I finished the audio version of Fitzy’s “The Last Charge Of the Australian Light Brigade”, a wonderful story, magnificently written and related, mentioning two of my heroes Bill The Bastard, one of Australia’s greatest horses and Banjo Paterson.

Bill The Bastard was a better weight carrier than Phar Lap and superior stayer to Carbine excelling over the Gallipoli course and distance and made Simpson’s donkey look like well? A donkey.

Paterson? He was a punter. Who would call him a mug?

On the downside, too, this week the announcement that Damian Cook was leaving South Sydney. Cook is one of the club’s greatest hookers. Yes, the position has changed since Ernie Hammerton, my first for the red and green in the 1950’s when a rake basically had to win the ball in the scrum. Our Elwyn Walters and George Piggins were outstanding in and out of the scrum, and Isac Luke makes up my best for the Rabbits. Luke wasn’t the side that won the 2014 Premiership but without him they wouldn’t have made it.

The Ugly

Criticism of Billy Slater, the Queensland coach and former Tulloch Lodge strapper, for perceived misdemeanours on the field regurgitated the advice “what happens on the field should stay on the field”.

Jack Rayner, the great South Sydney captain-coach and better man, stressed this when I asked him why, in a Sportsground clash between the Rabbits and Newtown the vice squad copper, and alleged lug biter, Frank (Bumper) Farrell for Newtown took off after the little master, Clive Churchill, with at least maiming in mind. “Jack, not for publication but what did Churchill do to make Bumper lose his cool?” I questioned. “What happens during a game field stays on the field.” Jack replied.

During the Sports Ground incident Rayner chased Bumper shouting: “Frank, remember you are in the force”. Bumper, who denied taking a piece out of a rival’s ear due to lack of teeth, shouted what Rayner could do with the force and what he was going to do to Churchill.

Finally Bernie Purchill, another Rabbit great, had to take a hand, applied two fists in fact, and he and Bumper were sent off.

Newspaper reports indicated they had strong words exiting but asked about the confrontation Purcell commented: “I’ll see you at the Cauliflower (pub) later and we’ll work on our defence (before the judiciary)”.

Protocol was maintained. They were off the field.