Wednesday, November 6

THE MELBOURNE CUP WE HAD TO HAVE

To quote former Prime Minister Paul Keating – Vow and Declare was “The Melbourne Cup Winner We Had to Have.”

It’s been a rough old Spring for lovers of the sport of kings.

Scandals, reports of the horrible mistreatment of ex-racehorses, Melbourne and Sydney in a dick measuring contest over who has a better race day, animal activists/protesters hijacking the media limelight and then some – it wasn’t hard to feel disheartened by the race that stops the nation.

Then came race day and the big race and we remembered why it’s such a special event on the Australian sporting calendar.

With the cup dominated by international horses, some folk were cynical about the race not being Australian enough.

Low and behold – an Australian horse in Vow and Declare won it becoming the first Aussie horse to win the race since Shocking in 2009.

And while you may not have backed it, you can’t help but feel a little patriotic that an Australian Horse got the job done in Australia’s biggest race.

It was also one of the great Cup finishes with Master of Reality being swapped by the field in the finals meters of the race, along with a protest for second and third in what added some thrilling drama to the finish.

But this is the great thing about the Melbourne Cup now being an international race – when an Aussie horse wins it – it’s Australia showing the world how it’s done, and that’s what Vow and Declare did yesterday at Flemington.

Any future Melbourne Cup victories by an Australian Horse can be now up there with Australia II in the America’s Cup, Perkins from lane 8 or Cathy in 2000.

Having an Aussie Horse winning the Cup yesterday proved how special it is, and if it’s now a case of Us v Them – I welcome it.

The thoughts Dylan Leach of are not necessarily those of Neds and its parent company, GVC Australia.

WHO LET THE DOGS (TIPS) OUT?

The Horses have had all the limelight of recent so we’re focusing in on the Greyhounds for our tip of the day.

Neds resident Dishlicker Delicatessen has focused in on the action at Wentworth Park tonight and has Tough Tears in Race 6 as his best bet of the day.

“Blusta Valley has been racing well and looms as a live each-way chance in the third at Wentworth Park ($5/$2 at publish). The four-year-old mustered an eye-catching turn of foot to finish second over 305m at Grafton last time out and should be given every opportunity to replicate that performance from the inside box.”

UNDER THE BRIDGE

Absolute scenes from this morning’s insane Champions League game between Chelsea and Ajax.

The two sides served up an absolute treat of Football in a match that consisted of eight goals, two penalties and a three-goal comeback from Chelsea.

Of course, VAR got in the way. 

Naturally, the fans at Stamford Bridge went a little insane after what they saw.