When asked why the Australians were so good at sport, Dame Edna Everage said it was because of:
'Good food and diet; open air life; juicy steaks; sunshine - and the total absence of any kind of intellectual distraction.'
The re-named Everage Street is three minutes walk from Mooney Valley Racecourse in the Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds. Re-named in honour of the Dame who began her stage career in 1965 as an 'average Australian housewife' from Moonee Ponds.
Melbourne has a host of great racecourses. Moonee Valley, Caulfield, Sandown and, of course, the finest which is Flemington, the home of the Melbourne Cup. The Newmarket Handicap equally was always an exciting race.
The year I was there a fairy tale occurred. A little known horse called Dor Kon won it at large odds. It was an emotive win because the horse had been singled out for shipping to Japan for the horsemeat markets. Why? I cannot remember. Maybe because of injury. Maybe because he wouldn't make the grade and as he was gelded, would not retire to a stud.
The end result was that he was rescued and went on to win Australia's biggest sprint handicap. Dor Kon was not as glamorous as Black Caviar. The name is bland enough to become lost in the record books, but he had a big heart and was equally game.
Viva Dor Kon.
I was not a punter those days ,my father in- law gave me the Racing form from the Truth newspaper and asked me to go through the field.
ReplyDeleteThe name catches my attention so I started to go through his form.Winner of his last 11 races with 57 kg and times less than 58 sec and on the day was running if I’m not wrong he only had around 50 kg .
When I gave the Racing form back to Dad with DOR Kon marked he said to me that I should stick to soccer ( playing )
The next day when I went to his house for dinner he comes up to me and gives me $200 , a said thank you for the tip.
I looked at him and said what is a tip?
And he told me that DOR KON HAS won at 100/1 and he had backed it .
After a couple weeks he again gave me $200 because he backed the same horse in the Oakleith plate at 33/1 .
That’s what got me hooked in Racing and I Love it
This Melburne cup I like the runs of The CLIFFS OF MOHER but beware of Muntahaa Marmelo and the other British raiders Best Soloution and Yucatan
Good Luck