October
AugustSecond comes right after first
Many Winning Post readers will remember the great Manikato’s first win at Cranbourne. We were students back then and couldn’t afford to take the twos-on, so we cast our astute eyes over the field and found a nice compact little horse called Super Cavalier at 200s or 100s each way.
It’s history now that Manikato won by half the length of the straight, but little Super Cavalier battled on gamely to run second. We adjourned to the bar with our winnings, thinking 25s the place was pretty damn good.
The point is, what is wrong with coming second? We came second. We collected. We didn’t cry. Super Cavalier certainly didn’t. We were thrilled. So should silver medalists at the Games be.
Admittedly the bar had been set pretty low pre Games with Adam Scott’s capitulation in the last four holes of the British Open, but if the Australian team managers wanted gold so desperately the situation could have so easily been reversed.
Just a simple examination of every competitor’s video collection is the answer. Just confiscate any tapes of Greg Norman, Collingwood grand finals of the ’60s, ’70s or ’80s or Shane Dye’s ride on Veandercross. Then sit them all down to watch tapes of Black Caviar and Stephen Bradbury until they learn to become winners.
Not that there’s anything wrong with silver. The Lone Ranger chased marauding Indians yelling "Hi! Ho! Silver!"
Imagine him in pursuit with a cry of "Hi! Ho! Goldie!" or even "Hi! Ho! Bronzey!" He would have been scalped first day on the job.
Susan Boyle even came second in her talent show final. Remind me again who or where the winners are these days. They are on the corner of some street in East London doing a few backflips with the cap out collecting coins. Susan now has enough money to buy Greece, Spain and another cat.
Charlie Chaplin during his career even came second in a Charlie Chaplin lookalike competition. The winner never kicked on, but Charlie went on to make a string of classic movies that (unlike Susan Boyle) never require the mute button.
So always remember there is nothing wrong with second place or silver and 25s the place the runner-up is always better than twos-on the winner.
Cranbourne South (Vic)