October
OctoberHooked, and loving it
We recently attended our first Cox Plate and were in awe of Winx’s dominant eight-length win, a win that will surely catapult her to a rating as the best horse in the world. On the turn for home, the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I had goosebumps (not from the cold) as the crowd rose as one to give her a standing ovation. It was incredible.
The only other time I have experienced that sensation on a racetrack was watching Black Caviar, ridden by Luke Nolen, winning the Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley in 2012. Prior to that it was fair to say I had only a passing interest in racing. Since then, in an effort to educate myself further, I have been a regular buyer of the Winning Post and look forward to Friday’s arrival with much anticipation.
I particularly enjoyed the article on the Nolen family (22/10) by Alan Nicholls, a journalist I can’t remember having read before but look forward to reading more of in the future. Because for me it was Black Caviar that first stirred my interest in the thoroughbred, I found the Nolens’ story interesting and informative. It gave an excellent insight into what makes great horsemen and women, in this case over three generations. I look forward to many more untold grass-roots stories.
As relative newcomers to the thoroughbred world, we are now well and truly hooked on a disease that I’m reliably informed is curable only by death. Thank you, Black Caviar; thank you, Winning Post; thank you Winx.
Bendigo (Vic)