October
NovemberWinners win
As a fellow member of that oppressed minority, the Anglo-Celtic males of Australia, I feel for Dennis (Dok) O’Keefe (12/11).
When, oh when, will the “gender equality brigade” (GEB) stop sticking its nose into activities that should be our exclusive preserve? Racing, for example?
Seriously, though, I think even the GEB would recognise that an owner has the right to put the jockey of his (or her!) choice on his (or her!) horse.
It’s the thinking behind those choices that might reasonably be questioned.
In the case of Michelle Payne, you wouldn’t have to be a card-carrying member of the GEB to wonder why, once healthy, she wasn’t reunited with Prince of Penzance.
After all, under her inspired ride he had become the least credentialled Melbourne Cup winner since Brew (2000).
Admittedly Prince of Penzance never made it to the 2016 Melbourne Cup.
But when other owners were casting around for riders in the weeks before the race, one could again wonder why none thought to call on M. Payne (Melbourne Cup record: two rides, one 100/1 win).
After all, they did call on Frankie Dettori, who when it comes to the Melbourne Cup has a record of butchery to rival Vlad the Impaler.
They also called on 17 other blokes (and one woman) who have something in common with Frankie, but not with Michelle — they’ve never won a Melbourne Cup.
There was a claiming apprentice in there, and one or two others whose names don’t exactly scream “Group 1 specialist”.
But would you believe it? One of the five who had won the Cup before, won it again!
Just fancy that.
Cremorne (Vic)