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Hello and welcome to ladies who punt. We are the podcast that makes racing make sense.
My name is Fiona Blair. And joining me for a warrnambool special today
is Grace Ramage. Hello, Grace.
Hello, F And hello, everybody listening and watching this great warrnambool May
carnival preview. It's a little bit different fee.
We're we're changing it up. Obviously, we've still got amazing Group One
racing around the nation over the coming weeks and in particular this weekend,
we've got the South Australian features at Morphe.
But it's all about the ball when it comes to, uh, the end of April and the start of May.
So what a better chance for us to dedicate a whole episode to talking all things.
And we're on a bit of a different schedule. It's Friday night when we're recording.
I'm actually in my PJS and have a glass of wine with me Grace to keep me company this episode.
So who knows how things are gonna go tonight? But, um,
really excited to chat to you about the ball. That's amazing,
because growing up, like with outside of racing, I just had no idea what the ball was
until you know, just a few years ago being being a part of the the racing community here
in Australia, and I still really don't get it like the the boom about it and why it's so
popular. But, uh, that's what we're going to decode in
this week's episode. We're going to talk about why this is a bucket
list carnival. We're gonna take a bird's eye view of the
entire week how it all, you know, the lay of the land of the Warrnambool carnival.
And then we're gonna go into a little bit of form Grace,
um, for day one, which is Tuesday. And then you've got a few warrnambool black
bookers that, uh, you're gonna share with us all up,
don't you, Grace? Yeah, exactly.
There's so much to cover, um, when it comes to warrnambool.
And the reason we're doing this on the Friday night is that it allowed us to dive into the
acceptances which came out on Friday morning. Um, meaning that we are all guns are
blazing, ready to launch. Well, I personally already have launched.
I've got quite a few bets in my bet. Slip already for day one of the bull.
But I must say F, I very poorly timed have come down with a little sniffle cough
thing. So instead of a wine with me, I have my
absolute favourite go to after dinner snack, which is,
and I put it in our newsletter recommendations one time.
But then I decided to never tell anyone else ever again until right now,
because it keeps selling out at Coles and it's Coco Bella chocolate coconut chocolate
flavoured coconut water.
But it sounds way worse than it is. I am addicted to it,
and it is just the perfect dinner stack. Yeah, you've poured me a glass or two on on
different occasions and can agree it is absolutely tasty.
10 out of 10 that drink.
Oh dear. Anyway, Grace, let's crack on to our
warrnambool special. So the first thing we're going to just
generally look at is why is warrnambool a bucket list carnival like,
Why do people make like yourself and your husband Ben,
you make the pilgrimage every year down to Warrnambool.
What is it about this carnival that makes it one you have to take off but also makes it the
type of carnival that people go back to year after year.
Yeah, well, it's exactly that. It is a carnival that if you know,
then you feel it, and you know how good it is. And like once you're there,
everybody just automatically is one giant community there for the exact same thing.
You can go talk to absolutely anyone. You'll see millions of,
like SP of racing celebrities like you'll see, um, that many people that are just there
shoulder to shoulder to shoulder with regular punters that are all there for the same reason.
So once you're there, you're there. But then when you talk to other people,
um, about it that have never been before, they're like,
Oh, well, what is it? I don't really understand what you're talking
about. So for me to try and explain to everybody why
Warrnambool is so great and what what it is.
The first thing about it, I think, is for me.
It is a sense of what racing used to be like back in the glory days,
when you see the pictures or the V or the vision of,
let's say, Flemington during Melbourne Cup Week, Um, you know,
just any race track over the last 100 years here in Australia,
where it's absolutely packed, like you cannot move anywhere.
Everybody is there because they love racing and they treat it with the respect that the sport
deserves and and always has had. They go in their their finest dress,
you know, racing attire in from Warrnambool May Carnival.
It's all about winter coats and hats.
Um, yes, there are plenty of punters there that are, you know,
in whatever jeans and everything, but they're still there,
respecting the sport and respecting the industry.
Um, for whatever they love about it, right?
Hail or shine. That's what it used to be like in the glory
days of racing. It was the number one thing to do.
It was the number one activity to do, and it doesn't matter what the conditions were.
There was no Oh, I might just sit on the couch and sit and watch Netflix.
It was, we're going to the races. Um, we're going and and it's a big activity.
It's a big outing. That's what Warrnambool.
Is still like. So, across the three days of the carnival,
um, they get about 30,000 people through the gates.
Um, it's, you know, it's a country track. It's not.
It's not a H. We're not talking like Flemington spaciousness
or anything, so it is absolutely packed.
Um, and then So that's the first part. It's literally like a slice of the glory golden
days of racing preserved in time, um, and and transported for us.
Now you can go and still feel that that's how I see it anyway.
But then when you're there is that sense of community, which I already referenced like you
can talk to absolutely anyone. I often will see,
you know, um, Simon Wild, who's a Warrnambool trainer that's renowned for having and
targeting a whole heap of his local horses to have a big warrnambool carnival,
a fantastic jumps trainer.
Um, you know, there'll be punters that will be saying, Hey,
Simon, what about this horse? And he'll walk over to them and and start
talking about it like it's just that sense of, um, of of a carnival where every single person
is equal because we're all there for the love of the sport and for that common,
um, uniting feeling of being there for the love of the sport.
So, yeah, that's what makes warrnambool so special for me.
Um, and I can't wait to get around it again on Monday morning.
OK, Grace. So you mentioned that the carnival is three
days long. I know that there's also a mix of flat and
jumps racing. Um, during those three days, so could you just
give us? Could you just provide us with an overview of
those three days? You know, how does it start out?
And what sort of the the the, uh, highlight of the three day carnival.
So if we're actually talking about what you can expect, I've I've given a good synopsis of the
feel of the place. But ultimately warrnambool May carnival is,
um, a racing feast. It is 30 races, I think,
1010 and 10. Um, and it's always going to be wet track,
and that's because they cater for the jumps horses.
And because of that, by race 30 on the final day, you can safely assume that the track is
just a ploughed paddock and there is no good lane anymore.
There's no clear there's no there's nothing that's fresh and and still like the best place
to be. It's just a complete ploughed paddock across
the track. So the the carnival is very famous for,
obviously the jumps racing that we have the only state in Australia to have jumps racing
here in Victoria and the May carnival is where the best jumpers come to be able to
win. And it's all about the prestige in some of the
big feature jumps races that we have across the three days.
Um, you know, looking back at some of the winners of these races,
like they they have gone down in history. Some of these horses are absolute champions,
I think of in the grand annual steeplechase, which is on the Thursday that is the number one
premier feature race across the carnival. Sort of like the Melbourne Cup of the Week.
I suppose, Um, that's the number one race, the grand annual steeplechase and some of the
horses that have won that, like, I think, back to ZM and gold medals,
not even that long ago, and the clashes that they were having that's written in that's
written in racing folklore. Now, um, they are such remarkable athletes,
these jumpers, so jumping is obviously to the fore of the carnival,
but scattered in between the jumps racing is plenty of flat racing as well.
Lots of Sprint races and two year old feature races for the Vos horses,
which have rich, rich prize money races.
Um, you've got the Warrnambool Cup, of course, on the Thursday for the stayers as well.
So in terms of I'll just breakdown what we can expect on Day one,
the Tuesday we've got the Briley steeple chase, which is the first of the big jumping features.
And it's over the 3400 and 50 metres. So 3450 metres.
It's a shorter distance than the grand annual, Um and and it is a steeplechase difference
between steeple chases and hurdles. Steeplechases are bigger obstacles.
Um, so horses need to be more experienced jumpers.
Um, horses can't go as fast because they need to really,
And and and they're so experienced at doing it, um, you know,
clear the jumps and clear the jumps. Well, so they go into them slower.
Um, so the the Briley Steeplechase is the first of the big jumping features,
and one of the other strange elements about the warrnambool may carnival that regular racing
people may not understand is that it is extremely common for horses to run in the
Brierly steeplechase on the Tuesday and then backup in the grand annual steeplechase two
days later over an even further distance.
That is a very common thing to do.
So built different, they are definitely just built different.
And one of my favourite things to do, um, is watch these jumpers in the mountain yard
because sometimes you wouldn't even need a strapper like these horses are just the most
docile, quiet ponies, you know, and they and they just know what their job is.
And they know that they don't have to con They don't need to waste any energy in the mountain
yard because they're gonna go around no energy safe and steady over the jumps,
and they know what their job is. So they're such beautiful creatures,
and they're so highly skilled at at jumping. So, um,
the Briley steeplechase is always a fantastic race.
Then on the Wednesday we turn our attention from a jumps perspective for a hurdle contest
called the galley wood hurdle. So, as I said steeples,
uh, the the chases, the obstacles are bigger. Hurdles are smaller.
Um, they can go faster over it, and it's just a different, um,
a different obstacle for them to be able to jump.
And on the Wednesday you've also got a listed Sprint race over 1200 metres,
which obviously doesn't have any obstacle in it.
Um called the Woo Handicap. And this as well,
uh is a handicap at listed level, so stakes horses going around there.
So that's always, um, that's always a race, that people are keen to target their their good
steak sprinters off the back of the autumn carnival as well.
It's each and every year, a really good race, and then we get to the final day.
Day three of the Carnival and the two feature races on that day is,
as we've already mentioned, the grand annual steeplechase, which is the absolute jewel and
the crown of the bull carnival over 5500 metres. So it's almost like a
double. It's almost like double the Briley, and we're
saying horses, backup from the Briley into the grand annual.
But that's the thing about these horses is that they are bred to do it.
They are trained to do it. Um, they are so skilled at it,
and I love watching the grand annual steeplechase horses because they are such good
jumpers like they are elite. They're so clean,
they do their job so well.
And also on the final day is the Warrnambool Cup, which is another really,
um, you know, famous and prestigious race on the carnival.
It's at listed level. It is just for the flat horses,
but at listed level handicap again, you've got a really strong field assembled each and every
year. I should also mention for something that's
really unique to warrnambool that again you know, people that don't know would have
absolutely no idea about and would never have heard of it before.
Um, is that for the steeple courses? So we're talking about the the Brierley and the
Grand Annual and the other Ste.
The other steeplechase races across the couple of days.
They actually there's There's a a road just, you know,
a suburban road that runs along the side of the Racecourse War Racecourse,
and they've got two gates, and they lay down a heap of sand across the road and they open the
gates up so that the horses can leave the course proper track.
Go across the sand, which is just your suburban road, and go up into what's called Brierley
Paddock, which is literally just a paddock that's up the top.
And then they go down into another paddock called Granter's paddock,
and then they come back over the road over the sand and back onto the course proper of the
track. So, yeah, that is a road that everybody drives
down. But don't even think to go there during the
three days of the water will may carnival because you will not be able to get through.
You can park your car there and watch the horses gallop across.
So yeah, another little quirky thing about, um, the steep chase course that you've got to go
out over the track and into Briley Paddock and over to Gran's paddock.
So it's just, you know, these are just the things that,
as I said, if you know what the war will make, carnival is,
you know. But if you don't oh, you've got so much still
ahead of you and it's great.
Yeah, I mean, that just sounds incredible. And like that race,
that race that you're talking about, where they go on the road and through paddocks like that
is what you what you described at the top of that show.
It's like going back in time. It's like getting in a time machine and going
back to what racing used to be like. Um, that's incredible,
isn't it? And to think that these horses are doing that,
maybe, you know, backing up and within just a few days,
until that race is unreal like and grace are they, like,
galloping for 5000 metres? Or do they come back to a canter like or are
they just like galloping?
Well, they're galloping, but they're going very, very slowly.
There's no doubt about that, Um, because because they know that they need to be
conserving all of their energy and be, especially because it's over the the chaser,
especially because it's over the bigger obstacles.
They certainly pay each and every one of those jumps with a lot of respect.
So you'll see the riders that are also so skilled at what they do nursing their horses
through the entire 5500 metre circuit and with those paddocks that I said,
Um, you if you listen and watch it. Rick McIntosh calling it.
He he summarises it so well because they've gotta do do the whole circuit a couple of times,
but the one time they go left and then the next time they go right.
And if you watch it any new, any newcomer to the circuit,
any newcomer to warrnambool the horses can get so lost.
And then the ones that have been there done that, like ZM or gold medals.
They just know exactly where they're going. The right indicators already on.
They're already leaning into the corner. They know that it's their second time around.
So now they're turning right?
Um so, yeah, it's all these little tiny little quirks and nuances which make it so special.
I think this is the perfect time, Grace, to get into our listener question for the week,
which is perfect for this carnival. So Angela has written to us I would love to
hear about how they educate horses to jump and what they need,
what they need to do to get their jumping ticket.
Well, Grace, you and I are not, um, jumps trainers, uh,
of racehorses. So I don't think we'll even try to tackle the
first half of that question. We might have to get a special guest on to to
decode that topic for us. But I've looked up the second half of that
question, and to be able to jump in a race is actually quite a process.
So as you mentioned, we have hurdle racing, which is which are the smaller obstacles.
And then we have steeple racing, which are the bigger obstacles.
So for a horse that's never jumped before before, they can even go to a hurdle trial,
they have to jump over three approved hurdles to the satisfaction of the stewards before they
can then enter the trial stage. So that's step number one.
You have to be able to jump three approved hurdles in front of the stewards and for the
stewards to tick you off Go. Yep, You can do that.
Now you can go on trial. From there, horses have to have two hurdle
trials. So this is, uh we would say, like maiden
hurdlers. They need to go and have two hurdle trials,
one of which needs to be over 2800 metres and have 10 obstacles,
and their performance in these trials has to be approved by the Jumps Review panel.
So you can't just complete the course. You need the jumps review panel to say Yep,
you're good enough of a jumper to get to the next stage.
So from there, you can then race and hurdle races.
Once you've completed those two trials to the satisfaction of the Jumps review panel to
become a steeple horse, you have to do the two hurdle trials and then you have to complete two
hurdle races. So there we go, so that's up to four goes
around. So two trials, two hurdle races.
Once you've done that, you then have to go to another trial,
which is a steeple trial. And it has to be over 2400 metres with at least
eight obstacles. And again, you have to complete that to the
satisfaction of the Jumps review panel. So this isn't a case of horses just quickly
changing their mind, going from, you know? Oh, you say it was a flat horse,
and today's a jumps horse like trainers who are targeting these races and think they have a
jumper on their hands. They have to put in a lot of work even before
they get to the point of trialling to get these horses educated.
But then horses have to prove multiple times that they are clean,
safe jumpers and that they also have the stamina to get around these horses.
So it's very it's a very professional process and, you know,
as someone who can, you know, sort of watch jumps racing with my hands over my eyes,
it makes me feel so much better knowing that these horses are coming through such a rigid
and tested system. Absolutely. And that is so well summed up,
um, there it's it. They're making it as safe as they possibly can
make it going into a race. Now, obviously, um,
you know, things do go wrong sometimes.
Um, I think it's important for everybody to know, um,
that those things are very rare and that there are so many.
There are so many processes in place to try and and do everything in our power to minimise that
happening at across any race anywhere. Yeah, that's very well,
said Grace, and I think understanding that process is is so beneficial to to then going
and watching jumps racing.
Um, so yeah, very well summed up from you.
OK, well, Grace, we've done a bird's eye view of the whole week.
We've seen how the jumps racing is incorporated into those three days mixed in with flat racing
as well. Now I know that you have done the form for the
first day of the carnival, which is Tuesday. So how about we?
We get into that? All right, so it's taking a look at the card.
10 races on the day, grace for the first day of the war Carnival.
Which race would you like to start off with? Well, there are a lot of jumps races on
day one, and given that I am not a jumps racing expert, I will be not offering any tips
or any analysis, which I think is for the best of it's.
It's for the best. Everybody will will be happy to hear that,
but the feature jumps from on the day as we've already discussed is the Brierly steeplechase,
and we've got a very short price favourite in the race this year.
And it's a horse called Stern Idol, which, if you're a follower of jumps racing,
you know all about this horse. Somebody described this horse to me in a really
easy way. To understand Stern Idol is like the pride of
Jenny, of the Jumps world.
He has. He has this big ra.
He's enormous. Actually, he's not big.
He is enormous. He's got this monster frame massive stride.
Um, you know, he's just a really big, big horse that has one speed,
and that is fast. So he just goes at his own steady gallop at his
tempo, and it's almost like with pride of Jenny, um, the rest of the field say,
off you go, stern Idol. Uh, we'll we'll we'll see if we can catch you
over the concluding stages. Um, and actually,
last year, again talking about these big feature jumps races.
He went around in the grand annual as a short price favourite on Thursday on the Thursday and
didn't actually complete the course. He was a dollar 85 for last year's grand annual
steeplechase, and the jockey Steve Pitman actually eased him out of the race,
which is quite common. I should also say that if the jockey feels like
the horse isn't is labouring or something might not feel right,
then they just they just ease him out of the race so often you'll see Failed,
failed to finish or did not complete the course because the rider has elected to just ease the
horse out of the race and that's what happened with Stern Idol last year.
So he's absolutely a work in progress. His best is very,
very good. But it's about trying to get Stern Idol to not
just go 1 million miles an hour, sort of like pride of Jenny and trying to rate the horse to
have a really big finish as well.
And I think what I can gather from talking to some jumps people and the fact that he's a
short price favourite for the race this year is that he is reserving his energy.
He is conserving his energy a lot better and he was a winner at Pakenham last time around a
steeple chase course over 3500 metres. So he's on song.
He deserves to be a short price favourite, can't wait to see the big boy in action.
But, uh, in terms of the flat racing fee, I have spent a good portion of my Friday
afternoon absolutely getting through every single one of these flat races and I think that
there's plenty of interesting runners on the programme now,
one of my favourite things to do and I would encourage everybody to do it.
If you were interested in doing a review of a race meeting to then get a glimpse and a sense
of what's happening ahead of um, the warrnambool May Carnival.
It's something I always like to do just to I If there's if there is one race meeting that is a
key lead up to something. It's always good to go back and have a look at
what happened in terms of the betting and the market moves.
Um, what happened in terms of the way that the races were run and and won and ultimately who
was good and who might have been a flashing light for next time.
So the meeting that I refer to is the Tang Cup day meeting,
which was on two Sundays ago at Tang.
It's always my starting point for warrnambool form and and getting through my working out who
I think is going to be winning on the at the Warrnambool May carnival and I did that and
there's a couple of horses that I added to my black book,
and a couple of them are already accepted on day one fee.
So I was super excited when I saw the names when I saw the names jump out at me.
So let's start with race number four. It's a 1200 metre maiden,
and in fact, this is the first flat race of the whole carnival and there are two horses that
I'm very keen on here. The first of them is a fly from the Henry Dwyer
Stable. Number 15.
Her name is Pista.
She was a fantastic run on debut. This was a Ballarat going back almost 3.5 weeks
ago. But it was in a really strong form race behind
a subsequent, um, steaks place getter in the spirit of Camelot and sh pista the Philly that
I like was $31 there, so there wasn't a great deal of market expectation,
but it was that sort of a rum that was like, Oh, this is a nice pipe opener to then go bang hard
to beat at the ball. So she's the first one.
But then the one at a price that I really like out of the Tang Cup day meeting that I had
black booked in at that meeting is number one squid sting at $34.
Um, I I've backed this horse each way, and I think that again is a bit of a set play.
Couple of 1000 metre runs. Uh, now, stepping up to 1200 metres looks ideal.
And last start at Chang got way back in, um, a race That was sort of,
I suppose, favouring those horses on speed and actually ran the fastest closing splits of the
whole meeting. So at $34 I really like squid sting as a rough
and an each way play. And I should also say that one of the other key
things to trying to, you know, work out the puzzle of finding winners at the Warrnambool
Bay carnival is local trainers are a very good starting point.
Always check to see what the locals have got going, um,
on the day and see whether as well there have been any significant market moves.
Because if you see a horse, for example, from the Lindsay Smith stable out of warrnambool and
they've been absolutely crunched in the betting safe to say that smarter people know some
things, that the horse has been absolutely set for the race and it should be very hard to beat.
So Maddie Raymond is based at WARRNAMBOOL. I think that should be absolutely thrilled to
have squid sting winning at her local, uh, carnival.
And I can imagine that this horse has been set for this race for quite a while out And both of
those horses Grace, meet your requirement of the market coming for them.
So Pista opened up at $16 currently $8. 50 squid staying,
although now paying 31 opened at 41. So both,
uh, the punters are coming for both of those two horses agreeing with your sentiments,
I think. OK, Grace after race four.
Where are we headed? Well, the other race that I am particularly
excited about betting in is race number nine on the programme.
So, um, I've had a couple, so I've had a good look at a couple of other races.
Um, and you know, some of them are just so competitive.
It's it's like impossible to try and form an opinion where you're only backing one or two
horses because that's the thing in these deep, deep races.
16 horse fields. You can have two bets like I can back both of
those horses, um, at the prices that they are and still be winning on the race.
So that's what I normally intend to do. Race number nine on the card is a 1200 metre
benchmark. 70 there's a couple of horses here that I like.
Now Kel is a flashing light run out of that terrain cup day meeting that I mentioned.
But $3. 50 is the price for Kel.
He's the favourite for the race and not sure if he's really even though he was a great run on
that terrain cup day meeting, which I love, not sure that he deserves to be such a short price
favourite. There are some other horses here that have got
very, very good form.
The first one I want to talk about is a filly called Flying Fizz for Matthew Williams,
local trainer um, she resumes now, and in her first preparation,
she's only had three starts.
She won both her first two starts, and then she went to a stakes race a listed race where she
ran second at Caulfield over 1400 metres. So she is a very classy Philly,
and the fact that she's kicking off at the Warrnambool May carnival again makes me feel
like Matt Williams is just thinking like, How good is this?
I've got a stakes class Philly kicking off in a 1200 metre benchmark 70.
Um, so I really think that she's gonna She's going to run a great race Barrier 20 is a
little bit concerning, but Dean yall always has a great carnival.
He rides plenty of winners. Um, and because the track will be a soft track
I, I think it'll probably be a soft six or a soft seven.
They should be able to, you know, it always races Very fair.
As I said, especially deeper into the carnival, there's no good place to be.
It's it's all a bit of a plough paddock normally, anyway,
So that is flying fizz now. Two other horses that I just want to outline
here. Another set play I feel from the Tom Dick
stable is calico. Jack, Um, he was great over 1000 metres at at
Caulfield on the Heath track. Last start now gets out to 1200 metres,
which is much more suitable and and at his best, he's a very good horse,
so he can really be in the finish here. He's at $10.
The other one that I've backed in the race is number 17.
Truffle finder for Clinton McDonald, who is not a local trainer.
Um, but Jamie Carr is in the saddle, and this gelding is third up now.
Last start, he ran a massive race behind a very, very good one called Angland at Pakenham and
again the F. The closing splits were electric on the night,
so I feel like now, at $12 I feel like that horse is a really good bet as well.
So they're the couple of horses that I'm keen on in race number nine on the first day.
Well, that is plenty for us to think about grace hitting and to choose day the first day
of the Warrnambool carnival. But now we want to move on to who else you've
put in your warrnambool black book from doing the form like you said at Tang and and the
other races leading into the carnival Who do we need to keep an eye out for on Thursday and
Friday? Alright, well, as I said, Fair.
We've already got one Black Booker that's running on Tuesday,
and that's super Squid.
So that's exciting going back to that Terra Cup day meeting.
There was a horse that resumed in a benchmark 64 on that day,
Um, and from last has ran an absolutely enormous race at $81.
Her name is Morrissette, and she is a regular at this warrnambool May
carnival. She's now a five year old.
She's trained by local trainer Simon Ryan, and this time last year she won or and this
time last year she was set for a benchmark 64 over the 2000 metres,
and I believe she is nominated for the exact same race this week.
Uh, she finished a narrow second there on a heavy 10 track at $9.50.
So I've got her in my black book because it's clearly a set play to have her targeted and
peaking for a race during the warrnambool a carnival.
But aside from that, like, I was very, very happy and encouraged to see her massive first
up run where she literally was out the back. Go and watch the replay.
As I said, I would encourage everybody to go take a look at what happened on Terra Cup day.
She is absolutely motored down the straight to only be beaten less than a length there.
So Morrissette is 100% in my black book and I can see that the weights are out for Thursday.
She's in a benchmark 64 over the 2000 metres, the same race she ran in last year.
She's also sneakily nominated in the Warrnambool.
Cup at listed level. Now I don't think that that's ultimately where
they'll go, because, um, she would be very poorly in at the weights in that listed race,
like she'll be up against some serious competition there,
but definitely watch for Morrissette whatever race she goes to.
Uh, another horse that I black booked out of the um out of the terrain cup day meeting is a
horse called Super Snitch.
Now I watched Super Snitch run live in the race on Terra Cup Day,
and I actually backed Snoop Super snitch in this race,
and I was thinking, this horse is a massive prize.
He's absolutely airborne and he was extremely unlucky.
I think he should have won then. I've been watching what they've been up to with
super snitch, and he's had another run since then.
He only ran about going back literally two days ago at Geelong,
but he's still nominated for a heap of races, Um, over the warrnambool,
the the Warrnambool May Carnival week. And as I said,
regular rules don't apply. When it comes to the May Carnival,
you can back horses up left, right and centre. And to be honest,
it often pays dividends. So Super snitch is another one He's nominated
for a benchmark 64 1700 metre race on Wednesday. He's also nominated for that same 64
2000 as Morrissette on Thursday and also another race that he could go to there as well.
Not sure which one he goes to if he goes to any, but definitely keep an eye out for super snitch
because he is one that I've got Black booked, uh, heading for the Warrnambool May carnival.
I was really hoping for that. A mayor called Danny Saint Darcy was going to
find a nice race at over the three days, but unfortunately she's accepted to run in a pretty
competitive race at Caulfield on Saturday. So I'm not sure we'll be seeing Danny Saint
Darcy feature, but she she, for me looked like she would be,
um, awfully hard to beat over those three days. The last one in my black book that I want to
talk about is a horse called Hard to Go Wrong From the Henry Dwyer Stable.
This horse has only had the one start flash time to finish second is accepted to run at
Ballarat on Sunday, but is also among the nominations at WARRNAMBOOL on Wednesday.
So they may scratch from Sunday. And if they do,
definitely watch and have a look at how that horse, um you know,
is is how the race sets up for him on Wednesday because I'd be keen to follow that horse,
too. So they are my black bookers that I've got
going into the three days that we don't know what race they're in yet.
So of course, we need to make sure that you know the race,
you know, in our own judgement and opinion, looking at the form the race sets up for them.
So they are super snitch Morissette and hard to go wrong.
Well, I hope and had their pen and paper handy to jot those three down.
Thank you so much grace for sharing those with us.
Um, I'm sure a lot of people will be keeping their cards close to their chests and the
heading into the warrnambool carnival. So great to have your insight into who you
think we need to be keeping an eye on. And before we sign off Grace,
I just want to say I hope you have the best time down there.
I know you and Ben go each and every year, and, um, the city of warrnambool is basically booked
out. If you want to go now, how far in advance do
people who potentially would like to go next year or or in future years?
How? How far out in advance do you really need to be
sorting out your accommodation so you can attend all three days of the carnival?
Yeah, I definitely think the sooner the better. Um, if you were to be looking for accommodation
this close in advance, you'd be really struggling to find it,
so um, most of the people that go each and every year they they tend to book in Well,
in advance months. If not, you know, you might as well just lock
it in this time next year.
Um, as soon as you can. So, yeah, uh, if you are planning on going,
you've never been before. I definitely recommend,
um, getting your accommodation sort of nice and early.
And then once you're there, there's so many things to do in terms of like where you go and
eat and what you can do. Um, Lady Bay, which is the the beach where the
horses go swimming each and every morning and you see horses working on the on the sand.
Um, that is a really good place for track work. People just go down there with their,
you know, a cup of coffee or something, and just watch the horses do their track work every
single morning. So that's really fun for, um,
you know, people that aren't from the area to go and and check all that out because it's
pretty cool. Um, And then at night time, there are plenty of
different pubs, which will all be absolutely packed and everyone will be welcome.
You know, the Whalers, the Cali hotel, Um, even the wools Thorpe pub,
which is a little bit outside of town.
Uh, yeah, it's It's just absolutely thriving. The whole place is buzzing at this time of year.
Yeah, I had to do a shout out. Also to Jane Baker from our Facebook,
um, community group, our social club group. That's on Facebook.
Uh, she is actually hosting a tour for nine of our ladies who punt members to go
down and have a bit of a tour of track work at the ball.
They're going to go to Lady Bay. They're doing a heap of different activities
during the on on one morning of the carnival. So, um,
I think this is a fantastic initiative from Jane.
She's got nine people this year. Uh, I've been speaking to her and she says if
it goes well, uh, she'll be looking to up numbers next year.
So thank you so much, Jane, for that initiative and for,
you know, giving people a behind behind the scenes look of warrnambool and what it's like
to train there and just the regular day to day schedule of of the trainers down there.
Absolutely fantastic. That's amazing.
You learn so much. Um, that is an incredible opportunity.
What an experience for those people that are going along.
Well, whether you are attending in person or going to be watching on the telly secretly
while you're sitting at your office Um, yes, while you're sitting while you sitting at your
desk, I hope everyone enjoys, uh, the warrnambool carnival and can get a little bit
more out of it this year. With that extra bit of context that we've
provided this episode, we will be taking a break next week.
Um, as you'll be busy, Grace, uh, backing winners.
Hopefully on Thursdays we won't be able to record, but we will be back the following week,
which is May the ninth. And we will be looking at the Goodwood.
We are, uh, still down in South Australia for Group One racing.
Um, thank you, everyone for tuning in, and we'll catch you very soon.