TA: Another amazing May racing carnival. Great to see some of the women at the track took your advice last week and threw a pair of things into their bags to wear back up the hill after the races.
AT: Some took the advice but saw plenty of women with their expensive high-heeled shoes under their arms and nothing on their feet up the street in Warrnambool on Thursday night.
TA: Hard to imagine what the real economic impact is for the week. Some tell you $20 million, others quote other figures. The only thing I know is it's the biggest event that happens in the town for the year. Marketing guru Tom Smith previously said it was like having a second Christmas week in May and he was right on the money. The Grand Annual Steeplechase puts Warrnambool on the world stage. It was great to see the Grand Annual Steeplechase and the Warrnambool Cup were won by the locals after what had been a pretty quiet week for the locals on the track.
AT: Ciaron Maher started celebrating early. He was standing about 50 metres from the finish line and was kissing girlfriend Bianca Gilchrist before Al Garhood even got past him - the galloper was that far in front. And you talk about blokes getting toey. Father-and-son training combination Bill and Symon Wilde were like caged lions about 20 metres apart and both standing by themselves in the mounting yard watching Hissing Sid. It was pretty emotional when the boys got together to celebrate after the cup win.
TA: Any news on the best social performers?
AT: Not to highlight binge drinking but I know one table had 11 pots before noon on Tuesday and that was only the first morning of three very full days and nights. Plasterer Barry Primmer got the nod as BOG for the carnival. He had more than a little trouble putting on Wednesday's quaddie when he had trouble reading his own writing and threw his hands up in exasperation after thinking the boys had got knocked out of the quad on Thursday. He had gone off a little early when his mates pointed out that was only race two and the quad didn't start until race seven. Long week for Bazz and the boys. Now Tim I did notice you dropped the lip on Tuesday after a little punting error of your own.
TA: Don't know what you're talking about Thomo.
AT: Now Tim I think it's time you came clean. I understand you thought you had a little win on a pick4, something in the order of a couple of hundred. You walked up to collect and were more than a little perplexed when the tote lady told you your ticket was not a winner.
TA: Thomo, I will say that I made an error and it took me nearly two days to get over it. Managed to mix up the numbers which proved a bit costly.
AT: Well by the time you stopped sooking you would have had trouble getting a bet on. The mobile phone service at the track was appalling. You couldn't get a bet on and making any sort of call was almost impossible. I know we live in the country but surely a few people going to the races shouldn't shut down the telecommunications system. Writing stories on laptops and sending them back to work was a nightmare. Time for Telstra to pull its finger out and provide a proper service.
TA: That was a fair spray. What about the traffic trying to get through the Moore Street exit, I know it's only once a year but bedlam was the best description. Moving on - I'm told Shipwreck Coast head honcho Carol Reid has been in the wars lately. Appears Carol and wildlife don't mix and in particular kangaroos and wallabies. A few weeks ago on a trip to South Australia, she had a wallaby jump in front of her car at Tyrendarra. No damage was done on the car but she handed over the driving to husband Jeff. A week later Carol had a wallaby jump in front of her in the driveway of her Port Fairy home but there was no damage to the car and then two weeks ago, while on a trip to Halls Gap, a kangaroo jumped in front of her and did extensive damage to her car. Sources say Carol had to hitch a ride back to Warrnambool as the car could not be driven. Apparently two French tourists picked her up from the side of the road in a kombi van. Carol's bad luck continued when a kangaroo at Tower Hill jumped out in front of her. She was lucky to pull up and miss the roo.
AT: I've heard plenty of things about the big hamburgers from up at Cavendish. No one can tackle and finish the burgers. Two Warrnambool identities, in Terry Smith and Laurie Inns, are heading up to Cavendish this morning to see if they can devour the big burger but I reckon Smithy might struggle after the big feed he had at the Chinese restaurant on Thursday night. Not sure that was the best preparation.
TA: Now there was a whisper that you had some gossip on one of our regulars.
AT: I did hear that South Rovers veteran footballer Joey Chatfield had to phone a friend last Saturday. Rovers was playing Timboon Demons at Timboon. Now Joey has been around for a while and I was more than a little surprised to hear he got lost, finished up in Cobden, had no idea how to get to Timboon and was forced to ring Danny Chatfield for directions. Joey did eventually manage to find the ground and Rovers had a win so it all finished up all right.
TA: Any other gossip?
AT: There's a whisper that South Warrnambool head honcho Gary Walsh is doing the round of bedding shops this week after breaking his bed. Until next week, hooroo.
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