the cup

There is an adage in journalism: If you are right they never remember, if you are wrong they never forget. I remember an old salt who used to work for me when I was editor of the Sydney Sun. His name was Lou d’Alpuget. Father of Blanche who married the Silver Bodgie. She and I worked together as young reporters on The Sun. And she was breathtakingly beautiful way back then.

Lou’s nickname was “the seagoing ox” and he was ferocious on the water. Speaking of being wrong, he claimed in print in the 1960s that the American boat Ondine didn’t have a snowflake’s chance in hell of winning the Sydney-Hobart. It did. In record time.

So. By the time you read this I will either have been cleverly prescient. Or stunningly wrong. As I predicted on 3AW yesterday Makybe Diva will not win the Melbourne Cup for a record third time. Even though racing officials have fallen for Lee Freedman’s blackmail and shamelessly watered the track to help her and Vinnie Roe.

Makybe Diva might pull a place. She is not in my reckless top three. They are:  six, seven and eight. Eye Popper, Railings and the New Zealand champ Xcellent. Although the artificial softness of the track will make Xcellent’s chances less than excellent.

Time will tell on that day that stops Australia.

Tuesday, November 1, 2005

©Copyright Derryn Hinch 2005