It is that time of year again, the race that stops the nation - the Melbourne Cup. Held on the first Tuesday in November and is a public holiday in Melbourne.

It is becoming more of a giant party than an event for serious race goers. Although prize money for the event is now at around $5 million. Even non-gamblers get in on the fun and organize office-sweeps, with everyone putting in a bit of money, picking a horse at random and the winner taking all.

So will anyone be going? Any tips for the race?

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Not this year Mike, though been a few times over the years and yep a great party now somewhat restricted as where in past you could just buy a train ticket/entry combo as of a year or so ago it's prebuy at $50 a head it was last year.

Last train ride entry I had was when Makybediva won her second or third on the trot - some horse that girl and be a long time before we ever see that if ever.

And tips, I've not even had a look at horses this year and probably will not but back before we had European/Japanese horses coming out there was a good system of sorts you could use which just followed history:
. any previous winners/placegetters
. Caulfied Cup first or second
. Vic Derby winner
. LKS McKinnon Stakes placegetters and so you have a pool of horses and knock out any three year olds or seven year olds or more older!

Worked out pretty well and one year I had four horses left and would have got the trifecta if it hadn't been for some long shot (and every so often there'll be one or a favourite or two just run ordinary) and that's why there's so many mug punters come out and blow a bit Tot/bookies way on the Cup, and especially now with the imports.

I'll have a quick squiz and drop a few names later just for fun.

Be a mug like me off to the TAB or a winner!
There's a few other roughies that could just get up too.

I am in Chiang Mai right now and you wouldn't believe but I won the sweep at the local pub.

I won 1000 baht, minus my 200 baht stake and the couple of beers I had for breakfast - the race was on at 11:00A.M local time.

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I didn't do too well at all with my tips this year did I?, but I wasn't lonely in that and the Bookies had a field day with the supposed top European stayers not doing so well either, other than Bauer, Mad Rush being about the best of them at fifth, I think 5,6, 7, &8th places being in my six.

That Viewed had atrocious form in its lead up races and Bauer not what you would call startling form - my only leaning towards him would have been because of Jack Bauer out of 24!.

Bit of a post mortem as the Irish Trainer Aidan O'Brien was already at the airport not long after the race and was summoned back by Stewards so the story goes to be questioned on the stable (three horses) "team" tactics, a light weight leader to go like hell I imagine with a couple of stayers to have a chance at the end - then lameness set in - I reckon by look of the surrounds of the course, the track would have been rock hard and was not really described as hard or fast.

The European horses, usually racing on tracks where there's more rainfall must have found the harder track a bit tough, not being conditioned to it.