Who Brought the Luck to the Lucky Country (November), a project that was sponsored by NAB, has been a runaway success and we are already reprinting. The rags-to-riches story of 14 immigrants to this country who were supported by NAB has proved extremely popular for Christmas presents.
Thursday’s final verdict:
SEYMOUR RACE 5 #2 DA HUSSLER (Not Weekend Hussler, that non-staying squib).
SEYMOUR RACE 8 #14 PINATAS (Hopefully K. McEvoy remembers that he’s not riding in England anymore).
Both should win, and win easily. Until Moonee Valley on Friday night, I leave you with these words:
“He didn’t know how to find the horse that was needed. And while he was looking for that horse, they killed him.”
- Costa Kafka.
THE OUTSIDER
Fellow victims of the punt,
The Outsider lives only for the present, and as such we shall not linger upon the Queen of Queens-esque mistakes of times gone by. What I will say, however, is that despite the potential excuse of nearly falling coming around the home turn, ‘Queenie’ and her faithful hoop Froggy would still not have come even remotely close to playing a part in the finish. The winner of the Werribee Cup (which, mysteriously, was actually run at Geelong), Mandela, was clearly the best performed horse in the race, and as I watched Mark Zahra produce the whip and give the gelding a few encouraging slaps across the shoulder, it was like four sharp knocks at the door of unhappiness.
Looking forward (though only in the fleeting figurative sense, as the present consumes all), I’m off to peruse the form for Seymour today and shall no doubt unlock a couple of winners for us to wage our hard-earned on. Prospective Derby Day bankrolls Australia-wide are suffering, and must be fed, watered and stabled before the first at Flemington on Saturday morning. We must escape the mechanism, and though the social machinery of the betting-ring will inevitably demand that we fail, the benign indifference with which we meet the bookmaker’s smug looks will temper the humiliation of our turned-out pockets in perpetuity.
Unfaithfully yours,
THE OUTSIDER
My horse lost today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know.
Having just published my first book – the rather literally named but compellingly written, ‘Winners of the Melbourne Cup’ – to widespread fanfare and rave reviews, I have eagerly accepted the challenge from my publisher Red Dog Books to put my money where my highly articulate mouth is, and try to tip a few winners for the spring carnival (‘try’, obviously being the operative word, given my apparent inability to get arrested in the betting-ring this year). (more…)
It was a fabulous launch at Yah Yah’s. I won’t go into everything Costa said, but I’ll mention that Terry Henderson in his launch speech mentioned that it was the perfect toilet book for a bloke. Each entry is just the perfect length of truly excellent reading.
Red Dog is launching Costa Rolfe’s Winners of the Melbourne Cup: stories that stopped a nation at Yah Yahs, 99 Smith Street, Collingwood (Melbourne) on Friday 17 October from 6pm.
We’re thrilled to have racing legend Terry Henderson launching the book – so please come and join us for an early dose of Melbourne Cup fever!
RSVP to dog@bdb.com.au
We’re gearing up for the formal launch of Red Dog in July, which is decidedly exciting. Chris is working on the website and we’re close to up-loading the new site.
The covers of the July releases have been done and we’re polishing and honing the interiors. It’s great to see the dog in red as well as black. There’s a feeling of completeness to it.
Food for the Seasons, a guide to eating well and staying healthy the traditional Chinese way, is available in all good bookshops now. It can also be purchased from our online shop.
For a sneak preview inside the book visit, our Food for the Seasons page.
Mongrel Punts
and Hard Ball Gets is available in all good bookshops now.
It can also be purchased from this website. If you buy from our website we’ll include a free bookmark and poster while stocks last.
For a sneak preview inside the book visit, our Mongrel
Punts page.
Glenn Manton and Paula Hunt will be discussing Mongrel Punts and Hard Ball Gets on radio in the first two weeks of August. Listen out for them on the following programs:
There’ll also be a book signing at Seagulls Bookshop, Williamstown (VIC) on 23 September at 11.00am
That’s on top of TV spots on ABC’s The Glass House and TEN’s Before the Game, and pieces in Inside Sport, The Age, The Herald-Sun, People magazine, Ralph, AFL Record, Sunday Examiner, Melbourne Times, Courier Mail and the Sunday Examiner.