Autumn Racing Carnival - Week 8

Yesterday Randwick race course in Sydney hosted two Group 1 races, The Galaxy and the Chipping Norton stakes. Both races were won by relative outsiders, with Typhoon Zed winning the Galaxy and Casino Prince taking out the Chipping Norton.

However, Musket scored his second win in a row in an unlisted race at Randwick. He's a three quarter brother to the great mare Makybe Diva, so is one to watch in the future.

Tomorrow the focus is on the Gold Coast Magic Millions meeting. The race for 2 year old fillies looks interesting and I am curious to see who will be the winner. Class fillies, Sugar Babe, She's Meaner, Black Minx and Augusta Proud (love the name) will be competing in a field of 14.

Next Saturday sees the running of the Randwick Guineas for three year olds. Weekend Hussler will be making his Sydney debut. Let's hope he can run straighter than Haradasun did last year, who despite this tendency won two Group One races.

Autumn Racing Carnival – Week 7

There are no Group 1 races this weekend as Melbourne’s share of the carnival is almost over and the focus shifts to Sydney from now on.

However, there are still some interesting races being run tomorrow, in Melbourne the Group 2 Blamey Stakes sees Melbourne Cup winner Efficient returning briefly to run in it. I really can’t see the point of him just having one run this autumn, but I assume his connections think it a good idea for whatever reason. He is not expected to win, as the distance (1600 metres) is a bit short for him, though he has won at 1600 in the past. The main contenders are Orange County, Cargo Cult and Molotov.

In Sydney the Silver Slipper Stakes for two-year olds has some interesting runners. I am interested to see how Star Ripper goes. He is having his first start, but has a blue blood pedigree as his mother was the great Dane Ripper who I witnessed winning the Cox Plate way back in 1997.

The feature race on the Sydney program is the Golden Rose, a Group 2 race for three –year-olds. 2007’s Golden Slipper winner Forensics will be competing against Mimi Lebrock, a Bart Cummings trained filly. Bart’s on a bit of a roll at the moment after Sirmione won the Australian Cup last week. A remarkable trainer is Bart Cummings. He’s now 80 years old and has had an illustrious career winning a total 248 Group One races, and he’s not finished yet - he can still pull winners from the hat every so often. Bart also trained Star Ripper’s mum Dane Ripper who won the Australian Cup in 1998. Bart of course trains her son.

So there’s not that much action as far as my top 30 stable goes this weekend, but as the Sydney carnival progresses the excitement will build and we shall get the chance to see Weekend Hussler in action again and Apache Cat will be back soon as well. Not so Light Fantastic who has been spelled and will be back in Spring.

The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster

Ruthie Foster live at Basement Discs 13 March 2008

Today’s lunchtime in store performance at Basement Discs was really something special with the remarkable Ruthie Foster putting on an amazing show of her extraordinary talents. Her predominant gift is her astoundingly powerful and expressive voice. Think Aretha Franklin, only better. She’s not called the new queen of soul and gospel for nothing, as was amply demonstrated in the intimate surrounds of the Basement Discs today.

Ruthie’s music covers gospel, blues and folk but she gives her own individual interpretations of those genres and transcends them. Her latest CD is The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster and I am here to attest that this is no idle boast, but a truthful assessment of her talent.

In person she came across as warm and friendly and self deprecating, and I was very glad I made it down to see her, as no doubt were the rest of the small crowd present. A rare and delightful experience all round.

You can hear some of her music on her My Space page and judge for yourself.

Danny O’Keefe, Kristina Olsen & Peter Grayling @ Basement Discs

From L to R - Kristina Olsen, Peter Graying, Danny O'Keefe

The first of the two live in-store performances at Basement Discs this week was a delightful mini show today of Danny O’Keefe alternating songs with Kristina Olsen with Peter Grayling providing beautiful cello accompaniment to them both.

Overall both artists played three songs apiece. Danny performed two of his most well known songs, Well, Well, Well which he co wrote with Bob Dylan and The Road - a song famously covered by Jackson Brown on his record, Running On Empty - as well as one from his latest CD In Time.

Kristina sang three of her own compositions, a sexy little number about the Tango, In Your Darkened Room the title track from her latest CD and The Big O.

Though a short set, it was all very entertaining and I loved the cello. What a wonderfully melancholy sounding instrument – so deep and sonorous. One rarely sees it being played these days in live concerts. Danny O’Keefe joked that it was an impressive instrument to experience up close, in that it penetrated the lungs and drew out all the phlegm. He recommended Peter Grayling release a record called The Medicinal Cello.

Peter Grayling

Tomorrow Ruthie Foster is in store, so bang goes any other plans for lunchtime activities, as I figure Ruthie Foster is not to be missed.

Season of mists & mellow fruitfulness

Fruitfulness, yes, mists, no. Yes, it's autumn and the fruit trees, especially the figs, are in full fruition. We've given bags of them away to friends and neighbours and there are still plenty left for the birds and possums and fruit bats. Messy fruit, figs, as they go squashy in no time and one needs to take care walking out in the garden so as not to step in them and traipse sticky gunk into the house.

We have jars of fig jam a friend made from our figs, which according to the Greeks in our neighbourhood, are the best and sweetest variety. Hence their popularity with all living things, except cats of course who don't care for them at all.

And just for Clare at Keeper of the Snails, here's a photo of pomegranates on the tree. There's not so many of them this year, or at least not on our side of the fence.

Though officially it's autumn, you wouldn't know it from the weather which has suddenly become hot again after a very mild February, so there are no mists, just a summery haze.

Update on the races

Saturday's race meeting at Flemington was up to expectation with a very interesting series of races. Weekend Hussler won again as did Light Fantastic, the two star three-year-olds proving they really are something special. It will be intriguing in the spring to see them compete against each other in the Cox Plate which apparently they are both going to be set for.

Weekend Hussler	Light Fantastic

I got a good look at them both on Saturday on the screen. The Hussler is a very impressive looking young horse, big and powerful with a wide chest expanse that reminded me of another star performer from the past, Might and Power who had a similarly powerful frame. Light Fantastic is a striking dark grey horse with a white mane and tail. The photos above are by Bronwyn Healey who surely has to be the best photographer of race horses working these days. I hope she doesn't mind me using a few of her small photos on my blog.

Miss Finland failed to get a place in the Australian Cup, so has now been retired. She was a wonderful race filly and mare in her early days and those of us who have been following her career are sad to see her go and disappointed that she couldn't go out with a win. But that's racing for you.

The Australian Cup was won by Sirmione who stole the show in a most impressive fashion by sprinting to the lead in the straight and putting too many lengths on the rest of the field. Princess Coup stormed down the inside to grab second place.

Autumn Racing Carnival – Week 6 – Super Saturday

A fantastic day of racing is coming up tomorrow with three Group 1 races on the program.

First up is the Newmarket Handicap over 1200 metres with race enthusiasts getting another opportunity to see Weekend Hussler strut his stuff. He’s the favourite of course, and deservedly so as I really can’t see anything beating him.

The other young sensation of this autumn, Light Fantastic, is favourite for the next Group 1 on the cards, the Cadbury Guineas over a mile (1600 metres) and I am really looking forward to seeing him race again, albeit not on the course but on the box. The only real competition he faces in the race is from Marching and Playwright. But Light Fantastic is something special, so I do expect he will be there at the finish.

The Australian Cup over 2000 metres is the feature race of the day. Miss Finland acquitted herself quite well last week by coming third in the Futurity, so she’s been spared the breeding barn for now. She appeared to motor home in a dour fashion in the Futurity Stakes, only really getting into stride in the last 200 metres. She’s up against Princess Coup, Fiumicino, the Derby winner last spring, and Sirmione who is trained by the old stayers master, Bart Cummings. They appear to be the main threats. Sentimentally I would like Miss F to win as she was sensational during her two and three year old days, winning the Golden Slipper and the Oaks in the same year. Her usual jockey Craig Williams will be back on board. To him Miss Finland is Miss World as he’s ridden her in all her victories.

There have been many memorable Australian Cups over the years. Lonhro, a beautiful black horse and star of the turf in the early to mid 2000s who even defeated the great mare Sunline, won it in sensational fashion back in 2004. It was an extraordinary win by Lonhro who was blocked for a run in the straight and seemingly in a no win situation, but he was pulled clear and raced to the lead in a few strides and won the race. He’s now a young sire whose offspring have been showing promise. One of his daughters, Black Minx, won a listed race last week.

Burgeis who scored a close third in the Blue Diamond two weeks ago is also racing at Flemington tomorrow in the Group 2 Jayco Stakes. I’ve been following her career as she is trained by Tony Vasil who was the beleaguered trainer of Haradasun, so I am interested to see how she goes this time round against a weaker bunch of two year olds.

Other horses in my personal black book racing on Saturday are Estee in the first in Melbourne and Sugar Babe and Stripper in the first in Sydney. Also racing in Sydney in the Group 2 Winning Edge Presentation Stakes are Racing to Win, Desert War, Mentality, Sniper’s Bullet and Paratroopers, all of whom are in my top 30 stable.

Camarilla, a super Sydney mare is returning in the Triscay Stakes after a long break from racing after being effected by the EI Virus crisis last spring.

So there’s a wondrous day of racing ahead for fans of the sport. I might even have a few bets myself, for a change.

Delta Blues via the Netherlands at the Basement Discs

The first of the March extravaganza of in store performances was a generous set from Dutch bluesman Hans Theessink (pronounced Tay-sink). Hans, as well as being an ace guitarist, is also a fine singer-songwriter with a warm baritone voice.

I have seen him perform previously at Basement Discs back in 2006, so I knew it would be – whenever isn’t it? – a pleasant diversion on a lazy Thursday lunchtime.

Hans Theessink didn’t disappoint this time round, though he seems to have kept the same stage patter, when introducing himself regarding how Big Bill Broonzy was his main inspiration for getting into the blues back in the 1950s and how he has dedicated himself to the genre ever since.

After his introduction he segued into a song he wrote as a tribute to Broonzy, Big Bill's Guitar.

The highlight of the mini show was Hans’ version of St James Infirmary Blues which is based on an old English folk song, now mostly sung as blues.

He also performed a song about the Cyclone Katrina disaster to the tune of an old bluegrass song where the chorus went: “Oh Liza, Li’l Liza Jane.”

Next Week at the Basement Discs there are two shows, Danny O’Keefe with Kristina Olsen and Peter Grayling on Wednesday, then next day, what surely will be a fantastic in store, Ruthie Foster, the new queen of blues and soul, will be performing.

On the subject of recorded music, yesterday I picked up the new Kathleen Edwards CD “Asking for Flowers”. I’ve only listened to it once so far, through headphones on my computer, but this initial audience gave me the impression that Kathleen has created a great little rock 'n roll record. This is her third recording following on from Failer and Back to Me, both of which CDs I am fond of. I’ve seen her live once, at the Northcote social Club in February 2006. I wrote a review of the show for Nu Country which can be found here.

Kathleen Edwards is a Canadian artist, sort of alt country/rock. Her admitted influences include Ryan Adams and Tom Petty. She is not in the least in the category of sweet and soulful, but is an artist with attitude - sort of a female version of Ryan Adams - and writes wonderfully scathing lyrics in some of her songs.

Another CD that impressed me recently is Ray Bonneville’s “Goin’ By Feel” a sort of country blues record.