Otago Racing Club president Dean Lawrence said back in October that he would like to shed the ''wet-weather president'' tag after the weather gods delivered two very average days on Melbourne Cup day and Boxing Day in 2012.
Well, he's halfway there - the weather at Wingatui on Melbourne Cup day was more than passable. Just a shame about yesterday, Dean - still room for improvement on the meteorological front.
Two-minute tips . . .
Visitors to the Otago Daily Times website (www.odt.co.nz) may have spotted my ugly mug in the video section most Fridays as I attempt to find you some winners for the weekend (usually at a much shorter price than the Lazy Fiver).
The video is unofficially called Two-Minute Tips but, as some of my smart-alec friends on Facebook occasionally remind me, I sometimes ramble on for almost three minutes.
Thanks to the video editors at Trackside who provide us with the race footage every week and our own clever illustrations department who splice it all together.
To date, I have managed to avoid delving into my past life of television production and overseeing the video editing process with an iron fist.
. . . in two days
Anyway, as opposed to a video appearing on the site today, we will look to post a short segment late on Sunday or early Monday trying to spot one winner at each meeting over the early New Year, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Taking form
Once again, I'll put out my annual public service announcement and remind punters that the short gaps between race days might mean the latest form line for your fancy may not be in your racebook if you are betting on track.
The clubs do the best they can at this time of year, but it's just a combination of the quick turn-around between race meetings and printing deadlines.
Lazy Fiver
It may have taken all year, but I appear to be hitting my straps with the Lazy Fiver. Lotalov did the business at Alexandra Park on Friday, although the Paul Nairn factor may have contributed to its closing price of $5.
This week, I am adopting a Zulu war cry and imploring you to back Umshini Wami in race two at Kurow on Monday.
