OBE UNPLUGGED - CUP WEEK COVERED THE FULL SPECTRUM, FROM THE DOWNRIGHT WORRYING TO THE ALMOST FUNNY
By Mark Oberhardt | Monday, November 12, 2012
Mark Oberhardt has been a racing and sports reporter for 40 years. He has written racing for the Courier Mail, Brisbane Telegraph, Sydney Sunday Telegraph, Sportsman, Australian Associated Press, etc. He has also written many sports columns including the Courier Mail’s The Ear. Mark has also been a regular on RadioTAB for 20 years. Mark’s personal blog, Obe Unplugged, will appear every Monday on HRO.
THE skill of tipping winners or more to the point backing winners was to the fore during Melbourne Cup week.
It is nothing unusual, but I must say I can't remember a week when the punt was discussed as much as in the past seven days. It has covered the full spectrum of gambling from the downright worrying to the almost funny.
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There was nothing funny about the headlines taking in Damien Oliver's alleged $10,000 bet on a winner at Moonee Valley two years ago. My views on jockeys gambling are very clear - I reckon they should be able to bet on their own mounts. But it would be very naive to think some jockeys didn't bet on everything.
The problem with Oliver is that he is no scrubber from the Back of Burke, but rather the pin-up boy for Australian racing.
The fact he was on another runner in the race only adds to the bad look. Not to mention it was allegedly a $10,000 bet which isn't chicken-feed in anyone's book.
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However, the general public has a record of forgiving jockeys caught up in scandals. The list of hoops who have made the front pages for the wrong reasons would run to pages.
It doesn't make it any better, but betting is also well down the list of crimes. And let’s not forget that jockeys are generally appalling judges.
One of my favourite stories involves a former jockey who shall remain nameless. He was perhaps the worst judge I have ever come across. In fact he knocked back the ride on a certain horse at Doomben one day after he rode it in a track gallop.
The horse went on to be a Group 1 galloper - a fact I never let him forget to the day he retired!
But back to the Oliver story and the extra interesting thing from a Queensland point of view is plenty of racetrack rumours that a former Brisbane lad placed the bet for Oliver.
I don't know if that is true, but it certainly adds some mystery to the tale.
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Away from Oliver the big discussion point among punters was the shocking run of big priced winners during the Melbourne carnival. It also led to plenty of bagging for "expert tipsters".
As a mate took great delight in pointing out if tipsters were forced to back their own selections they would be outside the racecourse begging for alms. (I might add I back my tips and yes you can send donations anytime you feel free).
He put together the tips of 32 experts for the Melbourne Cup and not one selected first placed Green Moon while three put it in the place.
Of the 38 races at Flemington over the week the tipsters, as a group, managed just six of the winners.
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Now I am always reluctant to bag tipsters especially as I don't exactly have a great strike rate myself. In fact I haven't tipped the Melbourne Cup winner since Jezabeel in 1998. But it should be pointed out in this day and age most experts are no better informed than the average punter.
The form guides, television programs and radio provide an excellent service. It means in many respects the roles of media tipsters has changed dramatically in the past decade.
The late, great Keith Noud always said a tipster had done his job if he got two winners on an eight event card. He also maintained that a tipster should get a yearly average around the 25 to 30 percent. Of course that is also the average for favourites over a year. In other words if you just tip the favourite you will get your average.
Those days have gone with punters having free access to race replays, trials footage, etc and anyone can tip favorites. I think it is now more incumbent for tipsters to try to find value runners for punters and in particular for those who like to play "exotics'.
Figures show trifectas, first fours, quadrellas, and exactas now make up a very large part of the total betting turnover. In other words I think tipsters should be judged more on the ability to "throw one in" which might get you a four figure exotic by running the place or winning at big odds.
TVN's Shane Templeton is one tipster who can do that.
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While the tipsters were copping a pay it was nothing to the comments about those TAB advertisements featuring a very happy winner. It is the ad where the bloke swans around the bar showing off his ticket, kissing men and women, etc.
To say it has gone down like a lead balloon is an understatement.
I reckon anyone pulling that stunt at a PubTAB would be carried out feet first. But I suppose it has achieved its aim - getting people talking about TABs.
The TAB figures for Cup week were again very good despite some problems with the Tattsbet computer.
People still love racing in all its forms and it was good to hear it being discussed again, along with the Test cricket.
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