Crazy Craig's Picks of the Day: 11th June

JTithers

Jun 10

Hoping to win enough money to buy some KFC.... Kentucky Fried Cabbage

So as KFC decides to experiment with cabbage due to rampant inflation on lettuce prices, the latest chapter in the Racing New South Wales vs Racing Victoria wiener measuring contest continues, as Racing New South Wales increase the Golden Eagle's prize money to $10m AUD, despite the fact it's a completely inferior race to the Golden Rose, but not to be outdone by Pete the Greek, Racing Victoria hit back by setting up 'Champion Stakes Day' worth $10m on the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, which would also see the Cantala Stakes moved from Derby Day and run at WFA conditions, a change seemingly inspired by the Champions Days at the likes of Royal Ascot and Sha Tin.

Wiener measuring contest and money aside, is killing off Handicap racing, especially Group 1 Handicap racing, the key to improving our shithouse Weight For Age stocks, not to mention you'll be having a 1600m WFA Group 1 on the same card as a 2000m WFA Group 1 (The Mackinnon/Champions Stakes)...

The only people who'll actually enjoy the change are big money owners and breeders, who may or not be mutually exclusive.

So anyway, this weekend is the grand daddy of Queensland racing, the Stradbroke Handicap, and this year marks 30 years since the epic win of Rough Habit, in what may be the most famous edition of the Straddie ever run:

Wayne Wilson's exclamation continues to age very well.

Of course, the other Group 1 event of the day is the JJ Atkins for the 2-year-olds, and some of the other major races on the day include the time-honoured Brisbane Cup over the 3200m, plus the Group 2 Q22, a distant cousin of the QEII, then the Dane Ripper Stakes in honour of the former Stradbroke & Cox Plate winner, and outside of Brisbane is the Group 3 Hyperion Stakes at Belmont, although I'll be several hundred metres across the road, watching Hawthorn get their heads caved in against Fremantle.

So it's on to the weekly sermon of Crazy Craig, and last week he picked up a 2nd placing with a Tom Jones-inspired Value Pick at Flemington, so hopefully he can pull something similar out of his arse with another 1960s pop star to inspire him, because just like Sir Cliff Richard, he's got Lucky Lips!

Click here to listen to an audio clip.

Pick of the Day: Dragonstone (No.6, Barrier 4) in Race 8 at Randwick (SR8), 3:05pm AEST

1100m Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes

Trainer: Mark Newnham, Jockey: Tom Sherry, 54kg

Hello hello everyone it's Craaaazy Craig TBFB, and I think Crazy Colin might be about to hit it big with a get rich scheme you won't have heard of until now....

Selling lettuce to KFC stores!

I've heard of people exporting Tim Tams to Estonia, I've even tried selling some of Colin's tomatoes to New South Welshpeople who have never tasted fresh produce in their lives, but this idea has got legs in this time of inflation, so I guess he'll have to LETTUCE know how successful he is!

Ha ha ha, lettuce!

Alright moving on from that craptacular joke, I've got to find a POTD and I think we may just have it in the Listed feature race at Randwick the Bob Charley Stakes, and it might just be Mark Newnham's fire-breathing sprinter...

DRAGONSTONE.

I have no idea if that's an actual stone or not, but apparently it's a place in Game of Thrones, not that anyone gives a rat's arse about that firebomb of a show anymore!

Anyway, Dragonstone hasn't had a win in 5 starts, which makes you think "Crazy Craig, you really are CRAZY!", but let me assure you I wasn't through a lack of trying, as he's run in the placings in his last 4 starts (3rd, 2nd 2nd 2nd), and he's run into some rather handy horses like Andermatt at Randwick, and last start it was Passive Aggressive who got the better of him at Flemington, as Dragonstone bombed the start and flew home to run 2nd!

That run suggests to me that he hasn't lost any of his ability, and I also think there might just be a few things in his favour this time around:

- Good barrier

- The track might be a bit drier than Flemington

- With Prime Candidate, Snippy Fox and Mr Mosaic in the race, the speed will be so hot up front you'll have to pour coffee down your pants to cool down, which might just favour a backmarker like Dragonstone late in proceedings...

And most importantly of all, knackers....

- I'm not all there, don't you worry about that!

So there you go, I've got no definitive idea why, but DRAGONSTONE is my PICK OF THE DAY.

Dermott Brereton Value Pick: Brereton (No.1, Barrier 15) E/W in the JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm (BR8), 3:13pm AEST

1600m Group 1 2YOs Set Weights Treasury Brisbane JJ Atkins

Trainer: Peter Moody, Jockey: Jamie Kah, 57kg

A horse named after the 5-time Day and 5-time Night premiership Hawk is set for his Grand Final... Let's just hope there isn't a horse called Yeates ready to charge him off the centre square!

Dermott Brereton is a hood
Dermott Brereton is a hood
A bloke that comes from Frankston
Could never be any good
I wouldn't try to tell ya
If I didn't think I should
He's your classic Aussie knucklehead
Dermott Brereton is a hood!

Random Ray Charles Pick: It'sarayday (No.2, Barrier 10) in Race 7 at Belmont (PR7), 3:37pm AWST (5:37)

1200m 72+ Rating Vale Merv Posner Handicap

Trainer: Simon Miller, Jockey: Pat Carberry, 59kg

Knackers, I think we might have another omen bet on our hands....

Because today is EXACTLY 18 years since Ray Charles died.

Enjoy your Saturday folks, stay safe, stay negative, KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD, and remember, I'm Crazy Craig, and that's why they call me Craaaaaazy Craig!

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