The Ramornie Handicap was previewed on the Sydneyracing website last Wednesday and anyone who took the recommended advice had a nice win. The five horses that were suggested to be boxed - Border Rebel, The Jackal, Forestreno, Pinwheel and Lifebuoy - filled the first four placings on the line with the First 4 paying over $5,200 on both the NSW TAB and Unitab, whilst the trifecta paid as much as $662.90 on the NSW TAB. It was also advised in the preview that if people only had limited budgets they could spend just $15 and get 25% of the dividend and that $15 outlay worked out to be more than $165 in NSW. So in the space of five days (last Saturday week and last Wednesday) two First 4's worth almost $12,000 have been tipped here for free.

Doomben conducted an eight race programme on a glorious winter’s day, where the track was rated as a “good 3” for the entire meeting.

Highlights of the day’s racing around Australia were undoubtedly the efforts of two Victorian based trainers to win with their charges, first up from a long break away from the racetrack. The effort of Peter Moody to win the Listed Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield (who’s Sir John Monash and what did he get knighted for?) with his former talented 2YO Reward For Effort was noteworthy, given the horse hasn’t raced since the Golden Slipper on 4/4/09 where he ran seventh of 16 as a $9.50 chance. Punters last Saturday were happy to take 2/1 about the horse and whilst he needed just one more hop to be beaten, but it is on the line they pay - so he got there.

The other top training performance last Saturday was by Ballarat mentor Darren Weir to win first up with the grey Dash For Cash mare Tonic, who he inherited from the Robert Smerdon stable. To see that mare parade prior to the race was to put your hand in your pocket and go and have something on her, as you could see that she had done a power of work for her first up assignment. I’ll put a photo of how primed she looked up on the websites somewhere this week just to show young people and new punters what a racehorse looks like when they are primed for a first up tilt. Fair dinkum if she was a woman - any single bloke would have wanted to marry her – she looked so good.

The drum around the traps is that things are going from bad to worse at the Toowoomba Turf Club. If half the emails that the website has been receiving for the last fortnight are true, the place is in crisis. The sources that have been advising this website on the issue are what I'd call "reliable". Seems there is all sorts of dramas at the club over firstly a wrongful dismissal case. Then another email writer advised "there is the one about the club allegedly funding an overseas holiday, which I can assure you the members would be absolutely filthy about - and wouldn't have okayed, if they'd had a say in the matter". Safe to say if you can find a bookie who will bet you even money that the proverbial is going to hit the fan - then get on for what you can, before the price goes into the red.

As usual today across the four websites there is something for everyone. Firstly Justracing has Lindsay Gallagher's exclusive betting ring report from Doomben. Then on www.brisbaneracing.com.au the question is posed "will thoroughbred catalogues have a picture of each Lot in the future?" - seeing that Inglis' are doing just that at an upcoming Melbourne sale. On www.sydneyracing.com.au there is the first of two big montages of photos from the wonderful Grafton Carnival that I had the pleasure of attending last week, whilst on www.melbourneracing.com.au all the winning photos taken by Stuart McCormick at last Friday night's Tabcorp Park Melton meeting are displayed, along with all the latest harness news from Brad Bishop.

From the Doomben betting ring leading rails bookmaker Lindsay Gallagher reported:

Race 1 – Tobouggie Woogie $4.80, Hidden Wonder $2.40 and Yummy $15.00

The opening event at Doomben was won by Tobouggie Woogie who started at $4.80 and even that quote was hard to get late when good money arrived on the phones for her.

I laid two individual bets of $5,000 on Hidden Wonder so there was good money around for that mare also.

Gold Coast trained mare La Bella Luisa attracted support as well.

It was a race you could have won or lost on.

Race 2 – Intertheblack $8.00, Ausworld $4.80 and Athenas Gift $3.00

This winner Intertheblack had no luck in the Rockhampton Cup and finally had things go his way here, even though he was unfancied in the ring.

Athenas Gift was backed on the phones and Danardos was probably the best backed runner on course and was $6.50 into $4.60 at the jump.

It was a winning race.

Race 3 – Changing Eyes $4.20, Pins On Parade $3.00 and Decibella $3.00

Money arrived pretty much as soon as the market went up on this winner Changing Eyes at $6, so being the first horse backed they naturally shorten more dramatically than if they are the last one backed.

Pins On Parade was unwanted in betting, however good money arrived late for the Toowoomba mare Decibella on the phones, with several bets of $4,000 and $5,000 recorded on her, which eased the pain of the payout on the winner.

Race 4 – Falvelina $7.50, One Lickety Split $6.50 and Mondean $7.50

Falvelina was backed on the phones at $10 and firmed up to run at $7.50 in a fairly wide betting race.

One Lickety Split was backed also and good money arrived for the Coffs Harbour trained galloper at $7.

Mondean was backed on the phones at $8.

I laid a couple of big bets on Unica Bahaya and there was also good general public money for her.

Emma’s Heart was unlayable from the alley, but Bevagna was backed on the phones at $10, so it was actually quite a good betting race and it was a race you could have won or lost on.

Race 5 – Gentle Giant $8.00, Why So Expensive $10.00 and Jopa $5.50

Gentle Giant took out $16,000 in one bet alone with me and plenty of money arrived for third placed Jopa at $6.

Betting ring favourite Starstreamed was backed, as was Shezamyth who was backed on the phones at $10 and Manahide had admirers as well, so again it was a race where they backed a few runners but most bookies wouldn’t do any good on the race as the $8 Gentle Giant was taken late in betting.

Race 6 – Castellani $14.00, Telesto Warrior $3.50 and Elusive Port $10.00

There was no money for this winner Castellani and whilst Telesto Warrior ran favourite there was no big money for the gelding. In fact the biggest bet I laid on him was $2,000 and the majority of the support for him came from rank and file punters on course.

Elusive Port was specked at $13, whilst Stop Lying was backed late at $8 and Aquaterra was backed also, so they backed a few in the race, but not for big money, with the result being that the hold wasn’t very big.

Nevertheless it was a winning race.

Race 7 – Aspiran $3.70, Royal Saint $11.00 and Bianca Blues $10.00

The biggest go on course all day came for this winner Aspiran and her victory provided a very nasty result for bookmakers. I laid an $8,000 bet on the Rockhampton trained mare, then I laid another bet of $5,000 on her, before general public support arrived for her.

Koorong Avenue was specked late in betting at $6 and Belletrist was backed at $5, so you could lay the three horses.

Race 8 – Anyways $7.50, Rightson $10.00 and Blazing Hearts $3.80

Anyways eased in the betting, but it was nevertheless a fair betting race.

There was some money about for Rightson at $13.

Blazing Hearts was always solid in betting around the $3.80 mark.

Mr Slick took out $20,000 in one bet alone and Rockdale also took out the same amount in a single bet.

Cornwall Park was hard to lay and didn’t fire, so whilst the last finished up a winning race, not many bookmakers would have walked out the front gate after the last actually winning.

Lindsay will be fielding at Eagle Farm on Wednesday, Ipswich on Friday and then he’s back to Eagle Farm on Saturday for the big Tattersall’s Racing Club day before heading to the Sunshine Coast on Sunday.

Don’t forget if you would like to visit Lindsay on the web to read his latest rant, cop a free tip, or view his latest bonus offer to new clients, you can do all that and more by visiting him at www.thevipclub.com.au.