Jockey Matt Morris had a nasty fall at Caloundra recently as shown here. His ride on Santa Special Party Express last Saturday for a young three-kilo claiming apprentice, although beaten, was an absolute pearler. Paul Hammersley also rode the other Santa Special Rumbird perfectly as well. Thanks guys. Another winning day without backing a winner.

It is an insult to all involved in the racing industry throughout Australia to schedule a five horse race on a Saturday program, as has been done by the AJC in Race 2 tomorrow in Sydney.

What earthly purpose such an event is supposed to achieve, no living person would be able to explain.

Of the five starters one is a Maiden after five starts and has the distinction of having earned just $1,200. It got run over by 6.75 lengths in a Maiden last start at 16-1, so it is only in this race tomorrow as an excuse to make up the numbers. The stupidity of the race is that now this legless Maiden named Sagwala - even if he runs 20 lengths last, which he will - will get $1,100 in prizemoney earnings because with only five starters, it is a bit like taking a walk down sideshow alley – every player wins a prize!

Race 1 in Sydney is not much better, as it only has six runners. To show you how pathetic that race is, Sam Sung A Song is $2.80 favourite - yet it hasn’t won a race since “Days Of Our Lives” started on television, on 19/2/2005. It gets worse because number two Lorenzo’s last win was at Acton – a joint I’ve never heard of – have you? Then every other starter in the race had their last win in the provincials – at Hawkesbury, Bathurst, Quirindi and Kembla Grange, so those first two races should have been canned and the club would have been able to program a decent $110,000 race, because that is the amount of prizemoney that is being “wasted” to the industry in the first two races. There is a place for both races – it is called “the bush”.

The only positive out of the whole episode is Race 1 has an interesting name “Santa Uses A Canon Camera”. That doesn’t surprise me, the old sicko, so just don’t sleep in the bollocks this Christmas Eve, or “Sordid Santa” may be taking photos of you to take back to the North Pole. If you ever wondered how that naked photo of you made it into “Picture” magazine – blame it on Santa!

Last week’s Santa Specials - Party Express and Rumbird - were both ridden a treat by Matt Morris and Paul Hammersley respectively, so we got in the queue twice from two bets and won well on the day, showing about a 100% profit for the day on a level stake each way bet on both horses. At the bank they pay about 5% per annum, so 100% a day is good going.

Tomorrow I’d have two each way bets at double figure odds and both are in Brisbane. I fancy Dawn’s Pride in Race 3 and Stars O’ Gold in Race 5 will both run good races. Dawn’s Pride needs to come from last, but the small field will help overcome traffic problems. He’s missed the start at two of his last three starts, so needs to jump with them tomorrow.

Stars O’ Gold will come from last or near last also, but always runs a race and charges home late in these sort of races. He is a good 1200-metre horse off a hot pace and he should get those conditions here.

Chief Handicapper Lester Grimmett has sent the scaled weights through for Eagle Farm tomorrow and they are Race 1 + 3 kilos, Race 3 + 1 kilo, Race 4 + 0.5 kilos and Race 8 mid-week Class 3.

Steward Bec Lawson and Queensland Racing Senior Communications Officer Claire Power have sent the apprentices weights through for Eagle Farm tomorrow and they read:-

Over in Western Australia there is Group 1 racing tomorrow at Ascot and the normal Western Australian report has not been able to come through as Gunther Robl has broadband problems. He did ring to say he’ll put up his preview on his website www.lotgunracing.com under his “Saturday Special” banner, tomorrow morning.

What’s happening on the website next week?  Well either next week or the week after I will put up my story on the greatest consumer rip-off in Australian daily life! It will rock the country, from Government agencies right down to the little man or woman in the street, but someone has got to tell the story. The silence is deafening everywhere else from all parties, so I will tell it here. Apart from that there will be lots of racing stories, as usual, including the ones of Bob Frappell and Wayne Milner that I didn’t get time to do this week.

New Zealand correspondent Neil Davis has sent a report through and it reads:- (Please check race times and numbers with the official TAB lists)

You may remember Gaze which performed very well during the Queensland carnival. Well, she returned fresh up in the NRM Throroughbred Breeders Stakes at last Saturday at Ellerslie and won like a true professional. Last campaign she raced keenly at the wrong times but she just purred along in this and ran straight and true with David Walsh on board. The rest weren’t in her class. She is being set for the Thorndon Mile in January at Trentham, then she may go back over for the Queensland carnival again.

Next Wednesday the Group 1 Avondale Cup is being run and should be shown in Australia. AFTERSHOCK is borderline to get into the race, but if he does, he is an exciting galloper and a strong chance to lead all the way. He races in the lead and can just simply powered away from his opposition. He was $14 on fixed odds, but has steadily dropped to $7.

10.58 - Race 3 Horse 4 – MONTECRISTO

Fresh up at Avondale he was very unlucky when he was shut out at the 200m when mounting what looked to be winning run. He is an impressive looking 3yo and was a bit green last campaign when he won fresh up hanging, but leading all the way, then next up was wide at the back and still finished strongly for second.

He won’t mind the likely Dead track conditions. No rider was declared at time of writing, but Grant Cooksley rode him last start and I’d imagine he would be back on again. If he can jump him out and get on the speed, he will be extremely hard to beat.

11.45 Race 6 Horse 14 – PEE WEE

He ran a strong finishing 4^th fresh up, then next up got caught back in traffic off a slack pace and was held up on the turn, so all that did was lengthen his price for this. He beat some smarter horses than this lot last campaign and handles Good to Slow conditions. He has drawn out, which is good, as there is a lot of pace in this and that will allow him to settle back on the outer of horses and finish over the top of them.