I'll be at Doomben tomorrow with copies of my book, so if any member of the public wants one or more copies, they can ring me on 0438788114, to meet at the track after 1pm. You can buy a book and I'll buy you a drink. The books are $39.95. All outstanding book orders to Australia and New Zealand were posted yesterday afternoon.

There are good quality races at Brisbane and Perth tomorrow, courtesy of the Group 3 Summer Stakes at Doomben which is worth $128,000 to the winner, whilst the Group 1 Fruit ‘N’ Veg Stakes will be run and won at Ascot in Perth and the winner will earn its connections $300,000 – which would take you a long way in a bus.

It is from the Fruit ‘N’ Veg Stakes that this week’s Santa Special is engaged. Last Saturday proved to be a disaster, when neither value pick ran a place, after the previous Saturday to that, when both selections were placed.

The Summer Stakes is a very difficult race for punters to access. In favouritism order Natural Destiny is undoubtedly a worthy favourite, but he’s drawn badly. He is probably a really nice horse in the making, but when he blew Starlactic away in Brisbane on June 24, the track was rated “slow”. So can he repeat that run on a hard track?

Starlactic is second favourite and he’s a talented galloper, but he’s drawn awkwardly in 9 of 17.

Rasmussen is third favourite. He is drawn perfectly and the stable and jockey are in form. I don’t have any great opinion of him to this point, so tomorrow will tell us all where he sits in the general score of things.

Impaler and Hard To Catch are on the next fixed odds line of betting. Impaler fell in last start in the Eye Liner on Ipswich Cup day, in a big blanket finish, then he went for a spell. I’ve never been able to catch him, so I won’t start trying to work him out at his 35^th racetrack appearance tomorrow.

Hard To Catch went ordinary the other day, but always performs well second up. He’s well drawn, but I thought he gave in too meekly last start to be a winning hope tomorrow.

I can’t work the race out, except to say that if Natural Destiny can get in two off the fence and can’t win, then he is overrated on “good” tracks.

I do feel I can work the Fruit ‘N’ Veg Stakes out - and regard it is an easier assignment for punters than the Summer Stakes. I think we’ll see a really nice horse stand up tomorrow and come of age and I think he should have nearly won the Railway Stakes last Saturday. I’d be very surprised if Vain Crusader isn’t a really good horse in the making and he’s this weeks only Santa Special. He’s $8 each way around the traps currently (Eskander), so he’ll be around double figure odds. He’s drawn 15 of 15 and that’s a plus to me, as they’ll ride him to this pattern and he’ll come from way back in the ruck. Paul Harvey will have to ride him for luck, but they had to ride Super Impose for luck every time he went to the races, as he was a backmarker, yet it didn’t stop him winning four Randwick Group 1’s 1600-metre races and a Cox Plate. Horses that are backmarkers can still win good races with that pattern and I’ve got it in my water that Vain Crusader will be a Melbourne Spring Carnival horse next year. If they bring him to Brisbane in May or June of next year, he’ll win any race he is set for in his own age group at 1600 metres plus, as there isn’t much depth in the 3YO middle distance ranks around Australia. In summary, as long as there is a genuine speed in the race, I expect Vain Crusader to storm home and win the Fruit ‘N’ Veg. Many of his opponents are a bit like me – getting older, and not getting better at anything.

Chief Handicapper Lester Grimmett has sent the scaled weights through for Doomben tomorrow and they read:-

Race 2 – midweek Class 1, Race 5 + 2.5 kilos and Race 6 + 1.5 kilos.

Queensland Racing Senior Communications Officer Claire Power has sent the apprentices weights through for Doomben tomorrow and they are:-

JOCKEY	WEIGHT
Ric McMahon	50
Matt Palmer	50
Melanie Price	50
Mandy Radecker	50.5
Matt Morris	49
Ryan Plumb	51
Nathan Thomas	50
Sheree Drake	52

Don’t forget to check out bookmaker Lindsay Gallagher’s website and get his people’s tips, to see if they are any good. Lindsay’s new website is www.thevipclub.com.au

For people attending Doomben tomorrow, I will be on course with my book from about 1pm. It’s $39.95, so why not just give me $40 and tell me to “keep the change” and I’ll be greatful. The best way to track me down is to ring me on my mobile 0438788114 and we can meet - and you can buy my book - and I can buy you a drink - and everyone is a winner!

It is also a special day in Cairns tomorrow for Jack Wilson Memorial Day. I got invited to Cairns by Jack Wilson’s niece, Debbie Jerome, but I just can’t be in two places at once. I hope they have a great day and I was privileged to write the late Jack Wilson’s story, which is in my book. If people want to know what stories are in the book, it is as easy as just clicking on the banner above and go to “Table of Contents” - and it will tell you the titles of the 100-odd stories that make up the 606-page book. Whilst on the book, all outstanding customer orders were posted by yesterday afternoon.

With it being Fruit ‘N’ Veg day in Perth tomorrow, www.lotgunracing.com  man Gunther Robl has furnished his report and it reads:-

A really crappy day of racing in the east tomorrow. Last week I should of had Belle Bizarre along with Hartleys Dream, as she came up in my win and place program, but the fact that Harvey chose not to ride her threw me off. I should know better than to let jockeys influence me.   To this week:- In the Lee Steere Classic  I fancy 1, 4 and 11. In the Jungle Dawn Classic I like 2 and 3, the 3 nearly got us the money two weeks ago. The Fruit ‘N’ Veg (the correct name is actually the Kingston Town Classic), I like 1, 6 and 12. In the Winterbottom Stakes, I like mainly Rescuer, but include 3 and 5. As always my best bet for the day can be found on my site on Saturday morning at www.lotgunracing.com