Punt Drunk: Tottenham curse strikes at Doomben
A new racing season is upon us and following a month spell in the paddock, Punt Drunk returns for another season!
With the ‘unofficial’ opening to spring commencing on Saturday, with the Group 2 Missile Stakes at Randwick and Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap at Flemington, there is no better time to be a racing enthusiast.
So grab your coldies, find your favourite spot on the couch and buckle up!
Tottenham curse strikes again
The English Premier League returns next weekend, but Australian horse racing fans got an early preview of what is to come.
Assuming the horse was named after Tottenham Hotspur, ‘Totspur’ was sent around as a short-priced favourite in the opener at Doomben on Wednesday afternoon.
Debutant Planned Encounter kicks her career off in perfect style!
Micheal Hellyer with a peach for Neil Hocking. pic.twitter.com/XRBgPou6b4
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 2, 2023
Ultimately, it replicated its namesake perfectly and failed to get the W.
Safe to say, the Brett Baker-trained runner has the bad juju behind it with a name like that.
The Peter Moody starter pack
Katherine Coleman as of Tuesday, became co-trainer alongside Peter Moody.
Moody’s daughter Celine, who plays ruck for the Western Bulldogs AFLW side, made sure that the new trainer was properly equipped for what is ahead with the Group 1 winning trainer.
Ready for the first day of the partnership tomorrow thanks to my @moodyracingpgm starter pack from Celine Moody 😂 pic.twitter.com/dUTXmLjUwC
— Katherine Coleman (@kscoleman) July 31, 2023
A longtime employee of Moody Racing, we’re sure Coleman had plenty of these on standby.
The famous Peter Moody bucket hat is a clear winner, but the box of Chicken Crimpies take the cake!
It would have been Chicken Crimpies and darts all round on Tuesday afternoon, as the pair bought up their first win in partnership when Runsir claimed the opener at Pakenham on Tuesday.
Paddington Cox Plate bound?
Racing Victoria are trying there best to get the Aidan O’Brien-trained Paddington into the Cox Plate (2040m) in October.
The Northern Hemisphere three-year-old has won seven of his eight career starts and has not tasted defeat since his debut run.
With wins at Curragh, Royal Ascot, Sandown and Goodwood at his last four starts, it sets up a mouth-watering contest of Paddington v Hong Kong’s Romantic Warrior in what would be one of the greatest Cox Plate races we have ever seen.
We just want to know if he will bring his number one supporter along for the ride?
Paddington 🙌
A special supporter 🐻 certainly enjoyed that @Goodwood_Races 😂 pic.twitter.com/JLuztrta5H
— Champions Series (@ChampionsSeries) August 2, 2023