WED PUNT, page-31

Thanks Brave appreciate that….
No I dont do the dogs and I’ll tell you why…
Many years ago when I first started going to the pub, my best friends dad told me a story whilst we all put $20(six of us)in a pint jar and we picked a horse each through the day..
He said he and some friends owned a grey hound and the trainer told them to gather as much money as they could because this Saturday we are racing and all it has to do is jump on terms and he cannot get beaten.
He got together $5k(35yrs ago) and he and a mate went around the stands to all the bookies that would take his bet(trying to spread the money as not to cause alarm) the Odds were 8-1, he managed to get it all on and waited with baited breath, he just kept hearing the trainers words’all it has to do is jump on level terms and it cannot get beaten)
“Hare running” he says and the bunny comes around and the traps lift.
The dog comes out stone last by 4 lengths, “oh my god my mrs is gonna kill me” he shouts to himself, the trainer has got me in the shit……
Then he looks over at the trainer with panic all over his face and sweat coming out of every where and the trainer gives him a wink.
Going around the second bend a man got onto the track and threw a bin full of rubbish on the track before the hare got there and then ran off.
The hare got stopped the race was not rerun and the race was voided…

the trainer was correct, the bet couldn’t lose, but he did have to break level then lead the first bend and then he couldn’t of got beaten, but if he was going to lose the plan was ready for all to get their money back but that part of the plan nobody knew except the trainer and the rubbish thrower….

they collected their money back and and because they spread the money around no one was the wiser…

at such an early stage in my punting life that story made me never back a dog for knowing how bent it was…..

I know things have got a lot better and lots happen in horse racing too but that’s why I don’t follow the dogs..

but good luck and happy punting buddy