The Melbourne Cup, The race supposedly which stops the nation, Or does it?

For starters I am one of many persons who do not go along with that old wives tale, people who have a working brain will totally ignore this cup day hype. Of course if you are a thieving turf accountant (Bookie) it will bring tidings of great joy, Santa clause eat your heart out..
 Horses are better employed pulling carts and ploughs and other means of transport and providing manure for the garden, also rides for kiddies. Old geezers have been known to take this horse riding practice to further their amorous pursuit of buxom blonde  riding instructors. however, I shall not waffle on about that.
If it is your  first visit to the race track, you will be overawed by the constant palaver and near the end you will see fewer happy smiling faces than those with glum faces and empty pockets. But the thing which should be the dead giveaway to punters is you will find more Betting windows than paying out windows.
I lived for two years looking straight at the 'Happy Valley' Race Course  grand stand, from the balcony of our tenth floor Flat in Wongniechong road in Honkers it was about 500 metres away.. those days long gone, I would use the mile long track for exercise, a six minute round trip. Never bet ever, bad for the mortgage.
However, this old chestnut always reminds me of the old saying ' pack it in while your in front'.
Following is an excerpt from my memoirs.

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1945.

Mrs Fraser.s son, Bob was serving on the Australian Destroyer HMAS

Nizam the D15. It accompanied us on our visits to the Japanese conflict

up north. Bob gave me the address of a nice lady, aged eighteen, who

lived in Richmond, Melbourne when we were there quite by chance (or

so we were told) when the Melbourne Cup was held after the war on 6

November 1945.

At the time, I had one arm and an entire leg in plaster casts due to a

serious accident, it was also strange that a member of our crew bore the

same name as one of the horses in the race .Rainbird.

The bookie said .Yeah okay, Jack. I.ll take your bet. and stated that

I.would stand a better chance of winning the Melbourne Cup on crutches than

I would with a Sydney jockey on a South Australian horse which had

recently escaped from the knackers yard.

 After .Rainbird. beat the field with Billy Cook on board, I felt quite smug. The odds were about

twelve to one, I think. These winnings were added to from my 14/1 each way

bet on the third horse to finish, its name Leonard. I just could not resist.

But my first ever bet and win never made me addicted to the sport.

B T W. They who are not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing, but don't bet on it.

Back later Vest...... have a punting good day.