With the Melbourne Cup coming up, I
suggest you stimulate your readership, many of whom will be players, to
explain to us how to have a win. Here is what a very successful punter
told me.

If you remove foreign winners (whose form is not
covered in this rubric), he assures me this formula for picking horses
to bet on in the Melbourne Cup has roped 17 of the last 20 winners:

1. Compile a list of the horses which run
first, second or third in The Caulfield Cup, The Cox Plate and The L K
S McKinnon Stakes.

2. Take out the name of the winner of the McKinnon Stakes
(because it is penalised too much as a result) and add the horse which
ran fourth.

3. Take out any 3-year-olds. They don’t win the Melbourne Cup.

4. Take out any mares which finished third in the three events listed above.

5. Bet on all the horses remaining on your list.

If there’s a better theory, let’s hear it and let’s stick something on it. Send your suggestions to boss@crikey.com.au.