It's funny how you remember where you were.
1962: Even Stevens. In the garage shed with my father in a sea of wood shavings. HMV radio on shelf. He was building a boat. I was five.
1963: Gatum Gatum. The shed. The boat. The radio. Bert Bryant, 3UZ.
1965: Light Fingers. In the backyard. Family lunch. Mother won the sweep.
1968: Rain Lover. Inside the rail at Flemington with my father, photographer. Watched the horse round the turn alone. It won by eight lengths.
1971: Silver Knight. At home in the living room. Bert Bryant on ancient radiogram.
1973: Gala Supreme. In father's studio in back yard. I used to paint and read there. Taped the race on my new cassette recorder. I still have a scrap of Bill Collins' call on 3DB.
1974: Think Big. Living room at home.
1975: Same horse, same place.
1976: Van Der Hum. Abandoned picnic in Dandenongs due to weather. Pulled car over halfway down mountain due to heavy rain. Read Peter Smark's Epicure column in The Age while waiting for Cup broadcast. Bill Collins called the winner despite blinding rain.
1977: Gold and Black. New home, new wife, new baby: W., T. and A.'s Much Older Brother was 10 months.
1980: Beldale Ball. Media and Communications faculty party at head lecturer's house. Conspiracy theories, warm dip, warm cheese cubes and warm Brown Bros cask wine. Winning horse not approved of; owned by media mogul.
1985: What a Nuisance. Driving through Gippsland with W., T. and A.'s Much Older Brother and Sister. Sister picked the winner, liked the name. She was five, the same age William is now.
1986: At Talaq. At home in Brunswick. First of a new breed of unpronounceable horse names, at least at the height of the race.
1987: Kensei. Home alone. First post-divorce Cup.
1988: Empire Rose. In a South Melbourne studio, probably AAV, recording some appalling radio ad or other.
1989: Tawrrific. See 1986. How the hell did they call that at the finish?
1993: Vintage Crop. Royal Park and then Brunswick Street.
1999: Rogan Josh. At home. Takeaway curry from Singh's that night.
2006: Delta Blues. Picnic at the lake.
2009: Shocking, ahead of Crime Scene. At sister-in-law's house in mountains where radio reception is difficult. Race is inaudible static. But with names like that, was the call really worth hearing?
2010: We'll see. An uncle of my older children has trained a horse for the race by the name of Buccellati. It is not favoured. One tipster has it last.
1962: Even Stevens. In the garage shed with my father in a sea of wood shavings. HMV radio on shelf. He was building a boat. I was five.
1963: Gatum Gatum. The shed. The boat. The radio. Bert Bryant, 3UZ.
1965: Light Fingers. In the backyard. Family lunch. Mother won the sweep.
1968: Rain Lover. Inside the rail at Flemington with my father, photographer. Watched the horse round the turn alone. It won by eight lengths.
1971: Silver Knight. At home in the living room. Bert Bryant on ancient radiogram.
1973: Gala Supreme. In father's studio in back yard. I used to paint and read there. Taped the race on my new cassette recorder. I still have a scrap of Bill Collins' call on 3DB.
1974: Think Big. Living room at home.
1975: Same horse, same place.
1976: Van Der Hum. Abandoned picnic in Dandenongs due to weather. Pulled car over halfway down mountain due to heavy rain. Read Peter Smark's Epicure column in The Age while waiting for Cup broadcast. Bill Collins called the winner despite blinding rain.
1977: Gold and Black. New home, new wife, new baby: W., T. and A.'s Much Older Brother was 10 months.
1980: Beldale Ball. Media and Communications faculty party at head lecturer's house. Conspiracy theories, warm dip, warm cheese cubes and warm Brown Bros cask wine. Winning horse not approved of; owned by media mogul.
1985: What a Nuisance. Driving through Gippsland with W., T. and A.'s Much Older Brother and Sister. Sister picked the winner, liked the name. She was five, the same age William is now.
1986: At Talaq. At home in Brunswick. First of a new breed of unpronounceable horse names, at least at the height of the race.
1987: Kensei. Home alone. First post-divorce Cup.
1988: Empire Rose. In a South Melbourne studio, probably AAV, recording some appalling radio ad or other.
1989: Tawrrific. See 1986. How the hell did they call that at the finish?
1993: Vintage Crop. Royal Park and then Brunswick Street.
1999: Rogan Josh. At home. Takeaway curry from Singh's that night.
2006: Delta Blues. Picnic at the lake.
2009: Shocking, ahead of Crime Scene. At sister-in-law's house in mountains where radio reception is difficult. Race is inaudible static. But with names like that, was the call really worth hearing?
2010: We'll see. An uncle of my older children has trained a horse for the race by the name of Buccellati. It is not favoured. One tipster has it last.
1993: Vintage Crop. In the grand stand beside the swimming pool in primary school. They had the race over the loud speakers.
ReplyDeleteyou're a freak. in a good way.
ReplyDeleteNice recollection, Helen. It was always a public holiday here.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Paula!