Sometimes, I'm kinda like this horse

And they're off... Flying Reward has hit the lead followed closely by Fast Runner, Quick As A Flash and Nancy Boy. Fast Runner's making his move. It's Fast Runner and Flying Reward, Flying Reward and Fast Runner. OH... it's a photo finish.

I figured out a way to pick the winners at the dog track years ago.

It happened when my cousin asked me to come with him to work - he worked at the dog track - and keep him company.

Being interested in what goes on behind the scenes of any place I took him up on his invitation. He worked at the kennels - where the dogs walk out from to get onto the track and where they're ushered away to after they run.

To relieve the bordom we made friendly bets with each other. As the dogs were led onto the track we'd pick "our" dog for the race.

Sometimes my dog won, sometimes his won. Regardless of whose dog won though, the other's dog ran a place - if his won my pick came a place and visa versa.

I knew absolutely nothing about the dogs. Didn't know their names. Didn't know about box drawing. Didn't know anything about greyhounds and how they race. Yet I was able to pick a win/place every race.

How?

Easy... I picked the dog which LOOKED like it would win. The one I figured LOOKED the strongest - good muscles, tone, healthy, etc.

The way I figured it was,

If the dog had small muscles there was no way it could compete with a dog with larger muscles. Larger dogs (taller) would have a longer stride and be faster than smaller dogs.

And so on and so forth.

Of course, I was able to see these dogs very close up - close enough to touch. And I'm not sure if betting is allowed to continue once the dogs are walked out onto the track.

Whatever. Even though I could pick the winners under these fun conditions, I would still never put my money on my bets. I did that years ago...

A friend invited me to the horse track for a day of what he called entertainment. I called it dull.

I did place a bet that day. I put $2 on a horse because I liked its name. The horse came dead last, I lost my $2, thought "What a waste of money, I could have done something better with it" and have never bet on a race since.

I've watched betters though. And what I've picked up is,

they tell you all about their great wins and how much they made, but never their losses. Their horse/dog/harness would've won if it hadn't been for (insert excuse here). And so on.

I've seen some drop $1,500 in a single bet and think nothing off it. I heard one guy exclaim "Oh well..." and toss his tick in the air and go place another bet. Upon looking at his discarded ticket I saw his "Oh well" was $100 worth. (how often had that happened before I saw him and how often after?)

These same people who drop $1,500 or $100 on a single bet will think twice and three times before spending $50 on a product which could actually help them. Go figure.

CAST YOUR VOTES...

In all the years I've been voting, the person I've voted for has NEVER won.

Last election, due to our (Australia) silly voting rules, my vote ended up going to my second last choice out of eight.

Hmmm... maybe I should vote for the person I don't want and then the person I want will get in. But what if I do and I help the person I don't want? Oh the choices. :o)

Michael Ross.