Today is Derby Day.

Today is Derby Day and I am heading to the races. It’s a sort of memorial trek to the track, Mottsu was a keen punter and race goer, Derby Day was an annual highlight in his calendar.

Spring Carnival’s Derby Day is the highlight in many racing calendars. It is considered by most racing enthusiasts to be the best day of thoroughbred racing in Australia, if not the world.

On Derby Day November 1, 2003 Mottsu picked the quadrella, considered by many betting enthusiasts to be the on of ultimate punting challenges. A quadrella requires four winners of four races in a row. He tried every year for more than ten years, always confident of having picked the winners up until some outsider thundered to the post before a favoured choice. Many near misses with three of four legs and no quadrella victory. We were there on Derby Day 2003, as we were on every Derby Day, with the traditional cornflower worn in his button hole and a well studied form guide in his hand. A hat on my head, laughter, horses (of course), an all day carnival complete with champagne and post race blisters on my feet: he wore sensible shoes.

2003 was a big Derby Day, four months before he died, his Derby Day dream.

Race 5 Qantas Wakeful Stakes no 3 Timbourina
Race 6 AAMI Victoria Derby no 3 Elvstroem
Race 7 Thrifty Mackinnon Stakes no 13 Casual Pass
Race 8 Seppelt Salinger Stakes no 9 Ancient Song

Four winners of four races a dividend of thousands of dollars and we laughed and celebrated. His best Derby Day ever. His last Derby Day. No visible signs of distress, not yet anyway.

He confided his delight of enjoying a perfect race day, in a way he never confided his ensuing despair.

Today, I’m off to Derby Day, I been have every year since that winning celebrated one. I have my hat, and my shoes that will make my feet pay by the end of the day, and no form guide. I am all carnival and little punting.

It’s not the same without Mottsu.