The Weekly A-Z

Posted on March 12, 2021March 12, 2021 | Posted by Digby Beacham

A – ADELE

She doesn’t strike you as the most logical option for a post-match victory song in a changeroom full of testosterone. That didn’t stop the British superstar’s much-played hit “Someone Like You” being belted out by Western Force players following their 20-16 victory over the Waratahs. I wouldn’t think the rendition resonated greatly with Adele’s legion of followers around the world, but good on the Force boys for showing a sense of humour if nothing else.

B – BLUE MURDER

Will David Teague have sufficient soldiers to take into battle against Richmond in next Thursday night’s season opener? It appears not. The Blues have lost their last 13 matches against the Tigers and the under-pressure Carlton coach is facing the likelihood of fronting up before 50,000 fans without forward options Charlie Curnow, Mitch McGovern and Harry McKay because of injury. Young tall Tom De Koning is also racing the clock, while we know Zac Williams will miss through suspension. Richmond will relish the opportunity to whack their long-time rivals and launch their flag defence in style.

C – CLOCK IS TICKING

If you haven’t joined the TABradio footy tipping competition, it’s time to get your skates on. The opportunity to win a $100 voucher from both TABtouch and Barbaro Butchers, and another $50 from Retravision for being the leading tipster each week is as good as it gets. Don’t forget there is also a grand prize for the season’s No.1 tipster to be finalised in the not too distant. And it’s free to enter. Go to the game.com.au and follow the prompts. The competition code is 360071T. Get involved.

D – DAYDREAMING

The AFL have been masters at pulling the strings over the years, making us wait and wait and wait in regards to the start time of the grand final. Not so in 2021. The league this week put to bed any speculation by announcing the showpiece game would be held in daylight and not under artificial lights like we saw at the Gabba last year. It caused somewhat of a kerfuffle, but so too would have a decision to stick with a night grand final for the second year in a row. At least we know what to expect.

E – EMOTION-CHARGED

The racing Gods were with the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Homesman last weekend in the Australian Cup. And not one person complained. The connections of the veteran gelding were rocked earlier in the week when part-owner, music guru Michael Gudinski, passed away suddenly. Gudinski’s son Matt led Homesman and jockey Jye McNeil back to scale after his narrow victory. To see fellow part-owners Gerry Ryan and Nick Williams fighting back tears underlined what the moment meant.

F – FUNNY AS

I’m not a sadist, but I don’t think I am alone in expressing my pleasure in watching some of the world’s best golfers look like mere mortals on the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass. We watch in awe at how these players shred a golf course week after week, but when they plonk ball after ball into the water rather than the Island Green, it is very humorous. Kevin Na dunked three balls in the drink on his way to a five-over-par eight this morning and then bogeyed the 18th to sign for an 81. Moments later, he withdrew from the tournament to avoid further torture in the second round.

G – GUARANTEED MONEY

NFL player agents, even the players themselves, love to trumpet the worth of their contracts. However, the only figure that counts is the “guaranteed” aspect of any deal. It is why it was wonderful to see the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott agree on a massive extension this week. Prescott’s future as a Cowboy was up in the air after he sustained an horrific leg injury last season. There was the typical argy bargy that comes with most contract negotiations in the sporting landscape before Prescott committed to a four-year-deal with $A160 million of it guaranteed. Seriously big spuds.

H – HUNGER GAMES

Former West Coast assistant coach Peter Sumich is not afraid of having a strong opinion. That was the case again when he lined up for his former club for failing to build on the 2018 premiership. Sumich said complacency had crept into the squad and was an area that needed to be addressed if the Eagles were to hold the premiership cup aloft this year. “They’ve had the players (to win the flag) for the past few years … they probably should have won another one,” he said. “They’ve got to get their attitude right. There’s too many good players in that side that probably aren’t performing on a consistent basis.”

I – INTOXICATING

The 90-minute “One Night In Brisbane” documentary that screened last night was further evidence of how much better the AFL is getting at providing an insight into the major moments of the game we love. For years, the league offered limited access into a club’s premiership tilt, whereas some of the American sporting vision left us in awe. But streaming services, with Amazon’s Making Their Mark, and last night’s production, which aired on Fox Footy, have taken us into the inner sanctum. If you haven’t had a chance to watch either, set aside some time over the weekend. You won’t regret it.

J – JUVENILE BEHAVIOUR

Profiteer or Stay Inside? Those two colts were all the rage heading into last Saturday’s Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) at Randwick. Profiteer got rolling as he does and did a good job to run second, with Anamoe surging late to claim the spoils. James McDonald didn’t get a lot of luck aboard Stay Inside in what appeared an excellent Golden Slipper trial. But the Kiwi hoop threw a spanner in the works when he informed Stay Inside’s co-trainers Michael and Richard Freedman that he didn’t want to ride the Extreme Choice colt, preferring to link up with Chris Waller. Given Stay Inside is the $5.50 second favourite with TABtouch, it was a bold call.

K – KING’S LEGACY

King Of Swing laid claim to being the best standardbred in the country with his dominant victory as a short-priced favourite in the Miracle Mile at Menangle last Saturday night. The WA-owned star was equally as impressive as his 2020 Miracle Mile triumph and now boasts 32 wins and more than $2.2 million in stakes. Importantly, he shows no signs of slowing down. Long live the King.

L – LEAGUE OF ITS OWN

For all the trials and tribulations the NRL has to endure, especially over the summer months, there can be no denying the quality of the product on game day. Last night’s season opener between the Melbourne Storm and South Sydney at AAMI Park was magnificent. The Storm were as slick as they have been in the past decade in the initial 25 minutes, helping them establish a 22-0 lead en route to a pulsating 26-18 victory. Put simply, the NRL is an excellent product.

M – MISSED OPPORTUNITY

The ho-hum finish to the five-match T20 series across the ditch between New Zealand and Australia only reinforced what could have been. With Australia abandoning their tour of South Africa because of COVID-19 concerns, the tour to New Zealand could have easily accommodated two Tests to go with three T20s. Even if the Tests carried no weight towards the mid-year ICC World Test Championship, it would have been great to see more five-day contests. The T20 tour went for too long as it was.

N – NO DOUBT

That the nomination of Lauren Jackson as a finalist for the Naimsith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is deserving. Jackson is the best basketballer this country has produced. End of discussion. A seven-time WNBA All-Star and three-time WNBA MVP, Jackson led the Seattle Storm to WNBA titles in 2004 and 2010 and was the finals MVP in 2010. She also won three silver medals at the Olympic Games with the Australian national side. She would sit comfortably among the game’s pantheon of greats.

O – OVERWHELMING SUCCESS

“In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.” So said Albert Einstein. The NBL channelled their inner Einstein late last year when announcing the NBL Cup, a competition within a competition featuring all teams playing 36 games in a four-week extravaganza in Melbourne. With the disruptions and uncertainty caused by COVID-19, the hierarchy at the league adopted a “can-do” attitude as opposed to a “woe-is-us” stance and have been rewarded with a string of outstanding matches. The midweek double-headers have a carnival feel about them and have been offensively entertaining. The Perth Wildcats round out their stellar NBL Cup commitments tonight and Sunday against the NZ Breakers and Adelaide 36ers respectively.

P – PLEASE STOP

Anthony Mundine. Enough is enough. Your legacy will not be tarnished should you lose as most expect when you step into the ring at Bendigo tomorrow night to fight Michael Zerafa. But your health could be. Mundine is rising 46 and nowhere near the athlete who captivated us when he quit rugby league to follow in the footsteps of his father Tony, a wonderful fighter in his own right. The time has come for people close to Mundine to take care of him now so he can take care of himself in his latter years.

Q – QUEENS IN THE NEWS

No, I am not talking about the Prince Harry-Meghan Markle stoush with Buckingham Palace and Her Majesty’s response. Couldn’t care less about that rubbish. Of far more interest is the health of Arcadia Queen, who shifted a plate at trackwork this week and was found to be lame in the aftermath. To say that is less than ideal ahead of the $5 million All Star Mile at Moonee Valley tomorrow is a gross understatement. She was inspected again yesterday by Racing Victoria vets and found to be 2/5 lame. Her place in the field is now in serious doubt. Unfortunately, Celebrity Queen pulled a plate ahead of last Saturday’s Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington and didn’t produce her best. In more positive news, Queen Takes King proved she was a stayer of genuine promise with a powerful 2400m win at Ascot on Wednesday.

R – R.I.P

Unless you are a diehard racing fan, you probably cannot name all of the owners of wonder mare Winx. Most of you would be aware that Debby Kepitis is a part-owner, as is Peter Tighe. The other owner, Richard Treweeke, flew very much under the radar and happily did so. Unfortunately, Treweeke passed away this week, aged 90, a day after a striking bronze statue of Winx and Hugh Bowman was unveiled at Rosehill.

S – SASSY STUFF

We all saw the trial of Pat’s Got Sass at Lark Hill late last month. Impressive with a capital I. But could she take it to Ascot during the week and live up to the hype on debut? That was the question. You bet she could. Pat’s Got Sass jumped beautifully for Paul Harvey, raced outside Warpipes and then put paid to him in the twinkling of an eye soon after straightening. But she wasn’t just content with that. Pat’s Got Sass powered away over the concluding stages to cause a stir that left bookmakers around the country scrambling ahead of the Group 2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m). It is only a small sample size, but she looks the real deal.

T – TESTING MATERIAL

Western Empire absolutely annihilated his rivals in the Listed Lex Piper Stakes (1600m) a fortnight ago and it seems only bad luck (and a lot of it) will prevent him from handing out another galloping lesson in the Listed JC Roberts Stakes (1800m) at Ascot tomorrow. The three-year-old gelding has a superior turn of foot and the rise in distance doesn’t pose an issue. He will form a key plank in many multis over the weekend, as will Solaia, who went down in the Listed 1000 Guineas (1800m) at her most recent outing. The weight of money for her since she opened at $3.20 on TABtouch would indicate Darren McAuliffe has the daughter of Toronado in excellent order.

U – UNDERAPPRECIATED

William Pike is revered throughout the country for his deeds in the saddle. Sadly, Pike’s accomplishments, in particular his heroics last year, mattered little to those who don’t have a great feel for the thoroughbred industry. The Goldfields product slayed them here and in Victoria yet was snubbed in favour of cyclist Jai Hindley in The West Australian RAC WA Sports Star Award. Terribly disappointing.

V – VANQUISHED VICTORY

Melbourne Victory have been a constant at the pointy end of A-League campaigns over the years, boasting a trophy cabinet many other sides would die for. The way they are tracking this season though, they might need to make room to accommodate a wooden spoon. Grant Brebner’s men were humiliated 6-0 by bitter rivals Melbourne City last weekend, leaving them stranded on the foot of the A-League table with a meagre seven points — four less than the second-last Newcastle Jets. It is a stunning fall from grace.

W – WALKING WOUNDED

Fremantle entered their official pre-season clash with West Coast full of confidence and seemingly well placed to beat their big brothers for the second time in eight days. By the time the final siren sounded, they had not only lost the match, but were licking their wounds. Rory Lobb (knee), Michael Walters (hamstring), Mitch Crowden (calf) and Bailey Banfield (ankle) all headed for scans on the Monday and the news wasn’t great. None of them will be available for Fremantle’s season opener against Melbourne, with Lobb set to be sidelined until at least halfway through the year. We learnt today that Michael Frederick (calf) is also going to miss a string of matches.

X – XTRAGAVANT

The dual Group 1-winning stallion got off the mark at Cranbourne last Friday night when two-year-old gelding He’s Xceptional saluted for Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. A son of Pentire who claimed his elite-level victories in New Zealand, Xtravagant now calls Newhaven Park Stud, more than 300km south-west of Sydney, home. There is an expectation his progeny will improve as the two-year-old season advances and they could become very effective three-year-olds around a mile and beyond.

Y – YAWN

Any time you assemble the best basketballers on the planet on one court, it is a reason to celebrate. The NBA All-Star weekend has for a long time attracted enormously publicity. It looked a little different this year because of COVID-19 restrictions and that may well have impacted the appeal, but the players also have a duty to actually compete, rather than run up and down the floor impersonating the Harlem Globetrotters. Professional athletes are competitive beasts, not sideshow performers. Offsetting that however is they do raise millions of dollars for charity. The NBA players are increasingly aware of their standing in the community and that is particularly heartening.

Z – ZOU IS A STAR

Each and every Saturday, the big thoroughbred breeding operations closely monitor the action at the major metropolitan tracks. Widden Stud principal Antony Thompson is no different and last weekend couldn’t believe his eyes as the progeny of his stallion Zoustar had a day to remember. The sprinting sire produced the quinella in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) through Zoutori and Indian Pacific, claimed the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) with Glistening and the Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) with Lightsaber. He just missed out on another Group 1 when Mizzy was beaten a pimple in the Canterbury Stakes (1300m), while Solar Winds was a terrific second on debut in the Group 3 Black Opal Stakes (1200m) at Canberra on the Sunday. It is little wonder why Zoustar sits sixth on the general sires’ list.