50/50 - 1

The VC relaxing after a day in the sun

The First Lady, Chairman, VC & Antipodean Ambassadress at the Melbourne Cup

The Chairman after a very long day

The Melbourne Cup. The race which stops a nation, makes grown men disgrace themselves and a race won for the last 3 years by Makybe Diva, making her the most successful racehorse in the race ever, and a horse the WRC saw win her first triumphal year in 2003. Suffice as to say that although the five members present had approximately 10 bets on the race, none of us had the pleasure of a visit to the Tote window brandishing a winning ticket with glee. We did, however, have a splendid day, and the fact that our visit fell on the Chairman’s 35th birthday proved to be the icing on the cake. To celebrate this auspicious occasion, the Chairman & VC invented a drink consisting of half Seppelt Great Western Brut and half Toohey’s Extra Dry, which we duly named 50/50 and which subsequently proved to be the foundation of our undoing. However, there will be a new name on the cup this year (although my guess is that behaviour of those who attend will be similarly time honoured), and everyone is looking for clues in the colours, names and good old-fashioned. Chairman’s tip? Art Success, in the year that we found a Chair for our Fine Arts Committee, a success for the club in addition to the art world if there ever was one, and a sure-fire each-way success and which currently stands at 50/1 according to my source at bluesquare.com. If only there was also a horse called Ruby Tuesday running as well……