Most race callers are so intent on getting the job done accurately, they wouldn’t give a thought to throwing in a funny line. That kind of commentary wouldn’t have suited the late Bert Bryant, who died in 1991 following several years of indifferent health. Bert believed that punters having a bad day, needed some cheering up, and he set about developing an array of “one liners” designed to take the pain out of losing your money.
Over in sunny California 10 year old Soi Phet got a similar reception when he won the Crystal Water Stakes at Santa Anita on May 20th. The race was for California breds only, and represented a class drop on the Gr 2 Californian Stakes in which Soi Phet had been unplaced three weeks earlier. Having said that, one of his rivals was Ashleyluvssugar who has won 5 Gr 2 races.
The scuffle between trainer Richard Laming and jockey Noel Callow at the Cranbourne trials recently, left both participants a little lighter in the pocket. Stewards ruled that Laming instigated the incident, and fined him a hefty $2500. Despite the fact that Callow retaliated with a left rip to the body, he was fined a more lenient $300.
