It was in October of 1983 that Alan, a Canadian friend was visiting for a week or so. He wasn't normally interested in horse racing but he got caught up in the excitement that starts towards the end of October. As usual, speculation abounded about various horses, jockeys and the state of the track. Now, I know next to nothing about horse racing, so when Alan asked, 'What horse do you fancy?' for a race meet in Sydney, there was nothing I could suggest. On a hunch, he put down $50 to win on a horse with a name he fancied. Lucky him when the horse won at 12-1! He was very pleased. Imagine 20 years ago, what a traveler could do with an extra $600. A few days later the Caulfield Cup was running. 'Fancy any horses?' he asked. I mumbled something along the lines of 'stabbing the racing form page with a pin' being my best option. He did so and put down another $50 to win. I don't remember the name of the horse but I do remember his delight and surprise when he claimed another $800. He was definitely looking forward to the Melbourne Cup the following Tuesday.
At the time, I had been teaching Accelerated Learning techniques and invited Alan to join in a weekend class I was holding. Part of the discussion was on using intuition. Alan was intrigued. He was a teacher himself and could see the possibilities in his own work.
You may remember a horse called Kiwi. It won the Melbourne Cup in 1983. That next Tuesday (the first in November), Alan again asked me if I had any tips for the 'greatest race'. Having seen his 'pure guess work' in action, I figured there was nothing I could add to his method of selection. Now, given that we had spoken about using intuition in life in all kinds of circumstances, and his current track record, do you think I was at all curious about what he was betting on? No, silly me, I didn't even give it a thought. As he scanned the form for the Melbourne Cup looking for something to catch his eye, he spotted 'Kiwi'. We had met the previous month on a skiing holiday in Queenstown, New Zealand. Some of my friends had encouraged him to place a bet when he came to visit. Knowing nothing about any of the horses but liking the name and the connection (Queenstown, New Zealand - Kiwi), he put down $50 to win. I forget the odds that day but I did wonder at my lack of curiosity! I could have easily asked him what he was betting on.
In three races
with a total betting pool of $150, Alan added over $2,000 to his holiday play money. That's pretty good 'beginners luck'.What did I learn from all this?
* Sometimes knowing nothing is better than knowing something.
At least that way your intellect doesn't get in the way.
* It helps if you have no attachment to the result.
* Only bet what you can afford to lose
* Curiosity is a good thing.
* Success leaves clues - but they are only useful if you pay attention!
So, twenty years on, do I have a flutter on the 'great race'? Sometimes. I'm still working on my attachment to winning though! How did you go?
And wasn't it wonderful to see racing history with the magnificent effort by Makybe Diva and Glen Boss? That's a story that will last for decades!
