High Sparrow

Wow great finish to the comp, the last three races had a few upsets which made it even tighter and maybe even a deadheat after the photo finish? The judge Maria (thanks again) will be able to confirm that when she's had a look at those pixels. Congrats to the winners. Black Kirrama and Sayer take a bow - great individual picking from you both.

Thanks again Maria and Leigh. Saturday just got a bit more enjoyable. Kind regards, HS. Comp R1: Ruakaka R3. 3 and 7. Comp R2: Rosehill R2. 3 and 8.  Comp R3: Caulfield R4. 2 and 5. Comp R4: Ruakaka R6. 3 and 5. Comp R5: Rosehill R5. 3 and 7. BB Comp R6: Caulfield R6. 1 and 3. BB Comp R7: Rosehill R7. 1 and 14.  Comp R8: Caulfield R8. 1 and 9. Comp R9: Gawler R7. 4 and 5. Comp R10: Gawler R8. 7 and 9.

Masterful trainer who knows how to set them for races. Good on him.

Congrats to a class act in Rusty, Peter Jenkins and Bazza54 on a great finish to pick up the win in the shadows of the post with some great picking. Thanks again Maria. Top job, as always.

Dead right Chestnut. I think Carbine might have carried 66 kgs to win the Melbourne Cup too. Thanks for keeping score for us and making it such an interesting Saturday.

Great comments and research on here people from Lights Out's opening stanza to Boss Hogg above my post. I have enjoyed reading them. They are right on the money. Some fine research (Lights Out) to remind us of what an unmitigated disaster the new website has been since the day it went 'live' (I use the word "live" in its loosest sense you understand). The feature film should be coming out soon: "Let's Re-Invent The Wheel And Make It Square This Time" (With the great comedian John Allen in a starring role). I wonder what the title of the other film would be if it were a double feature? Any suggestions?

Gee talk about betting on two flies crawling up a wall. Wake me up, I must be having a nightmare. Has it really come to this? I knew they had it overseas but when I saw it introduced over there my first thought was: "Gee I like to bet on things that can at least draw breath". Each to his or her poison I suppose but that's one that as a racing fan I find really hard to swallow.

Thanks so much for your kind words and sentiments Sayer. Will be nice to think we have the Race Cafe community cheering Voltaire's Secret on.

Thanks again Maria. Will add a lot of interest to a cold, wet day in Wellywood. Comp R1 : Te Rapa R3: 1 and 3. Comp R2 : Te Rapa R5: 2 and 14. Comp R3 : Royal Randwick R3: 1 and 4. BB Comp R4 : Royal Randwick R4: 2 and 9. Comp R5 : Royal Randwick R5: 1 and 4. BB Comp R6 : Royal Randwick R6: 2 and 16. Comp R7 : Royal Randwick R7: 5 and 11. Comp R8 : Royal Randwick R8: 3 and 9. Comp R9 : Royal Randwick R9: 9 and 11. Comp R10 : Morphettville R8: 6 and 7.

Snap Cubemeister. My late Dad was a Sapper in 6th Field Company (engineers) during WW11. He spent 4 years and 3 months as a POW. A really fit 10 stone 7 pound top cyclist when he went away on the first troop ship out of Wellington (had been married just three days) and Mum never saw him again for five years. He was repatriated by The Russians and when he got home he was 7 stone 10 pounds. An Army can't do without the grunts like the Sappers - so well done mate on a good contribution. .

Thanks very much Trump - Yes - never been able to afford to race a horse, so this is new territory for me and I'm really looking forward to it. Chris has been very kind with this generous offer and I was very lucky to win as there were many good names entered. Kind regards and good punting.

I'm beginning to wonder if there are any acorns even left in the (racing) forest I'm walking in Scooby but I know what you mean. Well done, well-deserved after all the hard yards you put in here.

Well done to Camacho, Scooby and Bazza. A fine effort all round for a deserved win. As always a great contest run by Maria. I don’t know how you keep track of it all Chestnut but really appreciate you doing so for us all.

Thanks for your kind words to all those who offered congratulations. Yes I'm in the north but at the bottom end - Wellington. Will certainly be looking forward to seeing him run in the flesh at some stage if I can get a weekend off from watching my own runners (human runners that is - I've been a volunteer athletics coach for 41 years). If he wins any money I intend to donate some of it on each occasion to the Mary Potter Hospice in Wellington where I worked as a volunteer for 12 years and then did two years on the permanent staff. So hopefully Voltaire's Secret can do some good in that way too.

Thanks again Maria (and Scooby) for all your hard work and for enlivening Saturday racing for us all with the comps. Comp R1 : Caulfield R1 1.45pm: 2, 3 Comp R2 : Rosehill R3 2.40pm: 1, 8 Comp R3 : Caulfield R4 3.30pm: 5, 11. BB. Comp R4 : Ruakaka R7 3.59pm: 2, 4. BB Comp R5 : Ruakaka R8 4.32pm: 4, 7. Comp R6 : Rosehill R7 5.05pm: 1, 13. Comp R7 : Morphettville R6 5.36pm: 5, 6. Comp R8 : Sunshine Coast R6 5.57pm: 12, 14. Comp R9 : Sunshine Coast R7 6.33pm: 1, 11. Comp R10 : Sunshine Coast R8 7.10pm: 2, 3.