Melbourne Cup

"Missed, by that much"

What is it about Melbourne Cup Day that turns people in to gambling alcoholics that need to be put to bed with a dose of Berocca for them to stand any chance of getting to work the next day?

Which bright spark put "the race that stops a nation" on a Tuesday? Granted Victoria has a public holiday to enjoy the race, but what about the rest of the country that struggles to watch it in a pub if they're lucky, or in the office with twenty people crowded around a nine inch screen listening to the radio call?

What about the next day; Wednesday when everyone staggers in to work and hides under their desks for a nap, hoping they won't get busted by a jealous colleague that can't hide under their desk and sleep it off?

Admittedly I've got a lot on at the moment and didn't party like I have in the past on race day, and perhaps this is making me a little less easy going than usual, but every year it baffles me how so many people throw so much money at the least predictable horse race there is, then proceed to write themselves off regardless if they are celebrating a win, or drowning a loss.

Next spring I am going to make the effort to enjoy the racing season, not just two minutes of one day of it. Who's with me?