Driving home and the subject of bylines

I'm stopped with Maxie at Lake George. We are having an uneventful trip home. I've been receiving many truly ace messages about the image of Gai Waterhouse and John Singleton that ran on the front pages of the Sunday Telegraph and Herald Sun. Maxie has worn his harness tied to the passenger seat so that he can sit next to me but not be a complete pest and a menace. And he is having a little look around at the rest stop as well. We will set off again shortly.

Driving makes me reflective. And recall things good and bad. There was definitely some of each. Whether in equal parts I guess depends on whose perspective you look at it from. If the Waterhouse v Singleton drama tells us anything, it is that different people can have differing views on the same event or set of events depending on which end of the stick they were getting.

I am under no illusions that this image, and its byline, will be differently received in different households in both Sydney and Melbourne where it ran as front page. The reaction of some has been of pride and there has been some lovely messages, including one from someone closely involved. Some people might keep a copy of the front page and pause to run their hands over the image and the byline, just as I did so often in the past before putting it away in a safe spot to keep.

There are unfortunately some people who might, for varying reasons, want to fling it angrily in the nearest recycle bin the moment they see it. But it is a fine image that tells a story, and I am NOT the villain. But there are half a dozen or so people, on both sides of the border, whose reaction I do worry about, and wonder what they will think of the image, and the photographer who took it.  I hope these people won't feel angry at seeing my name.  It is these people who's reaction I do worry about, and hope it's not overwhelmingly unfavourable. 

Dancing Queen just came on again. And I managed to find one more spearmint leaf in my lolly bag. That's not such a bad thing!!



The front page of today's Herald Sun in Melbourne.
Front page of the Sunday Telegraph
  
All Too Hard (Casino Prince - Helsinge) winning.  The drama has almost overshadowed his win.
A tender moment between trainer John Hawkes and his colt All Too Hard.  I took this just before I swung my attention to the drama in front of me with Singleton, Waterhouse, Grimley and Rawiller.




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