Today I will again commence with a quote, and yes, yet again, it was written by my friend, the very great writer, Les Carlyon. " that cliche they call the romance of the turf.  This is the fine threat.  This romance, this pursuit of dreams, is what makes the turf special.  If you like gambling, there are poker machines.  If you like speed contests, late-night television is frequently a snarl of Formula One fury. The turf is more than these things.  There must, for instance, be a romance, or at least some strange force, which propels otherwise intelligent people out of bed two hours before dawn to work four horses, all of them fundamentally flawed, such flaws ranging from the inability to out-run a fat man to four bad legs, a soft palate, and a tendency to bleed easily. The ultimate tease, you see, is this:  on he turf in Australia, and unlike quests for fountains of youth and haily grails, the dreams do sometimes come true". Les Carlyon.  August 1988. ...