Summary
So, we’ll leave Saturday Sportwatch there, as we turn our attention to the A-League, the Melbourne derby, and the Australian football debut of Japanese superstar, Keisuke Honda.
What an absolute belter of an opening rugby league Test between Australia and Tonga, with the world champions overcoming a big physical pack and a vociferous “home” crowd in Auckland to run out 34-16 winners.
Tonga were terrific in their energy and work rate, but some early ball carrying issues, some poor final play kick options and one or two forced offloads were ultimately their undoing. The Pacific nation are making great strides at the international level though and for large periods of this match they had the world champions absolutely scrambling.
Rugged defence, especially, at one stage facing five consecutive repeat sets of six, saw the Kangaroos through, ultimately, with fullback James Tedesco best on ground with at least three try-saving tackles, clean ups or general interventions.
They’ll wake up knowing they were in a Test though, the Kangaroos, as rugby league says goodbye to New Zealand for 2018, and these terrific “sea of red” Tongan fans.
We also had $5m on the line earlier in the day, where the Irish stayer Best Solution held off a fast-finishing Homesman to clinch the 2018 Caulfield Cup for the Godolphin stable, with fellow Irish horse The Cliffsofmoher finishing third.
Thanks for your company – on this, another Saturday Sportswatch where too much sport was not nearly enough.
I don’t know about you, but that was absolutely epic.
If you thought the Caulfield Cup was exciting (hint: it was okay), then that was international rugby league as you’ve almost never seen, or heard, it before. Amazing passion, amazing energy.
But, the sporting gods are rarely ever sated, so we’ve no time to digest those incredible scenes from Mt Smart stadium, as it’s A-League action, and the first Melbourne derby of Season 2018/19. And we have confirmation that Japanese superstar, Keisuke Honda, will start for Melbourne Victory.
Don’t miss a second of that one, Oliver Trenchard is our eyes and ears:
Boyd Cordner thanks the crowd – he reckons he’s never played in front of a crowd like this, the remarkable “sea of red”.
Sika Manu opens his post-match interview in Tongan and there’s one final roar from the crowd.
Hardly anyone’s left their seats, and the flags continue to flutter.
No surprises, James Tedesco is awarded man of the match. Well deserved from the Roos fullback.
Full-time: Australia 34-16 Tonga
80 min: And that’s all she wrote! They won the second half, Tonga, but to their credit, Australia got through a mountain of defensive work.
Both sets of players looking spent, but it’s all smiles after the whistle. Clubmates embrace, former national teammates embrace. An unbelievable rugby league Test match.
Updated
79 min: The crowd roars to life – and it’s a burst for Fusitu’a!
He’s racing clear, but who cleans him up – a trysaver from Tedesco! Terrific work, once again from the fullback. And now they’ve got a man in the bin. Cook is given his marching orders for attempting to slow the play, but it’s largely academic at this stage.
77 min: Kangaroos make Tonga bring it out from their line once again. They’ve dominated possession the men in red. 28 sets they’ve enjoyed in this second half – 56% possession for the game overall, over 1,700m run, with more than 500 post-contact metres. Absolutely mammoth stuff – they’ve forced Australia to make almost 400 tackles.
75 min: Lolohea runs one, but it’s an outrageous attempted offload to Fifita, and the big man had almost 0% chance of holding that one.
It’s just these little moments, for Tonga. So much emotion out there, but one too many carries have been grassed, and one too many offloads have been forced. Big let off for Australia.
74 min: They chance their arm, the men in red, but the ball doesn’t go to hand and they lose precious metres. It’s a bit scratchy, but the final play is another grubber.
And who’s there to clean up? James Tedesco. He’s having an epic of a game, isn’t he? They must be cursing him like whalers from Nantucket curse the White Whale.
Another line drop out. Tonga look to attack, once again.
72 min: Fifita with a huge carry – he’s got three on him, but he’s carrying them like sherpas love a backpack!
They put in the kick, but it ricochets off the post – no luck for Lolohea! Tedesco gets there first, and it’s a line dropout.
They’re making the world champions work hard, are Tonga!
Updated
70 min: Australia kick early on the third, but it’s perfectly measured, and again Tonga have to bring it out from about 10m out from their own line. Clever “game management” stuff from the Roos halves.
Tonga make a bit of space, and there’s a risky ball inside – but the refs say six more! It looked like a rotten risky pass, but it’s six again.
They start 25m out. What. Can. Tonga. Make. From. This.
68 min: Catch and carry from the Kangaroos but they’re going side to side. Set completion is the thinking now, don’t expect anything too elaborate at this stage.
They test Fusitu’a under the high ball but that’s a saucer of milk to a kitten, that stuff. A six foot, two-hundred pound kitten, that is.
Michael Jennings with a burst now – but he doesn’t see the inside runner! No doubt he gave him a call, but the crowd were roaring so loud, he probably never heard it! Ach, a shame, and he’s tackled on the last!
66 min: What can they muster the home-away-from-home side? Taumololo with a big carry, but another loose carry from a Tongan teammate. They managed to eradicate that from their game for most of this second half, but some tired bodies out there.
Tupou with a terrific kick collect and return, as he eats up 20m or so to the delight of the crowd.
They play on the 5th about 30m out from the Australian line, and it’s a towering bomb, but Gagai defuses well.
Try! Australia 34-16 Tonga (Tedesco)
64 min: He’s been one of the best out there in green & gold, and come in for a fair bit of attention in the tackle, but on that occasion he’s found a Billy Slater-esque sliding run, to cut through the Tongan line with blistering pace.
Holmes right from the sideline, but he clips the tee and shanks it to the left. Three converted tries the margin.
Teddy gives us some breathing room from a set move!#RoosTonga#GoTheRoos pic.twitter.com/qmW016RvJp
— Australian Kangaroos (@Kangaroos) October 20, 2018
Updated
61 min: An error from Pangai Junior and a real attacking chance for Australia here.
They’ve got a set about 30m out. What can they fashion, the Kangaroos?
58 min: Taumololo with the offload and Hopoate sneaks another 5-10m. They go to the air on the last, but it’s a disappointing final kick from Lolohea, who meekly offers a lofted effort to Holmes, about 10m out from his line and under no immediate pressure. Big let off.
Ben Hunt is off the bench, and he puts in an inch-perfect kick to the touchline. He buys his side a breather, and they need that, the Kangaroos – they’ve done a mountain of defensive work in the past 10-15 minutes.
57 min: Australia flick wide and probe for the corner, Tedesco with some good metres before Gagai tries for the try line but is carried into touch by three covering defenders! He’s hurt too, the winger. That was heavy, heavy contact.
Tonga with another scrum feed.
55 min: Big defensive effort from Australia, three in the tackle with Kaufusi prominent to push Tupou back 5-10m.
Ah, no! Tonga with about six-on-two, but Manu throws a reverse-hail-Mary-offload out the back, and manages to find one of the only two Australian defenders!
53 min: The hymns resound around the stadium. This is international rugby league with a sevens atmosphere! Music, passion – this is soul-stirring stuff from these Tongan supporters. Your heart leaps in your chest just to listen to it.
Roos with a rare foray forward, but they’ve duffed it, Australia. Boyd Cordner looks up expecting contact, but his slipped a cheeky knock on in there.
Tonga with a scrum feed, 10m out from their own line.
Try! Australia 30-16 Tonga (Kata)
50 min: Oh yes! Solomone Kata pins the ears and looks for the line like Best Solution! (Saturday Sportswatch call back)
They probed, they probed, and they came up a metre short once or twice, did Tonga. Kangaroos hung on, but finally a gap opened, and Kata said “yes please”.
Lovely kick from near the sideline, Lolohea this time with conversion duties.
And to think both Taumololo and Fifita are currently off the field. There will be some tired bodies when those two come back on.
49 min: Australia pinged for three consecutive penalties for hanging on. Referee Sutton’s having none of it. Where’s Cameron Smith when you need him? The master disguiser wouldn’t have been done for any of these, you’d imagine.
And yet again Tonga attack. Surely it’s coming, surely they cross; Australia have been forced into so many tackles here..
48 min: Wowee. What’s the record for repeat sets? A lovely grubber from Lolohea into the in-goal. It’s well read from Tedesco, but he’s absolutely monstered by the chase. Six again!
And the crowd fires up in another of those terrific hymn sing-a-longs, and voices sound all around Mt Smart. What a sound! Gorgeous stuff.
Updated
47 min: It’s a rinse and repeat set of six, and this time it’s Mitchell on the other side batting into touch on the final play! They’re besieging the line, Tonga. And now Cordner is penalised for hanging on too long in the tackle.
Penalty, Tonga, and they edge closer for another look at the Kangaroos try line.
45 min: Lolohea plays the crossfield kick, and this time it’s perfect – it flies in-goal and Fusitu’a rises brilliantly. He gets two hands to the ball, about 2m inside the Kangaroos in-goal, but he’s worried he’s going into touch, so bats back for a teammate, instead of grounding! He could have probably scored himself, but a Roos defender intercepts.
Six again though. They’re stringing consecutive sets – great pressure, but can they make points from it?
43 min: They go to the sky on the last, Tonga, but it’s about 5m in the field of play. An improvised second kick from the skipper Sika Manu who weights a perfect grubber/chip mongrel half-and-half effort and earns the repeat set!
It looked ugly, but it was just the treat.
Second half!
40 min: And we’re back! And it’s Turbo who has the honour of the first carry into a wall of red. But it’s an early fumble from Tyson Frizell, who’s fresh off the bench but gets his arm caught in his jumper playing the ball and turns it over!
Ideal start for Tonga.
Updated
Half-time: Australia 30-10 Tonga
And that’s half-time!
Absolutely frenetic stuff, played at breakneck speed, as you’d perhaps imagine given the incredible passion and atmosphere inside the stadium here in Auckland.
A tough scoreline on the world’s No 4 ranked nation, it’s definitely not been a 20-point margin half; but they’ve been ruthless the Kangaroos in punishing any loose carries.
Updated
Try! Australia 30-10 Tonga (Holmes)
40 min: Sheesh. It’s the letter of the law, perhaps, but that’s another unkind judgement from the bunker. Like the world’s No 1 nation needs a helping hand. They’ve been awarded an “eight-point try”.
Holmes does well to jink inside and get the ball down, but the covering defence gets across to try and stop him. There’s technically contact with the head with the defenders foot but it’s not like he’s made a strong deliberate play with the leg.
Holmes misses the conversion from the sideline, but then strikes the second penalty from dead in front.
39 min: Tonga with one last run of the ball, and they make good metres wide! Fusitu’a looks to get round the outside, but it’s a terrific ball-and-all tackle from Mitchell, who bundles him into touch! Was he wearing a Will Chambers mask, the winger? Because Latrell has absolutely eaten him up. Huge play!
38 min: Sheesh. Big call that – I’d love to see a replay. If they’d had a set of six there, Tonga, with the crowd up and roaring again, well. You never know how the last few moments of the half could have unfolded.
Australia look to take advantage of the call, but Mitchell runs into heavy traffic about 10m out, and the ball flies loose.
36 min: Terrific offload from Pangai Junior, who pops it back basketball-style over the heads of his two would-be tacklers.
Lolohea goes to the sky on the last, and it’s a big hit on Holmes, who bobbles it with about three in red rushing through!
But it’s a penalty! One of the Tongan chasers adjudged to be inside the 10. Huge let off for the Roos.
Try! Australia 24-10 Tonga (Tupou)
34 min: Pangai Junior with a terrific flick pass, great hands from Jennings to pick it off his boots and flick to Tupou who races for the corner.
Huge kick for Taukeiaho from the touchline. He hits it to the right of the uprights, but it doesn’t come back. No dice!
32 min: Tonga probing – it’s crucial they reduce this deficit even just two two tries before the break if they’re to sustain their hopes.
Good attacking position here, they’ve got numbers wide – can they get it through the hands? Do they have enough room?!
Updated
Try! Australia 24-6 Tonga (T. Trbojevic)
29 min: Ach. A dangerous few minutes here, and it’s hurt Tonga, and taken that terrific roar out of the crowd. One of the Tonga defenders raced out of the line to try and shut down DCE, but he missed the tackle and the Kangaroos ruthlessly exploited the man overload.
Basic catch and pass, and then back inside to the centre, Turbo.
Holmes again with the conversion, and after that bright 10-15 minute patch, they’ve shot themselves in the foot, the Pacific nation.
Try! Australia 18-6 Tonga (Holmes)
26 min: A combination of strong defence and loose carrying sees Australia enjoying sustained possession. Kata forces the pass, but it’s scooped on by Valentine Holmes. They play a few more tackles and it’s the winger on the end of it after some fine sliding passes and quick hands, to punish Tonga for their poor set completions.
He converts his own try from halfway between the sticks and the sideline, 3/3.
Yes, Val!@val_holmes1 steps inside and finds space to score.#RoosTonga#GoTheRoos pic.twitter.com/qcsTFbCRZx
— Australian Kangaroos (@Kangaroos) October 20, 2018
Updated
24 min: A dropped ball on the first carry now from Jennings! The Tongan coach will be tearing his hair out.
The Kangaroos with a great opportunity. They look to shift it wide, after a few bash and carries up the guts. Desperate scrambling defence on the 5th, before sublime hands from Taumololo to scoop a dangerous grubber. Terrific work to save a try!
21 min: Not much, is the short answer as a poor final kick hands Tonga momentum courtesy a 20m restart.
They look to probe the line and on the sixth Tonga put it on the toe, but it’s straight into the defender. Kaufusi flops on it gratefully.
18 min: Ooph. Huge hit. Fifita with the carry from the kick-off and it’s a huge spill! How’s that for plums, Gagai’s gone in to take on Raging Bull, head on, and he’s dislodged the ball! Winger on prop. Have some!
What can Australia make from this?
Try! Australia 12-6 Tonga (Pangai Junior)
16 min: And a great reward for Hopoate’s bravery, as inside six Tonga go up the other end, and it’s as easy a try as you’ll see. Question marks as DCE rushes up and there’s a gaping hole in the Kangaroos defensive line.
The second rower Pangai Junior grateful strolls over and plants it under the posts, and just quietly, in that bloke’s junior, you’d hate to meet senior. He’s a walking fridge. With axes for arms.
Taukeiaho converts. Game on!
TPJ finds a gap on our right edge and goes over for @tongaNRL.#RoosTonga 12-6 after 18 minutes.#GoTheRoos pic.twitter.com/m6cFjowGjo
— Australian Kangaroos (@Kangaroos) October 20, 2018
Updated
13 min: We’ve got intermittent pictures here again, so I can inform you that Tonga have put a good set of six, but trickled a kick just into touch in goal, allowing the Kangaroos a tackle zero opportunity to keep the pressure on.
Good metres, and it’s a terrific kick, but Hopoate does brilliantly to shepherd that into touch, using his body to shield from several on-rushing Kangaroos! Sheesh, we’ve seen those go wrong in the past. Nerves of steel, young Willie.
Try! Australia 12-0 Tonga (T. Trbojevic)
10 min: It’s a terrific bust from Tedesco, who glides past the injured Hingano who’s gamely trying to “do a Cooper Cronk” and stay out there with one arm; but it’s not looking too good for him as the fullback glides through. He finds Turbo backing up on the outside, and the centre evades two would-be tacklers to crash over near the sideline.
Terrific kick from Valentine Holmes, who slots the conversion right over the dot.
Updated
Try! Australia 6-0 Tonga (Cherry-Evans)
6 min: I can reliably inform you, that we have first points. And it’s come from some good defensive pressure, a loose forced pass, and some terrific hands from Australia’s halfback DCE.
Here’s how that’s unfolded:
DCE gets us the first Try of the match!#RoosTonga#GoTheRoos pic.twitter.com/6xWyhygFuH
— Australian Kangaroos (@Kangaroos) October 20, 2018
Feel free to just talk amongst yourselves for a bit while things get positively biblical over here.
I knew our sins would get us eventually, but I didn’t even get time to pack the arc.
5 min: Deary me, trouble too here at Guardian HQ in Sydney where we’ve just had a massive storm role in and I’ve lost my television.
Strap yourselves in, this could be one creative liveblog coming your way.
5 min: First look at the Tongan line for the visitors, but they’ve survived the examination as Kaufusi pulls up short of the stripe.
Trouble here for the halfback Hingano, who’s down clutching his right shoulder. Could be a huge blow for Tonga, if they lose their No 7 so early on.
3 min: A steadying six from Australia and Cherry-Evans goes to the sky, but it’s well claimed by Hopoate. McGuire with a monstering tackle, and there’s a tiny knock on, apparently, and Australia have it in a good position. Replays inconclusive as to whether that ball actually came loose, a tough call on the “home” side perhaps.
Updated
Kick off!
1 min: And the Kangaroos are spared an early mauling, as Tonga receives the kick, and the Australian defence is almost as severe as you imagine from the men in red. Fifita with his first carry, and he pumps the legs and makes tremendous post-contact metres.
They go to the air with a bomb, and Tonga collects, but they’re bundled into touch. A lively first set of six!
Anthems are underway, and I’ve got a lump in my throat. The Tongan players with streams of tears pouring down their faces, the crowd roaring about about 100 decibels.
Golly gosh. You do not want to be carrying the first hit up if you’re in a Kangaroos jersey tonight, because these men in red are going to be so incredibly pumped for this.
Shit me, I’ve witnessed some unbelievable hakas in my time, but this Sipi Tau from Tonga is epic.
The crowd are delirious. The spirit is palpable. Andrew Fifita leading the Sipi Tau. Spine-tingling stuff. And now the crowd break into a massive spiritual hymn. Beautiful.
It’s a first ever meeting between Australia and Tonga – no wonder this huge sea of red is excited.
As they say, to be the best you have to beat the best. New Zealand did that last week; can their Pacific neighbours repeat the feat?
Absolutely no chance, would be the thinking after whatever Mal Meninga has put his chargers through following that shock 26-24 loss to the Kiwis last week at this venue. But then nobody fancied Tonga to put England through such a tough examination in the World Cup semi-final either.
They reckon there’s almost 30,000 in here today at Mt Smart. Phenomenal turn out, but then it is a historic Test match.
Our teams are almost ready to come on to the pitch, but first a terrific, haunting kaikaranga to welcome our sides.
This is mental. The noise is absolutely deafening, and I reckon there’s about 1.5 massive Tongan flags for every fan in tonight. Amazing scenes.
We’re about ten minutes away from kick-off, and I tell you what. With this terrific and vocal crowd almost unanimously behind them, Tonga could belie their world No 4 ranking here tonight.
It’s Australia, New Zealand, England then daylight in international rugby league; but as they showed at the last World Cup, if there’s a nation that’s rapidly on the rise, it’s Tonga.
They boast at least three players out there who have worn the green & gold of Australia, including human wrecking ball, Andrew Fifita. Plenty of Kiwi stars now also pulling on the red of Tonga, and plenty of these guys have been playing pivotal roles for their NRL clubs, like championship winner Daniel Tupoa.
They’re a big, big forward pack, as you’d expect, Tonga; but have they got enough guile in the halves? We’ll find out shortly, I guess.
Team news
Australia: (1-13) Tedesco, Gagai, T. Trbojevic, Mitchell, Holmes, Keary, Cherry-Evans, Klemmer, Cook, McLean, Cordner, Kaufusi, McGuire
Bench: Hunt, J. Trbojevic, Frizell, Woods
Tonga: (1-13) Hopoate, Tupou, Jennings, Kata, Fusitu’a, Lolohea, Hingano, Fifita, Havili, Taukeiaho, Pangai Junior, Manu, Taumololo
Bench: Katoa, Fonua-Blake, Ofahengaue, Murdoch-Masila
And now to the Rugby League.
So, we’ll leave Caulfield now, and head to Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland. And it’s fair to say the crowd is about 99.99% behind Tonga, despite being in New Zealand. A massive sea of red inside the stadium, terrific showing.
King Tupou VI is in attendance, and has quite the entourage in tow as well. They’re up for this, the “home” crowd.
And looking at that race replay, I can’t help but think old Cosgrave was a bit harsh on himself, he got Best Solution to a pretty good position in the field and did a terrific job getting on the tail of Taj Mahal when the five-year-old blew open the field.
What a race!
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 20, 2018
Best Solution wins an EPIC Caulfield Cup for @godolphin! pic.twitter.com/xLOIUShAnS
The favourite Kings Will Dream had a horror race, according to jockey Craig Williams. Was slow out of the barriers, had an early stumble and almost shed his rider, and picked up a nasty nick, drawing a fair bit of blood by race’s end. Ouch. No lasting damage is the early report though.
A very slow race, apparently. Maybe that’s helped the heavy-weight carrier, Best Solution.
Updated
So the big Irish horse from the Godolphin stable does it. Saeed Bin Suroor is the trainer, with Pat Cosgrave in the saddle.
It wasn’t a great barrier draw for the Dubai-based jockey, who struggled to find his way through the field. A humble acceptance speech from Cosgrave who thanks the horse and admits he “did almost everything wrong” in getting there in the end.
Surely, an overstatement, but a huge relief.
And just quietly. What a big strapping horse, old Best Solution is. I can’t even tell you how many hands. So many hands. Such a big weight. Great stuff from the five-year-old.
Best Solution wins the Caulfield Cup!
Ooph, it had shades of Race 7 all over again, as Best Solution almost lost it on the line.
Taj Mahal fired the race and Best Solution was the first to follow. He was on the rails and Homesman came again late after setting a lot of the early pace. It was a nervous last 200m, with only Best Solution and Homesman in it at the death. The US horse was finishing faster, but the Irish stayer and top-weight carrier holds on for the win!
The Cliffsofmoher just snuck home in third, Homesman second – those are your places.
Updated
Caulfield Cup begins!
And we’re away! Kings Will Dream misses the start. It’s Ace High and Homesman that race out of the traps.
Sole Impact and Best Solution also away well. We’ve got a pretty steady line as the field stretches out.
No change in the front five runners with the first 1000m run.
Hello, hello. Here comes Taj Mahal with about 800m to run!
Updated
We’re just minutes away from the jump. Grab your towel. Wipe down your reins. Double check your grip.
Numbers 14, 2, 18 are the ones to watch: Kings Will Dream, The Cliffsofmoher, Youngstar.
They’re getting set in the barriers as we speak.
And one of the horses has burst the barriers! And sure as anything, it’s Jon Snow. You know nothing, Jon Snow.
We wait for a reset.
Updated
My mate Jon Snow has just been described by one of race experts as “genuine” and “sound” but perhaps “lacking that X-factor today”. They do breed them honest, in the North. Shame it’s not a 8000m race. I bloody bet he’d get there eventually.
Some late money coming in on one of the US runners Red Verdon which moves to about sixth in the favourites. But nobody is fancying the 100-1 “roughie” Mighty Boss. Shame. Suffice to conclude it sounds like Youngstar and Ace High will have to shoulder the hopes of the locals.
Fun fact, Youngstar is the only mare in the race today. So you know what? I’m might try a bob each way and make her my equal favourite, alongside John Snow obviously (who is 13/18th in the odds list).
$5m in prize money on offer today in the Caulfield Cup, that’s a 40% increase on last year, just quietly.
And official confirmation – that protest has been dismissed, so Race 7 stays as a dead heat.
PROTEST DISMISSED: CAUL R7 - No.10 Mask of Time (1st) vs No.7 Best Of Days (1st)
— RVStewards (@RVStewards) October 20, 2018
We’ve got a bit of drizzle falling now – what will that do for the track? And who stands to best profit from that?
These aren’t rhetorical questions. I literally have no idea.
Our jockeys are being introduced and a big crowd cheer for veteran rider Damien Oliver. Craig Williams is aboard the favourite Kings Will Dream, and he gets a huge cheer, the three-time Caulfield Cup winner.
Kerrin McEvoy and James McDonald who just went head-to-head for that dead heat have saddled up again; what price a bit of niggle between those two? I haven’t heard any more on that protest just quietly, so we’ll presume it’s been dismissed.
And there are two scratchings, FYI, so we’re back to a field of 18. No Patrick Erin or Jaameh today.
We’re not too far away from the jump, so pull on your lucky socks and make sure you’ve filed your hangnails, because that’s the last thing you need distracting you during The Big One.
Updated
Race 8 preview – the Caulfield Cup
So we’ve got twenty horses to choose from for the big one, seven from Ireland, two from Japan, three from New Zealand, two from USA, and one from Great Britain, Germany and France respectively. So just three local runners, Chris Waller’s Youngstar, Mick Price’s Mighty Boss, and David Payne’s Ace High.
The big Irish stayers Best Solution and The Cliffsofmoher carry the heaviest weight, with 57.5kg and 56.5kg respectively, with the smart money (if we accept that’s a thing) appearing to favour Kings Will Dream, Youngstar and The Cliffsofmoher.
Your rank outsider is Mighty Boss, currently at 101-1, with Vengeur Masque and Sole Impact also not among the favourites.
And the “I just go off the horse’s name” money is probably with Jon Snow. But almost certainly if you’re backing that for a flutter, like the Game of Thrones heartthrob, you know nothing.
So! High drama there – only the longest of nostril hairs keeping the race favourite Best of Days in that one; although from the naked eye, you’d have to say it looked his, but for an incredibly well-timed nod from the nag on the rails, Mask of Time.
Like a US swimmer in a shortcourse final; they always manage to get the perfect touch for the wall. Just ask the Australian swimming team.
And so to the big one. Race eight.
And if my rank outsiders’ insights are worth anything, it looks like there are three in particular to choose from here, from an incredibly strong international field.
And if there wasn’t enough drama there, we’ve got a protest in Race 7, with the jockey on the inside track claiming interference! Watch this space.
Updated
Race 7 – Best of Days and Mask of Time in a photo finish!
Mask of Time came out quickly to set the pace with Samovare lurking with intent a length or so back over the first 1000m. The field bunched up with about 600m to run, before Best of Days looked for a late run.. ooph, they’ve broken clear these two, Best of Days, the favourite, and Mask of Time, the frontrunner, and they’ve really pinned the ears for the line, and we’ve got a photo finish!
They go to the video.. who’s won it? It really comes down to who’s got the nod. Surely not a dead heat?! This is quite some wait. They’re really running the tape on this.
It’s a dead heat!
It's been called a dead heat between Best of Days and Mask of Time.
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 20, 2018
CAULFIELD: https://t.co/W4NhfOL7pQ pic.twitter.com/mQOYyGWNGm
Updated
Now of course, because this is the Guardian (daahling), and we can’t help ourselves, for those of you not 100% enamoured with the noble and ancient sport of horse racing, here’s a terrific feature from Calla Wahlquist from the Echuca horse auctions.
Warning: may contain references to “wastage” and/or “horsemeat”:
Meanwhile, a bit of talk from Caulfield about the weather. In classic Melbourne style there’s half a threat of rain, which could change the prospects of some of the runners, depending on their preference for a wet/dry track. Watch this space.
Updated
We do have live ODI cricket action happening over in Sri Lanka, where the home side lock horns with visitors England for the fourth time in the series. That’s just started and it’s Sri Lanka batting first.
If you missed the latest from the Australian cricket team, our eyes on the ground from Dubai, Geoff Lemon, offered a pretty frank assessment of where that’s at, following a 373-run capitulation in the second Test against Pakistan.
My take home stat from that one was 44 runs from batsmen named Marsh across eight innings for Australia. Yikes.
Updated
Race 6 – Thinkin’ Big first, daylight second
There is nothing like a dame, and who was ever going to back against Queen Gai? Thinkin’ Big took the lead relatively early, and the ears didn’t even flop back to extreme aerodynamic mode as he took it at a canter.
2000m was the distance, and that’s Gai’s third win in this event. Chapada loped over about 5 metres behind, and then a photo finish for third. Bad news for my mate Muswellbrook who I have a sneaking suspicion came home last. If only they’d called it Murrurundi instead.
Thinkin' Big destroys them in the Ladbrokes Classic. Derby dreaming...
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 20, 2018
Results: https://t.co/EilUF5aA8Q pic.twitter.com/Q4buz9qq83
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Bonjour, salaam, zdras-tvuy-te to you, from wherever you’re following this coverage!
We pick up the action ahead of race six from Caulfield today, with five to run, but of course the big one is race eight, and we expect that one to jump just after 4.30pm (AEST).
The Caulfield Cup – 2400m, with a sleepy $3m on offer for the winner. Not a bad day’s work, even Helena Christensen would get out of bed for that.
It’s one of the premium races in the Australian racing calendar, with the big one – the Melbourne Cup of course just three weeks away.
But first, race six – we’ve just had the jump and I’ve found out there’s a nag called Muswellbrook running, which gets my vote as a country NSW boy. Gai Waterhouse has one in this, Thinkin’ Big, but it’s Extra Brut that’s got a lot of money backing it.
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Preamble
It’s a pot pourri of mixed sports on Saturday Sportwatch as we race to Caulfield for nags, wags and fascinators, then it’s rugby league action as the Kangaroos look to bounce back from their shock loss against the Kiwis against rising Pacific powerhouse, Tonga.
A-League action returns with the blockbuster debut of Japanese superstar Keisuke Honda as the giants of Melbourne clash in the first Victory-City derby of Season 14.
There will be plenty in between – as always, if you’ve got a “must know” fact to contribute please join the coverage. Fire us an email or tweet to get your name up in lights. Read around the world. Acclaimed from everywhere from Martinique to Guam. Right here, on Saturday Sportswatch.
