DICK POWELL’S
MELBOURNE CUP BLOG
Thursday (10/29) – 5:05 p.m. Pacific time
It’s been an interesting trip so far and we aren’t even halfway there. Going
to the Melbourne Cup requires a lot of stamina. It basically takes a day and a
half to get there but after doing it last year this year should be a piece of
cake.
Every journey begins with one small step and this morning I hit the road
about 8:15 a.m. from my home in Saratoga County. Gave myself plenty of time and
halfway down the Northway traffic came to a standstill because of an accident up
ahead. I got off exit 10 and took local roads down to the next exit. As I came
up to a traffic light I skidded to a stop on wet pavement about an inch from the
poor person in front of me. I drive a Ford F-150 that is bright yellow with
black trim and I’m sure the poor driver in front of me thought a big bumble bee
was about to squish him. Don’t have any idea how I came to a stop but I did and
after taking a deep breath proceeded on to the airport.
The first leg of my journey was on Continental Airlines to Cleveland and then
to Los Angeles. Landed in LA right on time and when I retrieved my bag from
baggage claim the telescopic handle was damaged. I was able to pull it open and
thought I was OK but as I was walking to the next terminal it broke off
completely. Too far away to go back and file a complaint since the bag weighs 50
pounds and now I have to navigate without the handle.
You know how in most airports pedestrians have the right of way in the
crosswalks? Not here in LAX! I walked out into traffic and was almost hit by
multiple vehicles; all of whom had drivers that were incredulous that this moron
in the Puma track suit didn’t wait for the light. I must have been cursed by the
skidding taxis in more languages than ever.
But I made it across.
Now, I have three hours to kill since the counter for V Australia does not
open until 6 p.m. Without the handle on my suitcase it’s pretty hard to get
around but I did land in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, which has a
food court that you can go to before security. I’ll be here until I can check my
broken suitcase and then finally relax.
From here, at 9:15 p.m., it’s about 14 1/2 hours to Sydney and then a few
more hours to Melbourne. The plan is to go right to the Westin Melbourne Hotel,
check in, change into a suit, and head to the Flinders Street train station for
the 20-minute rail ride to Flemington Race Course. It will be Derby Day on
Saturday (Friday night your time) and it’s the biggest day of racing in
Australia. Last year’s Derby Day crowd was bigger than the Melbourne Cup crowd
on Tuesday and this year should be as well. The rail system should be a model
for any urban area that wants to transfer tens of thousands of passengers to an
event. No matter how long the lines are, there is a train every four minutes on
the four days of the Spring Racing Carnival and it goes right into the back of
the track.
I bought my seat online back in August and am in the Hill Stand, overlooking
the finish line and parade ring. Great spot to watch the races but probably
should have brought binoculars. Once at the track, you can bet with the tote or
bookies. Last year, I bet with the bookies since the lines were much shorter but
this year I want to play the Pick 4 known as the “quaddie” which I will need to
play through the tote.
One thing they do in Australia is what is called fractional betting. Let’s
say I want to play the quaddie but I have so many horses in each leg it is
cost-prohibitive. What fractional betting does is allow you to make your bet for
a certain total amount. If I want to risk only $100 but want to use a lot of
horses, the tote figures out what fractional denomination will add up to that
amount. With the huge fields in the big races here it’s well worth doing.
Plus, last year I found a bookmaker that took bets on American football right
in the track. I plan on betting the Jets over Miami while I am at the track on
Saturday and can collect on Cup Day on Tuesday. Pretty cool.
I guess it’s time to send this in and try to find a shop that sells luggage
in one of the terminals. With the handle missing my clothes could get ruined if
the luggage is exposed to any rain. But why think negatively? It’s been a great
day so far.