Asides

GO YOU GOOD THING: Dictator’s choice came through in Cup

Anticipating the howls of international concern if the Chechnyan dictator Ramzan Kadyrov’s horse Mourilyan won Australia’s most prestigious horse race, VEXNEWS publisher Andrew Landeryou got in on the action and put $10 each way on the beast’s beast.

The unlikely prospect ran third, meaning the $20 investment paid back $82, making it one of his most successful punts in years.

Wikipedia and therefore The Age reported on some key facts about the horse owner and Kremlin backed ruler Kadyrov:

As the richest man in the former Soviet state, he has 99.9 per cent of the vote, a $1 million watch, a gold-plated gun and a stable of horses based in Dubai.

Clearly a popular bloke with such high levels of support. And the prospect of him collecting the rich Melbourne Cup prize with monumental over-reactions from millionaire Senator Bob Brown and The Aged was enough to prompt many to get in on the action.

Sadly, at the Cup, The Age marquee was not to be seen this year. And yet their scribes showed no sense of embarrassment, even gamely reporting that the Global Financial Crisis had caused many grand tents of pleasure to be stowed away during these sad times.

The Age’s winter of discontent is likely to be more Ice Age than seasonal, with many doubting they’ll ever be back. By contrast, the Herald Sun was well represented, showing their support for advertisers and for Melbourne’s big racing carnival.

While Fairfax’s flagship was missing in action, their radio station 3AW had a patriotic presence in marquee land. Age whiners complained they found it hard to get invited.

Patriots report to VEXNEWS the steadily profitable 3AW brigade including bearded grumpatron and Herald Sun columnist Neil Mitchell are none-too-happy about having to share digs with The Age scribes in their new palatial quarters near the Southern Cross Station.

3AW serves outer suburban Melbourne very ably and has as much in common with the inner urban focused Age newspaper as we do. Only their unnatural love of ultra-lefty oyster connoisseur and charity entrepreneur Les Twentyman occasionally lets them down.

A culture clash of the most splendid kind seems likely to ensue because of the forced re-location of the AW crew from their comfy South Melbourne bunker. Many potentially dangerous situations could occur. Catherine Deveny supping it up and sharing muffin tops with Derryn Hinch at the Fairfaxista ground floor coffee lounge. Yum.

© 2009 VEXNEWS 2010©.