The OmenMy wife has little interest in racing. But every once in a blue moon she will say "See if there's a horse with that name", or I will mention a strange coincidence in a horse's name and she's all for having a dollar on it.Funny thing, she's usually right. It just may be the greatest system I've ever uncovered and it's right there in front of me. I'll give you an example.We'd been on a holiday. We had hidden the keys so they'd not be acquired by any marauding intruders (who didn'

The Omen

My wife has little interest in racing. But every once in a blue moon she will say "See if there's a horse with that name", or I will mention a strange coincidence in a horse's name and she's all for having a dollar on it.

Funny thing, she's usually right. It just may be the greatest system I've ever uncovered and it's right there in front of me. I'll give you an example.

We'd been on a holiday. We had hidden the keys so they'd not be acquired by any marauding intruders (who didn't maraud and didn't intrude, but meanwhile we forgot where we'd put the keys).

We searched and we searched.

Nothing.

Fortunately we had another set, so we left a note for the owners of the holiday house and drove home. It was Saturday morning and of course that meant I was very interested in what I was missing by not being at Rosehill. I had the radio on, and Ian Craig was listing the runners for the first. Suddenly he came to a horse that made my wife sit bolt upright.

KEY ISSUE.

"Back it!" she ordered. I stopped the car and read her some comments which agreed with my own assessments, along the lines of "no hope", "maiden and will remain that way", and the like.

Having put my point of view as an expert, I phoned through and had a few dollars on Key Issue. Ian's call is etched in my brain. At the 200, the horse was LAST. I kid you not. As Ian called the field through one more time he specifically called it last.

Then that call of a lifetime:

"What's this flying down the outside? It's KEY ISSUE! Key Issue is going to win!"

Yep. 33/1. Paid more on the TAB.

Omens? Well, I can only tell you what happens. Key Issue never won again in Sydney, and then failed to win in three other states. I'm uncertain if it ever won anything again.

This was brought back to me on Sunday when I was at Newcastle races. I had a sandwich with a fellow who backs omens. Only small, fun stuff, but he gets some winners now and then. They staged the Robert Thompson Cup in honour of the gerat jockey. Rob came in last.

"There's the clue" said my acquaintance. "He'll try hard in the next races! He knows the track backwards. This is your omen."

The following race he ran fifth in a field of maybe seven.

"Trust me!" I was told. "Omens work and I feel this one in my blood."

Well, next race he was on a maiden. Timezov Peace. Five year old gelding. Fifteen starts, no wins, ONE third. You could get $31 most places and $41 here and there.

Thommo had this hopeless case placed beautifully, sooled it to the lead about 250 metres out, nursed it like a baby, and won comfortably by nearly a length. And my man won more than $600.

The good thing to report is that he took it home with him. He never expects more than one a day.

After all, he says, "Lightning never strikes twice".

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