Minutes.

Attendance: Nooka, returning after successful treatment for his vertigo, recorded twenty-six members and one guest in attendance.  Our guest was Lew’s friend Glenn.

Meal: A parma with salad and chips, minus the chips.  The chips are worth five points, so we will give it a 5/10 this week.

Bob and James put the tee in the ground and hit us off for another week.  In reports;

·       Matt is planning a trivia night for late May.

·       Bob is planning a bowls afternoon very soon.  Lawn bowls is statistically the most dangerous sport in Australia; more people die playing lawn bowls than any other sport.  Hopefully we will be signing the disclaimer form and hitting the green very soon.

·       Bob is also proposing a picnic in the botanic gardens very soon.

·       If you have any suggestions for guest speakers, please contact Bob.

·       Bob is also proposing a meeting that involves a tour of the local cemetery.  This will be timely if the lawn bowls goes pear shaped.

·       Lew was able to inform members that he had a review with his brain surgeon.  The surgeon was very happy and did not want to see Lew for another five years.

·       Bruce reported that he is steadily improving and recovering his energy.  It was great to see Bruce back at our meeting.

·       Les reported that he continues to do well managing his Parkinson’s disease although he does sometimes feel tired. 

·       Hutto continues his planning for the Rotary/Thoroughbred Club luncheon on the 1^st of May at the City Memorial Bowls Club.  Tickets are $90 each and there will be a great list of guest speakers.  A share in a horse will be auctioned to raise funds for Myeloma Australia. 

·       Bob gave us a footy tipping report.  Dillo and Gracey in the lead with Boré hot on their heels after tipping the Crocodiles three weeks in a row.

Nooka gave us an in-depth vertigo management report to a sensitive and sympathetic audience before Stu conducted a Formula 1 themed fines session.  Incredibly, Robbo won the barrel draw for the second week in a row.  Bim failed to win the barrel draw partly because his numbered ball was in the glove box of your correspondent’s car.

An American Law Enforcement Officer treats another patient for Vertigo.

Robbo dictates into his iPhone like a pro. 

Although James did point out that the microphone is actually in the other end.

Rotary Horse Racing report.

Sirileo Miss ran in the group 1 Queen of the Turf at Royal Randwick on Saturday.  Two big wins in the lead up to the race raised our hopes.  Shane and Louise Keogh travelled to Sydney and represented the club in the owners’ grandstand on the day.  Sirileo got to the front early, as she likes to do.  However, once they rounded into the straight the step up in class really told and Sirileo was swallowed up by the field.  After starting the race as the third priced favourite she finished a disappointing thirteenth out of sixteen. 

On Sunday we packed away the Royal Randwick top hats and Waterford crystal champagne flutes, grabbed an old beanie and a stubby holder, and travelled to Stawell for Power of Song to compete in the BM64 rated Russ Jewellers Handicap.  No doubt the late Russ Hinze would have been gratified to see his contribution to Australian horse racing recongised in this way.   

Like Sirileo Miss the day before, Power of Song also finished third last.  However, there were only five horses in the race, so third last was also third.  Thus proving once again that one of the key strategies to success in horse racing is finding races with very few other horses in them.

Ten Years Ago.

Ten years ago, our club travelled out to Kangaroobie by bus to hold a club meeting at that year’s RYLA.  Chris and Peter Hayes ‘hosted’ the event from memory.  This week we bring you a snap of Ashley King and Pip Ritchie at the event.  My guess is that Pip has just asked Mr. Bean something like 'when did you join the wiggles?’.