Howard Atkinson

This was 'Diss Is Dramatic's last of 2 starts on a Heavy Track. They don't make it easy for us punters ! 😁

I'm starting to think it's unlikely we Styx will achieve a higher aggregate, Pete ! I'm prepared to concede that. 😁

Wow, Rees ! Legend ! 😁

5 of the 10 players in the Styx v Seagulls match have 2 & 3 (Matscot & Harlech) as their quinella in the next. The closest that either of them has got in their past 3 starts is 6th ! 🙂 Clearly they must be racing against weaker opposition today. They'd need to be. 🙂

6 of the 10 players in the Styx v Seagulls match have 6 & 7 (Mystic Park & Sassy Merlot) as their quinella in the next. Is it a case of great minds thinking alike ? 😊 Seagulls in particular will be very happy if that quinella comes to fruition.

For sure, Pete, good to have a bit of light-hearted banter. People would be surprised how many matches team Styx have actually lost . . . reflecting the evenness that the format produces. I'd say $1.70 rather than $1.20, and then only because of the imposing presence in 'The Magnificent Seven'. My own situation is the best testimony to the fact that aggregates tell only one side of the story . . . it doesn't matter how much you win a Head-To-Head by, or how many dollars you accumulate in achieving that individual win . . . as long as you win. 🙂

Just like Team Seagulls . . . Team Styx all present and correct (scratchings and BBs). Let the Games begin ! 😊

The great what ? , Pete ? 😊 THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 1) 3414.40 Smiler (Styx) (6/5) 2) 3333.20 Miscellaneous non-styx individual 3) 3174.00 Gordy (Styx) (5/6) 4) 3077.20 Miscellaneous non-styx individual 5) 3019.80 Our Maizcay (Styx) (8/3) 6) 3333.20 Miscellaneous non-styx individual 7) 3333.20 Miscellaneous non-styx individual The stats tell the story ! 😉 I'm sensing another big day for team Styx.

Wow ! Hours to go until racetime, and Seagulls all present and correct already ! So keen 😁 . . . there's an obvious confidence about them , with a lot of squawking evident and clearly an extra oomph in their step after last Saturday's great good result. Let's see if they're so "chipper" come 7.30pm today . . . if they've managed to right their first round's wrong ! 🙂 Me . . . my money's firmly on the favourites !😊

My teflon cape has been serving me very well. Life is good in my world ! 🙂

R1) 7-9 R2) 1-6 Best Bet NZ R3) 4-7 R4) 4-6 R5) 1-4 R6) 2-4 Best Bet Aus R7) 4-16 R8) 6-10 R9) 5-14 R10) 13-16 Am expecting a much tougher battle with the Seagulls than the last time we played them. They come in to this match on the back of an excellent win last Saturday, and will be very hard to head off this time around. Wishing good luck to my opponent, long-time PJ Comp stalwart Maurice, also a member of the 10/10 club. I'll need plenty of luck in order to get ahead of Maurice, that's for sure. I couldn't take Imperatriz @ $1.65. I hope she wins, but I can't take her at that price. Best of luck to my Styx "teamies" Gordy, Smiler, Our Maizcay, and Robert. 🙂 What a power line-up that is ! The 'Magnificent Seven' list is confirmation of that. Many thanks for this very fine comp, PJ, immaculately run as always. 👏

We're always respecting the Seagulls, Pete ! No plans for us to go to the Double Joker this Saturday. We believe we have a better chance of reaping success if we wait for another day. See ya Saturday, Pete. As a mark of respect to you, we're launching Magnificent Gordy of the Magnificent Seven against you, Pete. You'll need to be right on your game, but I think you already know that. 🙂

Well, at least I made one list ! Would have preferred it to have been 'The Magnificent Seven" list . . .but hey, better than being slapped around the face with a wet fish ! ☺️ Please don't do anything rogue this coming Saturday, Maurice, to see me marched off this Serendipitous list. 😁

Team Styx with 3 geniuses (Smiler, Gordy, Our Maizcay) in 'The Magnificent Seven' ! I guess there will be some who will say that, on that basis, team Styx should be leading. 🙂 Look . . . this is a long game . . . and we don't want to do anything rash like hitting the front too soon and then be run down in the straight. So Robert and I are playing our part to perfection. Timing is everything ! 😁

Thanks for the game today, Maria and Showtime. A hard-fought battle that could have gone either way, right to the end. As PJ alluded to, the 4-1 margin was no reflection of the tight tussle right through the card. Good luck as you strive to make the play-offs, team Showtime. Thanks for a big effort today, team Styxsters ! Not for the first time in this comp Gordy pulled off a big play in the shadows of the post to get us a very useful extra point. Beware, Pete . . . your Blues team-mate is a-comin' for ya next Saturday ! 😁 Unsung hero for the franchise remains the ever-reliable Our Maizcay, churning out really good results week-by-week, and today's ManPerson-Of-Our-Match. Thanks for another absorbing day of competition, PJ. First-class, as always. Team Styx have always had at the forefront of our minds the playing of our Double Joker in the final round, against 5-0 Maxi Factory. However given that the Reapers appear to have completely compounded/capitulated, the playing of our Double Joker may well come sooner than we originally anticipated. This matter will be #1 item on the agenda at our caucus meeting this coming week. Watch this space ! 🙂

The Blues Brothers ! I'd be expecting a high-scoring match-up.

I had an inspiration for Grail Seeker about 10 minutes before the race started, and my dollars went on her. A shame I didn't have the inspiration prior to posting my selections on Thursday ! 🙂 One of my two selections, Moet Down, lost the race before the barriers even opened ! If you saw the 3 minutes lead-up to the gates opening you would know why. Dropped out to last.

The photo finish tells us something different. I wouldn't call a nose "easy money" . . but maybe I'm missing something. 🙂

Scratching Replacement for me, please PJ. Comp R4 ( Trentham R6) # 3 Contribute is out . . . replaced by # 7 Hi Yo Sass Bomb Thanks, PJ.

I tried to beat Robert out of the starting gates this time. Forlorn hope. 😁 Robert had a wing on every hoof as always. R1) 1/5 R2) 5/7 Best Bet Australia R3) 5/10 R4) 3/5 R5) 10/13 R6) 2/5 Best Bet New Zealand R7) 1/7 R8) 1/12 R9) 1/3 R10) 5/12 Good luck, Maria. Honours appear to have been shared between us in recent times, and no doubt another close contest will ensue. Best of luck to team Styx, steamrolling our way relentlessly towards the play-offs. Many thanks for this very fine comp, PJ.

I thought I was the 'teflon' man with the dream run along the rails . . . (good win/loss ratio: very modest aggregate scored : people not scoring much against me) Howie (7/3-1787.40/1826.40) . . . and then I saw my mate Craig's record ! 😁 Craig (8/2-1906.80/1176.60) Good if ya can get away with it ! 🙂 For our Gordy playing Craig on Saturday, you know your mission, now go forth and prosper. Mission Not Impossible. In the unlikely event that anything goes wrong, Gordy, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions or inactions.

Nup . . . forget that idea . . . we're playing Showtime this Saturday and they are 3 places below on the ladder. No Triple Joker play there.

Exactly. Our first round opponents in the final match were Maxi Factory, who finished the round on 3 points. Our second round opponents in the final match are Maxi Factory, who have extended their 3 points to 6 points. The likelihood of our getting a chance to execute a Triple Joker play against Maxi Factory are minimal.

I'm glad that Showtime won today . . . gives us Styx the faintest of chances of being able to execute another Triple Joker play at some stage. Reapers is our other faint hope, but their loss today is gonna make it that much harder for them to get ahead of us Styx on the points ladder by the time we play them. I think we're pretty much resigned to no Triple Joker play for us Styx this second round. A pity . . . cos the 15 points we got from our Triple Joker play in the first round of the comp proved very useful to us. ☺️ Thanks for another excellent PJ Comp day today, PJ. Sundays are great ! 😁 Thanks for the match today, Magic.

I see that Pete likes Jibbity in the next (Punters Perspective). I hope Pete's right ! 🙂