Dick Powell's Melbourne Cup Blog

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.