Sydney Summer Series

PORK PIE HIDING IN QUEENSLAND AS BARR FAMILY PROPOSES ROAST PORK FOR CHRISTMAS

Yikes! Why not a nice seafood chowder the Porkster weakly argued. Speaking of chowder, a remote report on last Wednesdays event at Chowder Bay and environs seems better than no report. And thanks to chief spy Ian 'The Sauce Bottle' Jessup, I have some material to work with, so listen up punters.

Sounds like cool conditions prevailed on what I take to be a southerly take on the area - working from Georges Heights to the zoo rather than down to Balmoral. My reports mention contours, and lots of them, in what I take to be a down and back up number orchestrated by chief BNO lash master, Phil 'S Hoist' Harding. Phil looks to have devised a near perfect course with scoring right across the points range and a toppie at 580, but the even bigger news looks like the attendance - with the 233 entries and additional 25 or so group contestants lifting us to over the 250 mark, I think for the first time this season. Whooopy doopy doo - this is great news after many weather effected earlier outings where numbers have been down - and nags have been kept inside the Tuza by concerned coaches. A great Christmas present to the Sydney Summer Series and its many millionaire backers. Ha ha.

So, a great roll up in a great area. This is scenery central, and I imagine the 'Clothes Line' had a few pots with views. Ian mentions sets of stairs and cliffs, in fact the 'Steps of Doom' to be precise with pot #12 as maybe his take on the lonely. I'll work a bit of Ian into my narrative shortly, but need to cover a few scores first.

As mentioned above, the top card on the night was a 580 pointer, from none other than our all stations stallion - Glenn 'The Cough Mixture' Horrocks. Glenn, working in the yellow colours of the Masters stable, managed a full card in 46.26 to pip a couple of his Open fancies Andrew 'The Artist' Hill on 560 and Steve 'Von' Ryan home with 550. King Richard Green was also noted home in 550 to give the tote a nice MM,OM,OM,MM bookend at the top of the field.

Other classes seem to have lined up much as expected, with Wendy astounding yet again with a well clear 500 (VW), 'Bert & Ernie' creaming the VM's with 530, Jimmy & Bryony holding three figures in the Legends, Sue Davis and Barb 'Wire Fencing' Hill claiming a joint in MW from Mary Fein (440/420), and Eoin once again taking the tape from Wazza in the Supers. Rachael Noble and Bethany Halmy notch equal wins in JW with 340, but the real junior news is the outstanding scoring from the Adams Apples in Junior Men. Adam Potter piled on a sensational 490 to outpoint a strong 440 from Adam Halmy and 400 from Duncan 'The Highlander' in this competitive class that consistently sees the top scorers in real Open scoring territory. Well done the JM's.

There were plenty of similar score totals it seems, with nine runners on 400 for instance. Our best result at the 'other end' of the results list goes to Alex 'The President' Kennedy, out having fun with Cuba for 66.40 and a minus 40 in JM. A couple of close ones are noted - Gill taking a blue note over Lisa in OW (480/470), Eoin on 440 to Warwick (430), and line astern to Mel 420 and 'St' Paul's 'Cathedral' on 400 in the Super Vet Men, but unclear why no one didn't fill the vacant 410 gap. Ian and Graeme considered this but pencilled in 390 and then went for a Resches thinking 'enough is enough'.

I should also note the outstanding score from our first group home, 440 points from Lee 'Wild Bill' Coady and 'The Spanish' Amanda Parker. A confusion of guns and galleons here I think Rosscoe, but great scoring all the same from these Group gangsters. Given we now face the prospect of copping a tenner for being one second late with the e-stick scoring, it is hard not to sympathise with Daniel 'In The Lions Den' Smith timing home in 47.01. Ah, the cruelty of it all.

So, lots of good scoring, with most favourites taking more lolly as Santa looms.

Jesso 'The Artists Friend' has some interesting comments on the evenings course setting that I pass on, but without knowing what they actually refer to. Read on as Ian coats the canvass.

"An intriguing batch (15,11,1,2) awaited to the northeast, with a tiny bit of bashing perhaps required to link 11 and 2. Further on, 12, halfway down the steps of doom, looked to be carrying an empty dance card. For those contemplating 400, the big question was weather to go 13,22,21,14 or to go straight west to 14 along the main road, then pick up 6 and 23 before plunging down Bradleys Head Road to 4 and 29. Only the brave scarpered down alongside the eastern edge of the zoo for 129,20 and 30 before rejoining the throng at 8.25. Could you also link 7 and 10 (most likely giving 16 a miss) before bush track 27, the seats at 9 and 17 and across Chowder Bay for 24? Much like the price of everything, this run had to go up at the end."

Good stuff. Sounds like I have missed a goody - as I will, sadly, next week at Chatswood. This challenge to the Christmas Five Days will no doubt attract a huge crowd because of two excellent factors. Firstly it is being set by 'Christmas' Carol Jacobson, one of the SSS's great course setters, and one who can play with your mind as you find yourself at #20 instead of #30. CJ will set a screamer I've no doubt, aided somewhat by the second point - the location. We have only ever been here once before (and before the Lane Cove tunnel was even contemplated), and it's a great start location at this almost hidden gem - the Chatswood Athletic Field. After a quick 100 metres, or a touch of long jump, you can hit the bush tracks and sandstone of SSS event 13 - and close our first half with a bang. Be there!

So, with Christmas fast approaching, Pork Pie and all the SSS crew for season 21 wish all competitors, friends and families the very best wishes for the festive season. Thanks for being part of the fun in season twenty one. The hat man will be back in town for the Royal Family's outing at Castle Carlingford, where a nice Sherry before the run sounds like the way to open our second half.