Why I love racing?

It's been a frustrating year for me and by the looks of it some of the other posters may just be as jaded and confused by the game we all love. I thought that I'd just type up a few memories that keep me sane when I want to walk away from racing - perhaps some of them will be common to a few of us and we might feel better about the sport.
1. The match race between Brainteaser and Divine Act
2. The first time I went to a race track with my father.
3. Watching Flaming Rock win the July.
4. Watching my first ever horse win on debut in my very own colours.
5. Meeting my current trainer and drinking far too much on far too few occasions with him.
6. Standing behind Mr Jaffe and seeing him put R10 e/w on Empress Club.
7. Meeting my racing hero's in the flesh and drinking the night away with them.
8. Sitting around the television set in the late 70's with grandparents, parents, and other family members watching the July and picking the winner(not sure who it even was) knowing that the whole country had come to a grinding halt for the race.
9. My father asking me to buy the racecard for him and paging through it while we drove home - street lights illuminating the pages knowing that i'd have to wait until the next day to have a proper look before he got home from work.
10. Traveling the world(only in my imagination) through the exotic names of the these great beasts - Sligo Bay, Lady Of Harlem, New York Doll, Kiribati, Toowoomba, Route 66, Champs Elysee, Waitara, etc
.......

May not be the most exciting memories I realise but there are so many others including all the crazy characters I've met from the 50c punter to the 'Lord Of the Manor' each added to my life experience - some negatively but mostly positively
Viva Racing Viva

Great post Mr H.

Maybe the guys who are gatvol need to do an exercise like MrH, hopefully it will ignite the flame again.

Morning Mr H some good memories.
Was lucky enough to be with the Divine Act team when they one the match race, a great day had by all.
Flaming Rock was one of my fav horses, a champ.
Leading in my first winner and the rest is always one of the greatest feelings ever, look forward to the next??????

more to follow

txs

Great post indeed Mr H; what sticks in my memory (besides leading in a few winners) is my late dad (after bemoaning the fact that he missed the jackpot once again - '1 been uit, 2de gehardloop, shorthead') telling me about 10 minutes after the last race 'Kom ons gaan koop 'n perdeboek'

I suppose it's in the blood.....

Good post Mr H i suppose memories of great days is what racing and life are all about
I worked at greyville as a paper boy in the owners and trainers in 1974/5 and remember at the time great trainers /owners now i suppose ledgends taking bets at the window and on occassions giving me a few tickets R1.00 ea( on the horses they had punted it does seeem a long time ago as well a betting and losing on my favorite horse Gatecrasher

When I get the sh*ts with racing - which happens far too often these days - I go home and watch the old movie "Let It Ride" starring Richard Dryfuss. It puts everything back into perspective.

While on holiday in Cape Town, watching Wolf Power win at Milnerton.