2021 Dead Pool

Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Sinatra 

Bernie Madoff

Joe Biden

Bob Barker

Dick Van Dyke

Billie Eilish

Cliff Richard

donald trump

famous dex

chevvy chase

meat loaf

mickey rourke

jack niclkaus

betty white

keith richards

pat boone

I got Pierre Cardin correct in my 2020 list, so I am replacing him with a relative youngster in Bill Lawry he is only 83 .

Arnold Schwarzenegger 

Rove McManus

Jared Kushner

Ian Thorpe

John Daly

Post Malone

Miley Cirus

Jeremy Clarkson

Any Russian Opposition Leader

If Miley dies I will haunt this forum. Make it a fricken nightmare. 

Is that like taking the field in the last leg of the Quaddie? 

 

Very similar I reckon E&E, but apologies to Brudder A who I never realised had the scenario covered last year, and not wanting to steal others selections, I will change my Russian selection to Reds BFF, ol Vic Orban if allowed by the comp rules.

And to djebel, there’s nothing sinister in my selection of Miley, only that she is worth more points than her dad.

May everyone have an enjoyable NYE followed by a great 2021

* Nicholas Cage

* Angry Anderson

* Nicola Gobbo

* Molly Meldrum

* Jack Thompson

* Queen

* Wally Lewis

* Rolf Harris

* Russell Crowe

* Lee Trevino

Late Mail :
 

Fee in view of your predictions do you only back horses ridden by right-handed jockeys on 100/1 shots ?

Jim Johnson - A Gentleman Jockey

Jim Johnson, he rode three Melbourne Cup winners on two horses, Gatum Gatum and Rain Lover twice, in 1968 and 1969.  He has just celebrated his 90th birthday a few weeks ago, and is wearing well; he can still crack a joke.

Jim retired from race riding when he reached 47 years of age, generally most jockeys’ call it quits around that age, although the late Jack Thompson didn’t call it a day until he turned 60.

Jim was just a four year old lad when his father, Alf, a successful jockey, was killed in a race fall at Oakbank in 1934.  His mother later married Charlie Cox, a prominent jockey; the family moved to Western Australia where Cox was riding quiet a lot of winners.    

Jim finally returned to Adelaide to be with his grandmother, he was a caring young man and she was good to him, there were no visions of becoming a jockey at that stage.

When a knock came to the door a fellow asked, “is Alf Johnson’s son staying with you?” “Yes he is” was the reply.  It was Stan Chapman, a horse trainer at Morphettville, he invited Jim to go down and see the stables, but that was all, nothing was mentioned about becoming a jockey.

Stan was playing it cool, no pressure applied, they both got on well together, it was just a matter of time before Jim Johnson was apprenticed to Stan Chapman and not long before he out rode his claim.  Yes, Jim Johnson was a great jockey, however, he seemed to be reluctant to leave Adelaide, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and Jim was very loyal, he didn’t chase rides, they came to him.

Originally Les Coles was engaged to ride Gatum Gatum in the Melbourne Cup, however, after what was a poor run in the Moonee Valley Cup Coles preferred to ride Conference.  Jim didn’t chase the ride on Gatum Gatum, it was the owner, Malcolm Reid, that did the chasing, Jim was a light weight and very strong, plus an excellent judge of pace, and would suit Gatum Gatum.

When Jim thought the Melbourne Cup could have been only a dream, up popped Rain Lover, he didn’t win once, he won it twice.  The winning margin was 8 lengths the first time, the second time, with an additional stone to shoulder, the margin was a head.

Rain Lover was a great favourite, as was Tobin Bronze, who bowed out of racing in the spring of 1967 having won six races in succession, the Doncaster Hcp, All Aged Stakes, Nulla Nulla Hcp.,Toorak Hcp., the Caulfield Cup was the swansong.

Jim has long retired to the western suburbs of Melbourne, rarely goes racing these days, but has wonderful memories of an excellent career in racing.