Thursday, March 25, 2010

ANYONE FOR '500' AS DEALER HOLLOWAY HOLDS THE ACES

Yep folks, it was a tough call last night as card sharp and Summer Series pokie star Steve 'The Strangler' Holloway presented a challenging hand at North Parramatta. The area for our second to last outing in the 09/10 season (new last year) was augmented with a new section across James Ruse Drive to the east - including some of the Burns estate. At the 1:10,000 scale Steve's course looked a daunting prospect - with little fodder close in, and with several 30 pointers (you guessed it) at the extremes. The early cogitation seemed to be how much of each side to attempt, and if you could work in the sixty points around last years start point. There appeared few takers for #21 and 30 - the latter known in WHO circles as the Andy Hill 'tester'.

Some looping appeared in a fog of discovery, while other areas defied linking. The trio of 23,15 and 24 needed to be fed, just as 25,26 and 4 led you, trance like, under James Ruse to the new territory. 18 was Steve's killer, pulling quite respectable citizens northwards and uphill beyond their ability into certain timing doom. Number 9 worked as in-out (nobody was going to 30 except Glenn), and #16 toyed with those coming 'up the skirt', but better surrendering to a neater in-out from the Parramatta Road crossing. 27,17 and 7 exerted some pull for the guns, but was easily dismissed for the rest - just too wide, especially the daunting flog from 25 to 27. Number 22 was also a cracker - pulling runners wide to the west (past the confusing map yellow area).

How to start? Many tore off east to #13, others added #1 on the way, and ripped into the new stuff. Some tales of confusion at #19, but a better lead to #28 from above than those coming from #20 and thinking they were looking for a fence corner! No names, but a salutory lesson. Read the clues Rosscoe! Other runners nipped off via 11 and 12 to 22 and a few flippers on Richie Benaud Oval. This seemed to set up a nice lower loop through to the east side. Of interest was Michael Burton's route. He began at 21 and then worked 12, 22, 14, 2, 24, 5, 25, 27 etc - returning from the eastern pots to do 16, 15, 23, 1 and in-out 13 (and ignoring #11). Something like putting the 'Y' in the Y fronts.

Lots of puzzles, but with few easy points close to home, it was always looking a low register scoring symphony. Now let's look at some of the tallies.

At 'train time' (well Resches time is a sort of departure time for your reporter), Michael Burton had put up 480 after running 520 less four to share the lead with Steve 'Six O'Clock News' Ryan - in a couple early. Mark Schaefer had run strongly on the bend to be one back at 470, ahead of Wendy's exceptional 460. It looks like the Masters Men might have had a 13th winner this series with Graeme McLeod notching 450 for a convincing lead from rivals Peter 'The Pud' Annetts and Mike Free (420/400). Davy Bray played a royal flush to post 430, joining Anthony Flick on a quick home visit. Nathan Lowe, Jim McLean and Fergus all carded 410 to shade Super Vet Graeme hill on 400. Graeme had the oil on most of us - working in the main Burns estate building, and no doubt familiar with the area. Good to see 'Gray' pull the points from Wazza (380) - with The Porkster twenty back but suprisingly clear of Steve Flick (360/330). Selwyn Roper penciled 340 in the same SV class - as did Rachael Noble (JW) and Ron 'The Pumpkin' Junghans (VM). Ronny claims the ton, but only just, with Malcolm a short head back on 330 and Heiko further astern on 310.

In the Veteran Men, Mal Bradley worked the Velocette into the corners well for 440, with rival VM Eoin going harder for 450. The V Women were equally stroppy, with Robin Cameron running strongly for 360 to pinch ten from Karin (350). Not sure of Dale's score. In other scoring, Mike Halmy pushed 380, as did Tom Joss, while 'Hot' Rod Clark tied up 390. Paul Olsen, Shane and Larry walked home with 360, whereas Vicki Stitt, John Anderson, Wiz, Michael 'The Funeral Director' Allen, Paul 'The' Shoe and Greg Nibbs had to make do with only 350. Oh well, always next week! I also noted Linda Sesta's 320, a tenner up from Lisa Lampe but also a tenner down from Rose Todd 'River' - running well in the pink glossies. Mike Roylance donned a yellow cape to fly a neat 300 - as did David's Lotty and Bowerman. The two Jim's (Stuart and Forbes) also shared the half way mark.

Down a bit, the board trembled with excitement to see Rachel Gale and Josh holding hands for 220 and Brian and Mary Jane on 210. Catherine 'Not Mrs' Packer plonked down 200, as did Liz Lockley and Kathryn Cox - Kathy walking of course. Peter Stevens wore a modest outfit (140), and Bev Johnson strapped on the camel for a perfect zero. Good to see Peter 'The Graveyard' Garran testing the shorts (250), Anne Marie Hegarty enjoying herself for 290 and Claire Winnick 'winning' with the same. Sue Thomson was back at the lollies for 220, but well shaded by Helen 'Of Troy' Murphy and Annette 'Henry' Larsen on 270. As I have mentioned before, these snippets are all very provisional, but give you some idea of the evenings fun and games. Runners just wanting to have fun - as the song goes!

Looking ahead to our last event, there are still some intriguing contests.

In JM it looks a cert for Aidan, Duncan and Mathew (Matty flying at the end of the season). JW sees Michele averaging 99 from equally placed Rachael Noble and Em Prudhoe (both 1167 points and an average of 97)!! Exciting stuff. Green, Ryan, Hatton looks to be OM, with Gill Fowler about to join Lisa Grant on top of OW. Another exciting finish. The Masters sees Glenn from a mighty throng. Peter Annetts and Michael Free both on 1163 (Peter up tonight), from fast finishing Tim Rogers 'Over & Out' 1161! Whohoooo! Kar-Soon is handy on 1159 and the same 96 average. Top racing indeed. Mary Fein from Sue Login and Rachael Best in MW it seems, and Wendy from Robin Cameron and Karin in VW also looks settled. The blokes are Burton on the ton ahead of Malcolm on av 99 from Eoin 'Mr BankWest' Rothery 91 (1194 to 1097).

The Super Vets see Waz Selby from Graeme Hill and probably Steve Flick, although Pork Pie is only 4pts adrift and could spark a riot at the final if he turns up in the All Black outfit and puts in a blinder (Steve is already losing sleep just thinking about it). Neil Hawthorne looks comfortable in 5th spot from the consistent Selwyn 'The Rope'. Earny is in there somewhere also. The SVW's will be Dale from Carol (missing lately) and Sue. Remember Sue is running down a class and performing exceptionally well here in tough company. Go Thommo the crowd roared!

Legends Men has Ron from Heiko and Malcolm, and the women see Janet holding off Bev and maybe Anne Stewart in this tiny class of only four mares. The walkers have been a bit light on in our inaugural season and obviously need more promotion (look at Melbourne!). Still we have Mel Cox walking alternate weeks to lead the men and Kathy leading the women. Al Pearce with a 91 average is keeping her honest though and will take silver.

This brings me to a sorry admission. The lack of recent Pork Pie Guides. The truth is, since retiring at Christmas I have had so much free time, I can't seem to get around to doing a 'Porkie'. It seemed so easy at work! Pathetic I know, but hopefully somewhat ameliorated by the blogs. Maybe next season.

Anyway, to next week. Warwick Selby has a cracker planned at the Dundas/Kissing Point map, with us starting up the hill (for a change) at the Royal Rehab Hospital. The venue here enables us to use a good room for the prize presentations, as well as affording Waz a chance to cruelly send us up and down hill in all directions. Get there as early as possible so the close contests are sorted in time for a nice end of season dinner (we were thinking of The West Ryde pub afterwards). Hopefully many can join in the fun.

It's been a great season with numbers well up on the previous two. It seems that we have also moved many runners to joining O clubs and giving bush orienteering a try as well - always a good outcome from the Summer Series. And how enjoyable is the flow of results data from Dave McKenna and out web man Dave Noble. Fantastic stuff in a great season. I'll no doubt do a lyrical wrap sometime after next week, but don't forget the three Autumn Evening events coming up - with your headlamps at the ready. More, more, more was the cry - and more was the answer!

3 comments:

Fly on the Wall said...

No charity being shown at the business end of the season by some very sadistic setters!
I ran 8.15km, a new PB in distance and 10% further than I have run in four summers of SSS.
And for a lousy 360 points! Okay, I realise I didn't plan the most efficient route, but still that's a huge amount of work for no great return.
Especially as Mr Burton came in with 480! How does he do it?
I had a 75 to drop and came in with 75. Given that I had 8% to pick up from the last two weeks to hit a major milestone, I now need 83% next week at hilly Ryde. Should I risk it, knowing that the Easter 3-days in Canberra is only 48 hours after that?
After deciding to do the bulk of the southern section, I then changed my mind to skip 27-17-7 for 8-20-29-19 etc - but heard horror tales about #19 and of John Anderson bagging 350-360 in the the southern sector - so reverted to plan A.
Went 12-22-2-14 (got those two around the wrong way)-24-5-6-25-27-17-7-4-26-16-15-23-1-13 for six scores in each of the three lines.
Not sure #13 was exactly as marked, and a bit hard to spot in the gloom - another reason for staying south.
Realised later I should have gone 11-12-22-14-2-23-15-24-5-25-26-4-8-20-29-9-19-3-13-1 for 390 and the same 8.15km.
Just a pity we couldn't have used Lake Parramatta tracks for some real bush fun!

slowK said...

Bit of a stalemate this week to decide the minor placings in Masters Men - a lot of energy spent and no-one in the top 6 did a run that "counted"!

Glenn "I'll just run 100 and not count it, thanks" is our deserving winner. 4 points still separate 2nd to 5th... next week will be interesting!

Also Ran said...

Looks like number 30 gets the Loneliest Pot of the Season award.

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