Return to normal weekly meetings.
Guest Speaker Rod Bain Rod
Rod is the co-owner of Knight’s Choice, the outsider who won the Melbourne Cup in 2024. Rod co-owns the horse with his son Cameron; with the gelding trained by John Symons and Sheila Laxon and ridden by jockey Robbie Dolan. Rod was a wonderful raconteur fully engaging his audience with the ‘fairy tale’ story of the purchase of Knight’s Choice for $85,000 on the urgings of his son Cameron who wanted his father to enjoy some ‘down time’. The horse gradually improved to run over a mile, initially being placed at a number of events in Queensland.
After a win in the Group 3 Winx Guineas on the Sunshine Coast his potential was recognised by a group of Chinese investors who offered Cameron $1 million for the horse. This offer was declined and the investors upped the offer to $2.3 million which was also declined. Cameron deduced that the horse ‘must be pretty good’! And so, it turned out to be!
The horse had struggled on wet tracks but flew home on a hot and hard track in the 2024 Melbourne Cup. With 700 metres to go, only three other horses were behind Knight’s Choice, but with a blistering burst of speed the horse took all before him and Rod knew at the 200 metre post the race was won! It was all a bit of a blur after that with the celebrations lasting long into the evening.
Knight’s Choice paid $72 on the Tote and was awarded Stayer of the Year in 2024.
The horse has been nominated for the 2026 Melbourne Cup after missing last year’s Spring carnival due to a bout of strangles.
There were many questions and Rod encouraged everyone to take the chance to hold the cup– and even drink from it, if they wished. Most Rotarians took up this unique opportunity!
Chairman Sam thanked Rod for a ‘really good Australian story’ and for ensuring the Cup was accessible to everyone he has met along his life’s journey.
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3 Minuter Gary Fitzgerald.
Gary recounted a different time in the world when in 1969 he took six months leave from his employment as an insurance broker and travelled the world. He visited eastern European nations and the USSR before the collapse of communism. He vividly remembered flying into a divided Germany and Berlin, staying for four days. Between his hotel and the airplane steps at the time of his departure, he encountered 22 passport checks and was only allowed on the plane after paying the Russian security staff. A different time indeed!
Thank you to our caterers, Sacred Heart PS parents
and students for a delicious meal.