The Day Of The Triffids, The War Of The Worlds, The Martians Are Coming ............. The Bogongs Are Here

Famed American baseballer Willie Stargell, the only player to ever hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium twice, said “I love September, especially when we’re in it.”

I agree. September is always a big month for me. With only a few days to go before it’s gone, let me reflect on that.

My first-born son arrived in September. My only surviving brother has his birthday in September. The two women I’ve loved most in my life were both born in September, one day apart, four years apart. If Kerry happens to read this down in Melbourne, here’s lookin’ at you, babe. I’d send roses but I remember you once told me you didn’t like flowers because flowers always die.

It was on a September day that I decided to come to Australia.

The two-year-old trials and the opening of the serving barns in September herald the arrival of spring.

But most important of all, the bogong moths arrive in Sydney in September. Set your clock by them.

Last year I swore I would be out of this godforsaken apartment before another bogong invasion, but it hasn’t happened. Before the end of the month these pests will sweep into the nearby trees and wait until nightfall when, attracted by the lights, they will attack the building, getting in no matter how hermetically sealed the place might be. And don’t say “turn out the lights” – that doesn’t deter them. I reckon they can see the LCD light on the microwave from a thousand metres through a brick wall. If you took no precautions there would be a thousand a night, pinging and boinging, dive-bombing your face, leaving their dust all over your walls and ceilings and settling in every crevice.

I’m ready to do battle. I’ve got netting which I tape over the outside aluminium window and door frames. This is 70% effective, the blighters still squeeze through impossibly small gaps to invade your space. However, this also means I can’t open any of the doors or windows to get fresh air for at least a fortnight until they decide to migrate elsewhere. My initial armoury of four full cans of spray is at the ready – the spray only seems to encourage them and makes them fly in even greater frenzy - and I’ve got three fly swats which I place in the lounge, office and bedroom for quick access. You can tell I don’t like these buggers, they make life a misery just at the time spring is happening. If anyone's got a better suggestion as to how to keep these things out of one's house, please let me know! ‘Bogong’ is said to be the translation of the word ‘Canberra’ in the language of the local indigenous. More rubbish from out of the capital.

Fist Of Fury (3c Hussonet (USA)-Venticello, by Chimes Square) was foaled in September, on the 15th which also happens to be my brother’s birthday. He has been probably the most impressive Sydney winner this week. A good old-fashioned masterstroke by John O’Shea to keep this colt covered up so that his legion of well-known owners were able to get big odds when he made his debut at Canterbury on Tuesday.

Fist Of Fury was a much-admired yearling at Magic Millions 2007 where his $470,000 price tag was more a reflection of his physique than his catalogue page. Breeder Mike van Gestel wouldn't let anyone walk by the box without making them have a look at this guy. Mike’s a hard seller at the best of times, with the persistence of the Dutch to boot, but in this colt he had the goods to produce a bonanza in the sale ring. The pedigree gurus knew it had a special elixir in its veins (take it out to seven generations, it’s interesting). I have a theory that when they are ‘properly’ bred they usually look like runners, and Fist Of Fury was one of those. Hussonet needs another good horse, I hope this one trains on.

Another of Hugh Bowman’s winners at Randwick, Roman Emperor (NZ)(3c Montjeu (Ire)-Gussy Godiva (NZ), by Last Tycoon (Ire)) was also impressive, a stayer of potential. He wasn’t cheap at Karaka, costing $240,000. He and Fist Of Fury won in similar fashion, cutting through the field in the home straight and going strongest at the line.

The Astronomer (3c Galileo (Ire)-Foxy, by Canny Lad) was good enough to triumph over adversity in running when winning his debut at Canterbury. Guy Walter’s had a lean patch but with winners on consecutive days perhaps this good trainer's stable has turned the corner. The Astronomer’s family can be described, at best, as workmanlike; it will be interesting to see how far he can go. There is only one Listed winner produced by his first three dams or any of their descendants.

Joku (4g Xaar (GB)-Biru Lang (USA), by Pine Bluff) won his fourth race from six starts, yet another advertisement for Gooree Stud's guile. As a sire, Xaar (GB) was a despised commodity by the time Joku hit the ground but the 3f x 5f Best In Show must have been what Gooree wanted to experiment with (the highest auction price for any Xaar conceived that year was just $40,000). Pine Bluff, by the way, is also the damsire of G1 winner Absolut Glam.

A birdie whispered to me that Joku, Lorne Dancer and Bianca, three gallopers currently in rare form in the Waterhouse yard, were all designated ‘potential realised, move on’ not so many weeks ago. Just shows what the threat of eviction can do to a horse.