Dashes of Damon Runyon, hints of characters that lingered in the work of Adam Lindsay Gordon, Dick Francis and Banjo Patterson, traces of brilliance found in Rumpole of the Bailey or a Geoffrey Robertson, an ebullience and affability that would dwarf Barack Obama on his best day and, above all else more ability in his little toe than most people in his industry had in their entire body and just so, so much more.

It simply was never possible to define Ted Doon in life, and it becomes even less possible after his recent death in Canberra at 84 years of age.

There was one definitive (as Max Presnell pointed out in his obituary in Sunday's Sun-Herald) the little Chinese jockey was a "master horseman" on a scale that was unimagineable to most who have ever rode in races, a jockey with an exceptional talent. For every story you hear about Ted you will find that in most cases it is prefaced with a genuine affection for him and an awe of the incredible ability he had on a horse's back.

Very few jockeys have the aura of folkore around them that Ted Doon had.

Everyone that shared an era in racing with him had their own Ted Doon stories, and despite their level of gravity, people relayed them with a feeling of reverance and admiration for this wonderful character that rode 2000 winners. Life around E. Doon was like that - it was impossible not to like him, equally impossible not to admire his stellar ability, and, in real terms he was just the Graham Richardson of racing.

He could walk through glass, had an explanation for everything, a sense of humour that was omnipresent and, even people that had been given the best "haircuts" by Teddy ended up half blaming themselves for getting involved.

It is hard going to find some good priced horses around the eastern seaboard today. We managed to have Down Under Boy in the tips last week at outrageous odds but i fear that a lot of the shorties look like winning today.

At Sandown I think REPRISAL is the best value bet in race three. He is coming back from the Tatts Cup in Sydney and the Lexus so he is not opposed to anywhere near as strong a field today compared to his last two outings. I am sure, being by Galileo, that he will run the two miles and i think he can win.

I also think SUSSURO represents good value in the last. She was in the worst part of the track at Flemington and had a chequered passage. I think she will race well at good odds.

At Rosehill I thought ZARA DANCER was great value in the last on the card. I thought he was good against the bias in the Hawkesbury Cup and his George Main run was fair. This is much easier.

SEA LORD represents good value in race five. He has always shown considerable promise and has been gelded. I think he can win at odds.