Races at opposite ends of the historical scale occupy the spotlight this Saturday — the Standish Handicap at Flemington and the Sunlight at the Gold Coast.

The Standish was first run in 1884, occupying the New Year’s Day slot until 2022. And, in one of the grand traditions of Australian racing, it was named after a hopeless punter.

Wikipedia says Captain Frederick Standish “was a known gambler on English racecourses, and lost a significant amount of money”.

Chased out, he arrived in Victoria in 1852, where he rose to become a not-particularly-competent chief commissioner of police.

When Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, arrived on tour in 1867, it was the top cop who escorted the prince to one of the city’s classier brothels.

On the plus side, Standish is credited with dreaming up the Melbourne Cup in his spare time.

In 1872 Standish moved into the Melbourne Club, a history of which notes he “kept a close watch on … members’ behaviour, even though his own behaviour left something to be desired.”

On one occasion he was literally horsewhipped over a game of cards. On another, a plus-sized fellow member almost threw him out of the dining-room window over Standish’s insistence on calling him “Jumbo”.

“The Captain” died in the clubhouse shortly after, in March 1883, of (surprise) cirrhosis of the liver. The first Standish Handicap was run eight months later.

Notably, the Standish was the race where Iglesia ran 1:07.19 to set a Flemington “straight six” record that has stood for 25 years. Just one mare (Whispering Brook, 2019) has won it in the past 66 years.

The Sunlight, meanwhile, lines up for its second edition. The first (run at the Sunshine Coast due to grass poisoning at the Gold Coast) produced a classy quinella: Private Harry and Lady Of Camelot.