They even call themselves tragics.

Former PM John Howard (I know, I know, Howard who?) made the term popular, or notorious, take your pick, when he outed himself as a ``cricket tragic'' a few years ago.

Since then there has been a steady stream of high profilers who have followed suit, and getting buried under the hype of the 2009 Melbourne Cup I couldn't help thinking about such weighty matters.

I just get the feeling that this is a peculiarly Australian syndrome, especially it being so egalitarian and all tragics can be prime ministers or used car salesmen; journalists even.

But on the first Tuesday of every November no, you unbelievers, it's not cancelled every few years all this is brought sharply in focus because the whole bloody country becomes a collective horse racing tragic.

Not seeking any sympathy here, but for someone who just cannot abandon work for most of this Tuesday, because of the newspaper's deadlines, it is an amazing thing to behold.

Most people just cannot seem to be able to concentrate from the minute they arrive at the office.

And it's on all day for the poor sods who just can't join the other tragics, like the ones who are trying to work out how to fill out a TAB ticket or the ones with the office sweeps.

It really is on for young and old, and bad luck, buddy, if you cannot join in this madness.

Then of course comes the race itself.

Someone this morning mentioned it's around 3pm or something, which was good because until that moment it had completely escaped my mind that the Race That Stops a Nation was galloping towards me.

Look, I know it's fun for most people to be able to do something they only do once a year, lose some of their hard earned that is ... I just stopped there for a second to give my office sweep girl $5. Yes, that's the other thing that gets me: 30 years at work and I have never even had a place in these darned office sweeps, and looking at the horse I just drew out of the envelope this will continue.

Wanna know what it was? Just so you too can see that office sweeps are a sure-fire way to lose some of your dough, I got something called Gallions Reach.

I reckon it's a tragedy but it will still be running when you are reading this.