Have you noticed the surge in teal, voices of, and independent advertisements recently? They were massive in the football finals season and have surged again in the lead-up to today's Melbourne Cup.

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The ads are all over social media and TV, especially streaming services.

I might get the precise wording wrong, but they go something like this:

"Have a crack, Albo, have a crack. Use the BigMoney app and you don't have to back just one runner. You can back all of the runners you select.

"Fossil Fuelled, Pharma Lap, White Shoes, Retail Fodder, Big Food, Media Mogul. You can boost your winnings by choosing all of them with the BigMoney app."

But let me give you some inside knowledge. Fossil Fuelled is getting a bit tired these days and might not make the finishing line. Beware of Big Food. It is very hard to see the name and number on the livery. It is in very small type and usually grey on light grey. Also, it is hard to tell if Big Food has got the ingredients for a wholesome race.

And Pharma Lap seems very big-hearted, but always runs on self-interest, often colluding with Pharma Guild to befuddle the ordinary punter.

By the way, these two runners are not to be confused with Small Farmer which was obliterated when the international Conglomerate AG stable substituted him with Fine Cotton.

Nonetheless, all of these runners get a place at every important meeting and usually get a win of one sort or the other.

A further tip: don't waste your time with outsiders. Public Interest, Protect the Vulnerable, and Moral Compass have not had a place at any important meeting for 40 years, let alone a win.

Small wonder, punters are getting sick of everything turning into a two-horse race.

I don't know about you, but every time these advertisements come on, I am sickened and get reminded of Albo's and Labor's spinelessness on gambling advertising and how beholden they are to the donations from gambling, hotel, and media interests. That's why I thought they were advertisements for independents, teals, and voices for, and why it surprised me that they were not........

© Canberra Times