Neil, a local character, had been coming into the betting shop down the High Street all week selling some smoked salmon that he’d nicked from the supermarket. John the manager had turned a blind eye. On Thursday, having gone skint, Neil asked him: “Can I back this favourite, if it gets beat I’ll nip across and get you a packet of salmon!”
The horse finished fourth and Neil slipped out of the shop. He returned five minutes later and plonked two tins of baked beans on the counter. “They’ve run out of salmon!” he cried.
Higham 25th January
“Surely the best race ever run on this track” declared the announcer after Brackloon High’s victory in an epic Men’s Open. I think that’s the third or fourth meeting I’ve been to this season where someone has made that statement. The standard of the Open’s this term, the Men’s in particular, has been astronomically high.
Just five lengths separated the first six home, most of the half a dozen would have traded at odds on in running at some stage. Andrew Barlow had set Brackloon High a stiff task with overdone waiting tactics, but some bold leaps down the back saw the pair cut through the field. Having hit the front the gelding then hit the last two, giving renewed hope to those he had just passed. He doggedly held off Ravethebrave et al in a rousing finish. The runner up was having his first outing of the season so will no doubt have appreciated the blow.
A huge crowd turned out to watch a marathon nine-race card, 11 if you got out of bed early enough to see the ponies. It was one of those days where the queue to get in was instantly replaced by the queue to get out.
The judge gave the official placings for the second pony contest: “First, number one, second, number three…” but then wrongly turned his programme to race two on the Point card and read out the winning rider of the 148cm and under class as being the 6’ 1” ex Lance Bombardier Jody Sole. Jody would happily have claimed the win — it would have been a very welcome first of the season.
There must have been some red faces in the changing tent after the Ladies’ Open. The riders on the leading contenders seemed happy to sit back and wait for someone else to make the first move, all the while Hannah Watson on Bound For Glory (16/1) poached what turned out to be an unassailable lead.
In the Hunt race Carlanstown, backed from 1/3 to 1/6, made the money-buyers sweat. You’d need a prescription for beta-blockers before backing him at such short odds again; although I’d lump on he’ll be in headgear for his next outing.
The maiden was split. In the first division runner up Venlo was outjumped by the winner My Alfie, he looked uncomfortable racing left-handed and may fence better going the other way around.
In division two Baroque Style had all the others at it when tripping over the fourth last. It looked a soft fall, so it shouldn’t affect his confidence when he and Archie Wright seek compensation.
The riding performance of the day came from Johnny Bailey on Old Si in the Members race. Yes, they pulled up five from home but the horse has only the one pace WHOOSH. Just getting the fruitcake down to the start in one piece was a notable achievement.
Milborne St. Andrew 1st February
Harbour Court scrambled home after putting in a laboured performance in the Men’s Open. Eleven months ago he was sent off favourite for the Cheltenham Foxhunters, his form has been regressive ever since the starter raised the Prestbury Park tapes.
He never appeared to be travelling well here, his jumping sloppy where it used to be slick. This was a pretty ordinary Open, last season he would have been expected to carry this lot. The obvious conclusion must be that he’s not right, he reportedly had a wind operation in the summer and he wore a tongue-tie today. He’s only nine so there is plenty of time for his connections to hopefully get him back to his flowing best.
Raffa must be considered an unlucky loser back in third. The gelding was badly baulked on the far turn, losing all momentum. It looked to have cost him more than the length and a half he got beaten by.
Alskamatic and Ghizao had a rare old tussle over the last four in the Ladies’ Open. Cleaner jumping and a stronger jockey swayed it for the former. Fitandproperjob looked to be travelling better than the pair when he departed at the last ditch. But don’t be fooled into thinking he was unlucky; a quick glance at the formbook will tell you he lacks both stamina and resolution.
The card included three Maidens, the market for each was headed by a short-priced newcomer. Trainer Tom Lacey saddled Balkato Des Bois (6/4) in the curtain raiser, the young horse race. The favourite only got as far as the first, I had it down as a straightforward and soft unseat, a friend watching from a different angle thought he was hampered by another faller.
The yard gained compensation when Village Mystic (4/6) toyed with the opposition in one of the two Open Maidens. His next public appearance is very likely to come in a sales ring. Lacey will no doubt take a video of today’s race to show to potential buyers. Visually it was mightily impressive, with rider Sam Drinkwater taking pull after pull as they weaved through the field before sauntering clear. But the form looks incredibly weak – he was receiving 21lb in allowances from a modest bunch. The second was 50/1 and had been tailed off before being pulled up in both his previous races.
Charmix (evens) from the powerful Jack Barber stable took the other three-mile Maiden. It required all of champion jockey Will Biddick’s strength and guile to seal the victory, in what was by far the stronger of the two divisions. The winner is a lovely looking, rangy horse, who will probably enjoy softer ground then he got here. The yard doesn’t tend to rush their horses so I wouldn’t expect him to reappear too soon. He may well be trained by Paul Nicholls or Harry Fry when we next see him.
Love The Leader and Brid’s Classic chased him home, both will win a maiden before the season’s out.
Godstone 8th February
Just above here should have been a report from yesterday’s meeting from Cottenham. Yesterday was more than a little frantic. Cottenham had called an 8am inspection, fearing frost. The weathermen suggested they were being overly cautious, so I was surprised when they announced it needed another look at 10am. I would have to leave at nine for the drive from Surrey to Cambridgeshire. I got on the internet and looked at the traffic cameras on the M11, just a few miles from the course. The fields looked verdant so I set off full of confidence.
The wife, Julie, was due to leave home for Newbury at 10.15 so I asked her to keep an eye on Twitter and let me know when they had made a decision. Halfway to Cottenham my mobile rang “It’s off” Julie informed me. “Can you make it to Newbury? I’ll leave late, we could meet in Blakes Lane.”
“I’ll try” I said, did a U-turn and put my foot down. We met up and it was then her turn to dodge the speed cameras. We got to Newbury, having ducked and dived down all the country lanes around Greenham Common, only to be confronted by a long and slow queue for the Owners and Trainers desk, where we were to pick up our badges. Julie disappeared in one door and came out of another with two passes and a wink.
This bit of magic or skulduggery just bought us enough time to grab something to eat, we met another long and slow queue. While finishing our pasties and coffee we just caught a Tote announcement saying there was a £100,000 carry over going into the Placepot pool. “It’s a shame we didn’t know that earlier, it will double the pay-out.” I said.
“Shall we give it a go?” suggested Julie.
“I’ve barely looked at the card.”
“I have!” she declared.
We looked at our watches. We had 11 minutes to the first race. We ran down the stairs talking tactics. “We’ll take Sire De Grugy on”.
“Banker?”
“Kings Palace!”
“Perm?”
“Three, four, three, two, five and one!”
“I’ve had a tip for Cheltenian.”
“The owner told me hers is no good in the second and that’s second in in the paper, so we’ll swerve him.”
“You grab a coupon, I’ll have a look at these” said Julie as she rushed towards the paddock “I’ll see you where they come out”.
No time for studying, we used the formbooks in our heads. The runners were on the horse walk when we completed the coupon. I sidestepped my way through the crowd, heading for the nearest Tote kiosk with, thankfully, a short and quick queue. As I got to the counter I realised we had included a late non-runner in race two. I moved across and grabbed another coupon. “The runners have arrived at the start”.
I pulled out the racecard and sought a replacement, no time to look at those at the bottom of the handicap, number four the outsider Araldur, a right rascal but the yard is in form, “He’ll do!”
“They are being called out onto the course”. Our ticket was the last one out of the machine before “They’re under orders”. I dashed for my lucky telly.
It turned out to be an emotional afternoon’s racing with AP McCoy’s retirement bombshell. We will never see his like again. Understandably it has received an awful lot of coverage in the media, what I’ve not seen mentioned is how good he is with owners. Many a time at a gaff track I’ve seen McCoy ride a very low-grade horse for a tiny trainer and a band of small-time owners and then spend ages speaking to them afterwards. The likelihood was he’d never go anywhere near the horse ever again but he would always give them a proper debrief, advice about how and where to run the horse in the future, answer all questions and when they had finished thanked them, warmly, for the ride. You could see in their faces he had given them an experience they would never forget. The smallest owner is often the keenest and McCoy obviously appreciates this. The perfect ambassador.
On our way out we exchanged our Placepot ticket for £1,336.60. Three long priced horses filled the frame in the second race, knocking out a vast majority of players, Araldur kept us in. Julie doesn’t agree he’s a rascal. Well, she doesn’t now.
So far this point season has involved, almost exclusively, a two-hour journey to meetings, so it was a joy that Godstone is ‘just down the road’. The sun shone and after a bitterly cold week it felt almost like spring.
Consigliere (4/5) won a tame Men’s Open. Rider Joe Hill, still not convinced his mount truly stays three miles, couldn’t afford to be too aggressive so set only a steady pace. Yet nobody seemed remotely interested in laying down a challenge. A mile from home and with apparently no increase in the pace, Consigliere was suddenly 15 lengths clear, he kept on to win with his head in his chest.
Anseanachai Cliste (5/2) finished third, staying on after losing his early pitch. On this evidence and also his form in Ireland he desperately needs to go left-handed.
Sixteen-year-old Alice Stevens made it two winners from two rides when she and Citizens Arrest (7/4) landed the Ladies’ Open. As in her first victory, the young rider impressed me greatly; she looks a hot talent with a cool head. The runner-up Wor Rom (6/4f) didn’t help himself by attempting to drag a couple of the fences home with him.
There were a few to take out of the pair of Open Maidens. De Clare Man won the first; he did look to have a fitness advantage on most of his rivals, but is nice. There will be some very cheap looking Restricteds in his area – it should take him no time at all to win one. Simonsruudt, brother of Simonsig, followed him home. He looks a bit fizzy but will be fitter in the future.
The second division saw a tremendous battle with High Hatton, despite a badly slipping saddle, just getting the judge’s decision over Minerfortyniner in a much quicker heat. Two exciting six-year-olds – keep both on your side.
I’m sure the headstrong Full Trottle needs to be allowed to stride on; his connections seem far from convinced. They have employed a wide variety of tactics so far this season. Today it was “try to hang on to him for two miles”. He looked just about to have settled the Conditions race when he shoulder charged the third last, this enticed Will Fight to prove he was well named and run the leader down late on.
Another aptly named winner Time Is Tickin arrived at the last minute to pinch the Restricted race right on the line.
There was a small turnout for the Members’ race that closed the card. It started off all smiles with the starter Mr Taylor dispensing with the formalities of a roll-call — “We are all on first name terms.”
It ended in tears with runner-up Louistheninteenth collapsing of a fatal heart attack immediately after crossing the line. His enthusiastic syndicate of owners had turned out in force accompanied by an army of small children, he went down right in front of where they were standing, cheering. An absolutely horrible way to end a fantastic day.