Blog 22nd Feb 09
UP AT THE LAST
By the time our season kicked off at Detling the UK had lost exactly half of its scheduled point-to-point meetings due to frost. Four had been abandoned altogether, including the South Devon Hunts Club at Ideford Arch, which made three attempts to run but was frosted off each time. I had my doubts about Detling - the weather had been dire, but it broke just in time and, despite the mud that irritated a few people, it was a good, clear day if just a bit on the parky side. Plenty of runners, too, which is great for pictures but not so great if, like me, you are intending to go through the card.
I am a great admirer of Peter Bull. He once told me he was crap when he started and that he found it hard to believe that people had carried on giving him rides, but these days horses seem to run for him and he’s a safe pair of hands for punters. Despite all this I decided that he would not be winning the first race of the season. I made the same mistake in 2008. My fiver went on Philip Hall and Star Gift, and my heart sank after the fourth fence as the horse hadn’t got a clue and I was sure Philip would call it a day. Bull and Sidney Charles had got to the front by half way and it seemed to be all over - except that from nowhere Star Gift was making up ground and between the last two there seemed a remote chance that he might even win.
I’ve stood too near to people at places like Kempton and heard them screaming for a horse to fall. Like the dwarf with the low IQ it’s not big and it’s not clever and you hope you’ll never hear yourself even thinking it. Not even a soft fall with a happy landing. So obviously it never crossed my mind with the leader approaching the last fence and Star Gift just a little too far back to be able to catch him. Sidney Charles didn’t fall, but he wasn’t that fluent - but he was six lengths clear at the line and I’ll be backing Bull blind for the first race next season whatever happens.
Who can remember the last time a Maiden was split in the South East (no wife swapping jokes, please)? Well, they did it at Detling and the punting gods were telling me this was my chance to claim that I had won on the first race and thus my chances of going through the card were still intact. Barry Lewis, the bearded guru of the SE betting ring, had tipped me Podium Pete at the abandoned Tweseldown before Christmas so on went the money and up came a repeat performance. Nessa was well clear coming to the last, my horse was destined for second and it did fleetingly cross my mind that the punting gods could help me out a little. But I was strong and never put in the formal request. And so it was that Nessa beat Podium Pete by ten lengths and my season was beginning to look a little shaky.
Philip Hall had been quite open with the chances of Star Gift (who had, after all, run a race full of promise) and had also mentioned Highland Chief. For the third race (although it was really the second) the racecard said “should be useful pointer” and that was good enough for me. Highland Chief went off as 3-1 favourite in a field of 15, took up the lead at halfway and stormed home 15 lengths clear of Magnus Veritas in the fastest time of the day. Joyous moment, season back on course.
It got easier after that: Peter Bull and Master Alf carried my money to victory in the fourth, and I wasn’t going to squander the proceeds on a 1-3 shot in the Ladies unless it was Carryonharry - and he wasn’t there. However Cynthia Haydon was, and she was an appropriately tasty price to win or be second to Big Moment with the “Betting Without” bookie. Roaringwater did it nicely and I collected for the third race in a row. I really like Detling.
Lord Atterbury and I have a bit of a history. When he was with David Pipe I backed him boldly to win the Foxhunters. It was one of those typical topsy-turvy Cheltenham stories - the horse was a doubtful runner until the very last minute, but still went off favourite, and at a much shorter price than my knowledge and foresight had achieved. I had deserted Earthmover because, of course, he was far too old at 13 and loyalty can be an expensive commodity. Lord Atterbury jumped badly and was pulled up. Earthmover stormed up the hill at 14/1. Lesson learned, no more disloyalty, no more Lord Atterbury.
Three weeks later, now trained by Martin Pipe, Lord Atterbury was third, at 40/1, in the Grand National won by Amberleigh House. That’s the same as a 10/1 winner. What was that about loyalty?
Now the horse is with Stuart Robinson. He’s going to win something soon, but today won’t be his day because I’m on a roll and so is Philip York. He’s odds-on to win with Dante’s Storm, another one of Barry Lewis’s killer tips. Like many a punting fool before me, I know that you never, ever, get two odds-on shots beaten in successive races. The punting gods don’t allow it. Well, they didn’t this time, allowing Dante’s Storm to survive a howler at the last and win by two lengths. Lord Atterbury was third.
I formed an orderly queue to collect for the fourth time running, enjoying the anticipation of impending riches because the next race, the lucky last, featured the bet of the day. You don’t muck about with the Moore’s, and young Josh needed to start his point-to-point career with a winner. He didn’t have to look far considering his sister goes out with Nick Pearce, and Nick has found the right horse and the right race for him. Jack’s Present was 1-2, but who cares when you’re loaded. Come to daddy. Josh will be champion jockey one day, take it from me. But that’s quite enough betting for one day, and I can buy a new lens for my camera so I can take more pictures that no-one ever wants to buy.
WELL DOWN LONG BEFORE THE LAST
Hell of a wait, more than four weeks, before our next taste of the action. In that time we have lost another 15 meetings due to snow, waterlogging or bovine TB. But mostly snow.
The South East jockeys have all been skiing in the break and by some accounts we are lucky to still have Stuart Robinson with us. The man who knows no fear has off-pisted himself over a 300m cliff. While his fellow jocks are trying to avoid the whip-round for a rescue helicopter, Stuart reappears and they all retire to a nearby bar to celebrate life in general and the extension to his in particular. I am assured by a member of my family that this is true.
Stevie Fisher was there, too, but I can’t check the story out with him as he has skived off to Switzerland on the pretext of shoeing a horse at the St Moritz ice racing. It doesn’t matter though, as I didn’t need his advice at Detling, I am still replete with bookies’ money and there is a certainty in the first race at Charing.
Barry Lewis has told me that Don Cantillon’s runner Swing State is the bet of the season. I go in heavy at 1-2 and moments later am humiliated to see the same bookie chalk it up at evens. I have a bit more, plus £2 for my grandson who has been given £5 to learn about betting from a trustworthy and experienced punter whose judgement can always be relied upon. I like this meeting as there is one race which allows me to take pictures at the start without having to walk three miles. It is the 2½ mile Maiden, which is flagged off just beyond the fence at the bottom of Charing hill, a short walk from the bookies. I take Rosie and Guy with me as their mother is being a doctor at some far-flung fence. I’m busy taking mug shots of jockeys I don’t recognise. Rosie, peeping from behind the trackside hedge, sees something shiny in the grass. It is a racing plate.
Phil York, busy circling at the start with the others, spots it in my hand and says “Whoever’s it is, they won’t be needing it now.” Moments later the flag waves and they are on their way. I have given the horseshoe to Rosie as a souvenir, explaining in a grandfatherly way how they bring good luck. I’ve hardly finished saying this when it suddenly occurs to me that the thing may belong to Swing State and even if it is a short race it would be some feat to win round Charing with only three shoes on. Some feet.
Swing State ran really well despite his handicap, but he was only third. But that doesn’t really wash with a ten-year-old who has just done his pocket money - and on the first bet of his life, to make it worse. You may be asking how could I possibly know that it was Swing State’s shoe that Rosie proudly took to school the next day, and my answer is that it didn’t take long to blow up the pictures from the first race. And sure enough, Swing State is missing his off-fore plate. Here’s the proof.
I don’t really want to talk about the rest of the day, so I’ll summarise briefly. Nessa, who had stuffed me at Detling, did it again by not winning the second, the Restricted sponsored by the South East bookmakers. He was odds-on. Bee An Bee salvaged a bit for me when beating Highland Chief (on whom I had a losing “saver”) but at 4/5 I was still behind. There was a chance of pulling level if Big Moment could redeem himself in the Ladies, but at 5/4 he didn’t. After that I was cleaned out, so even Pete Bull couldn’t turn it round for me with his win on Young Collier, while I confidently tipped Mooresini to everyone while silently cursing the fact that I had no money left for him to carry.
Lucky horseshoe? Don't give me that crap.
Maybe someone will buy a picture or two…
