- This topic has 9 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 5 months ago by
.
- Posts
I first went racing at Beverley, aged 14, in April 1977.
My Dad took me in The Silver Ring.
I remember it vividly – my first bet (Apple Peel, second), my first winning bet (Hit The Deck) and much more besides.
Immediately hooked, I then went all the time in the late 1970s to early 1980s, ran round the track every Sunday morning during those teenage cross country distance runner days, and later as an adult, now in the racing media and with access to a press badge I was able to go near the line.
But I settled down south and visits became very rare.
Though I drove past the track about five years ago I hadn’t actually been racing at Beverley since 1994 (and that in itself had been my first visit since the early 1980s).
But I was there on Saturday – first time racing in 27 years! – and it was a great day.
It hadn’t changed that much – and the changes were improved facilities tbh – and though it felt weird and surreal being back, it also felt really good.
I was in the Premier Enclosure and watched the first three races right on the line in the stands.
Enjoyed it (though no winners so far) but something was missing.
For the fourth race I found my old vantage point in what used to be The Silver Ring Stand, about 100 yards from the line.
It was a 5f handicap and I had used my modern methods to back something or other.
I found myself recalling the criteria of my youth, firstly simply the recent form figures, but more especially my early acquired specialist track knowledge.
I knew from running the track that not only does the dog-leg massively favour those drawn on the far side, but the ground actually falls away as you fan wide and horses have more of an incline to overcome and can get unbalanced.
I also knew runners like myself, joggers and dog walkers meant that strip tight against that far rail became more worn, less turf to absorb the moisture and even quicker.
“How many horses with the very plum draw, never mind a good draw, have you seen win here in 5f handicaps, Ian, when the ground is Good or quicker? How sick will you be if stall 1 wins, you’re not on it and you’re left feeling you’ve learned nothing in 44 years betting?!”
So I backed Ventura Flame on an impulsive about 15 minutes before the race.
By post time it had almost halved in price.
Watching the race, I saw him burst through late but from my vantage point wasn’t quite sure if he had got up.
But that just added to the thrill – and helps explain maybe why I’ve always been happiest in the “poor seats.”
Anyway, I decided to return to that spot to watch the next race.
No nostalgic betting influence this time, against my better judgement using my contemporary methods I had backed a horse trained by Mick Easterby, a man I’ve never managed to guess right in 40 years and in fact couldn’t recall if I had ever backed a winner trained by him.
I had also by this point disciplined myself to ignore the big screen (might as well stay at home if I’m going to watch that all day) and watch with the naked eye, even though like the late Henry “the last furlong is the one that matters” Cecil I don’t bother with binoculars.
La Rav won the race in the old Beverley tradition.
Hit the front below the Distance (more of that later) and the last furlong was a victory parade.
I was ecstatic – my return to The Westwood was complete.
Or so I thought.
I walked the course after racing and was delighted to find the old Distance post – though for some reason cut down to about half the height now – was still there.
I love things like that.
In fact, walking that circuit I used to run round after so many years was a magical experience.
I did a complete circuit with a detour down to the 5f start and back en route – it was a stroll packed with nostalgia but also told me quite a bit about what the track is like nowadays, especially in terms of the watering policy and draw bias.
One other thing from the day that made me smile.
A sign on the big screen urged the Saturday afternoon alfresco drinkers to “pace yourselves.”
Looking at the host of Peaky Blinders wannabes and their other halves boozing away around me, I thought: “Fat chance of getting anyone to pace themselves on a track with such a front-end bias.”
But, though I saw drinks spilt over people by the already half cut before the very first race – and this was in the Premier Enclosure – I didn’t see any trouble and no one bothered me, personally.
Beverley Races: It won’t be 27 years until my next visit, that’s for sure.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Beverley is class. The Needler should be given listed status back. It was electric the day Attraction hacked up, the dogs were barking all week over the entire county of Yorkshire about her.
BUY THE SUN
Glad you enjoyed your return, Ian.
Pity about the Peaky Blinders wannabes but that’s the same at every weekend race meeting these days. At least they didn’t give you any trouble.
TTC,
I agree.
I saw Devon Ditty win the Hilary Needler in 1978 and she went on to win: the Cherry Hinton, the Princess Margaret, the Lowther, the Flying Childers and the Cheveley Park.
That said, as you rightly allude, the all-time best Hilary Needler winner would have to be subsequent 1,000 Guineas winner Attraction.
Gladiateur, thank you.
I like to think I’m quite relaxed and tolerant.
There was some drunken football terrace-style chanting, drinks being spilt and one or two “tired and emotional” “domestics” as the day wore on.
But tbh, the Peaky Blinders wannabes, when off their faces, are like the Mafia in one respect – they tend to pick on each other and leave the rest of us alone.
I can live with that!
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I love a crime drama but Peaky Blinders is utter dirge. Multiple slow motion shots of the Shelby Family smoking cigarettes and walking through scrapyards. I gave up on it quick sharp. Its beyond me how its been such a phenomenon.
BUY THE SUN
When I was younger I used to enjoy films like The Godfather, Get Carter and The Long Good Friday.
But it never left me feeling the urge to try to dress like Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Michael Caine or Bob Hoskins.
And tbh since those gangster movie Classics, I think the genre has gone downhill and clever scripts have been replaced with obscenity-ridden nonsense.
I’m not bothered what other people do so long as they don’t bother me while they’re doing it, but I do find myself rolling my eyes frequently when at the races on a Saturday nowadays.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I have only ever been to Beverley once. I checked my race card collection and felt a bit old when I saw it was as long ago as September 1991!
I remember being pleased with myself because I backed a Hamdan two year old, trained by H Thomson Jones and ridden by N Carlisle. I got 5/2 and it hacked up at an SP of 11/8.
I really liked the track and must try to visit again.
Hold on, if 1991 makes you feel old, where does 1977 leave me?!
I agree, I think it’s a charming little racecourse with plenty of character.
Dog-leg uphill 5f – Tis Marvellous broke the track there on Saturday and is the only horse I can think of who ran that stiff five in under a minute.
Races over an extended 7f and mile starting down the back straight.
A 1m2f with its own chute just before the start of the back straight – I always felt a major 1m2f contest could be staged with impunity given the fairness of it, 1m4f starting at the furlong pole nice and close to racegoers who want to see a start, 2m using the 5f gate plus a circuit and they used to have a 2m3f handicap each year mid summer using the mile start plus a circuit.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"My visit was for the Hilary Needler Meeting in June 1998, an evening meeting and Flanders* won the feature race. Rosselli won the Brian Yeardsley Trophy and I made a decent profit on the night courtesy of Kass Alhawa.
I was doing some work on a waterworks near York and staying in Howden. Arrived early parked in position A1 in the car park, enjoyed an excellent evening at a fine course, quick out of the enclosure after the last (maiden with an odds-on favourite, Marie Loup) and back in my hotel 30 minutes after the finish.
*Racing Post records 12 foals of Flanders that raced and 11 of them won a race, best of them G Force the winner of the 2014 Hayodck Sprint Cup.
It’s a cracking course for making a quick escape after racing.
Glad you enjoyed it.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.