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And it was at their first fixture of the season (on a Friday though as I recall) that I first went racing in 1977.
Edward Hide, pointed out to me as the biggest name jockey riding that day by my Dad on the number board, Apple Peel, my first ever bet (second – that was prophetic!), Hit The Deck, my first winner (odds on) and Money To Spare, my first time winner of note (10/1 but I cleverly managed to dive in and take the opening 5/1 – life is a learning curve).
And that glorious stiff dogleg 5f.
I was back there at the Westwood last August and to my delight it’s hardly changed.
So celebrate with me the glory of Beverley races – and feel free to recount your first ever day at the races, wherever and whenever that might have been.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"One of the first winning bets I ever had was at Beverley. A horse named Jenga, which won a staying handicap for Lady Herries.
I have only visited the track once, about 30 years ago. I really liked it. I keep meaning to go back but I have never got around to it.
Three things I remember about my visit:
I took 5/2 against a Hamdan two year old, trained by H Thomson Jones and ridden by Nicky Carlisle. He hacked up at an SP of 11/8, one of the first times I ever significantly beat the SP.
A long odds on favourite was beaten in the first. A useful early reminder that there is no value in betting at those prices.
The last was won by a Juddmonte filly named Flit. She went on to be the dam of Wince, winner of the 1,000 Guineas in 1999 when the race was run on the July Course.
My last visit was Monday May 23rd, 2001 for an evening meeting. The card included a 0-70 over 1m 2f offering what was for the time, significant prize money with over £7k to the winner. There were 19 runners and 15 of them were rated under 60, with the lowest ranked running off 34 – different world.
We had a horse suited to that race and we’d also just bought one called Colonel Mustard out of the Fanshawe stable. He was rated 64 and looked ideal for the 0-65 classified stakes on the same card, also over 1m 2f.
On the day, it didn’t look great for the handicap runner, as he was drawn in the outside stall of all 19, not where you want to be at Beverley – he ran OK but covered a lot more ground than the winner in finishing 6th.
The classified stakes had cut up to four runners and there were three prizes. As two of the others were rated 62 and 56, what could go wrong. Colonel Mustard was full of beans while being saddled, strode out to post with enthusiasm and went happily into the stalls. But when the stalls opened, he reared up, got a leg briefly stuck in part of the framework and ended up losing about 100 yards on his three rivals. No prize money for last of four!
It’s a long way home from Beverley to Swindon after two losers when your journey starts at 9:30 pm – and even longer when you take a wrong turn and end up doing a full circuit of the Hull ring road before finding your way on to the M62.
I did a thread years ago based on my day at Beautiful Bev on Attractions Hilary Needler day. I think it was called “I Was There”.
I’d love to copy and paste my OP in to this – does anyone know how to locate such a thing? I may have been called ‘Peruvian Chief’ at the time before I lost my login details. Not sure.
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Sounds fantastic, TTC, I’d love to read it.
Attraction tops Devon Ditty, the best winner of the race when I used to go.
I did have the distinction of being there last August when, afaik, a minute was broken for the first time ever for 5f.
That was nice.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I’d like to read it again too. There were some fantastic contributions that got it nominated for thread of that year from memory.
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Brilliant, thank you Nathan. So here is my Beverley memory…
‘I was there’…the day steady Bev woke up in 2003. A decent enough crowd for the Needler, as usual, but something was buzzing around.
Johnston had a smart filly they said. She beat Bandari running backwards already they said. She set quicker times already than Mr Baileys, they said.
This filly was going to big things according to the Bev sages. After a few scoops, the Nunny was a mere formality with the l’abbaye a mere gimme. The fools with their sex and age allowances hadn’t been been discussing this in the Wold Top Real Ale Bar since noon! The Boat Race was not out of the question.
Another buzz began – she was odds-bloody-against! In a mass course gamble of fivers and tenners and scores, the entire course raced to get on. It might not have been the stuff of Vietch or Curley subterfuge, but when Attraction scampered splay-legged clear in effortless fashion Bev had never been so alive.
What a filly and what a day. You can keep your bloody champions day! You have taken our listed status but you will never take our Freeeeddoo….erm, memories!
Anyone got anything similar I’d love to read about it. Unfashionable northern tracks are not compulsory, but are preferred.
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Brilliant.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I really enjoyed Alan’s anecdote too – much appreciated.
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 believe I’ve only gone to Beverley once, and I was a kid at the time so have a fairly hazy memory of the course but remember being stuck in the car park when Manchester United tonked Arsenal 8-2.
The kind of game which felt a bit Brazil V Germany before Brazil V Germany was a thing.
Regarding the racing, I remember being utterly convinced Nicholas Pocock would win the claimer (I hadn’t really grasped form study at this point so couldn’t tell you why this was the case).
Thank you for that – and for the excellent Newmarket competition (in which I appear to have dwelt at the start).
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 remember going while on holiday in Yorkshire. Decided to walk to the course from the town. Big mistake, further than I thought.
Didn’t have a winner.Walking out of the market town and reaching the 5f start provides a clue, it’s all uphill too.
Great exercise, though.
Thanks for the anecdote.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Lots of cows wandering around outside the main entrance on one of my recent visits to Beverley.
Went in the late 90’s when Frankie won the last race of the day on a 1/66 shot for Cumani and did a flying dismount. Paid a welcome 1/10 on the Tote
Just before the pandemic went midweek and it never stopped raining. The toilets were a disgrace and unusable by the end of the day. Lord knows what they’re like on a Saturday.
I thoroughly recommend Pontefract, had a much better experience there last Monday. You don’t see many horses winning on the bit there do you?
First went in 1977, cows all over the Westwood.
Paid my first return visit in about ten years in 1994, still cows all over the Westwood, Frankie Dettori did a flying dismount (though not off a cow).
Back there for the first time after that, 27 years on, last August, still cows all over the Westwood.
Probably not the same cows – just felt that way.
Reassuring how some things never seem to change.
I’m biased, I love the place, used to run round there, doing the extended 2m, every Sunday morning in my youth.
I walked the course after racing that sunny Saturday last August – magical to be back.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"
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