- This topic has 14 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 11 years ago by
.
- Posts
Hi,
I’m new on here,
I would like to relate my joys of ownership.
I’ve always loved Horse Racing and thought nothing could be better than owning a horse.
In 1983 I got 4 friend to put in £25 per week until we had 4K in the Kitty, then we started looking for a horse.
Effort 1
We found a lady trainer(Mrs A R Hewitt) who had a horse for lease called “Cheshire House”
It was £100 per week to lease and according to her had a minor injury, was rated 90 by timeform and would be ready to run in a month.
8 months and £3200 later the horse was retired because of its injury without going to the track.
We still had the 4K tho because we had continued paying £25 pw each for training fees.
stay tuned it gets better.Get In
Welcome to TRF bodeebones.
Are those your colours in your avatar?Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Yes they were, I still have them but they wont be used again,
My first post and I’ve
done a spelling mistake in the title, damGet In
I’ve looked him up; says he’s now 34 [but probably long gone]. RP site won’t give me any more details so you’d better keep writing bodeebones [especially as I’m all excited about seeing the film about Dream Alliance and am ready for another feel good sort of story!].I want a happy ending though although I don’t mind a few sad bits on the way.
Yes would have been 34 now, anyway we moved on to D Moffatt in the lake district who got us a 4 year old, we drew lots to name him and in my opinion the worst name ever won, “Imperious Knave”. My name is Jim Bridge if you look this one up, but the RP only shows 2 races and he had far more than that. Anyway to cut a long story short he had a few races before we were told he was going to win, and that was one Easter at Cartmel. The jockey was the now very famous Kevin Ryan. A horse of M Pipe was 2/7 fav and we were 16/1 to come 2nd so we had £300 on. Oh to go back a day Mr Moffatt told us to double our insurance because he was expected to win , so we told him to go ahead and do it.
The day of the race was very sunny and the 4 of us with family were at the races in very jolly mood, the bet was on and the race started, coming up to the 2nd last hurdle us and M Pipe were a furlong clear, the 10 yards before the hurdle our horse collapsed and died. A subsequent autopsy showed that its main aorta had burst and caused instant death.
D Moffatt had never increased the insurance he said he had forgotten.to be
continuedGet In
It was a long time ago Jim, best to look on the bright side. Maybe time to give it another go?
So we got the 4K back from the insurance and we bought a quarter share in a horse called Lord Sun,
a chaser which was to be aimed at the Grand National, it had never fallen or been out of the first 3.
First race was a prep hurdle race at Newcastle again ridden by Kevin Ryan and it was a wet and wild day.
Kevin rode the first winner which he said had a chance and was 10/1,we were all on, but in our race Lord Sun fell for the first time going down the back straight.
He didn’t run to well for the next couple of races, then I got a phone call from Mr Moffatt. He said they had found the problem, it was a chipped bone in the foot resulting from the fall at Newcastle, he said to imagine an operation on my little finger, I would have a local anaesthetic, they would cut back an inch, pick out the bit of bone, stitch it up and you would be back at work the same day.
Lord Sun died on the operating table, and we were not insured this time.Good stuff this eh!
more
Get In
You have to hop back a year or two now, when Kevin Ryan invited me to stay at his Mothers house in a place called Golden in the middle of Southern Ireland. What a great two weeks, went to Ballydoyle, went to Tommy Stacks and as I also loved Greyhound racing Kevin took me to see Whisper Wishes who at the time was the Derby winner and one of the greatest greyhounds ever. I bought a greyhound off Kevins brother and it ran at Belle Vue Manchester and was very lucky for me, I also went back again the following year.
6 months ago I was at Haydock Park with my wife and saw Kevin Ryan, so I took my wife over to meet him, but he said he had no idea who I was, I mentioned he had invited me to stay with his Mum and Dad for 2 weeks twice in Golden but he said again he had no bloody idea who I was. Ah well fame must have gone to his head,
finished now.
Get In
Thanks for those, a nice read and at least you backed the 10/1 winner.
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
I have known a couple of people involved in ownership and I had some close quarter observation of it all and I came to the conclusion that there is a lot of second car salesmanship going on even when you have the horse with a trainer. Its always about to win or beating a course winner on the gallops easily but just has not yet translated it to the course. If on the other hand the trainer has plenty of people wanting to put horses into his stable he will tell you to take it away quickly if its no good, suggesting that so and so’s yard will suit it better, which means they are desperate but I am not.
The worst part from my point of view was Kevin Ryan, how on earth can you know someone for 2 years. Invite them to stay with you for 2 separate two week holidays, with your Mum and Dad, then take them to all your friends, and not remember you’ve done it. He was completely different then, very friendly and would do anything for you, now I don’t know what’s happened to him, as I said fame has gone to his head.
On that particular day last year I was very upset, and wouldn’t back any of his horses, and blow me he rubbed it in by having 4 winners. Oh well not to bother.Get In
done a spelling mistake in the title, dam
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.