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We now have festival races named after Martin Pipe, Fred Winter, Kim Muir, Vincent O’Brien and Johnny Henderson. No doubt there are valid reasons for all of these.
But where is Michael Dickinson in this? Surely the man who trained two Gold Cup winners in successive years, the second time saddling the first five home; saddled Badsworth Boy to three Champion Chases and had various other festival winners such as Sabin du Loir, Browne’s Gazette and Righthand Man deserves the honour of a race at the festival.
Edward Gillespie is talking about another race at the festival for next year. How about one for MW Dickinson….
I think one of the conditions races we already have in place should carry his name. Another tin pot handicap filled with runners who shouldn’t be within a 100 mile radius of Prestbury would not be appropriate. I think the Martin Pipe is the perfect race to carry that particular gentleman’s name as that is the sort of race he farmed but MD deserves something a bit more prestigious.
I hope there are no more races added, especially another conditions race that may dilute what is already diluted and they’d better not tread on Sandown’s toes and introduce a mares NHF race.
I did think a championship veterans race but then you’d lose horses from what was the William Hill and Kim Muir. You wait, they’ll introduce a 4m 4f handicap chase one day.
Was Sabin du Loir with him before Martin Pipe? One of my favourite horses from way back..never found out what his name meant; is it just a place? Had a lovely letter from the Pipes when he retired.
Yes, MWD trained it to win Sun Alliance Nov Hdle. It was then off injured for a long time before coming back with Martin Pipe.
Sorry, but I don’t think there would be any point in this. Michael Dickinson’s name means very little to at least one generation of racing people.
He only trained here for 7 years before leaving for America 24 years ago, has given up training altogether now to concentrate on his business interests. He has hardly devoted a lifetime to the sport, has he?I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I crawled on six crooked highwaysYes, MWD trained it to win Sun Alliance Nov Hdle. It was then off injured for a long time before coming back with Martin Pipe.
Sabin Du Loir finished in front of the following year’s champion hurdler (Dawn Run 2nd) and the ’86 Grand National winner ( West Tip 3rd ) when winning the Sun Alliance Novice Hurdle in ’83.
Sabin Du Loir also has the distinction of having always finished in front of Desert Orchid when not falling. He defeated Dessie three times, and I’m sure he fell when leading during one particular King George VI chase which the grey horse won.
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I could never understand what his name meant and assumed it was a place? Had a French student staying a few years back and she didn’t know either. My favourite horse name and I often say it aloud [although not in public places, as yet]. Rolls off the tongue.
Moe,
Could well be a place name as there is a River Loir in France, which confusingly is a tributary of the better known River Loire, and runs betwen the Loire Valley and Le Mans. There are several places along the river with names like Chateau-du-Loir, so the construction ‘Du Loir’ fits.
Two of the places on the banks of the Loir certainly did become famous horseracing names – Durtal and Le Coudray.
AP
I strongly agree with a race named after Michael Dickinson. I believe he also rode a couple of festival winners too. I always remember his chaser called W Six Times who was named thus because he told the owner that the horse "Worked Well, Will Win, When Wanted"
I’ve added a clip of the fantastic Sabin Du Loir winning the 1983 Sun Alliance Novice Hurdle from Dawn Run & West Tip – enjoy.
I could never understand what his name meant and assumed it was a place? Had a French student staying a few years back and she didn’t know either. My favourite horse name and I often say it aloud [although not in public places, as yet]. Rolls off the tongue.
I’ve had a look around & can’t say it’s a place. I think the ‘du Loir’ part stems from the dam’s mother’s name, Val de Loir.
As far as I can find, ‘Sabin’ was a bishop & saint located in Spoleta, Italy & another one crops up in Egypt. Saint-Sabin is also a common enough street & inn place-name in France; Sabin itself is used as a French surname.
Plus: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Sabin
Nice sounding name for quite a horse.
I think one of the conditions races we already have in place should carry his name. Another tin pot handicap filled with runners who shouldn’t be within a 100 mile radius of Prestbury would not be appropriate. I think the Martin Pipe is the perfect race to carry that particular gentleman’s name as that is the sort of race he farmed but MD deserves something a bit more prestigious.
I hope there are no more races added, especially another conditions race that may dilute what is already diluted and they’d better not tread on Sandown’s toes and introduce a mares NHF race.
I did think a championship veterans race but then you’d lose horses from what was the William Hill and Kim Muir. You wait, they’ll introduce a 4m 4f handicap chase one day.
Not too keen on Martin Pipe are we? I think he did train the odd Graded winner in his time.
As regards the possibility of a Mares bumper I would be quite interested to know what you propose to do if they did introduce one?
They already have a veterans race – it’s called the Cross Country Chase.
Was Sabin du Loir with him before Martin Pipe? One of my favourite horses from way back..never found out what his name meant; is it just a place? Had a lovely letter from the Pipes when he retired.
As I recall from a very pleasant meeting I had at Cheltenham many years ago,with the horses owner,Brian Kilpatrick ,on a day when we both bet a 16/1 winner called Asir,the horse was named after his delectable daughter Sabine
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