- This topic has 61 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 9 months ago by
.
- Posts
Just to throw one in from north of the Border, the Lanark Silver Bell was
the premier race at Lanark Racecourse. Apparantly the bell was gifted by
“William The Lion” to the Royal Burgh of Lanark in 1160. King William
seemingly often stayed at Lanark Castle and took part in local hunts and
whatever else the gentry and aristocracy did back then.However, the various hallmarks on the bell, by members of the Incorporation of
Goldsmiths in Edinburgh, date from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The
Compendium of Scottish Silver states the date of the cup to be circa 1617, and
the makers to be Hugh Lindsay and Deacon Robert Dennistoun (stolen from Wiki)I never got to the Silver Bell at Lanark, I was 22 when the last race was run
there and I so wished that I had gone. The last ever running of the Lanark Silver
Bell was in 1977. The winner, Border River, was owned and trained by Clifford Watts
and ridden by David Nicholls,Fortunately the race was resurrected and came to Hamilton Racecourse. The 1st
winner at Hamilton, 31 years later in 2008 was the William Haggis trained Tifernati.
I missed that one too but I was there the following year, the race was called The
Cash For Kids Lanark Silver Bell. The Mark Johnston trained Record Breaker won at
7/2, I know because I backed him (that’s got to be the oldest aftertiming I’ve ever
done) Record Breaker not only won, but was as good as his name as he broke the
course record.The race was last won by Michael Easterby’s Elysian Flame in 2019
but is still very much a feature and is now goes by the name The Ladbrokes Lanark
Silver Bell Handicap.In 2012, the racecourse unveiled a new Silver Bell Trophy to complement the
original piece, handcrafted by Edinburgh jewellers and warrant holders to Her
Majesty the Queen, Hamilton & Inches. Completed after a detailed six-month
design process, the 100% sterling silver trophy reflects many of the hallmarks
of the original artefact, which has now become too valuable to be presented to
winners. After teaming up with Ladbrokes as sponsors of the fixture in a long
term deal, the Hamilton Park team decided to make a new trophy with a refreshed
contemporary feel, to sit alongside the ancient relic. (Paragraph courtesy of
Hamilton Racecourse website)Which reminds me of the Carlisle Bell and Cumberland Plate: two ancient races still run at Carlisle in June
Beverley’s biggest race of the year used to be the Welbred Handicap over a mile for 3yo on the eve of the Eclipse at Sandown.
I remember Eric Apter once completing a hat-trick for the evening on Reside in the contest back in the day.
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"Thanks again, everyone.
Ian, who or what was Welbred? (I am braced for the obvious jokes) And do you have “Horse Racing in Beverley and Yorkshire” by Ken Brooke? I only met Ken once, but he was a lovely chap and to say he was a regular at Beverley was an understatement. His little book also talks about Yorkshire trainers, jockeys, studs, journalists and racecourses past and present. Unusually, it has no contents page, so you never quite know what you’re going to read about next! I recommend it. He was awarded the BEM for good works – proper good works – and part of the book sales proceeds went to the IJF. I was sad to see he died in January.
I have a feeling it was a sponsored race tbh.
The race was renamed the Jackson’s (local supermarket chain) and Jackson’s Grandways Handicap in later years, I think and Welbred might have been something slightly more subtle to do with them.
The Hilary Needler was perhaps Beverley’s best-known race at the time, but the Welbred actually had more added prize money.
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"Looks like the Baring Bingham has a sponsor – Gallacher…..And we know the media, and fans will now call it that, rather than its proper name. I will continue to call races by their proper names, minus the sponsor.
No idea who Gallacher are but the name revives memories of the tobacco company Gallaher whose Gallaher Gold Cup was a top handicap chase in the 1960s, and which has gone down in history for being the race in which Arkle produced what was probably his best performamce, in 1965
Here is Arkle in the Gallaghers Gold Cup. I believe it was not just one of the best ever performances in racing but one of the best in all sporting history:
Possibly my all-time favourite racing clip – I’d say that was Arkle at his absolute greatest.
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"Great stuff, age shall not weary…etc
Gallaher, not Gallagher: a frequently seen error
A once-ubiquitous brand that vied with Woodbines (Woodies) for popularity in the small high-tar plain ciggy market
’10 PD please’ or if you were a softy and couldn’t handle bits of baccy on the tongue and fag paper sticking to the lips ’10 PD Tipped please’ for the filter version
One old race name that has always intrigued me is the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. Every other race at that meeting has either a royal connection, a link to the course itself, or a local place name, but why Coventry?
And it’s not new, as my battered 1913 form book shows the Coventry Stakes on day one of Royal Ascot, won by the The Tetrarch, who scored by 10L eased down and started at 100/8 on!
And to add to the mystery, the 3M chase at Kempton that most of us still know as the Racing Post Chase, before sponsorship, was called the Coventry Handicap Chase. It’s a name that you might expect at Stratford or Warwick, but not at Ascot or Kempton.
From Wikipedia:
The event was established in 1890, and it was named after the 9th Earl of Coventry, who served as the Master of the Buckhounds at that time
The Master of the Buckhounds (or Master of the Hounds) was an officer in the Master of the Horse’s department of the British Royal Household. The holder was also His/Her Majesty’s Representative at Ascot
Perhaps the same derivation at Kempton
I enjoyed seeing those two great chasers jump the railway fences too. They must have been so exciting to ride.
The sight of all those people standing by the last fence and on the run in, almost within touching distance of Arkle in full flow. Such a different age!
I had seen the closing stages before but never the whole race, so I was surprised to see how Arkle took up the running so early.
Thanks Drone, I never thought of looking on there for the answer. Of course we have the Norfolk Stakes now on the same basis.
Presumably the job interview goes along the lines of ‘Take on this tricky and unpaid job, and we’ll name a race after you once you’re dead!’
On a tangent …….
Seeing the Park Drive pack reminds me that as a young teen up North in the 60s one of our back street shops would sell single Park Drive ciggies to lads like me, aged 14 and probably looked 12
‘Number 6’ were the other ciggies of choice for youngsters !
of course a lot of races were sponsored by cigarette and tobacco companies and booze
I assume that’s not allowed now ?
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.