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when Oliver Brady was third and made that Irish impression of John Cooper Clark
Oliver Brady doing a word-perfect rendition of
Beasley Street
? Now this I must see!
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
As I remember, when Oliver Brady was third and made that Irish impression of John Cooper Clark; the TV concentrated on him. The trainer of his first and possibly only winner at Cheltenham got very little coverage.
…something I had the temerity to criticise on these boards at the time. Don’t mind the celebrations, but they’re for when you win, the rest seemed like an ignorant hijacking of someone else’s moment.
Still, he’s such a wacky
character
, eh?
Mike
Everyone who knew the story behind Ebadiyan would have been willing it on to victory and it was desperately unfortunate that he cocked his jaw and ran out. Oliver Brady is a class act and he faced up to the disappointment of Friday with typical good grace and humour:
"It’s just one of those things. John (Cullen) said he was going so well and had a ton of horse under him. He was sure he would have won. There was no running rail coming down to that hurdle and he saw the wide open space and went for it. We’ll live for another day and we’ll be back next year with him. He’ll go to Punchestown next where the ground will suit him even better. The plan was always to go to the Queen Alexandra at Royal Ascot. I’ll have my top hat and tails on and we’ll hopefully be able to have tea with the Queen."
Oliver is bravely battling his illness but he has never sought sympathy or pity. He lives for his horses and I for one wish him every success. He’s something of an extravert, to put it mildly, and this can possibly rub some people up the wrong way. But he’s completely harmless and there’s absolutely no malice in him at all.
National Hunt racing is all about the underdog and the ability of the small ordinary man to compete with the big players on a level playing field. For me, the best moment of the festival was Forpadydeplasterer winning the Arkle, because it was for a very small trainer in Tommy Cooper and just an ordinary pub syndicate who obviously are all massive fans of the game. They went wild in the winners enclosure and sure what harm? It obviously meant the world to them. Not wishing to name names, but with some of the winners at Cheltenham this week, you’d swear connections had just found a penny and lost a pound such was the reserved and muted nature of their celebrations.
Racing needs more Oliver Bradys. All he wants is to let the punters share in his success and celebrations. He puts the ordinary racegoer before everyone else and there’s not many other trainers you could say that about. I certainly wouldn’t give two hoots if I had a Cheltenham winner and the trainer of one of the placed horses was putting on an exhibition for the crowd. I might even join in with him!
Up Monaghan!
when Oliver Brady was third and made that Irish impression of John Cooper Clark
Oliver Brady doing a word-perfect rendition of
Beasley Street
? Now this I must see!
gc
He did The Hanging Gardens of Basildon after the County apparently
I watched Matt Chapman’s interview with him the other day on ATR and was completely charmed and moved. What a wonderful, modest, unselfish man. I wish him every success, it will be thoroughly deserved.
I find myself very much in the Betlarge/Gingertipster camp on this one, even if the mildest criticism of the blessed Saint Oliver will invite opprobrium of the type reserved for critics of Mother Teresa.
Jump racing has always had an abundance of characters, real characters, who thankfully have never felt compelled to draw attention to themselves by staging excruciatingly embarrassing acts in the winners’ enclosure.
And if that makes me a humourless killjoy, so be it.
"Irish Stamp":3kaekopw wrote:
Oliver Brady doing a word-perfect rendition ofBeasley Street
? Now this I must see!
gc
He did The Hanging Gardens of Basildon after the County apparently
I surmise he’s saving this one for the next time a stewards’ decision goes against him, then;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS5QMT-JUt4
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I certainly wouldn’t give two hoots if I had a Cheltenham winner and the trainer of one of the placed horses was putting on an exhibition for the crowd. I might even join in with him!
Good for you. Shame that Mr Brady never extended Dr Richard Newland that choice after his once-in-a-lifetime victory.
Mike
Good for you. Shame that Mr Brady never extended Dr Richard Newland that choice after his once-in-a-lifetime victory.
Mike
Do you seriously think that Dr Newland felt badly put out because Oliver was having a bit of craic with the crowd? I’m sure he was just delighted with saddling his own horse to a win at Cheltenham and he couldn’t have cared less whether Oliver Brady was putting on a show for the racegoers or not.
Jump racing has always had an abundance of characters, real characters, who thankfully have never felt compelled to draw attention to themselves by staging excruciatingly embarrassing acts in the winners’ enclosure.
Would you care to give a few examples of the abundance of characters who are currently involved in jump racing because I certainly can’t think of many off the top of my head. There is another thread at the moment discussing the BBCs decision to reduce it’s racing coverage and racing people need to realise that the sport is not that popular amongst the general public. Racing is, rightly or wrongly, perceived as elitist and a closed shop to the wider public. People like Oliver Brady can help to address this. All he wants is to put a show on for the average punter and racegoer and make sure that they have a good time. I have been at places like Naas and Navan in the depths of winter when Oliver has had a winner and he’d have the racegoers eating out of his hand. It puts a smile on everyone’s face and helps entice people back to the racecourse. If some people can’t get over their petty snobbery and embrace people like Oliver Brady then the sport we all love will continue to decline.
It’s very easy to judge a book by its cover. To see his antics after a race you probably assume he’s a drunken lout of a trainer who’s on 40 a day, but he said in his interview he never drinks or smokes. He’s an unassuming man who enjoys his racing and wants to spread a little of that sense of fun amongst the crowd. He said he doesn’t always feel like it but the public expects it now so he has to put on a good show. Bless him for doing so.
- Total Posts 17716
[Racing is, rightly or wrongly, perceived as elitist and a closed shop to the wider public. People like Oliver Brady can help to address this …
[snip]
… It puts a smile on everyone’s face and helps entice people back to the racecourse. If some people can’t get over their petty snobbery and embrace people like Oliver Brady then the sport we all love will continue to decline.
Elitist.
Anything that involves the use of two grey cells, or is enjoyed by anybody who is over 40 and has some spare cash, will be perceived as elitist by this Lowest Common Denominator Society we’re currently saddled with. Nobody can address the nature of the sport. Fashion comes and goes, rich men will continue to race horses, like they always have.
Petty Snobbery.
Personally, I cringe when I see Mr Brady’s antics, and I know I am not alone. This has nothing to do with "snobbery" (always the first accusation of the LCD brigade, before they trot out the "elitist" tag) but everything to do with a sense of what’s fitting, especially when those antics involve loud bawling, and "upstaging" other people in their own little moment of triumph.
The truth is, we’ve swallowed the egotistical American line when it comes to public celebration. Awareness of other people; quiet, modest humility in success; these things have been replaced by the shouting mouth, the clenched fist, the tribal roar. I even caught H.M. Queen doing a little clenchie after her horse won at Ascot. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we’ve come to. And I for one profoundly regret it (though God Save You, Ma’am!)
The truth is, we’ve swallowed the egotistical American line when it comes to public celebration. Awareness of other people; quiet, modest humility in success; these things have been replaced by the shouting mouth, the clenched fist, the tribal roar. I even caught H.M. Queen doing a little clenchie after her horse won at Ascot. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we’ve come to. And I for one profoundly regret it (though God Save You, Ma’am!)
If we can’t afford to lose our inhibitions in celebration then where will we end up? That is the beauty of National Hunt racing and Cheltenham in particular. Why shouldn’t success at Cheltenham be greeted by wild celebration? What’s the harm in it? I don’t know about you but my greatest memories of race meetings are characterised by "the shouting mouth, the clenched fist, the tribal roar." For instance, I will never forget Danoli’s Hennessy at Leopardstown in 1997. The place went absolutely wild and I’ve never heard a roar like it before or after. It was something that transcended the racing community itself. Here was the people’s horse, the underdog, triumphing against the odds. If you can’t roar your head off and dance around like an eejit at a moment like that then I feel sorry for you.
It’s very easy to judge a book by its cover. To see his antics after a race you probably assume he’s a drunken lout of a trainer who’s on 40 a day, but he said in his interview he never drinks or smokes. He’s an unassuming man who enjoys his racing and wants to spread a little of that sense of fun amongst the crowd. He said he doesn’t always feel like it but the public expects it now so he has to put on a good show. Bless him for doing so.
Well said Burroughhill. Perhaps if more people knew the story behind Oliver Brady they would appreciate why he is the way he is. The guy is a complete one off and he celebrates every success like it is his last. I personally hope he’s around to celebrate many more of them.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/horse-racing/the-miracle-of-oliver-brady-1598315.html
http://www.herald.ie/sport/horse-racing/brady—in-with-great-shout-1670296.htmlI’ve posted the link to the article that was posted at the start of this thread along with another one I’ve found for anyone who wants to know more about Oliver.
I couldn’t agree more IC. One of my favoourite memories of Cheltenham is the Forpadydeplasterer crew going ballistic after his win. You can’t help but get caught up in the thrill of it all and that’s half the pleasure in NH racing for me, seeing how much it means to people. Brings tears of joy to the eyes.
I’m the last person to want us to go the way of the Americans with all their whoops and screams because it’s ungenuine in the most part, and grates on me no end, but there’s nothing wrong with sheer unbridled happiness and enthusiasm when your own horse has just won a bloody race If it was my horse, I’d be going just as crazy.Do you seriously think that Dr Newland felt badly put out because Oliver was having a bit of craic with the crowd?
I have no idea. But I do seriously think that he, and anyone else, would be put out that his winner was ignored in favour of coverage of Mr Brady’s irrelevant circus.
This is not a criticism of his antics per se, merely a real distaste at when he chose to deploy them. I say again, he wasn’t the winner, it wasn’t his call. Had he trained the winner that day, he could prance naked on Arkle’s statue with a sparkler out of his rear end for all I care. Actually, forget that last bit…
Mike
- Total Posts 17716
If you can’t roar your head off and dance around like an eejit at a moment like that then I feel sorry for you.
Your sorrow is appreciated: I fear I didn’t even know what an "eejit" was until this morning, but now I do know I’m less inclined than ever to dance like one.
Talking of sorrow, I remember feeling that on reading some criticism that Tim Easterby got hit with after Bollin Eric landed the St Leger, thus fulfilling a dream going back for generations through the Easterby clan. He upset the demagogues by omitting to roar and do clenchies. Anybody with a mite of sensitivity only had to look at him to see why. The feeling went too deep, the impact was too great, to be expressed in the expected whoops and cavortings.
I for one admired the way Mr Easterby kept his feelings to himself, and was true to his own nature. We all take things differently, and don’t have to dance with the herd if we don’t feel like it. Don’t you perhaps suspect that those who dance like "eejits" might actually be betraying something of … well, their own true nature?
First-class posts Pinza – high-fives, you da man
I lost interest in Rugby Union when the celebratory frottage peculiar to the professional replaced the diffident handshake of the tight-arsed amateur
I wouldn’t criticise anyone if they want to celebrate their horse’s win with no more than a very discreet fist clenching: whatever floats their particular boat. People should be free to celebrate their horse’s win however they want to, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else, and I can’t see why OB’s cavorting should do, unless it’s to make a few people cringe. I have to admit it does make me cringe a little, but all power to the man’s elbow I say because I like the man, I admire him, and I think he deserves some happiness and enjoyment in life after all he’s been through.
Your sorrow is appreciated: I fear I didn’t even know what an "eejit" was until this morning, but now I do know I’m less inclined than ever to dance like one.
Different strokes for different folks I suppose. I hope I get the opportunity to shout my head off like an eejit if Ebadiyan can win at Punchestown!
I just think there are too many people in the game who take themselves far too seriously and that’s why I believe a personality like Oliver is a breath of fresh air.
If it was my horse, I’d be going just as crazy.
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