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It was nice to see Francome give the old boy a mention on the ML yesterday. I like to reminisce about days gone by, the stalwarts that gave me my interest in the game as a kid
Remember a horse called Mac Vidi, from the early 80s I think? If I recall it ran up a sequence of wins in top class steeplechases when it was aged 14/15, so they ran it in Gold Cup,where it finished second! Trainer was Pam Neville, I think he was bred from a £100 mare.
Yeah, I think the big grey Man Alive was still winning good races at 16 around that time.
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Remember a horse called Mac Vidi, from the early 80s I think? If I recall it ran up a sequence of wins in top class steeplechases when it was aged 14/15, so they ran it in Gold Cup,where it finished second! Trainer was Pam Neville, I think he was bred from a £100 mare.
I’d forgotten that bold jumper – but note that a VHS was released in 2003 telling his life story:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Mac-Vidi-VHS/dp/B00009P9KABlimey I had forgotten Man Alive, winner for me in the Mackeson! I was luckier in those days!
Anybody remember Willie Wumpkins, ridden by A J Wilson he won the Pertemps at Cheltenham 3 times? I certainly remember backing him, but did he return 33-1 for his third win, aged 13? Happy days.Blimey I had forgotten Man Alive, winner for me in the Mackeson! I was luckier in those days!
Anybody remember Willie Wumpkins, ridden by A J Wilson he won the Pertemps at Cheltenham 3 times? I certainly remember backing him, but did he return 33-1 for his third win, aged 13? Happy days.Pertemps Per-Schmemps. (Joe) Coral Golden Hurdle in them good old days. He’s also won the Sun Alliance Hurdle as a younger horse.
Favourite old-timers of mine include Approaching, King Or Country, De Pluvinel, Jimmy Miff, and of course Mole Board, who were all running with credit at 14 or older.
Remember a horse called Mac Vidi, from the early 80s I think? If I recall it ran up a sequence of wins in top class steeplechases when it was aged 14/15, so they ran it in Gold Cup,where it finished second! Trainer was Pam Neville, I think he was bred from a £100 mare.
I’d forgotten that bold jumper – but note that a VHS was released in 2003 telling his life story:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Mac-Vidi-VHS/dp/B00009P9KAI got this video as a birthday pressie for Geoff Sanderson, former assistant trainer of Quixall Crossett (whose omission from this list so far is entirely accidental, I’m sure…), many moons ago.
It’s a bit of a behemoth at nearly three hours’ running time, and Mrs Melville / Neal’s impromptu tribute to Mrs Thatcher (the other "breath of fresh air in 1979" apart from Mac Vidi’s resurgence, it is given!) at one point takes a little bit of stomaching if not of a similar political disposition.
However, the race footage is magnificent, picture quality issues notwithstanding. Pam had won a video recorder as a prize following one of Mac Vidi’s victories, and every race he ran in during his resurgent 14-15 year-old campaign was recorded by her subsequently and is included IN FULL on the tape – whether that’s ITV Seven footage from Lingfield, the Gold Cup itself off of the BBC, or what I presume must be Racetech (or antecedent) black and white footage from Kempton.
Well worth a look for anyone with a love of old race footage or the romance of the small-trainer-lives-the-dream sort of story. Forgot to buy myself one at the time. Might just rectify that!
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Yeah, I think the big grey Man Alive was still winning good races at 16 around that time.
Man Alive was a beautiful big grey, but almost white, rangy staying chaser trained in his pomp by Gordon Richards, and owned by Jim Ennis (of The French Furze and Faasel fame).
He won the 1979 Mackeson and there is a lovely photograph of him in John Budden’s biography of GWR “The Boss” of him sailing over Beechers in the 1983 Kaltengerg Pils Chase.
Not sure if he went on racing under rules to age 16 – the last mention of him in Chasers and Hurdler is 1983/4 when is was a 13-y-o and by then running for Richard Peacock. Maybe he continued pointing till 16?
Sonny Somers reminds me of Dr. Ramsey, who has been a stalwart of the timber scene for the past decade. He made his last start this past May at age 16, finishing second in an open flat race at the Blue Ridge Hunt Point-to-Point. As a 15yo he had seven starts, three under NSA rules, with two wins and two seconds. As a 14yo he had eight starts, three under rules, with two wins, two seconds and a third. His past wins include the 2000 Block House Hurdle, 2001 Ski Roundtop Cup, 2002 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup and 2002 Genesee Valley Hunt Cup. He never fell once in his career.
The oldest American Grade 1 winner, flat or hurdle, was Ninepins when he won the 2000 NY Turf Writers’ Cup at age 13.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Death+of+ … a067622780
I found this report of his death in 2000, it mentions a career that spanned 10 seasons. I’m sure I saw him race as a 16yo, could have been under P2P rules maybe.
http://www.quixall-crossett.co.uk/quixgrayson.htm
Most incredibly of all, perhaps, was Fred Winter’s redoubtable Sonny Somers, who chalked up two victories in competitive handicap chases in 1980 at Southwell and Lingfield, aged 18; source any copy of the Guinness Book of Records older than 1999 and you’ll find his achievement honoured in its racing pages.
Doesn’t anyone remember the talented but enigmatic Clever Folly. He won his 25th race at the age of 15, a brilliant servant for the late Gordon Richards.
I saw him win many times, he was what you might call characterful, a smashing horse.It says the video of Mac Vidi is unavailable; I’d love to see it..is there a copy we could pass around? I bet Chris Pitt would love to see it [Aha; he might even have a copy..worth a try…]
It says the video of Mac Vidi is unavailable; I’d love to see it..is there a copy we could pass around? I bet Chris Pitt would love to see it [Aha; he might even have a copy..worth a try…]
I have a copy of the video. If you pm me an address to send it to I will be happy to oblige. As its 2hr 40 mins I may have to do it over 2 DVDs. Also I cocked up my cable connections last time I tried this sort of thing and it took my technophobic mind ages to get it all working again – but I will have another go.
I only watched it once, but remember getting really into it as it was so unpretentious and bereft of the sort of stylised crap that saturates so many modern day sporting productions. It is a real feeling of stepping back into a bygone age.
What a wonderful old horse, Sonny Somers was, tough as teak, but don’t forget his almost equally hardy younger brother, Osbaldeston.
Doesn’t anyone remember the talented but enigmatic Clever Folly. He won his 25th race at the age of 15, a brilliant servant for the late Gordon Richards.
I saw him win many times, he was what you might call characterful, a smashing horse.I certainly do. Like a number of Norman Mason-owned stars (including Centre Attraction and possibly also Music Be Magic), he subsequently enjoyed a long, very happy retirement at Brancepeth Manor Farm.
Bit of a shame he was never around for any of the Mason / Guest open days I used to go to there, but maybe it just wasn’t safe to have a potentially cantankerous twentysomething wheeled out around a couple of hundred gawky humans by that stage of his life.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Another one that I remember was Prince Tino, who seemed to get better with age, achieved his best Timeform rating at 15 !
My favourite horses - Red Rum, Spanish Steps, Proud Tarquin, Esban, Go-Pontinental, Barona, Charles Dickens, The Dikler, Astbury, Black Secret, Vulgan Town, Huperade, Well To Do, Crisp, Quintus, Argent, Colebridge, Pearl Of Montreal, Nereo, Sonny Somers, Tubs VI, Tartan Ace, Red Candle, L'Escargot, Bula, Beau Bob, Rouge Autumn, Rough Silk, Frodo, Deblin's Green, Prince Tino, Eyecatcher, The Pilgarlic, Captain Christy, Mr Midland, Interview II, Credit Call, My Virginian, Flush Of Diamonds, Scout, Money Ma
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