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Cleverly done wit, again something I wouldn’t have thought of.
So it must have been VAP on his saddle, I know as soon as I saw that all them years ago, and the photo of Stalbridge Colonist and the other NH photo’s the penny dropped right away.
Thanks for helping solve the mystery.
Wigan Bob.
Good to see the mystery solved, Bob. I would never have thought of the name although I do remember it now. I see a couple of snippets about VP on the internet in old highlights. He seemed to ride for a trainer Tony Kemp ( that rings a distant bell also). He had 3 placed horses for TK- Dec 1973 at Catterick on Siege, March 74 at Sedgefield on Dark Man ( 2nd to Michael Dickinson) and March 76, 2nd again at Teeside to Jonjo O’Neill. Little bit of info anyway.
Hello Bowlinggrean {was it Crown or Flat} ?
Yea, mystery solved, thanks to everyone’s input, appreciated.
Some interesting background on VP’s rides there, I seem to recall seeing him ride at Sedgefield, but it’s 40 odd years back now.
Although Haydock was my local course I like Wetherby, Sedgefield, Carlisle and Cartmel, mid you Warwick is is up there with the best of them these days after they did the place up a few years ago.
Just got back from having a pint with Ronan, one of me mates from Galway. He’s been rambling on about a horse he’s been told will be got ready for a race in Ireland later in the season, when the Handicapper gives it a chance, so look out for Coolavanney Gaffer, never heard of it meself, but Ronan says they’ll pop it in at long odds afore the season is done with, and he’s never far off with what he gets to know.
Wigan Bob.
I’ll try and find out for you, I know the person who wrote the Famous Racehorses article on the horse, he might know more about him as was a big fan.
Would love to have seen that race when he beat Arkle, even though I loved Arkle. Used to be a few old timers at Wincanton who knew the horse and were there on the day. I heard tales of how magnificent the ride was and how the horse continued to respond as if he knew it was his big chance to beat the champ.
For some reason that would not post …. and then you already had your answer! I’ll still ask to see if he remembers this jockey.
Thanks for the info Fairybridge, appreciated.
As for seeing the race where Stalbridge beat the Mighty Arkle there’s several video’s of it on YouTube, just the last half mile of the race though
better than nowt though hey 
All the Best,
Wigan Bob.
I sent an email to Cartmel Racecourse asking if they had a list of the top jockeys at Cartmel in the 60’s, still waiting for a reply, {5 weeks later}, won’t be holding my breath though.
They {typically} just want us through the gate, other than that we mean nowt to them, waste of time thinking they might answer an email from a bloke who’s been attending their races on a regular basis for the last 53 years
If you did a survey of every Rules course in the country, I’m not sure how many could claim – or indeed prove – to have the records of all winners fastidiously and meticulously recorded for posterity.
I’d proffer the Cartmel executive have probably entrusted the recording of its past to historians such as Rollo Pain, author of
"Why Cartmel?: Survival of a small racecourse, 1856-1998"
about a decade ago. I don’t know if Mr Pain is still with us, but I’d have suggested trying to contact him had you not arrived at Victor Percival by other means.
I have been going to Cartmel (my favourite course of the lot, as TRF regulars are doubtless sick of hearing) for about 42 years fewer than yourself, but can’t say I’ve ever got any sense of a the pile-them-through-the-gates-but-sod-them-they’re-only-customers mindset prevailing there.
It remains pretty much the friendliest, happiest racetrack I visit, year in, year out, as well as the prettiest and quirkiest; and although the entry price is huge for a course of its stature, I can reconcile that with Lord Cavendish’s oft-stated admission that the money needs to go (at least in part) into the "war chest" to ensure continued successful bidding for Bank Holiday slots.
See you all there again sometime this summer. That’s a 1.01.
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 agree with near all of what you say GC, especially about the attitude of the folks that attend Cartmel through thick and thin over the last 40 years or more, especially when it looked like the course might be closed. I don’t have a bone to pick with any of them, but, they like me were "gate payers".
Put it this way, if anyone takes the time to email me I always respond to them, even if it’s simply to say that I can’t help them, it’s a common courtesy. The powers that be at Cartmel didn’t bother to do that, let alone bother to refer me to someone who might know {if they didn’t}.
If Tom Brown {ex Jockey Club on course Rep} had still been alive I’d have been asking him, one of the Old Brigade {who respected everyone who came his way with a comment or enquiry}.
Add to that GC, you afforded me the time and consideration, even though my enquiry hadn’t been directed toward you, the point being some folks are decent, respectful and considerate, others couldn’t give a {and I nearly said it then}…
Wigan Bob.
That’s quite alright, WiganBob, it was a pleasure to engage with you.
I hope any trips you make back to Cartmel this summer are as special as they can be, and I trust I’ll be making another return visit there at some point therein (probably the August meeting, with May already spoken for).
All the very best,
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.
Was great to see that footage of Flyingbolt as I’d never seen any of his races. Stan Mellor came to one of our MRC meetings a couple of years ago and told us all about his cunning plan to beat Arkle.
Just as the media now informed us of the passing of the last man who fought in WWI, I dare say in Ireland they’ll be reporting the last man or woman who actually saw the mightly Arkle. Maybe just on TV!
Just as the media now informed us of the passing of the last man who fought in WWI, I dare say in Ireland they’ll be reporting the last man or woman who actually saw the mightly Arkle. Maybe just on TV!
Ah, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity pops up again. To a 12yo, a 22yo is an adult, a 35yo is really old and a 55yo is as good as dead. Since I saw Arkle in his heyday, and expect to live for another 40 years, I guess that you might be under 25 years of age yourself?
Just got back from having a pint with Ronan, one of me mates from Galway. He’s been rambling on about a horse he’s been told will be got ready for a race in Ireland later in the season, when the Handicapper gives it a chance, so look out for Coolavanney Gaffer, never heard of it meself, but Ronan says they’ll pop it in at long odds afore the season is done with, and he’s never far off with what he gets to know.
further on relativity and mortality….
Bob,
break it gently to Ronan but, according to the RP database, even as he tipped you the wink, Coolavanny Gaffer had already been dead a few months:
Hello Wit…
Well that solves a mystery, I’d put the horse down on Nag Me, and wondered why the hell it hadn’t run, Ronan said nothing, but I’ll drop him a line to tell him not to bother waiting for the Gaffer to come out, so much for "info" hey, first time I’ve been told to back a horse that was a gonner, mind you some of them that I’ve backed looked like they were on their last legs.
I wonder what happened to the horse, sorry to hear of its demise, must knock the connections sideways when a horse dies, no different to when yer dog dies, hard to get over…
All the Best,
Wigan Bob.
PS: sorry to see Blackpool go down today, brave effort but they came unstuck, who knows though, they could come back up next year, mind you, the Titanic is shorter odds
better than nowt though hey 
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