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Ps, did anyone else create racecourses with their toys or make up fake commentaries using the racecards in newspapers? Oh, just me then
When I was quite young I had about thirty different coloured marbles each of which I named after a horse and pretend-raced around my nan’s flat, jumping them over things like the stretchers (horizontal support element joining the legs) of wooden chairs!
And I thought I was the only complete nutter who did that.
Of course the colours of the marbles had to correspond (more or less) with the colours carried by the horses:
Orange and Green – Comedy of Errors
Yellow and red stripe – Crisp
Light blue with dark blue stripe – Pendil
Beige and Brown – Captain Christy
Red and White – Birds Nest
Orange – LanzaroteAlso used matchbox cars with hand made ramps to jump them over so there would be a few fallers if they turned over.
Always very difficult to remain impartial and not give your favourite “horse” an extra hard push to win.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Did anyone else play the Waddingtons board game Totopoly?
I did have Totopoly, but I’ve still got my Escaldo from the mid 60’s. Amazingly, all the cast-iron horses still have a leg in each corner.
Yes, I had both. Could never understand how being left at the end with a white disqualification card in Totopoly wiped out everything! With Escalado, I acquired a couple of secondhand sets that friends’ didn’t want so would line up 15 horses, distinguishing those of the same colour by how much paint had peeled off, and have races of multiple ‘laps’ down the straight to create staying distances!
How about They’re Off!?
Ps, did anyone else create racecourses with their toys or make up fake commentaries using the racecards in newspapers? Oh, just me then
When I was quite young I had about thirty different coloured marbles each of which I named after a horse and pretend-raced around my nan’s flat, jumping them over things like the stretchers (horizontal support element joining the legs) of wooden chairs!
And I thought I was the only complete nutter who did that.
Of course the colours of the marbles had to correspond (more or less) with the colours carried by the horses:
Orange and Green – Comedy of Errors
Yellow and red stripe – Crisp
Light blue with dark blue stripe – Pendil
Beige and Brown – Captain Christy
Red and White – Birds Nest
Orange – LanzaroteAlso used matchbox cars with hand made ramps to jump them over so there would be a few fallers if they turned over.
Always very difficult to remain impartial and not give your favourite “horse” an extra hard push to win.
Yes, it was! I can’t remember all of mine’s names, they were a mixture of real horses like Foinavon, Arcturus, Fort Leney, Stonehaven and made up ones such as Len, Pussy Cat (a rather attractive marble) and Greedy Pig (slightly bigger than the rest!) :)
Always very difficult to remain impartial and not give your favourite “horse” an extra hard push to win.
I try and do the same thing now, doesn’t work though.
Value Is Everythingyep i had both games also GM they’re off is that the one which was races on a record and came up with different results? i had that as well but couldn’t remember the name
Love the red ones in totopoly,my fav i think,if the old brain is working correctly was no5 maraduke jinks
yep i had both games also GM they’re off is that the one which was races on a record and came up with different results? i had that as well but couldn’t remember the name
Love the red ones in totopoly,my fav i think,if the old brain is working correctly was no5 maraduke jinks
Yep, nwalton, They’re Off was the record one. I never found it as much fun as the others. Even the Weetabix Crazy Horse Racing Game thrilled me more!
Not sure of the Totopoly numbers, only know all the horses were the Lincoln winners 1926-37.
Was a huge fan of Lester as a kid and Like aiden O’Brien now dr Vincent trained so many top horses.1977 was a vintage year with the heroics of the minstrel and Lester. The very first race meeting i went to was the York ebor meeting when the voltigeur included hot grove the runner up in the derby and a lightly raced ballydoyle horse alleged. Alleged won by a staggering ten lengths and then went on to win two arcs and was the top rated colt up to that year. As has been said the era of night nurse,monksfield and of course sea pigeon was brilliant. There were favourites like Morley street but one of the best races ever was sea pigeon winning his first champion hurdle. Over the years I’ve seen some top horses including dayjur,soba and Lester at his imperious best on teenoso. My only gripe now is not seeing top horses kept in training and that made aidens 123 in the arc even more remarkable as they were all not 3 yr olds. Loved st Nicholas abbey and his association with Joseph and his win in the breeders cup I can watch over and over again. Mtoto was another absolute favourite of mine as was his trainer Alec stewart. Thistlecrack today certainly showed why we love horse racing and he showed signs of dessie with a couple of jaw dropping jumps. There is no greater sight than watching top racehorses strut their stuff. I could go forever so will end it there.
cheers GM,yeah They’re off was was below escaldo and totopoly in the entertainment stakes
My interest in racing is nowhere near the level of most on here, but I enjoy most mainstream sports and this is one of them. Never took much interest before about the age of 20. Could have named McCoy, Ruby, Frankie and reeled off a few Grand National winners, that’s about it. Went into a bookies with a few mates, won my first bet (which I think was on a dog as it happens) and it grew from there. The Kauto/Denman rivalry was really getting going around this time which is probably why I like jumps more then flat but I enjoy both. Don’t really care for dog racing much as it happens.
I remember playing Totopoly at a very young age with my Uncle and Aunt and my parents. Dorigen had no head but still managed a place. Hsd a later version that someone nicked when I lived in a houseshare after graduating.
I think these were the numbers and horses: 1 Dark Warrior, 2 Flamenco 3 Dorigen 4 Marmaduke Jinks 5 Leonidas 6 Overcoat 7 Play On 8 Priory Park 9 Knight Error 10 King of Clubs 11 Jeremy Fandor 12 Elton
The status on the board linked to the weight they carried in the Lincoln Handicap.The sheer beauty of horses jumping; watching Arkle os a child (this song brings it all back; yearning, wistful, more than just about Arkle, I reckon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzntoINLqgQ): the tempestuous, doomed Captain Christy; the atleticism of Pendil; the almost demented courage of Night Nurse and Monksfield.
I could go on…..My parents weren’t big racing fans but did like a bet in the big races and would invite me to pick a horse and put a shilling each way on for me. A few, frankly, inexplicable successes set me off on a lifetime interest – Highland Wedding being the first in the 1969 National and Star Appeal by far the most lucrative in the 1975 Arc (118-1!) and, of course, Red Rum.
Sadly, the one common factor for all our memories is that we would have largely watched them on prime-time telly. I don’t know where the new generation of racing fans is going to come from.
I suppose I really got into horseracing after I was medically discharged from the Army in ’73. I was unable to work for a long while and had loads of spare time. I bought a daily newspaper and the SCHB every week. I became very interested in developing systems and researched the methods of VDW. I came up with a method of selection that has served me well for over 30 years.
From Tonge—“I don’t know where the new generation of racing fans is going to come from”.
If my family is typical then neither do I. I have 2 sons and 2 daughters. They all know I have been a successful punter for many years yet none of them are interested in having a punt on anything at all. It’s all mobiles, texting and bloody facebook these days.
I would like one day (before I pop off) to pass my knowledge on. It would be such a waste not to. But to who?
My grandchildren perhaps? I think not. They’d think I was nuts. :)maninpub…feel free to pass it on to me
I’ve been giving it some thought. If you are truly interested then I would do it.
To further pique your interest I suggest you read the thread I have on DLAP.
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