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I didn’t realise that Cottenham had closed until I read grandstand was for sale today. Used to go regularly in 90s , lovely stand , great viewing . Sir Mark Prescott was clerk of course or starter I cannot recall exactly his role now, starter I’d put more money on thinking about it .
I do recall in 99 going and horse called Ballyquintet fronted up twice in the card a few hours apart .
Towcester was great too , just close enough for drive from London for evening meeting .
Seen Folkestone on you tube , all overgrown last I looked it up .100s looks good value after todays run . Australian WFA looks weaker than it normally is . Zaaki always looked the type for Plate but hes 9 and getting half a look still.
Couple of decent 3 year olds Millitarize and King Colarado who will have fresh legs and huge weight allowance .
Loads of Ex Euro in entries and Euro trained horses .
Romantic Warrior should waltz in though , has lead up in Turnball at Flemingtom . The Valley is an odd track though but even wide they kind of slingshot off bend if they hit it right .
Winx Stakes Randwick Saturday first real race of season has plenty in .Out of Serpentine’s Derby a few ended up in OZ , one Mohican Heights had a couple wins but now been sold to Darwin up in NT . Ran poorly twice up there , including the Darwin Cup last week. Trainer said does not like track surface up there which is a problem as they all synthetic /dirt or dust in area .
I see at Cairns this weekend a horse called Olympic Korchnoi is entered up , placed in a few Brazilian Derby’s , became Star of Silence in HK now in Northern Queensland .
Wrens Day also entered up in same card , he was second to Cracksman in 2018 Prix Ganay . Had a few wins in OZ but he won’t be far off retirement looking at his last few runs , he’s 10 now .Hi Cancello , HK shows horses just as retired from HK , a lot come out to OZ or NZ , some revert to old name , some get onto name number 3 .
If people are interested i am happy to start up a thread and post up some of these ex HK runners , and some of the ex Euros that pop up in some out the way places . I look through the entry lists a bit .
Sone good ones end out in outback/ country , US Army Ranger ended up rattling round some sprints in the country Victoria circuits .Ex Epsom Derby trial winner Gold something or other ended up at the picnic races few years back .Beat Le Bon stood out to me on this thread , I thought he had retired years ago , was out in Australia in 2019 and put up decent effort in Golden Eagle at Rosehill over 7 and half furlongs . I see from equibase he had his first win for 4 years a few months ago in a maiden hurdle at a track called Tyron .
I had to double check as thought surely it’s not the same horse but it is . Good to read he is in form again .
What’s Tyron like as a track ??You may have seen it Ian but a good one espmadrid uploaded 3 years ago popped up when i looked at you tube today , The 1989 Shadwell Estates private sweepstake run at Ascot , some of the jockeys Jimmy Lindley , Richard Pitman , John Francome .
Those videos must have sat there for years gathering dust but an absolute joy to scroll through now .Thanks Miss Woodford , i remember going to Sandown with my Dad and he was looking forward to seeing Grand Canyon . Iam pretty sure his run in maybe the 81 or 82 King George is on you tube , bit of a front runner I recall.
Ive found the racebook , 1984 Imperial Cup day 10th March 84 , The Dick McCreery Cup , ,14 years old trained at time by trainer called Rex Carter at Swaffham . Write up states wins in UK , US , France , course record holder Ascot and Sandown . Also mentions had been based at Household Cavalry Barracks London .David Nicholson trained the winner of race , Fury Boy .
As for Davy Jones , he was not on same card he rode horse called Gilded Chief into second on 2 nd Nov 84 at Sandown . My 84 memories are merging a bit .
Looking though old racebooks another time waster for me so i will need to put them back in garage quicklyIt’s great some of these you tube channels that have these old races loaded up , end up having late nights just watching the new uploads , really good stuff . Even seeing the old presenters it just takes me right back .
I saw Grand Canyon race at Sandown in 1984 I think it would have been , he was an old horse then , in one of the military races . He was a NZ bred and won either Colonial Cup or Maryland Hunt Cup . I think he raced all other the place after leaving NZ .
Iam sure he raced at same meeting Davy Jones had a ride , still got the old racebook will have to dig it out one daySaint George off to OZ , one of a number of imports into Maher/ Eustace yard heading out for Spring Sydney and Melb , Light Infantry goes after one more run according to same report
I remember the last time i went a jump meeting at Windsor , i used to enjoy a Mon or Tues winter meeting , perks of shift work. March 1990 , backed horse call Mr Fog Patches ex Fred Winter horse i think , was omen bet on misty day , couldnt pick his feet up . Looking it up it was the Freddie Star Challenge Trophy Hurdle .
A few of the Chelsea squad were there that day , sure Kerry Dixon was main man in attendance .
Of note looking back through , huge fields , 16 runners smallest field in 7 race card !!!I remember the last time i went jump meeting at Windsor , i used to enjoy an early mid week winter meeting , perks of shift work. March 1990 , backed horse call Mr Fog Patches ex Fred Winter horse i think , was omen bet on misty day , couldnt pick his feet up . Looking it up it was the Freddie Star Challenge Trophy Hurdle .
A few of the Chelsea squad were there that day , sure Kerry Dixon was main man in attendance .
Of note looking back through , huge fields , 16 runners smallest field in 7 race card !!!So basically hes an equine Dennis Bergkamp aka ” the non flying dutchman ” . Great on his day if hes travelled by coach and not fretting about how he gets home .
2008 Melbourne Cup it was , Alessandro Volta and Honolulu went out hard and were gone early , Septimus was the favored Ballydoyle runner , Ozzies werent impressed at all .
Richard Hills won the QE2 on a pacemaker again in 2001 riding Summoner .
No pacemakers allowed in OZ , Ballydoyle had a bit of grief a few years back when they had a horse in Melbourne Cup that went out hard early . Any dramatic change in normal race pattern of a horse is announced on course to punters in OZ .In HK they just go in seemlessly , no messing about . The regimented system helps and they dont have large fields of inexperienced runners but clearly they are well drilled .
Duelling Grounds changed to Kentucky Downs .
Grabel won the Dueling Grounds Hurdle , Nomadic Way and Regal Ambition behind , big money race .No dirt track just turfMy Dad used to tell stories of big European nights at Spurs in 60s , teams like Hajduk Split, Red Star Belgrade etc .
Down the road from there he used to also go to Alexandra Palace that he said was called The Frying Pan as they went out and round a tight bend and back the opposite way .
Similar i think to the old Phoenix Park
