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I think the horse of Gerard Butler’s was actually Camelot I.
Gerard Butler’s horse was also called Camelot – if you search for it on the RP database, it is listed as Camelot I, where the Roman numeral has been appended retrospectively, to stop the records of the horses merging in the database. Timeform do something similar, by appending a period after the name.
On a similar note, it often annoys me to hear people refer to the great Sea-Bird as "Sea-Bird The Second" due to a suffix being added breeding stud-book purposes. He wasn’t named that way!
Timeform supply race analysis to a number of different users, including ATR, and the majority of UK racecourses via Weatherbys. It’s the same information you’ll find at http://www.timeform.com/FREE.
Here’s a fun one – no partial answers please. By what names are the following racing ladies better known (first names only):
Mrs John Gallagher
Lady Oaksey
Mrs Ian McKie
Mrs Peter WalwynNow repeat all 4 quickly and repeatedly
Trained a horse called Keelby Kavalier, I recall, who was my first winner as a pre-pubescent punter, although I’ve spent most of my adult life believing the horse was with Jimmy Fitzgerald, for whom this person would surely have worked. Am I warm?
Hi Cav,
I was on on the evening you posted (and again on the following Sunday) when the broadcast facility at Cheltenham racecourse was unexpectedly unavailable due to the electricity supply being commandeered by the incumbent Greenbelt Festival. This means that I had to relocate to my living room to complete the broadcast, which was an inconvenience to me, but more so to listeners. That situation has since been rectified, although the damage done to parts of the racecourse by thousands of rampant Christians allegedly devoted to social awareness/justice hasn’t.
It’s clear what the long-term goal is for those courses signing up with datatote, and of course they may get an opportunity to offer their core products sooner than expected as wit says. I had a phone call from one of the players in this story who was keen to have their side put across – apparently Richard Thomas was very keen to continue to offer bets via tote direct (as most high street firms do), but with datatote running on-course operations as now, but couldn’t strike a deal with Fred Done, who wanted an all-or-nothing deal (Fred may argue differently, of course) which gives some background. I’ve no issue with an in-house system plus tote betting, as punters can clearly shun the option they don’t like.
Bets are settled as "SP -10%", but he was quick to point out that an "SP – 5%" option is also there, the logic being that punters unwilling to search for value in the ring should be happy to pay a premium on their betting. I disagree with this in principle, but of course if its true that most recreational bettors on course won’t get off their backsides, then the decision will be justified. The worrying thing is that as the new-look tote try to be more competitive on margins (correct decision imo) then racecourses will see the possibility of less revenue from on-course tote customers, and look for similar solutions. My view is that a streamlined tote will see a heavy increase in business which can only be a good thing, despite a lower rate of commission, but my experience of betting companies is that they tend to be margin-obsessed. We’ll see how this plays out.
I’ve been hoping since the sale of the Tote that a course would be brave enough to say "Up yours Fred" and offer an alternative to the Tote.
I presume that Betfred’s exclusive licence for pool betting prevents them offering pool bets but that licence will expire in a few years and courses like Chester/Bangor will hopefully bt in a position to take advantage at that point.
Make no mistake, if racecourses are to thrive they need to go down this route.
Ah yes, the route of robbing their customers on all possible fronts. I suppose it might work at Chester, where big crowds are guaranteed, but it’s hardly a panacea for most racecourses.
If other racecourses see this as revenue-generating they are certain to follow suit.
What is the background, who is behind it (i.e. who actually lays the bets), what’s the mechanism?
‘in-house, fixed-odds service’
????
I’m told the dividends are simply SP with a 10% reduction, which if true is nothing short of scandalous.
You can also try Raceform Note-Books which give full results, although I’d guess they’re a fairly precious commodity.
Richard Thomas and his ilk want stringing up. Punters at Bangor and Chester are being offered a looky-likey betting experience which he freely admits will be "a bit like SP, only worse". No choice, no prices, no guaranteed pools, all in the belief that punters are like sheep and simply settle for what they’re offered.
Quotes such as the following sum him up:
"I don’t think we’ll alienate too many racegoers by not having pool bets. I’m sure those people who bet with the Tote did so because they had prime positions and it was simple to bet with them."
I hate to agree with Stilvi, but Reveley was absolutely appalling on the same horse at Carlisle today.
Sad news reported on the
Post
site this afternoon is that Cumbrian mainstay Roger Fisher passed away on Monday, aged 69. The link isn’t made explicitly between his death and the brain tumours he was diagnosed as suffering from earlier in the year, but that would be the likeliest cause.
Time was in my formative years of following the sport that there was never not a decent Fisher animal on the go on the level or over jumps – often they were a good bit than decent, too.
Ekbalco, Aquilifer, Aonoch, Kristenson, Ballydurrow, Run And Skip, Jinxy Jack, Stoic Leader and Beckermet are all listed in the
Post
piece, but doubtless many of you will have other favourites as well.
Full story is at http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/trainer-roger-fisher-dies-aged-69/965059/top/ .
Rest in peace, Roger.
gc
He trained a Bula winner in Amarach too, although I’m surprised to see Aquilifer listed there, as I don’t believe he was ever with Roger, but I could be wrong. Ekbalco was possibly the first hurdler to catch my imagination, which is saying plenty. Farewell Mr Fisher.
I’d forgotten her antics with the syringe, but she’s clearly something of a mentalist. Whether than merits a 3-year jail sentence is another matter, and not one I’m qualified to comment on.
Fair play indeed – saving lives marginally more important than journalistic nous, any day of the week.
Intriguing to note Green Earth tipped up by a good form judge on another forum last night (based on speed figures). He was also tipped up by Hugh Taylor when winning at Brighton in the summer. There’s no doubt something of a gamble was landed, but if there’s a villain of the piece, then it’s undeniably the AW handicapper(s) who are responsible for needlessly dropping a couple of recent winners by double figures for no apparent reason. With such ham-fisted assessments going on, there are bound to be similar situations in the future.
