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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Old Chinese Proverb say…
Never think yourself out of a bet, that first gut feeling regarding a horses chance is often the one to go with.
The more you think about a horse, the less chance you have of backing it
As for the Pundits putting you off, you only need to see how well they are doing in the RP Tipsters Table, often as not the RP pundits are well down the league table, check them out on the BetDaq site, you’ll see how much they lose per year.
I’ve had many a good run laying everything {under 4.00} that they pick.
Wigan Bob.
Hello wit…
Thanks for the link, should have thought of doing that meself
That’s the place alright, and some of the the photo’s that I remember, pity it don’t show you the staircase with the saddle ore the banister rail.
I think you are right on the initial too on the saddle, anyone remember him riding ? or seeing his name listed in the runners and riders in the Sporting Life ?
Wigan Bob.
PS… if any of you are ever up that way, Arnside / Silverdale South Lakelands area, it’s definitely the place to stay, classy and a lovely Full English, with many a racing tale to be told over breakfast. Victor is a real nice bloke too, not stand off ish.
I just phoned the place and he’s still running it.Just had a call from one of the lads who said it was…
V.
{Victor}
Percival.
Have to say it don’t ring a bell for me, but, hey, the first thing to go {thankfully} is the memory
I was sure that there were three initials on his saddle though, maybe he had a middle name ?Anyone remember
V. Percival
? I thought "everything" was ont tinternet, obviously not…
It’s a shame when folks seem to slip into oblivion hey, same with horses too, I’d have thought that
Be Friendly
and
Come on Grey
would have been there for all to see {on YouTube} etc.
Wigan Bob.
Highland Wedding hey, that takes me back a while, I was at Aintree that day, and backed the horse at 100/9, I had a tenner EW on it.
Don’t know if you know this but the racecourse commentator said the horse had fallen {about 5 out}, I was so hissed off I threw me ticket on the floor, only to then hear him say it’s coming through to take the lead. There I was, looking down at hundreds of tickets and I couldn’t even remember the Bookies name on the ticket.
Had to walk along the Bookies stands, remember which one it was, tell him the tale and then wait till after the races were finished before I could get paid.
The Bookie was fair enough about it, but made me wait to make sure no one else presented the ticket. Thankfully he had heard what we all heard that Highland Wedding had fallen, so he was sympathetic towards my cause.
Wasn’t EP Harty by the way, but I remember him well…
Wigan Bob.
Nah, I’d recognise the name straight off, best I can do so far is one of me mates said his first name was Victor, and that at least a few years ago he was "still going" as he says he was in his company in the Wheatsheaf in Milnthorpe, well just outside of Milnthorpe, just off the A6.
Looks like I’m narrowing it down anyway.
Thanks,
Wigan Bob.
Hello Pinza…
I knew that Stalbridge Colonist had run well against Arkle, but I’d forgot that it beat the mighty Arkle…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxY1-LJrpaU
A Super "Human" Horse, there’ll never be another like him, Arkle was Special.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr6kYAcEcAg
This was the race that broke the heart of Mill House, sad to see that happen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV5cpc2LmK8
Some other good races here, not to mention the best racing commentator EVER !!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCF2xL5aS-Y
One of me {long gone} Dad’s favourite horse running here, Flying Bolt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFCPPGL1gdY&NR=1
Here’s a horse that won me a few quid, beating another horse that I backed time and time again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khCX4QL4k48
Won for me this time too…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eev5QAkEhF4&NR=1
Another of the Greats of the Age, backed this one many a time too, seeing as I was courting with a Night Nurse at the time, one won me money, tuther spent it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEy2OwN75SU&feature=related
A later generation, but a gutsy horse none the less…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkfs-DMLfi8&NR=1
Do you remember Peter O’Sullivans sprinters, Be Friendly and Come on Grey, they used to win the Vernon’s Sprint at Haydock Park. Come on Grey won 7 times at Haydock !!! {my local course}.
Pity is I can’t find any video for either of them
Thanks for the list Bowlinggreen, {Crown Green I hope} ?
The names you listed rang a bell or two for me, it’s a while back hey, but the jockey I’m seeking wasn’t there, but you’d know him for sure once you saw/heard his name.
I stopped at his place 15 or so years ago, "The Plantation Cottage" near Ambleside, he was 60 ish then, living with a young ish say 35 year old woman, & their 4 year old, or so, daughter, she’ll be 19 or 20 by now, don’t time fly…
We’d booked in {me and the Mrs} and I noticed a saddle plonked on the banister rail, with his 3 initials carved into it, didn’t dawn on me right away {I was knackered after a long drive}. I just put it down to them being local riders, until, I came down the stairs the next morning and noticed all the framed photo’s of Steeple Chasers on near every wall, but the one that caught my eye was of Stalbridge Colonist, a horse I’d backed many a time, then the penny dropped, it was a racing saddle with the jockeys initials on it.
We had many a chat over a Full English about racing in the 1960’s, Biddlecome, Gifford, Walwyn, even Scobie Breasley, Dougie Smith, Eph Smith et-al.
Odd how as you get older you can’t remember their names, came up after all these years when a mate of mine was asking for decent digs round there. I suppose we could do a drive by, call in and ask, but you get to that point where you fight shy of asking in case the bloke has finally "weighed in" I’d rather not know, than know that, he was a real nice bloke.
I’ll find his name out though, one road or another…
Wigan Bob.
Stan Mellor rode Stalbridge most of the time, but this northern jockey rode him at places like Sedgefield {I think it was}.
Can you remember any of the Northern jockeys from that era ?
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
Found this interesting write up about the old grey horse…
http://www.famousracehorses.co.uk/stalbridge.htm
Wigan Bob.
