tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77597816287707900572024-03-06T04:27:21.973+00:00Outsider Racing TipsLong shots worth a second look.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger299125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-14430807649484733482024-02-27T17:30:00.000+00:002024-02-27T18:45:17.052+00:00The Betting 'Elvis Presley' Is Still Alive<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBqKf2MJnmKiV_nVCpdB5HUFhXNYFVVzGgB-K5yWTY3f4nkw5jioyH242b-a242W5FbC6TDWRc0C59hJx0QtVdsgVzR9uLMf849yp6inaVFXLFYnncDTfEycEHnt0DC2ZobpuOoY5PIzYUbNqBRBNC3OeSOI72erigjYw41Wqq-V22Tv6pboPdlAI3_7u/s400/odds.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBqKf2MJnmKiV_nVCpdB5HUFhXNYFVVzGgB-K5yWTY3f4nkw5jioyH242b-a242W5FbC6TDWRc0C59hJx0QtVdsgVzR9uLMf849yp6inaVFXLFYnncDTfEycEHnt0DC2ZobpuOoY5PIzYUbNqBRBNC3OeSOI72erigjYw41Wqq-V22Tv6pboPdlAI3_7u/w176-h235/odds.jpeg" width="176" /></a></div>I’ve been reading Ron Pollard’s <i>Odds And Sods: My Life in the Betting Business</i>, published in 1991 by Hodder & Stoughton. This biography detailed the career of Pollard in his role as bookmaker’s clerk to William Hill and Ladbrokes odds-maker and PR Director which he did for over 30-years.<p></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Very few people realise that Ladbrokes made a name by tapping into what we would call these days trending topics. If someone asked Ron Pollard for a price on a novel sport, happening, almost anything, he would give the odds. Many of the wagers didn’t return a profit but they were worth their weight in gold as far as publicity was concerned. In fact, it set Ladbrokes apart from the likes of William Hill who stuck with a more traditional approach to betting dogs and horses..</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Pollard was the man to go to for quotes. Every Sunday he would wait at home for his phone to ring and talk to all and sundry and give his opinion and betting odds. As he said: ‘Punters loved to bet on anything and everything.’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">However, there were one or two regrettable instances where he wished he hadn’t been so quick to offer odds. Perhaps more traditional press knew where to draw the line while others clearly had no limits when it come to poor taste.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">On the 16<sup>th</sup> August 1977, it was announce that Elvis Presley had passed away, aged 42. The world was shocked but so was Pollard when the Sunday Sport, who had recently appeared on the news-stands had the outlandish headline: ‘Was Elvis was still alive?’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Punters were both intrigued and interested in placing their bets.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Holland said managers from several bookmaker shops asking what odds should be offered. He said 1000/1. Sure it would be forgotten within 24-hours.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Clearly, the odds weren’t wrong because Elvis had definitely left the building and pardon the pun (a quote only the Sunday Sport could have stated) he was a dead cert for bookmakers. As Ron said: ‘I could have offered odds of one million to one.’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘It was a thoroughly tasteless exercise and an admin nightmare as the transactions had to be updated from one year to the next as the bets were still running.’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The Sunday Sport’s continued their interest in the story. It was impossible to stop the story and the betting was so heavy that the odds were cut to 500/1. The money continued and eventually the odds were cut again to 100/1 (quite surreal considering Elvis wasn’t making a return). Ladbrokes had liabilities of £2.5 million.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Pollard said: ‘I still don’t know what possessed me that Monday morning: thoughtlessness or carelessness. Certainly, it was not very clever of me.’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">He considered the <i>Sunday Sport</i> ‘plants’ had been betting merely to obtain more publicity for themselves to give some credence to a ludicrous story but in the process giving Ladbrokes unwanted publicity.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I wonder if any of those punters are still holding onto their betting vouchers?</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-37032889899333442942024-01-17T21:32:00.003+00:002024-01-17T21:32:00.245+00:00Ruth Norman: Betting On Little Green Men<p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I’m not sure whether Ladbrokes have many bets placed on the existence of alien life on Earth but back in the 1970s the bets kept pouring in with over £300,000 wagered in a decade.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">This was down the Unarius Group from Califiornia.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The spiritualist group was run by Ruth Norman who contacted Ron Pollard asking if he Ladbrokes would take bets on the arrival of alien life on Earth.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">He said: ‘500/1’.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">This would be for aliens crashing or landing, dead or alive, within a year of the bet being placed.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">At the same time each and every year a cheque for £30,000 would arrive.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The Unarius Group was set up by Ernest Norman in 1954, based in El Cajon a city in San Diego County, California. The Universal Articulate Interdimensional Understanding of Science are dedicated to helping the evolution of the human race to be free from ‘mental frustrations to enjoy a peaceful life and achieve physic liberation.’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Their membership in unknown.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Mrs Ruth Norman continued the group following the passing of her husband in 1971.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The group proclaimed they had spoken to people from 52 planets. They believed they had found a peaceful solution to world problems and the advancement of medical advancement.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Ron Pollard said: ‘Mrs Norman never struck me as being nuts. We never met but we often spoke on the telephone and had many chats via radio hook-up. I thought she was a very nice lady…’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Norman said she was the reincarnation of Mona Lisa and she was in contact with eminent people who had passed including Winston Churchill, President Kennedy & Calvin Coolidge to name a few. In fact, they recorded the conversations and transcribed them into books which were sold.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The bets continued which saw liabilities of millions of pounds that alien life would be found on Earth.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">A few years went past and the bets dwindled.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">However, Pollard said to Mrs Norman that if their bet won he would have an alien present the cheque to her for £15 million pounds.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">She accepted his promise.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Pollard continued: ‘I asked her when she come to Britain I would meet her at Heathrow and arrange for her to stay at one of our hotels.’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">She replied: ‘Don’t be silly! When I arrive I shall be coming in on one of their spacecraft.’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Considering William Hill offered 1000/1 that someone wouldn’t set foot on the moon before 1970 the Uranius still may have their day.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Ruth Norman passed away in 1993, aged 92.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The Unarius Group is still in existence to this day.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-58917231686454077422023-12-05T14:22:00.006+00:002023-12-05T14:22:00.152+00:00Betting Big Odds On<p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The shorter the price, the better chance of winning.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Statistically that is correct but what about value?</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Phil Bull, the founder of Timeform, said that an odds-on shot could be value. He made his betting pay as a professional gambler in the late 1930s. By all accounts Bull was one of the most influential gamblers we have ever seen in the United Kingdom.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I think every gambler has bet odds on. It seems a good idea at the time. That’s betting odds against, meaning your stake is bigger than your potential win. Obviously you get your stake back. For example, you bet 4/6f. Let’s set the scene. You wander up to Honest John Turf Accountant at Great Yarmouth who loves to shout: ‘Money without work!’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">You say: ‘£600 to win £400’.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">When it wins, you walk away with £1,000.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">A Cockney Geezer shouts: ‘A bag of sand!’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I remember years ago when my brother and I first started to bet. We specialised in the niche of two-year-old horse racing and compared to most of the population we were exceptional. There is no replacement for hard work and we put in the hours to know the form book inside out, had insight to the best unraced horses in training and were a couple of anoraks if you had ever met a pair.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">We went for a day’s racing at Great Yarmouth.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Always a lucky track.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">It was back in 1989. We were just nineteen years old. I say we, because my brother and I are twins.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">It was 19<sup>th</sup> July.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The first race on the card: 2:15 Yarmouth – EBF Cotman Madan Fillies Stakes over 7f. Going: Firm.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">We had our eyes on the two-year-old race.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">That was the day we’d dip our toe into backing odds on.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Henry Cecil (pre knighthood) trained a filly in the old maroon and white silks of Sheik Mohammed, called Wajna. Not only was she priced 1/2f but it was her debut. Never mind, we had Steve Cauthen in the saddle.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">We’d heard he had a stopwatch inside his brain.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘It bloody needed to be decent at 1/2f.’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Tony went up to some random bookie and bet £100 to win £50. We felt very confident before placing the bet but as soon after we questioned whether it was a good idea at all. In fact, if we could have sidled up to the bookie and asked politely for our money back we would have done!</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">It was too late.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">At that time, £100 was a lot of money to us. Thinking all these years on, I can safely say I would never have placed that bet now. Was it value at those prohibitive odds? You can make your own mind up.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I know what you are saying: ‘It depends on whether the horse won or lost.’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Too right.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">We had seven horses in opposition. Half of the field were priced at odds of 25/1 or bigger. The second favourite priced 9/2 was another debutante called Varnish, trained by Lord Huntingdon, in the ownership of The Queen. Ben Hanbury had the third favourite named Lady Wishing Well (the name itself made me think I was tempting fate) priced 7/1. While Sir Michael Stoute had the last of the half fancied horses priced 10/1.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">It was minutes before the off.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I felt slightly ill. Thoughts kept flickering through my mind from our horse winning impressively to getting stuck in the stalls. Back in the day, TV adverts promoted Hamlet cigars, where someone in a moment of peril or impending disaster would find comforted enjoying a pleasant smoke. I had visions of either Steve Cauthen or Wajna emerging from the starting stalls in a cloud of smoke.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Cigar smoke.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet. The mild cigar...’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Before we knew it, the race had started in earnest and Wajna was leading. Every moment a horse you backed is leading is pure pleasure. The sun is shining, the seagulls are calling your name, and the ice cream man is even offering an extra flake in your 99. Visions of Sir Winston Churchill with his victory v.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Honest John is shouting: ‘Money without work!’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">However, that winning feeling was threatened at the two-furlong pole as Varnish, under an inspired ride from Tony Ives, threw down a challenge. I’m not sure if my brother looked at me first or me him but we both had a panicked look and pale complexion. This was in the days before the big screens and without binoculars 400m looked a long way in the distance. I’m not sure who the commentator was that day but I suspects they had bet on Varnish as they gave the impression it was very close.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Coming into the final furlong we could see Wajna held a length advantage but ridden quite vigorously by Cauthen. We were shouting like a couple of girls. The crowd was screaming. And I’m pretty sure I saw Henry Cecil shout in triumph as Wajna crossed the line to win by a length.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">To be honest, I was just pleased the race was over.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">If the race had been one mile six furlongs I think one of us would have been calling for the St John’s Ambulance or a dose of Ketamine (horse tranquilliser, or, at least, a couple of mild cigars).</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Tony went to the bookmaker and collected £150.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">We looked at each other and said: ‘Never again.’</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Talk about ‘buying money’.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">As it turned out Wajna (just like Phil Bull would have said...) was a value bet!</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Thank the Lord that day went to plan.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-56355251691822184322023-11-06T19:06:00.001+00:002023-11-06T19:06:00.143+00:00A look at Opulence Thoroughbreds<p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">You may be wondering what does this Opulence relate to. Well, it is about a new horse racing syndicate called Opulence Thoroughbreds. There are many horse racing syndicates (in fact several hundred) who give horse racing fans an opportunity to have a share in a race horse. Syndicates have grown in popularity in recent years because it is a less expensive (dare I say cheap) way of ‘owning’ a horse.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Opulence Thoroughbreds started in 2020 and have a variety of syndicated horses at differing price points.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">With my niche being two-year-old horse racing, I’ve take a particular interest in their juveniles over the last few seasons.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Opulence Thoroughbreds is a more branded outfit with a high level of media coverage advised by Cornelius Lysaght. This British journalist and broadcaster has a wealth of experience and was the BBC’s horse racing correspondent from 2001 – 2020.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Other ambassadors for Opulence include, Luisa Zissman. She is an English retail entrepreneur. Also, the runner-up on the 9<sup>th</sup> series of The Apprentice. She has a great passion for horse racing.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">What do you get from your purchase?</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><ul><li><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Visiting your horse at the stables</p></li><li><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The thrill of race day experience</p></li><li><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Share of prize winning and sales proceeds</p></li></ul><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">As you may imagine, Opulent Thoroughbred have a select number of high-profile trainers including: Andrew Balding, William Haggas, Roger Varian, Stuart Williams, Ed Walker, Paul & Oliver Cole, Charlie Fellowes, Michael Bell, George Scott, Jack Channon, Dr Richard Newland, Clive Cox, Harry Fry, Evan Williams & George Boughey.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">All syndicates are kept small from 10 -20 people. Also, tailored to your interest and affordability.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Throughout the year there will be opportunities to visit your trainer’s yard and enjoy the spectacle of seeing your horse run on the gallops. It’s brilliant insight to appreciate the preparation before race day.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The thrill of going to the races. Your owner’s badge allows you and your guest full access to the parade ring and winners enclosure. You can also get complimentary food and drinks in the lounge.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Taking a look at the horses in training for the 2023 season:</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Being interested in the two-year-old horse racing niche, I see Opulent Thoroughbreds had 20 juveniles in training this season</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">They had 7 three-year-olds.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">They had 6 older horses aged from four to six years old.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Three National Hunt horses (aged five and six)</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">And two broodmares.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Opulent Thoroughbred are predominantly interested in two-year-old horse racing, which is the most exciting age group and offers the chance of training a high-class talent that races at pattern class.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">If you are interested in being part of a forward-thinking horse racing syndicate then you will have to go a long way to better Opulent Thoroughbreds.</p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-3257911336443168182023-10-17T19:04:00.000+01:002023-10-19T14:18:42.132+01:00Mildmay Novices' Chase<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The Mildmay Novices'
Chase is a Grade 1 novices' steeplechase run over 3 miles and 210
yards on the Mildmay Course at Aintree in early April. As the title
indicates, the race is restricted to horses, aged five years and
upwards, who, at the start of the current season, have yet to win a
race over regulation fences. Both the race and the course on which it
is run are named after Anthony Anthony Bingham Mildmay, second Lord
Mildmay of Flete, a popular amateur jockey, who rode in – and came
agonisingly close to winning – the Grand National either side of
the Second World War.<p></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The Mildmay Novices'
Chase was inaugurated in 1981 and boasts an impressive roll of
honour, which includes future Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Bregawn,
Burrough Hill Lad and Native River and future Grand National winners
Rhyme 'N' Reason and Royal Athlete. The race was awarded Grade 2
status following the revision of the National Hunt Pattern in 1989
and upgraded to Grade 1 status in 2014.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The Mildmay Novices'
Chase often features horses that previously contested the three-mile
novice steeplechasing 'championship' at the Cheltenham Festival, the
Brown Advisory Novices' Chase. The last horse to complete the double
was Might Bite in 2017. Nicky Henderson, trainer of Might Bite, also
saddled Sparkling Flame (1991), Irish Hussar (2003), Burton Port
(2010), Terrefort (2018) and Chantry House (2021) for a total of six
winners and is the most successful handler in the history of the
Mildmay Novices' Chase.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The 2023 renewal of the
Mildmay Novices' Chase is scheduled for 2.50pm on Friday, April 15 –
the second day of the Grand National Festival, a.k.a. Ladies' Day –
and, at this still early stage, it is hard to look far beyond the
likes of The Nice Guy and Minella Cocooner, who feature prominently
in the ante-post betting for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-34584955081263596962023-09-18T19:02:00.000+01:002023-09-22T15:34:51.946+01:00Aintree Hurdle<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As the name suggests,
the Aintree Hurdle is a Grade 1 hurdle race run over 2 miles and 4
furlongs on the Mildmay Course at Aintree in April. Inaugurated, as a
Grade 2 contest over 2 miles and 5½ furlongs, in 1976, the race was
shortened to its current distance in 1988 and promoted to Grade 1
status three years later. Interestingly, while the Aintree Hurdle is
open to horses aged four years and upwards, no four-year-old has ever
won.<p></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Morley Street, trained
by the late Gerald 'Toby' Balding, won four consecutive renewals of
the Aintree Hurdle, in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993, and is the most
successful horse in the history of the race. Balding, who died in
September, 2014, also saddled Beech Road to victory in 1989 and,
alongside Nicky Henderson, is jointly the most successful trainer. In
2010, for one year only, the name of Dick Francis – Champion
National Hunt Jockey in 1953/54, but probably best known for his
calamitous ride on Devon Loch in the Grand National – was added to
the race title, following his death in February that year.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The 2023 renewal of the
Aintree Hurdle is scheduled for 3.30pm on Thursday, April 7 – the
opening day of the three-day Grand National Festival at Aintree –
in the same spot it has occupied since 2013. Not altogether
surprisingly, the Aintree Hurdle is often contested, and won, by
horses that ran in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival the
previous month. In the last decade, Annie Power (2016) and Buveur
D'Air (2017) won both races in the same season, while Zarkandar
(2013), The New One (2014), Jezki (2015) and Epatante (2022) ran with
credit at Cheltenham before winning at Aintree.
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-3777816351892049622023-06-07T14:49:00.002+01:002023-09-27T17:51:30.835+01:00Which jockey has won the Oaks most often?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Run over a mile and a half at Epsom Downs, Surrey in late May or early April, the Oaks is the third English Classic horse race of the season and the second of two – after the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket a month earlier – restricted to three-year-old fillies. Established in 1779, the race was named after the residence of Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, in nearby Carshalton.<p></p><p class="western">The late <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Piggott">Lester Piggott</a>, who won an unparalled 30 British Classics between 1954 and 1992, won the Oaks six times, but the record for most wins is still held by Frank Buckle, the outstanding jockey of the Regency Era. Between 1792 and 1827, by which time he was 61 years old, Buckle rode 27 British Classic winners, thereby setting a record that would stand until 1984, when Piggott won the St. Leger, having 'jocked off' American Darrel McHargue on the favourite, Commanche Run. It is also noteworthy that the first of them, 1792 Derby winner John Bull, came 17 years before the inaugural running of the <a href="https://horseq.com/which-jockeys-have-won-the-2000-guineas-and-1000-guineas-most-often/">2,000 Guineas</a> in 1809, while the 1,000 was not established until 1814.</p><p class="western">Anyway, between 1797 and 1823, Buckle won the Oaks nine times, on Nike (1797), Bellissima (1798), Belina (1799), Scotia (1802), Theophania (1803), Metora (1805), Neva (1817), Corinne (1818) and Zinc (1823). Nike and Bellina were owned by Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor, while Metora was owned by his son, Richard Jnr., 2nd Earl Grosvenor, who succeeded his father in 1802. Neva, trained by Richard Dixon-Boyce, th Duke of Rutland, was the first filly to complete the 1,000 Guineas – Oaks double, while Corrine and Zinc, both trained by the so-called 'Emperor of Trainers', Robert Robson, were the second and third fillies to do so.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-21523768598597984342023-05-25T14:42:00.002+01:002023-07-27T15:45:51.971+01:00Race Focus: Finale Juvenile Hurdle <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The Finale Juvenile
Hurdle is a Grade 2 juvenile hurdle run over 2 miles and 11 yards at
Chepstow in late December. As the name suggests, the race is
restricted to horses aged three years, at least if run as scheduled.
However, in the event of postponement to the following January –
which has happened five times since 2010, due to waterlogging – the
race is restricted to horses aged four years, since all horses born
in the Northern Hemisphere celebrate their birthday on January 1.<p></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Currently sponsored by
Coral, the Finale Juvenile Hurdle was, until August 2022, the only
Grade 1 race run at the Welsh track and one of just three races of
its kind in the whole of the British National Hunt calendar. At that
stage, it was downgraded to Grade 2 by the British Horseracing
Authority (BHA) as part of an annual review of the National Hunt
Pattern.
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Nevertheless, the
Finale Juvenile Hurdle remains a significant trial for the Triumph
Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, with Defi Du Seuil, in 2016/17,
the last horse to complete the double. The 2023 winner, Comfort Zone,
trained by Joseph O'Brien, went on to win the Finesse Juvenile
Hurdle, run over the same course and distance as the Triumph Hurdle,
and is currently quoted at 10/1 for that race and the Fred Winter
Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Martin Pipe saddled
four winners of the Final Juvenile Hurdle, namely High Knowl (1986),
Enemy Action (1988), Hopscotch (1990) and Rainwatch (1997) and, more
recently, Nicky Henderson has done likewise, courtesy of Mister
Banjo (1999), Nas Na Riogh (2002), Blue Shark (2005) and We Have A
Dream (2017). Jointly, the two legendary handlers are the leading
trainers in the history of the race, which was first run in 1971.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-1249408651532367162023-05-12T12:00:00.001+01:002023-05-12T12:00:00.229+01:00Dead Cert?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="396" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RCa87raQDso" width="476" youtube-src-id="RCa87raQDso"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2/9 favourite unseats jockey at the last. It just goes to show that there's no such thing as a dead cert!</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-37944364454868275172023-02-02T18:57:00.004+00:002023-07-27T15:45:35.552+01:00Cheltenham Gold Cup<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As the most prestigious
race run during the National Hunt season, the Cheltenham Gold Cup
requires little or no introduction. However, for anyone unfamiliar
with the 'Blue Riband' event, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1
steeplechase run over 3 miles, 2 furlongs and 70 yards on the New
Course at Cheltenham in March. The race was inaugurated, as a
steeplechase, in 1924, but was run on the Old Course at Cheltenham
until 1959.<p></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The legendary Golden
Miller – who remains the only horse to have won the Cheltenham Gold
Cup and the Grand National in the same season – won five
consecutive renewals in 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 and 1936 and is,
unsurprisingly, the most successful horse in the history of the
Cheltenham Gold Cup. Other notable winners include Arkle, the
highest-rated steeplechaser of the Timeform era, Mill House, Kauto
Star, Desert Orchid and Burrough Hill Lad, to name but a handful.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The late Thomas 'Tom'
Dreaper saddled Prince Regent (1946), Arkle (1964, 1965, 1966) and
Fort Leney (1968) to victory and, more than five decades after his
retirement in 1971, remains the leading trainer in the history of the
Cheltenham Gold Cup. Looking ahead to the 2023 renewal of the
Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is scheduled for 3.05pm on Friday, March
17, it may be worth noting that six of the last seven running have
been won by Irish-trained horses.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Perhaps a little
surprisingly, the early ante-post market is headed not by reigning
champion, A Plus Tard, but rather by Galopin Des Champs, who has won
three of his four starts over fences with consummate ease and was an
unlucky loser in the Turners Novices' Chase, when falling at the
final fence with the race at his mercy. The home challenge is headed
by Ahoy Senor and L'Homme Presse, who filled the first two places in
the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase,</p>
<p class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-74105140202820831142023-01-03T18:53:00.002+00:002023-01-03T18:53:00.164+00:00Altcar Novices' Chase<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MtDMuclBD8vhDYb-gY8j9qu_2D5jKj0B-cKijIJ9j-X1qKOXMfME7ydFS5kNO3uXHAimpYKy-QnBFEX8FZVXE3YNwaGuCLvv6UwzUNTJA_rHYi4TnxB_8hqcsB2hkVrFYSC-Eb9IqOqA8AvVVJePQB7lCM5BexWB4dqa2qSA3w-i5NKqWUuIBUdX1w/s1024/Altcar-Novices-Chase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="1024" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MtDMuclBD8vhDYb-gY8j9qu_2D5jKj0B-cKijIJ9j-X1qKOXMfME7ydFS5kNO3uXHAimpYKy-QnBFEX8FZVXE3YNwaGuCLvv6UwzUNTJA_rHYi4TnxB_8hqcsB2hkVrFYSC-Eb9IqOqA8AvVVJePQB7lCM5BexWB4dqa2qSA3w-i5NKqWUuIBUdX1w/s320/Altcar-Novices-Chase.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The Altcar Novices'
Chase is a Grade 2 steeplechase run over 2 miles, 3 furlongs and 203
yards at Haydock Park in January. As the name suggests, the race is
restricted to horses, aged five years and upwards, who start the
current season without a win over regulation fences.<p></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The Altcar Novices'
Chase began life, as a lowly Class D affair, in 1996, but was
elevated to Class B status the following year and again, to Grade 2
status, in 2007. In 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005 – the 2001 was
abandoned due to frost – the race was run 2 miles and 6 furlongs,
before reverting to its original distance in 2006.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The 2023 renewal of the
Altcar Novices' Chase is scheduled for Saturday, January 21, when it
is one of four Grade 2 races on the Haydock Park card, including the
feature race, the Peter Marsh Chase. Cholmondeley trainer Donald
McCain is currently the most successful handler in the history of the
race, having saddled Will Be Done (2009), Our Mick (2012), Testify
(2018) and Minella Drama (2022) to victory.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Since the demise of the
famous drop fences at Haydock Park, which were replaced by more
forgiving, portable versions in 2007, the course present a less
severe test of jumping than was once the case. Nevertheless, novices
tackle seventeen obstacles during the Altcar Novices' Chase, so sound
jumping is a pre-requisite, especially if the going is on the soft
side.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">That said, course form,
even winning course form, is not, with none of the last ten winners
having previously won at Haydock Park and only three having any
experience of the Newton-le-Willows track. For the record, nine of
the last ten winners of the Altcar Novices' Chase came from the first
three in the starting price betting market.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-36710468437038206562022-12-13T15:05:00.001+00:002022-12-13T15:05:03.027+00:00Henry VIII Novices' Chase<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pwBE9uSbHwcANowGAVU78hk4OT6G-7klctNdDpZSvA7iy77hqLnobOPi9jzbyvr1zSKDq0Ew6v7cEOKACubLRgN3vmzyYIFGebb_t18ubfQhQUt8kvAxwnkMmz89WP6eO6gz6NLIk6mBWfUP0hK6l2bvaw0eFKen5_OLIrMVbBb4bBXNpSqyWmJI3g/s1024/Henry-VIII-Novices-Chase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="1024" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pwBE9uSbHwcANowGAVU78hk4OT6G-7klctNdDpZSvA7iy77hqLnobOPi9jzbyvr1zSKDq0Ew6v7cEOKACubLRgN3vmzyYIFGebb_t18ubfQhQUt8kvAxwnkMmz89WP6eO6gz6NLIk6mBWfUP0hK6l2bvaw0eFKen5_OLIrMVbBb4bBXNpSqyWmJI3g/s320/Henry-VIII-Novices-Chase.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Henry VIII Novices'
Chase is a Grade 1 steeplechase run over 1 mile, 7 furlongs and 119
yards – that is, slightly shorter than two miles, but permissible
since National Hunt racecourses were remeasured in 2015 – at
Sandown Park in early December. As the name suggests, the race is
restricted to horses aged five years and upwards who, at the start of
the current season, are yet to win a race over regulation fences and
are therefore classified as 'novices' over the larger obstacles.<p></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The historic town of
Esher, Surrey, which has been the home of Sandown Park since 1875,
was a Royal hunting lodge during the reign of Henry VIII (1509 –
1547); the race is run in memory of 'Old Coppernose' himself. The
Henry VIII Novices' Chase was inaugurated, as a Grade 2 contest, in
1987 but, having achieved sky-high standing, was eventually upgraded
to Grade 1 status in 2011.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Reigning champion
trainer Paul Nicholls is the leading trainer in the history of the
Henry Novices' Chase with seven wins, courtesy of Dines (1998),
Thisthatandtother (2003), Marodima (2007), Al Ferof (2011),
Hinterland (2013), Vibrato Valtat (2014) and Dynamite Dollars (2018).
Speaking at his owners' day in September, 2022, Paul Nicholls said,
'We're really strong with our novice chasers...', which include
Gelino Bello, Monmiral, McFabulous, Complete Unknown and Stage Star,
so further success in the Henry VIII Novices' Chase is by no means
out of the question.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Arguably the best horse
to win the race, though, was the prolific Altior, trained by Nicky
Henderson. The High Chaparral gelding sprinted clear to win by 6
lengths on just his second start over fences and went on the win the
Arkle Challenge Trophy and the Queen Mother Champion Chase twice at
the next three Cheltenham Festivals, achieving a Timeform Annual
Rating of 180 in the process.
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-76183734105621123032022-11-14T05:07:00.006+00:002023-07-27T15:45:32.404+01:00Mick Channon<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Former Southampton and England striker
Mick Channon, who once described himself as 'a bit of a maverick as a
trainer', turned his full attention to his erstwhile hobby, horse
racing, after his retirement from professional football in 1986.
Foresaking football management for racehorse training on the grounds
that, 'Horses don't answer back', Channon worked as assistant trainer
to John Baker and Ken Cunningham-Brown before taking out a training
licence in his own right in 1990.<p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Channon initially set up on his own in
Lambourn, Berkshire with a string of ten horses, but nonetheless
saddled 16 winners in his inaugural season. Thereafter, he steadily
increased the quantity and quality of his string and, by 1994, had
saddled his first Group race winners, including his first Group 1
winner, Piccolo, who was awarded the Nunthorpe Stakes at York on the
disqualification of Blue Siren.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">It would be another five years until
Channon saddled his next Group 1 winner, Seazun, in the Cheveley Park
Stakes at Newmarket. However, by that stage of his career, having
outgrown his original base, he had moved to the historic West <span style="font-style: normal;">Isley
Stables, near Newbury and was well on his way to becoming one of the
leading trainers in the country. Channon enjoyed his most successful
season in 2003, with 144 winners and over £2 million in prize money.
Now 72, Channon still harbours the ambition to own or breed a Derby
winner, although he said, '</span>The game’s not just about
winning; it’s about the pleasure you get out of being involved in
it.'</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /><br />
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-79048773781072733892022-10-05T15:25:00.006+01:002023-07-27T15:45:28.986+01:00Christian Williams<p><br />Nowadays, Christian
Williams is best known as a dual purpose trainer based at Ogmore
Farm, on the outskirts of Ogmore-by-Sea, in the Vale of Glamorgan,
South Wales. However, before eventually being forced into retirement,
aged 29, in March, 2014, Williams was a highly successful National
Hunt jockey. In fact, despite suffering more than his fair share of
serious injuries, he was, at one point, number two jockey to Ruby
Walsh at Paul Nicholls' Manor Farm Stables. All told, Williams rode
339 winners, many trained by Nicholls, and enjoyed his most
successful season in 2005/06 with 77 winners and over £786,000 in
total prize money.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">By his own admission,
before his riding career was curtailed by injury, Williams never
harboured any aspirations to become a trainer. He said, 'I'll be
honest, I never saw myself training, it sort of just happened. I was
forced into doing my licence by Dai Walters [who built Ffos Las
Racecourse] and moved on from there.' Williams was briefly employed
as a salaried trainer at Walters' stable, The Hollies, in Lisvane, on
the northern outskirts of Cardiff, before moving to his current
premises in early 2018.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">As a trainer, Williams
has wasted little time in establishing a reputation for his skilled
handling of staying steeplechasers. In 2019, he saddled Potters
Corner to win the Midlands Grand National and the Welsh Grand
National. In 2022, he saddled Win My Wings to win the Eider Chase at
Newcastle and Cap Du Nord to win the Coral Trophy at Kempton on the
same day in February and, in April, trained a 1-2 in the Scottish
Grand National at Ayr with Win My Wings and Kitty's Light. In
2021/22, Williams enjoyed his most successful National Hunt season so
far, with 34 winners and over £665,000 in prize money.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-9913037908396718932022-08-23T05:05:00.001+01:002023-07-27T15:45:24.989+01:00John McCririck<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The late John McCririck, who died from
lung cancer in July, 2019 at the age of 79, was the face of Channel 4
Racing for more than 25 years. Instantly recognisable by his
trademark dundreary whiskers, deerstalker and generally eccentric
dress sense, McCririck was unashamedly loud, brash and, often,
offensive to those of a politically-correct disposition.<p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">However, behind the 'pantomime villain'
facade, McCririck was a complex character. Formerly an award-winning
newspaper journalist, with 'The Sporting Life' and elsewhere, he
joined ITV Sport in 1981 and Channel 4 Racing in 1984. Although
always something of a 'Marmite' character, his colourful, flamboyant
style, coupled with his comprehensive knowledge of the betting
landscape, made him extremely popular with many horse racing fans.
Despite being an Old Harrovian, McCririck did care passionately about
the ordinary, small-time punter, whose cause he championed.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Popular or not, McCririck was sacked
from Channel 4 Racing, effective from January, 2013. McCririck, 72,
took exception to his dismissal, citing age discrimination, and took
his former employer to an employment tribunal, seeking £3 million in
damages. However, the following November, a panel at the Central
London Employment Tribunal unanimously ruled against him, stating
that he was sacked not because of his age, but because his views were
'unpalatable to a wider audience' as Channel 4 and production company
IMG Media Limited attempted to increase viewing figures. McCririck
responded by saying, 'This is an historic setback for all employees
in their thirties to their seventies.'</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-70151771698059489912022-07-19T05:04:00.005+01:002023-07-27T15:45:21.926+01:00Buster Edwards<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Named Ronald 'Buster' Edwards, who
served nine years in prison for his part in the Great Train Robbery
in 1963, the equine Buster Edwards sprung one of the biggest
surprises in recent history when winning at Haydock on December 30,
2019. Trained by David Pipe and ridden by Jack Tudor, the 6-year-old
was sent off 7/2 favourite for the Bryn Gates Conditional Jockeys'
Handicap Hurdle, run over an extended three miles on soft going.
However, Buster Edwards had to be ridden along from just after
halfway and Tudor was hard at work for most of the final circuit.<p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Two less-than-fluent jumps at the final
two obstacles appeared to have sealed his fate and, at one point, he
traded at the maximum 999.00 on Betfair and was matched for £289 at
that price. Nevertheless, having jumped the final flight in a
seemingly impossible seventh position, eight lengths off the pace,
Buster Edwards produced an extraordinary finishing effort that
surprised everyone, including his jockey. Tudor later joked, 'Mr Pipe
said not to get there too soon', but even he could not have
anticipated how his mount 'sprouted wings' in the closing stages.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Strike West, ridden by Billy Garrity,
appeared to have taken the measure of his nearest pursuers, Donnie
Brasco and Passam, on the run to the line and was matched for £7,332
at 1.01 on Betfair. However, in the final half a furlong, Buster
Edwards honed into view of television cameras, coming home with a wet
sail to collar Strike West in the final stride and win by a head in a
jaw-dropping finish.
</p>
<p><br /><br /><br />
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-71898245984237611312022-05-12T05:03:00.002+01:002023-07-27T15:45:18.349+01:00Prince Monolulu<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The history of horse racing has seen
its fair share of 'colourful' characters, but perhaps none more so
than Ras Prince Monolulu, the original maverick, showman tipster.
Instantly recognisable by his resplendent garb, topped with a
headdress of ostrich feathers, Monolulu held court at racecourses
throughout Britain in the first half of the twentieth century. His
catchphrase, 'I gotta horse, I gotta horse to beat the favourite',
proved to be true, or so legend has it, when he backed Spion Kop,
winner of the 1920 Derby at 100/6, to win £8,000, or £365,000 by
modern standards.<p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Born Peter McKay in St. Croix, US
Virgin Islands in 1881, Monolulu arrived in England, via New York, at
the turn of the twentieth century. He claimed to be, and styled
himself as, a chief of the Falasha tribe of the old Abyssinia, or
Ethiopia, as it is now. According to researcher John Pearson, that
claim was 'a load of rubbish, but it gave him the chance to dress up
as someone who would be recognised.'</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">An engaging, humourous character,
Monolulu rose to become a national, even international, celebrity. He
was a fixture of Derby Day at Epsom for decades and, while his tips,
which he offered at ten shillings apiece, were largely unsuccessful,
he was the most famous black man in Britain for most of his life.
Monolulu died in a London hospital on Valentine's Day, 1965, at the
age of 84, reputedly choking to death on a strawberry cream chocolate
given to him by journalist Jeffrey Bernard.<br /><br />
</p>
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</p>
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</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-85325324029252722882022-05-06T04:48:00.001+01:002022-05-06T04:48:01.993+01:00Amazing Comeback<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tRCT0wwogl0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Giving home to all of us Outsider fans. It's never too late to back a stunning comeback. In-running betting must have been a riot!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-10225305620247101542022-04-22T16:23:00.002+01:002023-07-27T15:45:08.863+01:00An Essential Beginners Guide to RacingWe’re well in to the racing season with some of the years biggest events already behind us and some exciting races yet to come into the future too as we head towards the summer – racing is as much about the ticket office for those placing their wagers at the tracks or through online platforms as options in betting online or <a href="https://casinosnotongamstop.org/poker-sites-not-on-gamstop/">non Gamstop poker</a> for an alternative have grown substantially in recent years – but for newcomers to the tracks and to racing as a whole, what are some of the essentials that newcomers need to know about?<div><br /><br /><br />Flat vs Jump Racing – Whilst there are a huge number of different sports attributed with the horses, in racing there are two different markets to look at – either flat racing or jump racing. Whilst both can take place throughout the year, jump racing is typically favored for the winter with flat racing in the summer and you’ll often have fans that have a preference of one over the other, but will typically watch both. <br /><br />Horses vs Jockeys – It’s often said that a good jockey is vital to the performance on race day and there are some jockeys that have built a fantastic career, but the horses are often the most important factor – an inexperienced jockey can win on a horse that’s at the peak of their performance, but a world-class jockey can’t run a slow horse to victory in most cases – when following racing for a hobby or for the potential financial gains, learn all about the horses. <br /><br />Predictability vs Upsets – Much like any sport, upsets can and do happen in racing, but they’re not as common as they may seem on the outside – it’s easy to study past results and current form to pick out winners as horses will typically <a href="https://nycdatascience.edu/blog/student-works/capstone/predicting-horse-racing-outcomes/">run in quite a predictable way</a> – if a horse has shown good form in recent races, chances are they’ll continue that form for future races too and winners can somewhat be reliably chosen. <br /><br />Other race factors – Whilst predictability is there, that doesn’t mean there aren’t factors to be considered too – what are the conditions of the ground on the day the race is taking place? Has the front runner shown a change in form recently? There are plenty of other factors to be considered as a fan of racing that can have a huge impact of performance too and getting to know how a firm and fast track will impact one runner and a soft and boggy track will impact another is just another part of the sport that separates the newcomers from the experienced fans. <br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-40527108234069680742022-04-05T21:25:00.001+01:002023-07-27T15:45:02.700+01:00Kepagge<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />History records that
the Winter Novices' Hurdle, run over 2 miles 4½ furlongs, on heavy
going, at Leicester on December 11, 2019, was won by the 2/9
favourite Kepagge, who kept on well in the final half-a-furlong to
beat his nearest pursuer Bendy Bow by 1<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">¼
lengths. Hardly an 'unlikely' outcome, you might think, but the bare
result fails to tell the whole story; in fact, far from it.</span><p></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Trained
by David Pipe and ridden by Tom Scudamore, Kepagge had made his debut
under National Hunt rules at Chepstow the previous month, where he
made all the running to win a National Hunt Flat Race by 4 lengths.
At Leicester, the five-year-old gelding faced an apparently facile
task against three, modest rivals – all of whom were fellow
hurdling debutantes – a fact that was reflected by his prohibitive
starting price.</span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Kepagge
set off at the head of affairs, albeit at a dawdling crawl, but
backed off the first flight of hurdles so badly that he lost momentum
and only just 'fiddled' over the obstacle. He recovered on the long
run to the second flight, but wandered on the approach to the
obstacle and jumped violently left, all but unseating Tom Scudamore.
At that stage, his less-than-keen attitude drew the attention of
Betfair layers and he was matched at the maximum price available,
999/1, to the tune of £500 or more. </span>
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Kepagge was again
ponderous at flights three and four, but warmed to the task as the
pace increased, slightly, heading down the back straight for the
final time. He led, going best of all, approaching the second last
flight, but again jumped slowly at the final flight, allowing Bendy
Bow to challenge for the lead. However, close home, Kepagge only had
to be pushed out with hands and heels to score what had looked, at
one stage, a highly improbable victory.</p>
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</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-59955481910614316632022-02-16T05:01:00.001+00:002023-07-27T15:44:59.001+01:00Barney Curley<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The late Bernard Joseph 'Barney'
Curley, who died in May, 2021 at the age of 81, was, at various
points in his career, a bookmaker, professional gambler, racehorse
owner and trainer and philanthropist. However, he freely admitted to
never having held an ordinary job in his life and his unorthodox
approach to horse racing made him one of the most colourful
characters in the history of the sport.<p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Born in Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh in
1939, Curley survived a life-threatening bout of tuberculosis as a
young man and, having abandoned plans to become a Jesuit priest,
embarked upon a largely unsuccessful career as a bookmaker in
Belfast. The chastening experience was not lost on Curley who, on
June 25, 1975, masterminded the in infamous Yellow Sam coup at
Bellewstown Racecourse, Co.Meath, which netted him and his associates
over £2 million by modern standards. In 1986, Curley became a
licensed trainer in his own right, keeping a small string of his own
horses in his yard in Newmarket and financing the operation, to the
tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds a year, by gambling heavily
on them. No stranger to controversy, Curley repeatedly fell foul of
the stewards because of his no-nonsense, maverick attitude and
outspoken views.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">In his later years, following the death
of his teenage son, Charlie, in a car accident in 1995, Curley turned
his attention to charitable work, founding the charity Direct Aid for
Africa (DAFA), in 1996. DAFA is a non-political, non-sectarian
organisation dedicated to supporting underprivileged people in
Zambia, in south-central Africa.</p>
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</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-23330576708842814882022-01-12T15:06:00.006+00:002023-07-27T15:44:47.327+01:00Record-breaking Winner<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />On August 13, 2020, a
three-year-old named He Knows No Fear won the Irish Stallion Farms
EBF Maiden at Leopardstown at odds of 300/1. In so doing, he became
the longest-priced winner in the history of horse racing in Britain
and Ireland, eclipsing the previous record set by Equinoctial (250/1)
at Kelso in November, 1990.<p></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Bred, owned and trained
by Luke Comer and ridden by Chris Hayes, He Knows No Fear was having
just his second start after finishing only twelfth of fourteen, at
250/1, in a similar race on his debut at Limerick the previous month.
At Leopardstown, he showed signs of inexperience when asked for his
effort but, once the penny dropped, made rapid headway on the outside
of the field. He went second in the final hundred yards and stayed on
strongly to collar the hot favourite, Agitare, who had gone clear
inside the final furlong, in the shadow of the post and win by a
head. The winning trainer said later, 'He Knows No Fear is a nice
horse. The first race, you couldn't go by, because he got left in the
stalls.'
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Comer, for whom
training racehorses is almost a distraction from his main property
development business, had not saddled a winner for nine years.
Indeed, he had previously hit the headlines in 2017, when he was
repeatedly fined by the Turf Club and was in danger of having his
licence withdrawn, after a catalogue of 'very serious rule breaches',
including refusing permission to inspect his stables in Kilternan,
Dublin, failing to arrange adequate supervision for his horses and
providing misleading and false information.
</p>
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</p>
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</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-78549600597899516092021-11-24T12:11:00.002+00:002023-07-27T15:44:51.245+01:00Cheltenham 2022: Making a Case Against the Ante-Post Favourites<br /><br />Ask any experienced punter about ante-post betting and they’ll tell you it’s something of an art form. But it’s not an easy skill to master. What’s true in November is not necessarily true in March. And if you don’t have NRNB (non-runner no bet), there’s a fair chance you’ve kissed your cash goodbye regardless of the result of the race. <br /><br />But there are market movers across the winter months for the big races in spring, particularly Cheltenham. Indeed, much to the chagrin of some racing fans, the entire jumps season seems geared towards Cheltenham. Yet, a steady trickle of money comes in on the Cheltenham ante-post markets, and we wonder whether anyone is getting sucked into backing short-priced favourites? <br /><br />Let’s start by talking about the most important factor – precedence. In terms of statistics, we rarely see horses who have led the ante-post markets at the beginning of the season carry that through to Cheltenham. <br /><br /><b>Early ante-post favourites statistically unlikely to win </b><br /><br />Consider the four winners of the feature races last March: Honeysuckle (Champion Hurdle), Put the Kettle On (Champion Chase), Flooring Porter (Stayers’ Hurdle), and Minella Indo (Gold Cup). Not one of those horses led the ante-post markets for their respective races in 2020. Yes, Honeysuckle went off as 11/10 favourite, but the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/feb/06/honeysuckle-wins-irish-champion-hurdle-leopardstown-cheltenham-festival-hope">momentum only started gathering</a> for the mare after the Irish Champion Hurdle in February. <br /><br />On the other hand, Put the Kettle On was still available at 40/1 with some firms for the Champion Chase as we reached the new year. The Champion Chase can be particularly gruesome for backers of favourites as a general rule. 2017 saw Douvan flop at micro-odds of 2/9, Defi De Seuil finished second last when going off at 2/5 in 2020, and Chacun Pour Soi failed to deliver at 8/13 in 2021. <br /><br />So, how do you make the case right now for Shishkin, who is currently priced at 5/4 for the 2022 Champion Chase? Nobody is doubting that Nicky Henderson’s horse isn’t a class act. Shishkin is on an eight-race winning streak, a run that includes the 2020 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Arkle last March. <br /><br />Yet we haven’t seen Shishkin this season (the Tingle Creek Chase on 4th December is likely), and we can’t quite shake the feeling that anyone backing the 7yo is playing with fire. Nube Negra, a fine winner at the Shloer Chase last weekend, looks a craftier pick at 10/1, and you can’t rule out Chacun Pour Soi bouncing back at 6/1. <br /><br /><b>The Gold Cup can be difficult to work out </b><br /><br />What then about the big one – the Cheltenham Gold Cup? It’s always a puzzle. And while it’s not exactly a lottery, you might want to look at the <a href="https://blog.mansionbet.com/horse-racing/cheltenham-festival/cheltenham-gold-cup/">tips for last year’s Gold Cup</a>. Minella Indo, the 2021 winner, is the current favourite at 5/1, but that feels more like a case of someone having to be favourite. If you watched Minella Indo’s season debut at Down Royal, you’d be left scratching your head as to how this horse leads the Gold Cup markets. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />While it’s a bit early in the season to be backing Gold Cup horses with any conviction, we would be much more comfortable having our money on Chantry House (14/1) or even two-time winner Al Boum Photo at 20/1. The latter is just 9yo and certainly not done. Willie Mullins used to keep Al Boum Photo lightly raced in the lead up to those victories in 2019 and 2020, but he recently said we would <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/willie-mullins-stable-tour-runners-25386221">be seeing a bit more of him</a> as he wanted the horse “battle-hardened”. <br /><br />Perhaps the overarching theme here is to have patience. For all of us, it should be a big no-no to back any horse that has not yet run this season. Moreover, it’s almost certainly a better option to back a few longshots rather than pile in on a short-priced favorite. If a horse is sitting at evens now, there’s only so much the bookmakers can shave off that price. And as we saw with Put the Kettle On last season, you can still get value in the new year.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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</p></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-13574326486927965292021-11-22T05:06:00.001+00:002023-07-27T15:42:53.907+01:00Beech Road<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Owned by Tony Geake and trained by Toby
Balding, Beech Road was a highly successful hurdler and
steeplechaser, probably best remembered for winning the Champion
Hurdle at the 1989 Cheltenham Festival at odds of 50/1. At the start
of the 1988/89 National Hunt season, the intention was to send Beech
Road over fences and, after two unsuccessful starts over hurdles, he
duly made his steeplechasing debut at Newton Abbot on Boxing Day. He
was in second place when unseating his rider, Rae Guest, behind
odds-on winner Sabin Du Loir, which led to Guest being replaced by
Graham McCourt on his next start at Cheltenham. Sent off even money
favourite in a three-runner novices' chase, Beech Road was upsides
eventual winner Waterloo Boy when falling at the final fence, but lay
motionless on the Prestbury Park turf for 15 minutes before rising to
his feet.<p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">That spelt the end of an abortive
chasing career, at least for the time being. Two starts later,
returned to hurdles and re-united with Guest, Beech Road won the
National Spirit Challenge Trophy at Fontwell and, in so doing, beat
Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Vagador, who was conceding 12lb by 20
lengths, unchallenged. Nevertheless, despite arriving at Cheltenham
'in the form of his life', according to Guest, he was still sent off
50/1 twelfth choice of the 15 runners, behind 11/8 favourite
Kribensis. Settled off a fast pace, Beech Road was among the
back-markers at the top of the hill, but made good headway on the
outside from the second last flight, led at the last and ran on
strongly up the hill to beat Celtic Chief by 2 lengths.</p>
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</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759781628770790057.post-27761965817246703052021-11-16T21:44:00.006+00:002021-11-16T21:44:00.143+00:00Hittite Glory Wins At 100 - 1 (1975)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="414" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P48cHcbfHF4" width="498" youtube-src-id="P48cHcbfHF4"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0