Not Really Horse Racing

[Whyperion]

But nowhere else to put it.

Copying from Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/west-crav ... 6721006797

Just if anyones interested.

[Tripps]

I didn't realise there was a dedicated thread for horse racing. I don't detect a lot of interest in the sport, but to follow my visit to Tattersall's yearling sales last week here's a very well produced video which captures the atmosphere.

How the other half lives, or we're all in this together.

Newmarket yearling sales.

[Stanley]

I get that feeling as well David whenever I see a show-piece race meeting.....

[Tripps]

Rarely seen thread - and my interest in the game is nearly over, but I must first mention a young jockey called Billy Lougnane.

He has just won the first race of the new flat season "The Brocklesby" for unraced 2yo's.

I was impressed by him last season. He is still a 5lb claiming apprentice - with a remarkable strike rate of 21 %.

He is something very very special.

That's probably the kiss of death though. . . .

[Stanley]

An unusual surname David......
(I didn't know we had this thread..... )

[Tripps]

An unusual surname David......

Indeed - that was a typo his name is Billy Loughnane

I note the thread was started by Whyperion. Not seen him for a while now. I hope he is OK.

[Stanley]

What do you make of the report that anarchists are plotting to spoil the start of the Grand National David?

[Tripps]

Doesn't really needs "anarchists" to do that. The starter and the jockeys make quite a good job of disruption by themselves.

[Tripps]

but I must first mention a young jockey called Billy Lougnane.

I wasn't wrong - he has just won the Group One Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot on 'Rashabar' at odds of 80/1.

You heard it here first. . . .

[Gloria]

Well spotted

[Tripps]

Just noticed that I got an email from a racing source yesterday, with his Ascot tips. His first on the list was Rashabar (80/1)!

Now today his first tip was Shareholder, which has just won the Norfolk Stakes at 12/1.

Impressive tipping. Shame I don't bet.

[Stanley]

Wise man David.....

[Tripps]

Rarely seen thread - and my interest in the game is nearly over, but I must first mention a young jockey called Billy Lougnane.
He has just won the first race of the new flat season "The Brocklesby" for unraced 2yo's.

I was impressed by him last season. He is still a 5lb claiming apprentice - with a remarkable strike rate of 21 %.

He is something very very special.

*******

You heard it here first. . . .

Billy Loughnane

[Stanley]

So your first mention of him wasn't the kiss of death! A notable achievement.
He's very young, I hope it doesn't go to his head. (But he looks like a very level headed lad from his image on the site.)

[Stanley]

I tripped over this clip on Youtube shortly after reading this post.....

[Whyperion]

I dont know as such if I even like the sport, maybe it is the hype over the years of the media of mainly TV and Newspapers - the correspondences for each crossing over to write in advance and in review for each the same day. I guess the Racing Post offices were nearish to where mum lived , the Publication I found out being founded by Brough Scott - the ITV commentator as a cheaper cover price competitor to long established Sporting Life a stablemate of the Daily Mirror/Sunday Mirror group and argueably was one of the competitions that cut revenue - advertising etc - off Robert Maxwells BPCC ( there is an irony that Rupert Murdoch media too ended up tipping Maxwell over the edge - yet Murdoch still around to back/criticise Trump/Epstien/G Maxwell oh how things are connected - but I digress). Racecourse Technical Services were also passed by on the bus to Kingston - I think being originally part of Decca - later Racal - before being sold off . They mainly provided the photo(camera) for the photo finish but I guess also arranged data and broadcast feeds for BBC , ITV and the Betting Office networks / Tote ad similar wire information services.
While I was working for a telecoms company a few of our customers were the stud and breeding and training stables in the newmarket area and with a boss a little more interested in races Cheltenham and Ascot were days out networking with other potential customers , a bag of sand for play money and come back with a decent order for a new system or sign up to our data services was a good way to get business cheaper than advertising.
At one time local buses from mums would reach to Epsom Downs but ever since the berlin wall that is now the london surrey border was put up the town centre is the closest one can get on a single fare , a walk up the hill on a Saturday of the present Derby Day event is something I could do until recently , summer drives up there when no racing on and it was good for kite flying. Walking up the hill and again more breeders and trainers but somewhat diminished in number as the money from housing development is exceeding the guineas from the win .

Peter O'Sullevan Durdans Handicap Stakes Tuesday 31st May 1960


A little bit of history I put together from a mix of working for a couple of days in the Epsom area and the internet and searches were not easy to do

Apostle - Riden by Arthur Edward "Scobie" Breasley

Peter Mentions the race, The Durdans Handicap. in one of his autobiographies Calling The Horses: A Racing Autobiography In That the BBC did a commentary covering the Derby. The Derby Camera Angles as the Durdan's was the last race the previous day (Tuesday 31st May 1960) run over the Derby Distance, Peter had 'Napped' Apostle in his newspaper(Daily Express?) racing column, and as the idea was to check the racing angles Peter's commentry he claims was on the lines of, 'Go on my son' to the horse (and rider). I presume that a proper commentary was wanted and Peter had to go to ( or get HMV who were the BBC nominated company for BBC output at the time ) to provide some kind of recording facility to overdub the BBC Film if wanted for Export !

Actually I re-listened to the Track and Peter over emphasises his partiality for Apostle in the book, the recording just seems to say'Go-On Scobie Boy' and Apostle was not mentioned much in the opening length of the race. The mention of the camera angle I presume is that Peter would be commentating using field glasses but also glancing at the TV monitor.

The 1960 Derby Meeting was the first televised by the BBC since 1938, though Film companies (Movietone, Pathe and similar) would have covered it and would do so for a few more years. So in all the record is a little piece of rare history.

"Durdans" was a house in Epsom once owned by Sir Gilbert Heathcote (Heathcote is also an area of Epsom and probably a race too )who owned a Derby Winner - Cicero , he then sold the house and land to the 5th Earl of Rosebery http://www.thedurdansliverystables.co.uk/history who went on to train and own 3 Derby Winners from the stables he built there.

[Whyperion]

One is also near at mums the likes of Sandown Park - where the grandstand has a decent antiques fair once a week (As does Brighton Racecourse - another breezy location atop the south downs with the channel a few hundred yards away ) and Kempton Park. Doncaster Racecourse opposite Doncaster Corporation Transport department and was used as a test track for the proposed new trolleybuses in the early 1980s but funding didnt extend to a reinstatment of trolleybuses in yorkshire.
I have probably ridden , not in anger , the odd pony but this man and beast dont go together. Mum was effectively evacuated in WW2 to Devon but revisted the family every holiday and the father was quite a small chap and would compete in local gymkhanas around Dartmoor up to the North Devon Coast , I think we went to one of the town shows that covered the county over the summer at weekends one holiday.
Back in 1968 Marion Mould has competed in the Olympics at showjumping in Mexico 1968 with a little horse (apparently a pony) Stroller and the BBC feed by satellite was fascinating though difficult to hear on a 405line TV set. This resulted in the early 1970s driving down to Hickstead in Sussex for the British Showjumping Derby Saturday . this would have qualifying rounds for the Sunday finale . but the grounds covered another five arenas with events for various ages of juniors and veterans ( both horse and rider combinations ) extensive sales of tack and memorabilia and heavy sponsorship from The Field magazine and Embassy Cigarettes. There was also a cross country course there but I dont think I saw it in use . I met quite a few riders walking the course in the main arena including the Shockomolas( ?) from Germany, Marion Mould, Harvey Smith and David Broome and also commentator David Vine. Viewing could be from standing near the side of arena or a main scaffold stand to one end furthest from the entry for competitors. There was a more expensive lower stand to one side in front of the podium where prizes would be awarded , I assume a lot of competitors families were also in that. With the general disappearance of such live events from BBC I think the sport may have lost its wider appeal and interest and I moved on to other things but still something to write about.
I seem to remember the Jilly Cooper Book.Film ? "Riders" supposedly about the sport , but to me there was the mix of something more than an upper class country set , more general farming folk that had a skill and talent. Of course the horses couldnt talk , and I understand some training methods may have been cruel so which competed under sufference and which actually enjoyed - as the tests were more than just highest jump widest or biggest drops but some had agility and other speed one would choose which horse/s best suited and quite simply a disgruntled full size horse can inflict a lot of damage on a small rider or trainer.