Basher at Romford Tonight ....

Nothing worse.......you instantly think "I hope nobody heard me"....but they did and they all think the same thing

I once had plenty on a quite (locally) brilliant 700 yards scratch handicapper in an open 700 level start on Edinburgh Cup Final night. Black beauty called Blunder.  Can’t remember the price exactly but it was as close to a third fav. certainty as I’d ever divined.  I had once seen it come away first in a 500 and KNEW when it popped out even the decent southern raiding open racers wouldn’t catch it.  I had a big bet for the time on it.  Out it came, led around one and two, was fully six clear at the third ( the hare sough bend ) and I’m going hairy.  Then one of those wtf is happening moments, you know, mixed with the eefs -grief and disbelief, as he slowed to almost a halt at that bend.  Couldn’t believe my eyes as the other five raced by and he tried to give renewed chase, now ten behind.  Absolutely gutted.  The RM checked its card over the weekend and reported in the Evening News on the Monday night that the dog had never led at that bend without the hare stopping and just did what he always did.
The next year’s Edinburgh Cup saw it in the same race against the same level of southern open racers.  I watched it closely on the parade.  When they stopped to wait on the starter the dog suddenly jumped four feet in the air,  then did it again. It was LOUPING!  I knew it was on and had a score at 20’s, then another.  If it gets beat, it gets beat. Led all the way. 
True story.  One of my favourite memories.

His dog is out at Suffolk tonight in an open , Wonder if hes going ?

Brill LH.

No story of that calibre but years ago when I was a regular as Wimbledon the old S2 grade always fascinated me. Most dogs would run against each other week in week out and invariably each had their turn, albeit a weak grade and dogs you could hardly sell yet I was always drawn to races with the extended trip.

I loved a dog that stayed rather than pinged early, and always followed an old boat called TOOTING BECKY.
She was owned by Lord David Lipsey who worked for the GRB and I would on occasions meet him through work. I often asked about the dog but in all truth he wouldn't have known her mouth from her tail. I still believe it was a PR stunt to give the impression he was as in love with the game as us normal punters were.

Anyhow, th rqce that springs to mins was one where i believed with a clear run round the first two bends she would have a right old chance. There was Becky in T2 and another old plodder in T6 whos name escapes me....disregard my above....I have just found the race. To my eye she came there swinging into the last about to go past the 6 but she never did.
I had placed my biggest bet in a very long time and gave it the old "AI AI AI".....

Mortified

No worse feeling and has stuck with me ever since.














country      United Kingdom    stadium      Wimbledon    race name      KINGSTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE STAKES
full meeting             
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date      21 FEB 2006    race      12 22:15    going      -0.15
distance      668 m / 731 y    type      flat_race    grade      S2
winner      0 £    second      0 £    third      0 £
trackrecord      40.52 sec    Black Pear    2 JUL 2005
fastest of year      40.70 sec    Greenacre Lin    23 MAY 2006
last q best      41.13 sec    Fabulous Sophie    29 OCT 2005
this q best      40.94 sec    Star of Dromin    14 MAR 2006
q avg wintime      42.51 sec    avg time      42.89 sec    this q 126 dogs
comment     

fin    name    sex    dob    color    sire    dam    time    dist    stime    box    posts    sp    kg    comment
1st    Local Joy    f    APR 2002    BKW    Kiowa Shawnee So *    Shining Sun    42.37         16.10    6    1222    3/1         Wide, LdTo1, CmAg6
2nd    Tooting Becky    f    NOV 2002    BK    Larkhill Jo    Droopys Shauna    42.45    1    16.24    4    5443    9/4F         Middle, RnOn
3rd    Staley Star    f    AUG 2003    WF    Toms the Best    Aunt Maggie    42.47    HD    15.95    2    3111    7/2         RlsToMid, Led2To6
4th    Sky Deva    f    APR 2003    BK    Droopys Kewell    Dream Deva    42.53    ¾    16.34    5    6555    9/2         Middle, RnOn
5th    Fine Dancer    f    NOV 2002    WF    Concorde Direct    Rockglen Raven    42.65    1 ½    16.38    1         6/1         Crd1&5, Stb6, RnOn
6th    Best Dancer    m    MAR 2001    BK    Toms the Best    Code Dancer    42.66    SH    16.20    3    4334    4/1         Middle, Crd1

Bad luck Horatio.  It’s the disbelief that burns it into the memory.   
We’re sixteen, something like that, and my mate’s old man likes the drink and goes after the second last, leaving a score for the last race evens fav.  I did everything I could to convince Smithy not to play and keep the dough.  Roam The Prairie it was called.  He would have none of it.
Fell out, no show, full of something but definitely not racing juice.  He even kept the bookie’s card in case his old man wanted it!
Shocking tale I agree but he was chit-scared of his boozing old man.
The bookies at Powderhall were brilliant patrons of charity nights and big Open nights and every so often the management threw them last race bonanzas like this one, as thank yous, I came to learn.