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The year Tromos ran in the Craven
The year Tromos ran in the Craven
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Replies: 193
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Id have thought that"Not staying" would have been the least of Lesters problems on him
 Retaining ones limbs would have been a top priority  |
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Jellaby was officially classified as a roan. He was a good horse and won the Brigadier Gerard on two occasions in 1977 and 1979.
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He only bit other horses but the quote epitomised to me the brilliance of Lester in that despite the kerfuffle he was able to give a correct assessment of the horse.
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Was he banned from Breeding as well Wildman??? something distant tells me he was
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Not that i recall but i have never seen anything by him so you could be right.
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Exactly WMFB. There was nobody better than Lester for telling it as it is.
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It is a skill that seems to have gone.
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Geoff M has got it...Marinsky savaged Relkino in the Diomed...forgot just what a bad 'un Marinsky was!
Jellaby in the Lockinge...not long into my punting 'career' then and had £2 on him. Was already used to being short-headed but that was the first time I had to cope with a certain winner encountering defeat from nowhere. Been a few since then. |
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Walter Swinburne rode Ajdal in the Guineas where he didn`t stay but he failed to notice and then rode him in the Derby when finally the penny dropped for Michael Stoute,he later won the July Cup.
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I think marinski died of a twisted gut(alledgedly) later that year
You wouldnt have wanted him as a stallion but the insurance would have been o.k(or am im just an old cynic?) |
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Talking of Lester P. I was at Newbury once in the early 1980's when he literally lifted a horse home in a photo, giving it the full Piggot treatment throughout the last half a furlong.
As he came into what used to be the winner's enclosure in front of the old weighing room the photo was still to be announced. The trainer seemed in no doubt though and I heard him say to a dismounting Lester 'Will it stay another furlong..what do you think?' If my memory serves me correctly, Lester replied 'If it ever fu**ing recovers from this it will'. With that he took his saddle and walked off, just as the photo gave him the verdict. The trainer was left looking totally aghast. You could just see how stupid Lester thought the question was given the race the animal had just run. Lester is a one-off and a sportsman that was totally confident in his own ability. |
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Amazing Blackbarn,Pauli,Geoff m,Zilzal1,Dunlaying,ged,Onlooker all the good posters on the one thread and after that last contribution i am adding The Knight to the list.
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WMFB
Thank you... Proper racing fans and a proper thread. I used to contribute to a lot more threads but packed in and rarely look at the forum now because it is so full of sh*t...'10p to £10,000' 'Hang this jockey, hang that jockey' 'I couldn't get my XX on at XX with this bookie, that bookie' and more... Christ, just read that back. I really do sound like an old g*t! |
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Lester could give both tender and tough rides,Petite Etoile for the former and The Minstrel the latter,despite the hard races The Minstrel kept coming back for more.Lester knew when it was neccessary and knew when it wasn`t,he was the best reader of a race and a horse and to me the best flat jockey.
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Another dodge was Centurius of Stoutes, looked the world as a 2yo, think it won the Royal Lodge as a 2yo, cost Swinburn the ride on Shergar at the Curragh after a barging match with Bustomi at the Royal meeting
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Your back to Lester again,the beneficiary.
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Wildman Ajdal brings back memories of the July Cup had an annual pilgrimmage to Newmarket for most of 80s for the July Cup from Marwell to Ajdal.
The day of Ajdals victory Id been up Warren Hill watching the early morning gallops went into town around 8/8.30 for a coffee & who should be sat in the coffee shop Cash Asmussen who rode Bluebird into 3rd later in the day. Never asked him for his autograph!! What a mug! |
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The Minstrel took some tough old races as a 3yo, think they were wise(they did have Alleged for the second half of the 77 season
) to leave him be after the King George |
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I backed Hot Grove in 1977 WMFB and I'm certain that no other jockey then or now would have won on The Minstrel. The air was blue at the time but Lester gave The Ministrel a fantastic ride as did Willie Carson on Hot Grove.
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I agree also Roberto,he unwittingly made a show of poor Ernie Johnson.
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Agree with regards to Lester.
However his finest ride for me was Commanche Run in the Benson & Hedges @ York when he gradually wound up the pace all the way up the straight keeping the great Oh So Sharp @ bay Was in a local Ladbrokes when it was announced over tannoy lester would be riding The Minstrel(he had been doubtfull) @ Epsom and nipped out to local independants & took 12/1 for the Derby. |
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Was there ever a harder jockey to get past than Willie Carson.
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Zil was Centurious owned by the same guy who had Connaught Ranger (hurdler) with the Rimells?
Seem to recall the colours Yellow (black diamond i think) black sleeves |
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As Lester moved into the twilight of his career, I became a fan of Steve Cauthen. I always noticed the contrast in whip styles. Lester was rat-a-tat-tat with some big, big swipes when needed but Cauthen would always give the horse a stride or two to respond. I still think that Cauthen won more races than anyone else on front-runners which had been headed but then came back for more.
Not long after Cauthen took over from Piggot at Cecil's I was at Newmarket on the Rowley Mile and backed a Cecil / Cauthen short un'. The horse won with Cauthen having played cat and mouse almost from the get go. I had had a cash bet on the rails with a very well known bookie and when I went to draw we chatted briefly about the race. I always thought, though, his opening comment was significant.. '...now Cecil has got a jock who will do what he tells him!'.... |
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I think it was, funnily enough Shergar was, at tone time a third string as a 2yo behind that one and Robellino(who im sure was fav for the futurity)
Some great rides mentioned and great judges of pace, thees not many i like riding from the front nowdays, although(and id admit he's not everyones cup of tea) i do like Ahern on a front runner, he's no bad judge of pace over the longer trips |
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at ONE time ffs
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I always admired Cauthen and for him to come to England and learn the vagaries of all the great courses there was impressive,the one dimensional aspect of American racing puts me off it.
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Steve was all class imo, cant remember the last jock who's made all in a Epsom Derby, i was there for the 1st and for me that time was magical, used to go racing all over Europe then and had some great pics, sadly over time ive lost them, the best being a head on at the Curragh of El Gran Senor beating Rainbow Quest
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Sad loss that ZIl.
I replied to an advert in the Life in the early 80s to supply a guy with videos(VHS) of English Flat racing gutted didnt get copies. However he repayed me in more way than 1 as he was a freelance photgrapher from Holland who came over for Derby & also went to the Arc so he furnished me with some superb black & white photos of Troy/Shirley Heightrs/The Minstrel /Shergar/Golden Fleece/Teenoso |
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I don't think i've seen EGS beating Rainbow Quest in the Irish Derby since the day, would love to see it again.
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Anyone used to get the "Ed Byrne" racing year?? he only did 3 seasons if i remember rightly, some great ones though, think i gave all my collection of them and Racehorses away when i spend a couple of years in the far east in the 90s
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Sure its on you tube Gerald, i remember the day well, Moscow Ballet won the big 2yo race(Railway stakes??) whilst Princess Pati won on the card, was so impressed with her that i backed her when she beat the English Oaks winner Circus Plume in the Irish equivalent a couple of weeks later
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0_OPnvPip8
There you go |
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El Gran Senor 2000 Guineas and Irish Derby 1984 enjoy:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0_OPnvPip8 |
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Beat me to it zilzil1. What a horse!
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You are right zilzal. The 1980's. esepcially the middle bit, was magic for me as well.
Went all over, Brighton to York to Longchamp (there for Dancing Brave's Arc and it still sends shivers up my spine as he mows down one of the strongest fields ever). Looking back now though, I can hardly believe that I could be trying to sort out the winner of a seller at Brighton one day and the 1,000GNS winner the next, all via the form book! Other than the odd day at the track, I concentrate soley on Group races now and following Wednesday's major disappointment with Pimepernel, I am delighted to report my faith was restored yesterday with Trumpet Major...and through leaving Twice Over alone because it looked just a shade too short. Racing still doesn't feel like it used to though and that makes me sad. However, Thirsk tomorrow is one of the days I like to visit so perhaps, if the weather holds up and I do go, it will cheer me up!!! Great thread. |
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Its an age thing though, we were more wide eyed,optimistic and didnt sit on a computer half the day or have multiple tv channels so we actually went out
There is the overkill on too much racing so i stick with Weekends and festivals and its served me well, i do concentrate on handicaps from 7-10f though Agree, great thread though |
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Fantastic thread lads thanks to all contributors. Agree with Knight and zilzal1 racing is not the same as it was and there is far too much of it.
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Any of you lot remember the immortal 1971 2000 Guineas (some argue the most important race of the 20th Century) when Brigadier Gerard defeated Mill Reef and My Swallow?
Well quiz fans, what never-reported event that took place just before the race (I saw it happen) possibly gave the Brigadier a vital edge? |
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Minsky's tail swishing cooled the Brig down for 10 Mins before the start??
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