Things I miss about Racing in the 70s & 80s

Still in Tenerife workrider back for leopardstown.

Okay enjoy the rest of your holiday and I'll see you at Leopardstown ...

andrewinsweden...In the early noughties I went to a VicChandler hospitality day at Huntingdon for the P'Boro chase.

At my table I sat next to a lovely looking woman in her mid 50's who had on, I recall, a skirt split right up the back revealing a pair of great legs - albeit from behind. Anyway, I digress!

Her husband was with her and during the afternoon's conversations it emerged that he had owned the runner-up to Mutts Silver in the 1976 Greyhound Derby.

I remembered it so well because I had left school the day before the race and started work the following Monday as a trainee reporter on a long-gone East London newspaper. But on that Greyhound Derby Saturday my dad had me help him clear the very wide and very dirty gutters of a very high up cash and carry, also in East London - dad was a builder / handyman.

Anyway, that very day was the first of the 1976 blazing summer heatwave and we were going over to the White City that night. But Dad took poorly because of us working in the heat and we couldn't go.

Hence, that day has stayed in my mind and when I found out at Huntingdon from the runner's up owner what he would have won that night but for Mutts it cemented it all the more!! Great, great days.


Jimnast - yes, listening to Cauthen was always a pleasure and how Cecil must have enjoyed if after Lester's mumbles!!

The Knight,

I stopped reading after 'a great pair of legs'

I can't remember name of the runner-up at the moment, but i know it was odds-on. When Mutts Silver broke well (he was generally a fast starter anyway) and went a few lengths clear down the back straight i knew he would win.

You missed the final because of heat, and we almost did the same due to traffic on the Western Avenue (might be renamed now).

Certainly were good days.

fond memories there of the dog Mutts Silver as he was the first dog i followed and also Pineapple Grand around the same time

Runner up was An Irish dog called Ballybeg Prim...at 4/5...

The Racehorse Silver Tankard.

Julian Wilson.

Can you imagine the chances of Julian getting a job at the BBC these days?

A Million as a former owner of Denman might say.

Everything is worse.


Mirrors life I suppose.

The Knight,

Yes, that's the one, i think he was unbeaten in the Derby up to the final, a decent Greyhound.

One of his kennelmates was Shamrock Point (i think he ran in the same Derby) who was sire of my very first dog, Claremont Point, bought at White City sales and raced at Slough and Reading.

Silver Buck.

Standing right by the last @ Carlisle with my Dad watching Dorlesa and Lucky Victory battling it out.

doing tote bets that didnt go into the pool, especially small-field ppots.

Standing at the First which was also the final fence at Folkestone, Hearing the likes of Ray Goldstein ,Roger Rowell, Gary Moore & Ron Atkins shouting,
''Effing slow down, Out the way''. and 'Gerrrrronnnn' as they jumped the first in a 20 runner novice chase over 2m5f

Sporting Life (at a working man's price!)
Timeform Black Book.
Binoculars and no big screens.
No Racing Channels, so if you saw something in the paddock or during a race, you knew you had an edge.
Leafy Lingfield being gorgeous rather than an empty sandpit.
Kempton being an important venue other than boxing day - the 5f track down the middle!
As a youngster, having a go at the ITV7 in the early 70s with Dickie Davies.
Evening Standard for an early look at tomorrow's runners and riders, and the 'stop press' for latest results.

The placepot not going into the pool is a good one.
Hills were the last high street firm to do that and the independents as well of course. We had E.Coomes shops nearby, John Humphreys had one in Beckenham, A.R.Dennis had a few as well fairly local.

Agree with all that fairweather except I certainly don’t miss the 5 f track at kempton.

Jimnast, I know what you mean, much like Sandown’s, a bit of an anomaly - but I do miss that April meeting (Queens Vase, Masada Stakes, Easter Stakes, etc) on turf, first proper flat meeting of the season for us southerners.

i was sorry when hills started it. the manager in there took to to doing it himself elsewhere-coomes i think but they told him to do one after he started winning

Yes it was always a good day that I use to go when it preceded the craven meeting,I remember going from kempton on to Newmarket and seeing niche win the nell gwyn but the real star of the show that day was a horse making his debut at the age of 3 in a maiden to finish of the card a well backed favourite who won very impressively just over 6 weeks later he won the derby.

The old boy playing an accordion with a collection cap after the last at the exit of Towcester, Stratford, Warwick & Worcester.

There is still a bagpiper doing the same at York and Doncaster saxon

Jimnast

18.08 Morston ?

Yes I was there that day, CIC of course. Good old Niche, had a very large bet on him later that year in the Falmouth at the July meeting. Lester guiding her home in the Lord Carnarvon silks - heady days!

No Andrew that was early 70s it was commander in chief

Sayadati finished behind niche at Newmarket but turned the tables in the 1,000 guineas

commander in chief?

Hamas beaten in the abernant that day went on to win the July cup they were good days at Newmarket.

Anyway great thread off out now

sorry jimnast. I didn't see your post...honestly! CiC was the first bet I had on my Tote Credit account. He beat a very strong favourite at Epsom also owned by Prince Khalid. Can't recall the name

Tenby, Also Cecil’s.

Tenby, Also Cecil’s.

Does anyone remember David Coleman "outing" the wee guy who had somehow managed for several years to walk into the winning area of the Grand National with whatever connections had won it.?  It must have been a thrill for the fella while he got away with it.

Indie shops that would negotiate for your business.
Pubs where you could get plenty more on than you can on the high st now, no tax.
Sensible amount of fixtures and horses in training even in the middle of summer.

Concrete posts,wooden rails,pin firing,hobdaying,tracks as hard as the M1,knackers van instead of horse ambulances,Cahervillahow and Sagace = Thank christ some things are left in the past!!!

jimnast

sorry for the late reply just got in after a full day, the answer is yes i still go to the worlds greatest meeting being going for about 4 decades will be there Tues Wed and Thursday  can still remember the first winner i backed had a fiver on with Ted Sturman Carlingford Castle was the horse. i used to stay at castle at Windsor  the hotel not the castle  itself .know i stay in Waterloo just sat having a glass of chablis  thinking there is not a better feeling  than backing a few winners then letting your vocal chords rip arm in arm with a pretty girl to the tune of hey Jude around the bandstand. in the 80s i used to go in the Royal Enclosure for the week, the guy who proposed me was a guy called Geoff Greenwood a massive guy and a massive punter had a few good horses do you recall him.looking forward to the Dante meeting have a word with your pal the bookmaker who comes on here to introduce me to you and well have a glass or 2 .enjoy the rest of your holiday.

No Andrew that was early 70s it was commander in chief

Thanks Jimnast. I mentioned Morston due to the thread title, but i probably wouldn't have got CiC anyway, even though i was a big HRAC fan.

Hi Andrew. Talking about Morston, he was trained by Arthur Budgett who I applied to for a job but he passed me on to Dick Hern. Luckily.

When Morston first won at Lingfield my mate, who is now sadly suffering from dementia, had everything he had on Kinglet who he looked after and finished 2nd well clear of the third. He forever went on about meeting an unknown Derby winner when he had his biggest bet. I think Kinglet was one of Bustino's pacemakers in Grundy's King George.

Hi Laurie,

You may know anyway, but Morston was half brother to Blakeney, another Epsom Derby winner.

Arthur Budget was of the opinion Morston was better of the two, so Kinglet may have been beaten by a decent one.

The Silver Ring (four bob), no concerts after racing,crowds actually interested in the racing, jockeys not plastered with adverts.

Kinglet certainly was 1 of the pacemakers in that King George along with Highest.
Still the greatest race in my living memory .
Think Kinglet went 1st @ a blistering pace for about 1st 1/2 mile before Highest took up the gauntlet for the next 1/2 closely followed by Bustino who went on to try and draw the sting out of Grundy.
Tremendous battle up the straight which unfortunately left a mark on both of them.
Grundy ran once more getting turned over @ long odds on by Dahlia in the Benson & Hedges @ York.
Dont think Bustino ever ran again.

Wasn't £1.6 million yes is absolutely correct spent Everyone's Turf campaign failed to reverse the trend of falling attendances last summer shirley heads will roll giz a job I can do that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWQF7yAdgP8

Am I right in saying that whilst it was certainly regarded as one of the greatest head to head races ever see that shrewd onlookers were alarmed at how much damage it may have done to both horses - Grundy and Bustino.  Shame we never saw either at their best again.

Thanks Ronnie

Don’t recall Geoff greenwood but do remember carlingford castle he chased home tenosso in the derby ,a future Arlington million winner down the field,carlingford castle reminded me of the minstrel with all that white about.

Regarding singing hey Jude along with a pretty girl after racing was indeed great fun ,I was lucky to be there at the greatest after racing singalong royal ascot has ever had ,it was the opening day of the meeting in 1982 just a day after Argentina had surrendered the falklands it was when people brought there own union jacks and draped them over all the different balconies of the old stands ,in those days I as a young man and as always around the front of the bandstand with a bottle of champagne nowadays I’m right at the back drinking a pint of Stella very happy memories though .

Geoff

At the time of Grundy I had a friend working at seven barrows he said Grundy needed helping down from the horse box. That night after the king George that race finished him as it did with nashwan after his battle with the guy harwood horse I’m not even going to attempt to spell who himself was beaten at York next time when heavy odds on.

Geoff Bustino would possibly have won had Riboson not gone wrong just before the race. He was best of the three supposed pacemakers and was to go third and take Bustino well into the straight but Bustino had to go long before they wanted. Joe never used his whip unlike Eddery. Bustino never ran again and was retired.

Hi Andrew, I did know I also knew both Morston and Blakeney were named after villages in Norfolk. We built a house not far from them.

Brigust

Was you still with the major when nashwan was around or when Troy was around who for me in terms of form and performance on the day put up the best derby performance I’ve have ever seen.

Laurie, Arthur Budgett named quite a few of his horses after villages in Norfork (i wouldn't have a clue where Blakeney and Morston are).

No, Jim. I left when BG went to stud but I do agree about Troy. My brother in law did their other horse, the Queen's, his name escapes me, and I think they made it favourite. They shouldn't have run Troy at York I think it cost him the Arc.

Milford.

Yes Milford very brave of Willie to get of the 2 nd favourite owned by the queen .

Carson getting off the Queen's horse to ride Troy was a tip in itself.Was the SP 7/1?

Milford was favourite in the build up to Epsom but on the day ela mana mou went of favourite in fact by the time of the off Troy was shorter than Milford I should think due to willies decision even though lester rode Milford.

Second again I have cheated by looking at the race Troy was 6/1 I seem to remember him been around 10s the week before

Troy as far as I can remember is the last horse to win the predomate stakes at goodwood and go on to win at epsom

Troy as far as I can remember is the last horse to win the predomate stakes at goodwood and go on to win at epsom

Thanks Jimnast,I was working on a building site on Tottenham Court Road at the time.A workmate knew I had backed Troy and came back after the race and said Troy had won.I was pleased till I asked him was it a close race and he said he won by 7 or 8 lengths,I did not believe him and thought he was taking the piss.

Jimnast,

Not just the last to do the Predominate (aka Cocked Hat now) and Derby double, but the only one ever to do it.

Yes it was an amazing performance second again some considered the toilet roll thrown from one of the buses spoked him which made him quicken like that ,personally I thought that’s utter nonsense .

Decent midweek racing and horses being run more. Haydock had some good races which have basically disappeared now.

Thanks anorak I should nothing has even ran well in the derby since either although I do remember peacetime running ok at Epsom.

Thanks anorak I should nothing has even ran well in the derby since either although I do remember peacetime running ok at Epsom.

Should think

Khalifa Sat in 2020 went on to finish second at Epsom behind that runaway 50/1 shot from Coolmore. It's a definition of the lack of quality that year, that he's now standing at stud with a fee of 2,000 euros.

Go back a bit further and Rewilding and Storm of Stars both managed third at Epsom.

second again, shocking, im horrified, honestly, working when The Derby is on!!

jimnast..I was also at Royal Ascot that day in 1982. You are spot on. The news about the Falklands came through in the morning and everyone was so happy, relieved, and proud to be British. I briefly stood next to Brough Scott under the grandstand watching a news bulletin and can still recall him saying to me 'Rudyard Kipling was right. to be born an Englishman is to draw first prize in life's lottery!'

That singalong was magic and, at the tender age of 22 then, I recall thinking that this is an historic day. Absolutely brilliant afternoon.


On a more general note, the clash between Grundy and Bustino did break both horses. I know someone will have the answer on here within minutes, but who recalls the third horse home in that race? That animal was certainly not ill affected by the race and went on to win some further big prizes.

Dahlia?

Yup...Dahlia.

have to agree about white city , balinska  band  and sarahs bunny winning  the derby with  john white main bookie taking chunks.also agree how much better the plots were  with those  small concourse pools only. biggest funk  if it looked like  paying big was hoping for someone to have it  to get  divi returned,  jay  place pot carry overs, argh thing of the past

Does anyone remember those '**** of the North' flatcaps with the jockey's name on ?

The knight

Kipling was right

Very appropriate the Queen Anne winner that afternoon was trained by sir Henry and ridden by lester.

I should have remembered rewilding anorak he was a horse I thought a lot of his win in the prince of wales was magical.

Aga Khan and Fulke Johnson Houghton going through a season with a 45% strike rate with 3yos. Great shame when the AK moved out of GB.

Summer jumping consisting of just a few August meetings with about 20 runners  at Devon & Exeter and Newton Abbot  Francome and Smith Eccles cleaning up on John Jenkins shorties.

As a young Betting Shop manager in Ayrshire, I remember the 1977 Derby very well. The shop packed, punters roaring their heads off...as Piggott on The Minstrel and Carson on Hot Grove battled it out in the final furlong...the Longfella giving his mount the machine gun treatment in the final 50 yards....he'd have got 'sine died' for the ride today! The Blower commentary from Extel's Glasgow office was brilliant...the punters were in a frenzy as...'Piggott and Carson went at it hammer and tongs!'Take a bow,Eddie Morrison fae Burnside...I can still picture your commentary....nearly 46 years later!

We were living in rented furnished accommodation in London 1977 but had just bought our first house in Sussex. I took possession of an empty house the day before the Derby with just a few clothes and a bean bag and my wife was following with small removal van with what possessions we had. On Wednesday morning I went out and got our first piece of new furniture - a TV. Phoned in a reasonable bet on The Minstrel and sat in our first (virtually empty) house on a beanbag and watched the Derby on my own. Sort of weird but memorable.

Dougie Fraser as well,you could hear sirens in the background

Dougie Fraser "Russian Winter making rapid late headway "

Epic commentaries.

Scottish Daily Express pull out Racing Section.

That fine actress Linda Lovelace attending Royal Ascot in 1974 in some eyecatching outfits. I'm pretty sure she also popped into Lords to cheer up the Members. (Did you see what I did there?).

I'm sure that the photos will be online somehwere at those Archive Image type websites. And probably a few more 'specialist' websites for discerning viewers.

The late Dougie found in a river….not good..

The characters and the vibe they added  to the on course experience,especially mid week.

Or/and to allow those who can't actually attend to continue indulging their interest in the game.
And the library of race recordings at our disposal today is simply fantastic.

Julio Mariner I told everyone I worked with that she would win the Leger and nobody listened!  On the day it was a bit of an upset ( to the media at least ) but he was by Blakeney and I thought was sure to stay.  He was only rated about 8 lbs or so below Try My Best/Ile de Bourbon so clearly had an each way chance with his inherent stamina.  I had also backed his full sister Juliette Marny to win the Oaks and couldn't overlook this one.
Was he Eddie Hide's sole Classic winner?

eddie hide rode mrs mcardy to win 1000 gns

So he did.  Thank you.

I purchased an old jockey board  from Ponte for a donation to charity. They were great at organising it for me.  It's now a garden feature.

Brilliant.  I bet the missus loves it!

Hide also rode Morston to win the 1973 Derby.

Hide rode Cantelo to win the Leger a couple of days after being beaten in the Park Hill around 1960. I believe the filly was owned by William Hill.These things don't happen nowadays.

Racing then was FUN and exciting. The connections were genuine, and no multi-declaration.; bookies were accommodating and professional and pleasant. 

Now, the above are gone!!

Thanks Tommy.  He rode in the era of Piggott, Mercer, Carson, Eddery etc; and whilst he was regularly ( I believe ) coq of the north and a very accomplished jockey he somehow never quite grabbed one's full appreciation.

Great Metropolitan Handicap when it was 2¼ miles.  It was the highlight of one of the 3 days of the Epsom spring meeting.  It was a famous old race, but was also a prep race for the Chester Cup.

Impossible with respect , that 10:16 post takes nostalgia to a different level

At the time of Grundy I had a friend working at seven barrows he said Grundy needed helping down from the horse box. That night after the king George that race finished him as it did with nashwan after his battle with the guy harwood horse I’m not even going to attempt to spell who himself was beaten at York next time when heavy odds on.

Cacoethes?

^ Should have sent it to Martin Pipe ...

He would have had it running through brick walls - inside a fortnight.

Another answer to the original post. Being young enough to work on the farm for 4 hours, quick shower, 50 mile drive to a racecourse, back some winners, drive home, change and back to work from 5-6pm until jobs completed and still feel full of energy! It seemed so easy back then.

White dog poo. Never see it these days. Shocking omission

The Dog Men will remember this Bet The Famous 8 Unplaced