1975 Cheltenham festival

Hi Jimnast,wasn't it called off after the Gold cup won by Ten Up?

Yes it was.
The 3 abandoned races were
The Sun Alliance Steeplechase
The County Handicap Hurdle
The Cathcart Champion Hunters Steeplechase

Hello ribero a bit to long ago for me to remember that festival I’ve just been reading about the gay future affair and it comes up in that ,apparently arrests were made at the queens on the Tuesday when racing didn’t take place.

I know the ground was desperate when ten up won as I have seen that gold cup.


Cheers Saxon so are you confirming what ribero says about abandoning the last 3 races after the gold cup I know when I started going  the meeting finished with the Cathcart and the county hurdle which in my opinion should still do.

1975 was the year when the heavily-backed Irish hotpot Kilmakilloge got turned over by another well-backed Irish horse Bannow Rambler.

That’s correct jimnast.
I was surprised to discover that The Cathcart in 1975 at least was the name given to The Hunter Chase!

Off topic a little, but the 70's was an incredible decade for Cheltenham Champion Hurdlers, Persian War, Bula, Lanzarote, Comedy of Errors, Monksfield, and maybe the best of all, Night Nurse. How would these run against the current favourite.

It was actually a different Hunter Chase.
The Foxhunter Challenge Cup Steeplechase was run over 4 miles on the Wednesday and won by Real Rascal.

I attended the 75 gold cup was 16 god it was so cold and wet was soaked to the skin, I had backed a horse called Brown lad in the Sun Alliance always remember that.

The 1975 Sun Alliance Chase probably goes into the record books as it was abandoned twice during Festival week - Tuesday then Thursday. But went ahead at the third attempt when it was run on the second day of the April meeting, won by Pengrail (Winter/Francome).

Up to 1973, that second hunter chase over 3m 2f, had been run as the United Hunts Challenge Cup. In 1974, something had to be dropped from the program to make way for the new Joe Coral Golden Hurdle Final, and the United Hunts was the one to go.

Presumably there was uproar, so the original Cathcart Chase was altered to be a hunter chase - not sure how long that change lasted though.

Knot in wood brown lad went on to win 3 Irish grand nationals


Cheers anorak hadn’t realised that although I am aware the April meeting was and probably still is there in case of the whole meeting been postponed,also midnight court won the gold cup in April.

So did they race Tuesday anyone?

No, there was no racing on the Tuesday, but most of the races were transferred to the following two days. One that was lost completely from the Tuesday was the N H Chase, aka the 4 miler.

Bula emptying at the 2nd last is still my least favourite moment in racing.

Cheers anorak that’s what the book said I thought it must be right.

I'd forgot the Tuesday was off but it's come back to me now,2nd year myself and some pals had been,we ended up in the Lygon arms all day where they put on a "race night" in the afternoon

You like the lygon arms

Jimnast.

Didnt Mrs Smith get all her Tom stolen there one year.

hope you are well.

Ronnie.

I was there in what I think was 1977. First day was torrential rain and high winds all day. Marquees were blowing down.
Skymas won the Champion Chase

Another little fact about Chltenham that year was that 5yo Sea Pigeon was down to run in the Champion Hurdle, trained by GW Richards and to be ridden by Ron Barry. He was a novice, and was 4 from 4. He was jt 3rd fav in the morning paper behind Comedy Of Errors and Lanzarote. In the event he was a non-runner, presumably on account of the ground.

Haha Jimnast,remember when we we started going to the festival,didn't know the area and a guy in the pub said you lads should go to the Lygon Arms so we used to go for a drink every night ans sometimes most of the night,grat atmosphere like loads of gaffs in those days,always fancied staying

just found the racecard for the wednesday and Brown lad won the now stayers hurdle, was pretty sure he was going to turn out again on the thursday in the sun alliance chase but perhaps it was another good irish horse Davy lad.

just wasted a hour of my life there

Yes I think that’s correct Ronnie if I remember right not that long ago I think black jack ketcham was in training.

Hope your well to Ronnie

My early festivals I stayed in the old new inn ,in bourton on the water ribero it was great fun ,I stayed in bourton for the bula meeting a few years ago it was like gods waiting room.

Yes, Brown Lad was down to run in the Sun Alliance Chase. He was 6/4 fav in the morning paper. Davy Lad won the Sun Alliance Hurdle before the abandonment.

thanks ged( you know everything)

stayers on the wednesday and sun alliance chase 24 hours later, you lucky if they run 2 times a season now.

Yes Jimnast some cracking village pubs/hotels in those days,just had a little break down there for Saturday's racing,while not expecting many there for racing the Cotswolds in particular seem to be doing very well out of all this health wellness fad,everywhere rammed with couples going walking with their dogs and spa weekends of course,very little sign of this cost of living crisis.

No sign of a recession then ribero

I read an article by the ceo of Nat west he said private accounts have never been as healthy.

Ribero

could you believe the Montpellier wine bar has closed for good, as as the top class Indian over the road where you and Hank used to frequent. just thinking nothing lasts for ever.

hope you are well.

Ronnie.

Bit of a tangent, but does anyone know anything about Avec Moi who won the 1974 equivalent of the Supreme Novices?

Maybe it was a shocking renewal, but he went off a very short price favourite off the back of just two novice hurdles. If he ran on the Flat he couldn't have been that good as he started at 33/1 for that jumping debut. I couldn't find anything for him in the following season.

Indeed Jimnast,hi Ronnie,didn't know that,obviously not ventured down there for some time ut used to be great fun.

Montpellier wine closed that is surprising Ronnie thought that would still be going strong although many years since I was in that area

Is the Montpellier newsagent still there ronnie ?

Jimnast

Sad to say the newsagents gone.

The last entry I can find for Avec Moi was a disapointing run in the 1976 Kingwell Pattern Hurdle behind Lanzarote.

I think there are 1975 references if you need them.

Avec Moi it appears missed the 74/75 season with an injury

Ronnie it was in that newsagent I found out about the dunblane massacre,incredibly a full 24 hours after it happening with the India Sri Lanka World Cup semi final and the festival taking place news from the real world did not get around back then.

I cannot find a trace of Avec Moi running after the 1974 Cheltenham win until that 1976 Kingwell Patern Hurdle at Wincanton.

Nor can I find a subsequent run.

Jimnast

i am  amazed that there are any shops left in Montpellier, you would not believe the cost of rent and rates n that area.

Ronnie.

Andrew.in.Sweden • January 29, 2023 12:18 PM GMT
Off topic a little, but the 70's was an incredible decade for Cheltenham Champion Hurdlers, Persian War, Bula, Lanzarote, Comedy of Errors, Monksfield, and maybe the best of all, Night Nurse. How would these run against the current favourite.

Think this is called Nostalgia Andrew, i guess this is when you first got really interested in horse racing, the era you were growing up with and i'm equally sure that each generation would think the same about the decade they really got interested in racing.
Same with music and sport in general i think.

Shazad or Shazan the Indian was called.  There used to be a great little restaurant next door to the old Ladb****s on the same road. Run by a lovely eccentric Frenchman called Andre. He used to let the customers into his kitchen to select and uncork the wine while he cooked. He once cooked and served about  20 people on his own one Festival night when his "front of house" was ill and couldn't attend. Getting very difficult to find anything other than a chain "factory" restaurant in Cheltenham now. Very sad.

Is the Sam smiths pub still on Montpellier?

Avec Moi was with Bernard van Cutsem on the flat. He was lightly-raced, having just one outing as a 2yo. He won first time out as a 3yo, and his next race was the Queens Vase at Royal Ascot where he went off 7/2 2nd fav. He led early in the straight, but was soon overhauled by the winner (Henry Cecil's Falkland) and finished unplaced.

He won 2nd time up over hurdles at Newbury, winning a 19-runner novice by 15 lengths a the 11/8 fav.

The Supreme Novices was his next run - and there was only one Irish runner - a horse of Dan Moore's.

His trainer, Auriol Sinclair, had won the race before.

Jimnast , yes the Sam Smith's pub (The circus bar) is still there. No idea how it survives as very few people seem to frequent it.

That’s the one baldwin65 it’s only small anyway ,had some good times in there especially on the afternoon/ night before the festival .

Thanks alun and ged.

I picked him out because I can remember most Cheltenham winners from that time, but his name didn't ring any bells at all. Although comments suggest he won easily, my guess is that would be one of the poorest renewals of the Supreme, or Lloyds Bank as it was in those days.

Donegal/Jimnast

the Sam smiths pub I think is now called circus bar if its the one straight opposite the queens.

I remember a French restaurant me and the other half used to go to it was run a by a French ruby player and it was called Armagnac, great place food was amazing, it was take over and renamed tarragon still a nice restaurant but sadly its now also closed.

regarding Shezan which was run buy one of our good friends Tony and his brother, sadly it closed and is about to become a fish and chip bar, greatly missed by us, we have tried a couple of Indians in the Montpellier area but they don't compare to that Balti which is a shame.

IMO the best restaurants in Cheltenham are now, Cote for a early/family meal. Mayflower for a Chinese, coconut tree for street food, and if you have had a good day the ivy. petit coco is also very nice but you need to book well in advance.

Yes Ronnie, the rugby player took it over from Andre when Andre moved back to France. There is a lovely family Italian next door to Cote that is well worth trying if you are down there. Primavera. They cook Chicken Milanese for me even though it isn't on the evening menu.

Donegal

will try it in April stop 20 yards from it.

Ronnie.

I've never heard of the Lygon Arms and 15 minutes after reading this thread, I've
just stumbled upon another reference in a totally unconnected video I was just
watching where in the comments section, someone asked where the uploader found
the snow covered footage at Christmas from The Lygon Arms in The Cotswolds.

Amazing coincidence - I now wouldn't be surprised if when I'm out later tonight
someone mentions it as they do say these things come in threes.
Seriously, if that happens I'll be doing the lottery religiously from now on after
not once being ársed since about 2005!

jimnast….Christ I remember joining bf in 2001 with a tiny pc

Joining the forum jimnast was the first name ffs…..time flies…

And he still pops up…

Stewartstown Rise..you are well wide of the mark as the 70s objectively was a golden era for Champion hurdlers and I'm sure no decade since has had that kind of depth of talent

Sorry form I don’t understand your 1927 post

Just banter jimnast a long term formite to another….loads have come and gone since the good fun days….

Understand now form

Just wondering if everything is as it seems or is the Golden Goose half way in the oven, just noticed last night a hotel still offering rooms last night on facebook ...Don't ask me to bring it back up as I'd need one of my children here to show me and nobody here just now.

Workrider if the hotel is in Cheltenham i would ask for odds its a monkey a night.

Ronnie.

They wouldn't give details unless you pm them Ronnie.

By the way that monkey a night won’t include breakfast or parking

A owner friend has refused to pay a extra £2,000 for a house he has been going to for the past 15 years , so maybe things are starting to bite in Cheltenham...

They wouldn't give details unless you pm them Ronnie.

As the old saying goes, if you need to ask how much, you cant afford it..

What a ridiculous saying

price in place I stay went up 56% this year. For 20 years they have been booked solid turning people away, even with A 5 day minimum stay (since 4 day Festival). Still a room left today, no minimum stay.