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20 Apr 23
19:07
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Date Joined:
31 Aug 21
... we all missed 2020/21 and Mum's funeral was during last years meeting but I went for the first time since 2019 and it confirms my view that it is such a wonderful meeting. The harbinger of spring of course but nearly every race is interesting. Won a few £ which always helps. For what it is worth I think Ottoman Fleet is improving and, on this track, better than G3; Mammas Girl was tremendously impressive ; Silver Lady is a Group horse (the market move was amazing and everyone on the course seemed to have backed it); Like a Tiger is a Group horse (left a mile at the start when every other horse who missed the break at the meeting was out with the washing) ; Passenger "could be anything" and was the most impressive maiden winner : The Foxes looked a certainty 2 out and will undoubtedly improve for 10f and.... finally... my best winner...Prepense who was value for 5l more than she won save for doing everything wrong. She could go the wrong way but we shall see. I adore this meeting. So lucky to have been there this year. Royal Ascot and Goodwood July are the only ones to beat it. Roll on summer!
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Good read
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1964 Young Christopher ridden by Ron Sheather won the Craven at 100/6 to give me one of my first winners.
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sparrow, forgive me, as a punter or an owner?
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Punter, Donegal. Only 17 years old.
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you've a few years more fun in you then chap. I am 67 and can still recall nipping back from school to see the Craven in the late 60's. Even then it had a magical ambience to it. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the last 3 days.One sees great horses even if they are not apparent at the time. I recall backing Sea of Class for decent £ in 2018 in the maiden. Got beat by a camel. Less than 6 months later it was beaten by the snot on the end of it's nose in the Arc! thankfully I had persevered with it and got a few £ back but I never tire of telling the story! Good luck.
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Best of luck to you too, donegal. My first time at Newmarket was when my dad took me to see the 1958 Cambridgeshire but no more after timing from me now.
 Prince Monolulu was a big memory of that day too. |
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Great to hear stories like this, I presume(sorry if I'm wrong) that your dad was into horse racing and was born 1920ish, what horses did he talk about and who was his favourite.
TIA |
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Gosh. lady carla! It's as if you have known me for 60 years!!!!! That is exactly right. He was. Died 2008 @86. Loved his racing. bet in sixpences and shillings.I used to half the stakes and double the odds when I had a good winner to avoid too much upset. "When did you get 7/2 for **** in the GC" was one of the most difficult questions after I told him I'd won £1100 (£700/400). His recollections of horses were exclusively Grand national winners. We lived in Liverpool and his litany of winners was wonderful. Used to love taking him to Aintree. His favourite horse was a nag he backed at Lingfield one night ....had £5 win @ 3/1. I wrote to Michael Roberts (who rode him and to whom dad gave the most vocal of cheers) a few weeks later and he sent an autographed photo of him going into the the winners enclosure that evening. Since Mum died last year i had to take the things that meant most and that photo is on my wall as I type. He was beside himself with joy. Sorry. Gone on too long. Each time I win a good chunk I think of him.
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The irish poet not Y***s
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what a fool I am Lady C. You replying to Sparrow, not me! But you were right anyway! Good luck.......and having watched the replay and heard Sir M, I'll go to foot of out stairs if neither Passenger or Prepense don't win a G1 in the next 2 years. The former has his sire written all over him
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Brilliant Donegal that's what it's all about fond memories and love the fact you've got that photo on your wall
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My favourite meeting was Royal Ascot, particularly the 1st day, which was the least crowded and back in the day was the least difficult to find winners. I used to love the sing songs round the bandstand after racing. one year didn't turn out so good however, I went with a friend who was a particularly bad loser and lose we did on this day. On the way out I said to my mate, shall we go and cheer ourselves up with the band? F*** the band he said, which ended the day with a good laugh and many days to follow when I told the rest of our mated the story.
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its a meeting i always enjoy also donegal however i had a brain storm this year and chose to go to cheltenham instead,was there a decent crowd on the rowley mile and was town busy ?
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ladycarla 21 Apr 23 00:35
Great to hear stories like this, I presume(sorry if I'm wrong) that your dad was into horse racing and was born 1920ish, what horses did he talk about and who was his favourite. TIA My Dad was into all forms of gambling and was born in 1904. Horses that he mentioned was Poethlyn a Grand National winner who he reckoned was the best jumper he had seen, despite later seeing Golden Miller and Arkle, and Meld who I believe won him a large sum of money in a season when the horse landed the fillies triple crown of the Guineas, Oaks and St Leger of 1955. He worked on the course as a bookmakers clerk and was a fearless punter and a unfortunately not a very good one. I can recall him having a £1,000 on a horse at Newbury in the mid 60s which would be worth some £24,000 in todays money. The horse lost in a photo! |
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good morning sparrow
can you recall if your dad had that bet on course or off course ? |
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glad you enjoyed the meeting donegal ,didnt attend my self but watching it on the tv didnt want it to end , prob the best meeting at the course all year if attending .the gns meeting is very good watching at home but when i was last there it was like a " lads weekend " with plenty more interested in a pish up rather than the racing!
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On course, jimnast. You would never see my dad in a betting shop and I remember just before the shops became legal he turned down a manager's job in one of them. "Can you see me sat in an office all day" he said to me. He had spent so much time as a clerk on course that nowhere else would he have a bet but it was a very different world back then.
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Thanks for the reply Sparrow-
Your Dad lead an interesting life and you must have some great memories. Having just read up on Poethlyn he was probably right won back to back nationals at two different tracks(first one at Gatwick) carrying 12 st 7(Only two other horses achieved that feat) and went off the shortest ever priced favourite(11/4) ridden by Lester's grandfather which you will know, put it up for others who may be interested That was a massive bet in the 60's I don't suppose you know the name of the horse and to lose in a photo must of been a tough one to take  A small clip of the 1919 grand national for those interested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMP_MPDzFD4 |
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Bit late to the party but lovely to read about the Craven meeting way back when. I first went in 1981 when if I remember correctly the Nell Gwyn Stakes was on the first day. I had a fantastic few days including a four timer, Fairy Footsteps, Kalaglow and the Piggott ridden Long Legend (can't remember the other leg). I also managed to find Motavato in the European Free handicapper. The only reversal was To-Agori-Mou who was beaten long odds on (by a young Cauthan on a massive outsider) when in a double with something at Cheltenham which had already won at a decent price.
Four of us stayed in Newmarket for a couple of night and had a blast. It is weird to recollect many of the bets from those times but can hardly remember what I back last week nowadays! |
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Ladycarla, I only knew that the horse was a 2 year old and it was someone who knew us both that first witnessed the bet and told me that same day at Clapton dog track. My dad would never have admitted it to me although that sort of betting was not unknown to him in his punting days. Apparently there was a family story from the 1930s when he we won a massive amount at Warwick and his brother and sisters had to help him count the money on the floor full of the old white fivers. However, he was overall a big loser and as a kid we either had everything or nothing and it was a tough upbringing.
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Certainly agree with your dad about been on course rather than in doors sparrow,well done with your team last night ,I had to witness an utter shambles ,at odds against at the weekend Brighton more be bordering on one of the all time great bets on football,but as most of us know sport can make a monkey of you.
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Brighton are certainly no mugs jimnast and it will be interesting to see how far they can progress. West Ham hopefully can go on to win the European conference and avoid relegation, but Declan will be irreplaceable.
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Thanks for replying again Sparrow, a mix bag of memories which could of put you off racing forever. My mum had same upbringing, either cupboard full of food or nothing and borrowing of the neighbours due to my grandmothers compulsive gambling, put her off racing for life and never had even a single bet. We wasn't even allowed to watch it and I never saw a race till I were 11, I soon made up for lost time, had first bet at 12 and loved it from day one to my mum's disappointment
Good luck with your selections today if you play. |
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Coincidence here sparrow
I was in the arkle bar on Wednesday which disgracefully is no longer called that and I was reading the framed front page of the sporting life the day he beat mill house to win his first gold cup,which was for some reason on a Saturday. Also on the front page that day was West Ham to play reserves betting offices this afternoon will be bracing themselves for an influx of money on the fixed odds coupons for west Han who today will play Manchester United reserves,in a first division match. I think Seville also played them last night Out of interest does anyone know why it was a Saturday gold cup ? My guess is Thursday was election day |
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Jimnast- What's the Arkle bar now called
 TIA. |
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 The Gloucester brewery bar |
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jimnast... West Ham to play Man Utd reserves in a first division match?
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Really
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That’s correct sparrow it wasn’t officially united reserves but almost all the first team were injured or suspended .
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It was calledthat at the festival also lady Carla even more annoying the plaque with all the previous winners has gone.
But that is jcr racecourses for you the custodians of our sport my ar.e |
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Thanks jimnast, but can't really recall that game despite rarely missing matches at Upton Park in the 60s. I do remember playing Everton reserves just before their Cup Final in the same era. Six changes made and beat us 3-1 at home.
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Best of luck to you today, Lady Carla.
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I didn’t think players got injured or needed a rest back then sparrow
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Looking back now it was a disappointing era for West ham despite winning two cups. We never finished higher than 8th place with all those great players in the 60s. Ron Greenwood was great underachiever in my view.
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good afternoon jimnast.Crowd was very low for the first two days, the second of which was quite decent weather. Bigger on Craven day but still not a lot. It is one of the reasons I love the meeting though. I couldn't answer for town as I go straight back to the Best Western after racing for a swift G & T and a meal, then, in contrast to days of yore, to bed! It was stunning at the bottom of Warren Hill early on Wednesday/Thursday. All the best
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Looks like The 1st Div game was @ Upton Park,Man U won 2-0.
Also seems next week West Ham beat them 3-1 F.A Cup Semi Final @ Hillsborough. |
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sparrow might well remember it that's right.
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I will not forget that semi-final as I was listening to it on headphones with my leg on traction in hospital!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAHmJO9ZMcc |
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Yes Donegal warren hill early in the morning is always a wonderful experience I never know what I’m looking at but still enjoy it so much.
Good luck |