Kirkland Tellwright

be very disappointed if he isnt presented with a hosepipe and  barrel of water in front of the crowd in the paddock as a leaving present

Farewell to a fine leader: Kirkland Tellwright set for final day at Haydock after two decades as clerk of the course
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David Carr
Reporter
Kirkland Tellwright: retiring after 23 years at Haydock
Haydock clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright
Credit: David Carr
Being prepared to take one for the team is a true sign of leadership; putting others before your own self-interest for the good of the whole.

Think of the way Jose Mourinho is renowned for saying something outrageous to reporters after a game, knowing it will deflect attention from a poor performance by his side. It almost became as though 'The Special One' enjoyed the media attention.

Or remember how the underrated John Major gritted his teeth and put up with being lampooned as a boring, grey figure of fun, knowing that if he took the caricaturists' brunt it would ease the burden on his colleagues in government. It didn't stop him defeating Neil Kinnock in the 1992 general election either.

Racing Post readers know prime ministers have it easy compared to clerks of the course, who have to predict the unpredictable and second guess the uniquely variable British weather.

No matter the work you put in and the soundings you take, sometimes you will be made to look foolish for watering, or not watering, or calling racing off, or not calling racing off. The true leader takes it on the chin, ignores the embarrassment and fronts up to the flak, refusing point blank to blame anyone but themselves.

Such has been the case for Kirkland Tellwright, who hands in his GoingStick on Saturday after more than two decades in charge at Haydock.

If your family tree is recorded in Burke's Peerage, you know there is a section of the population whose inverse snobbery drives them to make fun of you. If your name lends itself to mockery, you know you will have to get used to seeing 'Tellwrong' in headlines.

Yet Tellwright has never once sought to hide, to shirk responsibility or to blame anyone else for the things that have gone wrong during his time, as they do anywhere that human beings are in charge. Which must make him a great man to work for.

After the runners weigh in for the last on Saturday, he might be tempted to echo the US politician who lost an election and told assembled hacks: "Just think how much you're going to be missing. You don't have Nixon to kick around anymore. Because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference."

But a true leader is not bitter, even in retirement. Tellwright's greatest legacy is the numerous current clerks who trained under him and learned his ways. Let us hope they have all inherited his broad shoulders.


I had to do a few double and even triple takes to check who they were talking about.

used to run nightclub in liverpoool modestly named for himself

got closed in 2000 ish for watering down the beer