What a coincidence that 2 horses with the same Name (and subsequently - Nickname) - should both be the producers of performances akin to that Nickname's inference.
Let me explain...
Earlier this afternoon, at Sandown, a horse called ZERO ERROR finished like the 13:50 train from Waterloo to Esher, running late, to catch the ironically named Thunder Home on the Winning Post.
ZERO ERROR's Dam is called - JUST SO (or Just Slow) when you consider that on her only ever outing, for Aidan O'B incidentally, she finished ... 17 of 17
JUST SO's Dam - Moyesii - also had only one ever outing - finishing 13 of 16.
Quite the contrast to ZERO ERROR's last to first finish today. ------------
Now quite a few of you -- such as the likes of LOPER - GED - SCREAMING FROM BENEATHTHEWAVES, et al - will know where I am going next.
JUST SO (or, Just Slow) - The Long-distance Steeplechaser of the early 1990s.
Trained by Henry Cole, ridden by Simon Burrough, and beloved by many.
Nicknamed JUST SLOW because it took him 3 and a half miles to warm up - But from thereon ...
JUST SO was a standing dish in the 4m 2f Chase at Taunton - Winning it in 1991 and finishing 2nd the next 2 seasons.
However JUST SO's finest hour was finishing 2nd, beaten just over a length, in the 1994 Aintree Grand National, in hock-deep ground.
Oh how he was cheered home that day. --------------
As for the more recent JUST SO, now 10 years old, she has had only one other, earlier, foal, another winner Rogue Impact.
Funny old game this Breeding lark ....
- said, Omar Sharif, as he crawled off Claudia Cardinale.
I remember the grand old fellow very well indeed. Oddly enough I noticed the breeding of the Gosden horse as I was nursing a pint at Sandown today.
When Just So jumped the last at Aintree I was screaming it home. A few of us were on at zillions/1 each way. I think it was Minnehoma who passed it? Genuinely, I never thought there was a horse foaled who could pass Just so after 4m2f (+ the run in) in soft ground. Gobsmacked. But the each way £ was an awful lot so it counted as a big win ...especially as the winner of the GN these days seems to go off at a stupidly short price. Great memories. Well spotted and posted.
I remember the grand old fellow very well indeed. Oddly enough I noticed the breeding of the Gosden horse as I was nursing a pint at Sandown today.When Just So jumped the last at Aintree I was screaming it home. A few of us were on at zillions/1 each
must have been some racket at aintree that day. i was on just so also at monster prices that get bigger every time i remember it. think it went off 16
workrider just text. oh no not him againmust have been some racket at aintree that day. i was on just so also at monster prices that get bigger every time i remember it. think it went off 16
I recall the 'old' Just so. Also bet it in the national. I saw it somewhere, believe it may have been in the parade ring at Newbury. Had hooves like dinner plates. Loved heavy going if I'm not mistaken.
I recall the 'old' Just so. Also bet it in the national. I saw it somewhere, believe it may have been in the parade ring at Newbury. Had hooves like dinner plates. Loved heavy going if I'm not mistaken.
I remember seeing this horse running at West Country tracks in the early 90s Just had a quick Google... In that 94 GN, he was 24 lbs out of the handicap, and the jockey had to put 3 lbs o/w because couldn't make the 10 stone, presumably. Only lost to Minniehoma by 1/2 length, so guess that 3 lbs over 4+ miles made the difference? Was 100/1 ante post, gambled in to 20/1 on the day
I remember seeing this horse running at West Country tracks in the early 90sJust had a quick Google...In that 94 GN, he was 24 lbs out of the handicap, and the jockey had to put 3 lbs o/w because couldn't make the 10 stone, presumably. Only lost to M
jimnast 24 Jul 26 08:21 Would it be 43 years ago tonight the sporting chronicle last went to press ? ---------------
You are so right - as ever - jimnast - with your amazing memory.
I have a copy of the final edition buried away in my files, and fairly sure the front-page Headline was a Tip for Time Charter, in the King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes - which she duly won, for Owner-breeder Mr R Barnett and Trainer Henry Candy - at 5/1 Fav (imagine those sort of odds in the race nowadays).
At it's closure The Sporting Chronicle was selling only a quarter of it's peak circulation - as the Sporting Life, which had predominantly only circulated and sold in the South of country, had extended it's circulation area to the whole country in around the early/mid 1970s, and thus taken much of the Sporting Chronicle's northern readership.
The Sporting Chronicle tried to retaliate by extending their circulation availability into the South - But that was a terrible bet by Tom Kelly and co, as there was only ever going to be one overall winner. The quality of the two newspapers was, especially given the Chronicle's vastly inferior Form display, nowhere near comparable. ----------
* Thanks for the kind words of those who have replied so far - It has been something of a stop-start challenging period, that could always pop-up (or, rather, pop-out ) again, so hoping I will now remain on the right side of 'Evens each of two'.
jimnast 24 Jul 26 08:21 Would it be 43 years ago tonight the sporting chronicle last went to press ?--------------- You are so right - as ever - jimnast - with your amazing memory.I have a copy of the final edition buried away in my files, and fairl
Good afternoon onlooker the colours of time charter are flying today at Ascot as from the entrance to the straight all the colours of previous King George winners are flying up to the winning line a great sight as ever Ascot a class act.
Good afternoon onlooker the colours of time charter are flying today at Ascot as from the entrance to the straight all the colours of previous King George winners are flying up to the winning line a great sight as ever Ascot a class act.
Just a small point, Magic Tree a daughter of Moyesii was Just So's dam, Magic Tree trained by Mick Channon did finish only 13th on her only run, after costing 750 grand as a yearling but has produced an Eclipse winner (Mukhadram) amongst others while Moyesii herself got a Leger winner (Mastery) Mark Johnston bought another daughter of Moyesii for only 10 grand as a yearling, who was unraced but was later sold for 230 grand.
onlooker,Just a small point, Magic Tree a daughter of Moyesii was Just So's dam, Magic Tree trained by Mick Channon did finish only 13th on her only run, after costing 750 grand as a yearling but has produced an Eclipse winner (Mukhadram) amongst oth