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onlooker
23 Jul 26 18:48
Joined:
Date Joined: 18 Feb 03
| Topic/replies: 40,529 | Blogger: onlooker's blog
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 ...  Happy

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.   GrinHappy
Pause Switch to Standard View JUST SO - or - Just Slow ?
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Report DonegalPrince July 23, 2026 6:55 PM BST
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.
Report penzance July 23, 2026 7:15 PM BST
Good to see the OP back in action.
Report madhatters July 23, 2026 7:28 PM BST
Welcome back looky
Been awhile
Report Busyfool July 23, 2026 7:34 PM BST
workrider just text. oh no not him again

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
Report Tiger Tiger July 23, 2026 7:34 PM BST
Agreed, good to see you back onlooker.
Report saxon farm July 23, 2026 9:09 PM BST
Good to see one of the “all time great” forumites posting again!
Report GEORGE.B July 23, 2026 11:51 PM BST
Crikey, I went all in on at 1.01 on this being a ten year old thread 'resuscitated' by, er, whatever name he's going by these days.
Report leif July 24, 2026 5:53 AM BST
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.
Report Regbutler July 24, 2026 8:00 AM BST
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
Report jimnast July 24, 2026 8:17 AM BST
I took the 1.01 you left George

Hope your well onlooker as already stated by others great to see you back.
Report jimnast July 24, 2026 8:21 AM BST
Would it be 43 years ago tonight the sporting chronicle last went to press ?
Report saxon farm July 24, 2026 8:48 AM BST
I feel like the bloke who “shot Bambi” for having had a good bet on Minnehoma that day!
Report jimnast July 24, 2026 9:16 AM BST
Fabulous ride Saxon one of my favourite nationals
Report saxon farm July 24, 2026 9:27 AM BST
Indeed jimnast, Dunwoody at his coolest!
Report top2rated July 24, 2026 12:26 PM BST
According to Tattersalls there's a 3yo filly out of Just So named Mrs Peat, out there somewhere.....

[img]https://images.onesite.com/community.betfair.com/user/top2rated/large/1...
Report onlooker July 24, 2026 1:03 PM BST
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 CryHappy ) again, so hoping I will now remain on the right side of 'Evens each of two'.
Report jimnast July 24, 2026 1:09 PM BST
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.
Report ashleigh July 24, 2026 1:14 PM BST
Welcome back Onlooker.
Report adamski July 25, 2026 9:19 AM BST
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 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.
Report stewarts rise July 25, 2026 11:51 AM BST
I was with George B expecting this to be an old thread from yonks ago, just so pleasantly surprised to see Onlooker back. Must be a few years since you last posted Onlooker, remember someone saying you'd done your shoulder in and couldn't type on PC, must say i thought you may have had some connection with your foot and a bucket, so really glad to see you back. Haven't bumped into Delta have you, the forum has been a much poorer place without you two.
Report Brian July 25, 2026 12:01 PM BST
RegbutlerI 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


Late Friday afternoon when it looked like the ground was going to come up very soft, I had £20 on Just So to be placed at 28/1. I regard it as one of my best bets in nearly 70 years of punting.
Report stewarts rise July 25, 2026 12:03 PM BST
Superb bit of aftertiming Brian. Just So late!LaughGrin
Report onlooker July 25, 2026 12:17 PM BST
Thank you, stewarts.

During my enforced absence from the computer keyboard, I took to watching television more than I normally would have, or now do.
I saw your old mate Bryan McMahon on 'Bangers and Cash' selling his Subaru Impreza, that he had owned since new.
Thought, blimey, Racehorse trainer and Subaru Impreza - that would be a tidy car insurance bill.
No doubt the likes of Cashew King helped pay towards it.

As for Delta - Thought I would try and find his holiday home in Jaywick - Did a SatNav search ... It came back - 'Address Not Known'.  Happy
Report Brian July 25, 2026 1:30 PM BST
Superb bit of aftertiming Brian. Just So late!

Laugh  Thanks Stewarts. It is so much easier to aftertime .
Report stewarts rise July 25, 2026 1:41 PM BST
Also sold his old E Type V12 Jaguar on same program, came away with about £60,000 for the two. Good to see him looking just as he did 45 years ago  and still going strong like your goodself.
  Think it was more the likes of Saint Motunde, Rays Swallow, Smackover, Graphics Solar and the like that paid for the Jag.
Report screaming from beneaththewaves July 25, 2026 2:28 PM BST
I was at Hereford on Grand National day in 1994, which was a good thing, because I seem to be the only punter in the UK who wouldn't have had a penny on Just So that day.

In fact, looking through my records I can only find the one time where I did back the horse - in December 1990 over 4m at Haydock. It was 40/1 and was pulled up.

On balance, I'm happy that horses like Just So and jockeys like Simon Burrough have not featured heavily in my punting.
Report Busyfool July 25, 2026 2:34 PM BST
i wouldnt either but i seem to recall i did because the forecast was for a flood and didnt really like the bet but it was a big choc ice

although memory could be playing tricks and certainly never kept any records
Report screaming from beneaththewaves July 25, 2026 2:43 PM BST
If I didn't have my records to look through, I can tell you that I definitely backed Just So every year in that race at Taunton - loved the horse - and I couldn't believe its price for the National, and why would I have gone to Hereford on National day anyway?
Report Busyfool July 25, 2026 2:47 PM BST
indeed

i wouldnt have at the sp
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