It’s motorway all the way to get to Folkestone or better described as Westenhanger which is the village a few miles west of the town which houses this track. Making this a keen competitor for the Ryanair Scroll. However I think I still just about edge towards Bath on this one. The route for most is eventually the M20. Keep your eyes peeled for the turn off which highlights the racecourse as if you are not vigilant you can miss it. If in doubt look out for the enormous services which are set up for the freight traffic staying overnight before getting the channel tunnel route across to France. In fact the Eurostar line keeps you company for much of the run down to this part of Kent. The countryside is not that spectacular and you by pass the sprawls that are Maidstone and Ashford. I am not sure what the attraction is in Kent but I suppose in decades past it spelt holidays from the conurbations of London and Birmingham down to Margate, Ramsgate et al. It’s a pity that these resorts slipped from being aspirational resorts spiralling down to costa del dole and now viewed as a staging post for illegals from hellholes and migrants from the new EU entrant countries before they make the final bungy-jump leap of faith into the capital where everything is possible. Perhaps the deep recession will redress the balance and maybe the Margates of Britain will become a fortnight to look forward to rather than a bit of a joke. However Canterbury is not far and the Cathedral is worth a visit together with the ghoulish exhibit of the blood stains of Saint Thomas A’Beckett. Canterbury used to have a greyhound track which put on plenty of opens often for decent money. It have a good restaurant with a football pitch in the middle. I think the local Southern League side used to play there.
The track itself is quite spacious for the racegoer. Although not as modernly renovated as many I have visited recently it does retain some charm. The paddock / pre-parade ring is set in lawns with a decent sized fish-pond and this gives room to study the card and the horses in comfort. In fact I have upgraded the pond to lake as I have now entrusted the Tuperware Trophy over to the hands of the southern softies at Folkestone. Well done on a notable feature and praise be a white picket fence to provide a health and safety balance. Nice fountain. In terms of food there is a smallish restaurant which looked to have decent fish orientated meals at a fair price. There was a small coffee / tea bar (small cup made of paper and tea with an after-taste but at least some fresh milk. Coffee was fresh filter and probably tasted nice is drunk from a china cup I would guess) with pork baps (not bad taste and a touch pricey at $.50 but there you go). On the face of it a bit middlish on the catering from. Nice trees in the paddock but not in the Plumpton class. However a fine ancient pine outside the paddock would have been a worthy opponent as Sussex holds off the Kent challenge much to the delight of the Plumpton ladies and so the Dobbies Buddlia Cup remains in their grasp.
It’s coming home it’s coming home Tuperware’s coming home. Nice feature
The stands are well positioned and give a good view of the action in general although I would say sprints on the straight for flat racing may be a bit difficult to view from the main stand. However today was different. Despite the rather heavy £17 entrance fee it did mean that even the club stand was accessible to all. A great idea; an open course with no fussy steward saying you can’t come in here. Something I’d like to see at say Thirsk. Toilets were not impressive and I can only hope that the one by the main grandstand was not the only one. Bijou would be too positive a term. The course is a mile and a bit right handed. It is similar to Kempton and I would imagine horses which are favoured there will do well at Folkestone. The fences caused some difficulties but I am not sure if that is a reflection on the course or the horse quality. The undulations were very minor and although there is a little rise off the back straight it is not enough to say the track is anything other than one which favours nippy short runners. The run from the final bend is about two furlongs and has two fences. The final jump leaves less than a furlong to the post and therefore you would think a lead into the straight of high importance. Horses bought up the centre seemed to get better ground and it could be that the stands rails would be favoured in flat sprints whereas on the round course a draw near the far rails would help a bit. The straight course on the flat is very undulating till it joins the round course at about a quarter of a mile out.
The main stand
The main topics that got me thinking during this visit to Kent with national hunt beginning to crank up a few gers as tracks dust off the hurdles again, were as follows. How do you judge hunter chases and get information as to how they are running in points? Do good old chasers find a new lease of life going hunting? Do racegoers get value form the racecards they buy? Kent has long been a holiday resort for Londoners, how are the principle locations coping?
The mid May meeting at Folkestone is traditionally given as an opportunity for the United Hunts to showcase hunter chasing at the finale to the season. There was a pretty good crowd when I first attended this fixture in 2009 for what was a damp night in deepest Kent. There was an interesting mixture of what appeared to be the tweed brigade and gypsies. The atmosphere was laid back and social without being besmirched by drunkards. This was relevant as the recent news of some unruly drink fuelled mis-conduct up at Thirsk the previous Saturday provided plenty of encouragement for letters to the Racing Post. The first race on the card was the famous two mile five Cuckoo Maiden Cup. The race featured a series of jumping blunders leading to two fallers and a seven pounds claimer Paul Blagg trying to steal (joke alert) the race by kicking on too early and was overhauled by the relatively well ridden 7/4 favourite Mysaynoway close home. A stayers maiden followed where the experience of P York just allowed the well fancied Euro Bleu to hold on from a strong challenge by Go North. The novice was won by the well bred mare Say Grace who was probably the most impressive winner of the evening by cantering home ahead of market rival Prince Rodney. The low price of which may have been at least part caused by the ‘Rodders’ factor which was clearly evident as his backers termed him approaching the last. The big race of the night was the champion hunter chase which is a bit of a grand title when set against the Foxhunters at Cheltenham and Aintree but nonetheless an important trophy in this sphere of racing. The race drew challengers from as far north as Warwickshire and as far east as Devon. In a good race the 5/1 chance Knighton Combe held on from the favourite Teeton Bollinger. In third place was a nicely made Presenting gelding who looked as if he needed softer ground but showed plenty of ability in this level. Although this was a four mile event they went no real gallop until the final mile and a quarter so quite whether the principles stay this far is debatable. The two miler was won by a useful looking French bred youngster in Oraniz. However he didn’t win as an 8/11 favourite would be expected to and just had enough class to thwart the challenge of the fancied Hatsnall. The final race was an open over two miles five furlongs and featured the previously high class handicap chaser Tikran. He ran in snatches often under persuasion and was not that clean over his fences. Yet still had enough class to worry the first two home with second favourite Highland Chief staying on resolutely to hold off Youlbesolucky. The race was run in increasingly murkey conditions making the evening based summer jump racing campaign kicking off perhaps recently as being perhaps a month too early.
Hunter chasers and point to point form guides
When I first went horse racing in the nineteen seventies the occasional hunter-chase was a complete new world to me. These beasts generally had little form under rules and there was no clue as to whether they had run recently in point to points and absolutely no idea if they had recently been racing in that sphere of how they had run. They fascinated me in a weird way. I went to two point to points to find out more. One of these was held in the Scottish border town of Hawick and the other in Sussex at Parham. I thought there must be a bit of word of mouth stuff going on here. In fact when I was up in Scotland in there was word that a really useful on was coming out of points and into hunter chases. His name was Queensbury Lad.
The Margate Challenge of ‘The Apprentice’
The popular television programme The Apprentice pitched some good tasks in the 2009 series. One of these was the efforts to rebrand the seaside resort of Margate. This was hilarious with the two teams tasked with taking Margate into the twenty-first century. One team went down the route of trying to make a pitch for the town as a gay resort and try to be the new Brighton. This was a disaster as this would take decades to achieve. In essence Margate is a very traditional resort and is not that easy to get to from London in comparison to Brighton making short trips or permanent residence for the upwardly mobile difficult. The long trip from the target conurbations lends itself to the big two week break for the family. With climate changing and the strength of the euro plus the proximity to the European market perhaps this might have been an interesting option for the new target market. The whole carry-on of the aim at the pink pound led to a real eye-opening rant by the team leader against gays which shocked the homosexual team member. It also transpired that the gay candidate has a long term partner who he met in the thriving Derby gay community (!). Perhaps highlighting the existence of such in an engineering and mill town in the industrial East Midlands makes the fact that Margate could be re-invented in such a way a possibility. The other team went on the line of pitching at families which is pretty safe territory. However it was a pretty uninspired approach and the team contains a prominent member who has all the business street-wise insight of the dozy sidekick to Dawn French’s Vicar of Dibley. In the end the female homophobe went. The point of this is that these wheeler dealer rising stars of British industry paraded as Sir Alan Sugar’s next top man are just not up to it. Many have quirky personalities which make for interesting TV but would have no chance in a well run organisation. This episode was an opportunity missed as the point of re-branding Margate is quite an important one as the town has a strong history and a lot going for it. So from the point of view of trying to get across an important point, when looking at how to rebrand or more accurately reposition a commodity a thorough marketing plan should have been drawn up. The science behind marketing has many detractors claiming this is bordering on the David Brent territory. But I have used this process myself and if you are entirely pragmatic, apply logic and are thorough with information gathering the conclusions drawn as to the options available are often radical and interesting.
Racecard quality
Two pound fifty for a bloody racecard! What is going on? In the study period from 1978 we have seen a steady rise in prices and I would say that to an extent inflation has to be covered in the thirty year period. However the graph I have drawn up shows the difference in price between the excellent Timeform and the typical racecard produced by the course. The difference has moved from Timeform being ten times the price of the card to a general twice the price. So what do you get that is different from the past and is this an area that the racecourses need to be mindful of in an increasingly tight market where value is key?
Racing
Today’s card opened up with a nursery over the minimum trip. There was a very hot 2/1 on favourite. Billyrayvalentine had won a similar event less than a week ago and had just the win penalty before a likely steep rise in the weights and therefore connections decided to strike whilst the iron was hot and why not. There were a couple of negatives though, drawn out on the far rail at Folkestone is never the best of things and another thing is laying the odds in nurseries is quite often a short cut to the workhouse. However to be fair to frankie he rode a decent race and bought him to challenge before the furlong pole and pushed him out to win by around half a length. It was a shade cosier than the bear form suggests but did not urge to put as a positive as I would imagine that he is set to be a big bit more than today’s OR 74 and I would say a 78 plus would anchor. Still two wins a week and a winter off who knows how that mark might look in the spring. Second home was Invincible Dreamwho battled on well but had the stands rail to help. The pair were six lengths clear and you worry as to how this decent run will be viewed as in theory should be within 5 pound of the winner. So if less than OR 73 on reassessment would pay to have a quite interest I would say. Nice ride in the circumstances by Harry Bentley by the way. Of the rest the most notable was Royal Blush. Had won and run well in picking up a fair maiden at newmarket after catching the eye when a runner up at the same course beforehand on Craven Day back in the spring. After a fair second to preceed the win up she has now had five very poor runs. Today she looked well in the paddock but raced very mulishly and was very hard work for Chris Catlin who was going up and down nearly on the spot. She has had a variety of headgear on and I would say she is a significant negative as I think she has fallen out with racing. One to avoid at all cost. Of the others the lightly raced Picura looked well but raced very green and may well come on for this next season and Sister Guru ran well to be a remote third staying on fine to indicate that this trip may be a bit on the sharp side.
Frankie on the winner of the first
The Early Bird Handicap was sponsored by the pharmaceutical firm again. This was a class 6 event over the five. The winner was top weight Lord Of The Reins who come through from about the quarter mile to pull three lengths clear for a quite impressive win. Should be able to step up in class, suits these more testing courses. Carries a bit of condition which does not anchor him as he heads for middle age and who doesn’t have a bit of condition so to speak at that phase in life. Second home was the hot 5/4 favourite The Strig. He looked well in the padock but appeared sluggish today and rates a negative on this running. He was in a heap an the finish with the front running Cloth Ears (who showed good pace but may prefer a sharp sprint track like Epsom) and Avonvalley (who got into traffic problems but still stayed on strongly to be fourth without having a hard time of it). In fact Avonvalley rates as a positive is on a decent mark especially if stepping down to claimer/sellers where she thrived last season. One to watch for in the right race as is in form now. Previous wins have been either on the sand or on the soft at sharp Catterick. So the going may have needed to be a little softer for her. Her current OR 48 is well below her 78 entry point so she must be respected. She is entered next at Bath which being on the stiff side may suit her. I noted Bateleur as a right dozy one and he ran like one, top weight three year old Chester Deelyte came from a bad draw and ran ok giving impression that in a low grade claimer somewhere might go close.
Note the mulish The Strig (red cap) and staying on Avonvally (green)
In comes Lord Of The Reins
The feature class 4 sponsored by the pillmakers again (thanks to them but then I suppose any form of drug in the current climate is going to be good business) this time over the straight seven. The favourite Emkanaat had some encouraging form and looked tidy being in good nick. However after looking comfortable and leading coming to two out he seemed to stop galloping and in fact appeared a bit lame off fore when coming back into the ring. He was whisked off to a box presumably to be checked over by the vet. The fact that he also drifted from 11/8 to 2/1 in the market stunk a bit and I wait to hear what was the verdict but if prone tol breaking down rates as a negative. Turning to the race I was very glad to see Mingun Bell win on the basis that the lass leading around had a seriously near under-carriage which was plonked straight in front of my view of the race. As a consequence I cannot remember much else.
Momentary weakness. Who won?
The cricketers were out in force for the fourth race which was a mediocre class 6 over one mile seven. This ended up in a pulsating finish between top weight and also last year’s winner of one of the corresponding fixture’s divisions Marcus Antonius, with Rose of Sharratt. The winner in photo went to Marcus who then had to endure a stewards. I am not sure what the fuss was about, the two had been locked together from about 300 yards out, neither stopped racing and there appeared to be nothing to choose between them as they crossed the line. The stewards decided not to alter the placing but the winning jockey Pat Cosgrove got a day’s holiday for his trouble. Baffled me for one. I thought Rose of Sarratt looks under exposed and on a good mark, she seems to stay this sort of trip even though her pedigree suggests sprinty. Cost quite a lot of money at £65,000 and I think her actions suggests better with some cut. So I have her as a bit of positive. Whilst I am in a happy mood I also thought the bought stands side Dhampas is likely to feature next run as galloped on well certainly staying two mile would be very likely. As such he too rates a positive. Of the remainder I thought Barney Curley’s horse Sure Fire ran very poorly, Red Current needs a bit of a cut and perhaps he can switch back to the sticks, is in good heart after a decent summer’s work and Dark And Dangerous ran a good race to show he is holding his form well.
The stayers with a lap to go
The class 4 handicap over the 9 furlongs was won in an absolute canter by Danderek. Always on the premises he was booted clear from two out and finished a very comfortable five lengths to the good. Of the rest Colinica’s Lad led for much but could stay on at only the one pace once headed 2 out. It was a fair run though. Battle Of Britain plodded on for third without ever really looking a threat and Miss Aix got second staying on suggesting that this trip may be a little sharp.
Nice trees in paddock frame Colinica’s Lad
The final race was a 9 furlong maiden class 5 with representatives from all sorts of fancy stable such as Godolphin, Stout and Johnson. There was an early incident when Tadgh O’Se was slung behind the stalls by Marhaba. The horse was withdrawn not under starters and hopefully Tadgh is OK. The race was won by 100/1 outsider Novirak who just got the photo verdict from gambled on Ela Ginda Muo. The warm 11/8 favourite Kahraba was a length back in third with the rest headed by April Bell strung out behind the winning trio. I doubt much will come from this race to be fair.
Possibly not my best photo. Ela Gonda Mou in white is challenging Novirak who is obscured by the bloke with the rucksack whist Kahraba in blue has settled for minor placing
Notebook
Royal Blush (N)
didn't run again this year but looked to have fallen out with the game
The Strig (N)down £25
0 1 9/2 0
Well beaten next race but then won well abd looks capable of better. Laid again for the third race and ran another goosd race. Appears I have underestiv=mated him and I will shelve after three
Avonvalley (P)
3
Good third on next outing running on well in soft over 5f. I think a stiffer track or 6f needed. Acts on sand so ewmains open for backing
Enkenaat (N)
Not seen out since but remains a negative
Rose Of Sarratt (P) up £35
1 7/2
Good win first time up but handicap now exposed and therefore binned
Dhampas (P)
0 0
On both last two runs he has been allowed to establish massive leads only to reeled in yet ran a fair race here when restrained. Mark has only come down two pounds. I will give him one last go
