rebelfm

Seems to have gone missing

27 May 11 21:22
The prospect of Southwell and class six racing on a surface more accommodating of a camel caravan may not be as beguiling as York on Dante day but having visited here for the first time in 2009 I was not viewing this as a task to be endured on my quest to visit all GB courses and my favourite ten in Ireland. Southwell has to be crossed off and today is the day.

Southwell is just to the west of Newark and is what is known as a minster town. I went through the town en route to the course. It is a tidy place and the big church in the centre dominates being a noteworthy piece of architecture. The drive from the M1 meant I went through the south and east of Nottingham going past Nottingham racecourse. The roads across to Southwell are generally satisfactory but a lot of it is single carriageway with a fair chance of getting stuck behind some agricultural vehicle so give yourself plenty of time.

The route through Southwell takes you to the longest drive to a racecourse I can remember. It goes on a couple of miles before you reach the ample parking. The entry to the grandstand was £11 with an extra £2 to go into the premier enclosure.




The excitement can be overwhelming

Southwell lies towards the north of Nottinghamshire not far from Mansfield and heading out of town to the north you soon see how close the south Yorkshire city of Doncaster is. This is Scab-land. The county which supported the Thatcher fight with its puppet ‘independent miners union’ leading to a divide and conquer opportunity. Having recently visited two Yorkshire towns and their tracks it was interesting to compare them and their various character. Around Southwell the feeling was subdued but orderly whereas the Yorkshire tracks were very much more vibrant and a bit more chaotic. Perhaps it is possible that even on a small island, even with small distances between communities, there are tangible differences. If so where would you rather be somewhere with energy but with limited affluence or passionless but comfortable? Even though the social troubles of the eighties have a different political context when compared to the economic instability of 2011, is it likely that the divisions will pick up again?


The course is very well maintained with modern facilities. Geared up for moderate crowds but plenty of good areas to eat, drink, sit out in the sun and if you bring the children there is a very good kids play area. To me this looks like a high quality greyhound track. It was like a Hove workaday BAGS meeting. That is no disrespect to the track but it just does. There was a lack of atmosphere even though there was a decent crowd on the day considering it was midweek and outside of the holiday period.



Southwell is well worthwhile visiting

The layout is a very flat oval very easy bends nice long straights and is like Walthamstowe magnified four times. Because it is so flat the view of the back straight can only be clear from the stands as when standing close up the running rails obstruct vision. Although in general the horses drawn high did best today I am not convinced there is much of a draw advantage but then I am not convinced that the going was even and that standard is standard. It looked dry on top and variable. Let’s face it this is beach racing and the so called fibres appear to me to be a bit of hype to differentiate from a dirty sharp building sand. This is not equitrack and certainly not polytrack. You can see why some horses refuse to act on this stuff. But more about sand latter.

Racing


First race was a class six seven furlong handicap. It was won with a decent run off the pace by Blue Charm. He has not been running well of late but had been a course and distance winner back in 2008 off 62 and was on a comparatively attractive mark today of 48. Wins so infrequently as to be a best watched rather than backed and I do not expect any return to winning for some time. The runner up Charlietoo has good form over 6f on polytrack and he ran well considering that this looked beyond his stamina limits to hold every chance at the furlong pole only to struggle home. It will be interesting to see where his OR moves to and if around 47 back on poly over 6f would be worth a bit of an interest. Third was the well fancied St Ignatius. He is a consistent 6-7f gelding on this surface but is slightly high in the weights (OR of 54 and will be seen to better effect off 50) and as a consequence ran his race today. Of the others Wotatomboy did not follow up the promise shown at Brighton when third recently and is on a winning handicap mark. A bit baffling as is a CD here. Moonlanding continues to look useless, Moment of Clarity got into the winners’ enclosure as fourth somehow or other and Eenymac showed a bit of early pace but soon beaten.



Kickback what kickback

Next up was the two year olds maiden. This was won in emphatic style by Basantee. Well backed favourite looked very calm in the paddock and clearly has come on for her Beveley introduction. Came through to lead smoothly about three out and pulled clear with minimum urging. Whilst this was probably a very moderate race I can see her following up if kept away from very good races. Although connections appear to be bullish about a step up to seven I think on running and pedigree 6f still makes the most sense at this stage of her career.  Of the remainder Ingleby Angel had looked a bit spare and weak in the paddock acting a bit green but showed fair pace but was easily beaten. The market vibes for third home and Mark Johnson trained Always And Toujours were not strong. He had looked a big strong type but a bit backward in the paddock. Took some time to figure what was going on in this debut run but was doing all his best work close home almost getting up for second. A step up to 7f may help. The Colbeck Kid continues to run green despite this being his third outing and the other debutantes Mr Mallo and Just Dixie were soon behind and stayed there for the duration.



Basantee was clearly the best horse at Southwell today

A claimer over 1m4 was the third race. This contained the remarkable La Eatrella who was winning for the ninth straight time here at Southwell. He was ridden brilliantly again  by Dane O’Neill who made his move five out to join issue and was pushed out 3 from home for yet another comfortable victory. Surely thre will be a race or enclosure named after him with time as this sort of story helps build the history and credibility of a course and the surface. Of the remainder Cobo Bay who was third was eased once it was clear La Estrella had asserted so I wouldn’t take the distance behind the runner up too literally, Host The Band got her £616 reward for enterprise by the Devonian trainer on only her second ever outing (she is seven so where has she been?) The rest might as well have had a training gallop as they where well held including Cartmel winner Dunaskin who although in a challenging position early was easily and quickly put in his place and it didn’t auger well if the eleven year old shows up in Cumbria at the June meeting. Crystal Celebre was expected to give this a real go but looks a difficult ride pulling hard and not keen to settle.




Cobo Bay looks pensive in the modern minimalist designed pre parade ring before being outclassed

The seller over seven furlongs was really all about the three market principles but none seemed keen to get on and win the race as each looked sure to win at different stages of the final two furlongs. In particular the winner Goal looked a dossy sort in the paddock and ran a bit reluctantly to my eye a clear dodge pot. So Is She is well named as although nice and calm in the paddock ran in snatches whilst the well backed Jay Jays Joy was slow into stride but was produced to hold every chance inside the final furlong but could not go through with his challenge. This mucking about enabled fourth home Dreamweaving to be flattered by proximity. She has been off a long time and on the bare bones of it would not be too badly weighted if going handicapping as the first three are 58 – 66 horses and she is currently 45.



The winners enclosure after the seller

A big field went to post in the mile class six event which was run at American dirttrack flying pace. It was won well by Positivity despite being slightly hampered about two out. Suits pieces (worn today) and this was an improvement for her off 59. She looked alert in the paddock. Second home was On The Cusp who looked fit and well beforehand but ran all over the place for his lady claimer causing interference to a fair few but was second on merit despite this. Third home Hit The Switch was top weight and is a big strong type sort to do well over the sticks. Graycliffe ran a promising race being well out of it early but stayed on through beaten horses to suggest that a move to 1m2 (a trip he has won over on the poly) would be ideal. Of the rest the big mare Tomintoul Star made most but was beaten when hampered. Previously had looked a hold up horse so today’s tactics were a bit of a mystery to me. Elusive Warrior was sweating a bit and although chased leaders was soon beaten and the edgy  I’lldoit ran a similar race as well. Realt Na Mara was prominent for a while as was Helpmeronda who looked very well in the paddock. The disinterested Velvet Band should stick to pickpocketing and fractious Marino Prince was never a factor. Denison Flyer looked a bit burly after a long lay off and was never on the radar.



Don't bother looking for Graycliffe he came from a different parish

A six furlong class six handicap attracted twelve runners with the career runner up Clear Ice having looked nice and clam in the paddock getting his head in front for a merited victory. When horses keep finishing second you think they may be dodging but he won this with sound attitude so I would not sanction such remarks. The runner up was a real eyecatcher. Charles Parnell looked in fair nick beforehand and having missed the kick his 7lbs claimer jockey Lucy Barry did not panic despite this being a sprint. She slowly got him into the race and was finishing very nicely to be runner up and over a bit further or soft ground on the turf looks a ready made winner if the handicapper takes no action on his 53 mark. Lucy is also a jockey sure to make her mark based on this mature ride. Of the remainder Itsthirsdayalready looked fit and well and despite being mid div early made some progress to be third, not a bad run from the top weigth, early leader Steel City Boy weakened to be third suggesting that perhaps OR of 59 is a bit high. Northern Bolt looked bored in the paddock and ran to suit, Real Diamond was sweating a bit beforehand and was soon beaten, Piste was edgy as was the fancied early elader Miss Poly Plum.



Charles Parnell coming from well behind for eye catching runner up
The final race was a 1m3 class six handicap which attracted a first handicap rum for a Sir mark Prescott trained runner Pizzetti. Up in distance which his pedigree suggested would suit, he looked a bit backward in the paddock beforehand suggesting that this race would be needed. Well backed favourite had to be cajoled by his jockey throughout to participate and in the end a fairly close up third was not bad. He clearly needs string handling, would be better off on good turf ground or the poly and stays. He will win off this 58 mark but hopefully the assessor will knock him a couple off for this run. The winner Captain Bellamy was not winning out of turn as had been a sound second in eyecatching manner having been made far too much use of early on. Improved riding tactics assisted in today’s win and emphasised that this was a decent race at this level. 



Pizzetti looked a bit backward and ran ok on handicap debut
The card in 2009 was again modest  but in general quite entertaining. Of the eighty-four runners entered sixteen were representing syndicates of three or more members. Which is about one in five. A pretty high proportion when you look back in time when in the recent past most horses were in single hands of rich businessmen and aristocrats. Now at the bottom of the flat racing heap it is much more the people’s game. In fact the all weather flat is more egalitarian than even jumping, which was thought of as the area where a decent gelding could be purchased for reasonable money. No more is that the case with top Irish bred and French bred jumpers going for six figures.

This was one of the elements which made me think that the all weather game has parallels with greyhound racing. Dog racing has long been the preserve of mates owning a dog together with one keen to take the greyhound home with them at the end of its career. Most knew they would likely have a grader and as long as it was out-graded rather than out-boxed when the racing manager wanted it beaten they were quite happy. If you had a genuine runner you had a fair idea when it was likely to win and a fair idea when it was likely to lose. You don’t need to ‘hook’ a dog up in fact it is not as easy as some think it is to do so. In fact it is much easier to work your edge within the rules. Another aspect of similarity is the number of owner trained horses. This is not unusual in the hunter chase world but professional trainers owning horses implies buy to order but no takers. In greyhound racing owner trained graders are prevalent to keep numbers up for grading strength to enable the wheels of the BAGS machine to keep turning. But why in the all weather game do we see this trend as the eight of today’s runners being of this ilk demonstrate?

All weather – horseracing’s equivalent of the dogs

Greyhound racing at the graded level is a fairly laid back environment where there is much camaraderie between owners and trainers. A typical set of owners in my parallel sport of all weather horse racing could be seen everywhere today. A good example was seen when I visited in 2009. This was a party so enthusiastic about their horse. They were members of a group known as the CW Racing Club. They owned Inthawain, the top weight in the class 6 Dine in the Queen Mother Restaurant Handicap Stakes over six furlongs. I watched the groups in the paddock before this sprint handicap and  this one on particular. There were three men gathered around their trainer. They were close to where I was standing so it was easy to hear what was going on. They were all very happy more interested in craicing on, one dressed in complete contravention to Southwell’s dress code, armed with two enormous cameras. He was snapping away at their horse in the paddock. When Lee Enstone joined them he looked a bit bemused when the talk appeared to be the relative girth of the owners in comparison to his, and posing for shots. Hardly much time for Noel Wilson to go over tactics with Lee. This was clearly a big day for the lads and they were loving it. The race itself was a good tussle. Yet again Phil Makin missed the kick on the fancied Paint Splash for similar connections to the first race. Only the naïve believe in coincidence. A tight finish to a real battle up the straight saw Kings Ace do Inthawain by a neck. The postmorten between Messers Enstone and Wilson seemed to conclude that she needed a bit of a freshen up and come back here to win next time out. They agreed that the going was loose and she needed it to rattle and given that they water the dreaded sand properly you’d think a three year old maiden filly was up her street. The lads were clearly happy with the run but stood off from the ring not sure if they were permitted in the hallowed ground of the winners’ circle. The photographer in their midst got a couple of snaps but not of them all together with their filly. That would have to wait until they were up the stables in Yorkshire the next day. You just hope experience will not knock their enjoyment and you got the feel that is unlikely. With a trainer like Noel Wilson I got the impression things are kept in perspective and expectations managed within the parameters us owners need to be managed within.

Seabiscuit

The dream of owning something a bit better than a plater but bought for platers numbers is the one that drives small owners. The success of the Australian sprinter Takeover Target in the first decade of the new millennium helped to substabtiate the dream. However nothing comes close to the original and genuine article. That was Seabiscuit. The American story set in 1938. As the book detailing this horse’s incredible story sets out in its opening paragraph that ‘In1938, near the end of a decade of monumental turmoil, the year’s number-one newsmaker was not Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Hitler or Mussolini. It wasn’t Pope Pius XI, nor was it Lou Gehrig, Howard Hughes or Clark Gable. The subject of the most newspaper column inches in 1938 wasn’t even a person. It was an undersized, crooked legged racehorse called Seabiscuit.’ Perhaps in his own sphere here on the Fibresand of Southwell La Estrella is an incarnation of Seabiscuit!

Notebook

Wotatomboy (N) up £20
003001 9/1 400000
Has been largely hopeless except for a run at her favoured brighton. Still up on the dozen subsequent races and now is the time to turn it in

Basantee (P) up £30
421 9/2 0 0 1 7/2 4
Best over 7f and is on a good mark now so watch if entered on the sand. However I am up overall on him and will elave him alone now

Goal (N) down £145
2 20/1 4 1 11/2 0 2 4 1 18/1 2 0
Dropped a right swede with this one as i thought it was an unreliable jade and turned out to be class 5 handicapper. Very consistent and I will now leave him alone haveing recovered a small amount recently.

Graycliffe (P) down £40
0400
Big disappointment. One decent run when 4th at 40/1 but largely useless and best left alone now

Charles Parnell (P) down £50
000003
Another to have been a disappointment since this promising run. Last time was a fair each wau bet at 40/1 but now to be left

Pizzetti (P)  down £60
000330
Poor since this run with two thirds one at 12/1 so a little each way value there. Looks useless