The turf
Cheltenham cracker
Robin Oakley
But, Daddy,' she wailed, 'my name isn't Eileen.' Listening to the mobile phone chorus from those of us who had rashly entrusted ourselves to Great Western trains at Paddington to get to Chel- tenham's Open 2000 meeting, hers was the most poignant cry.
Travellers all about me, faced by a 45- minute wait at Swindon, a coach ride to Gloucester and another train on to Chel- tenham, where we would arrive for the third race if we were lucky, were busily unscrambling their arrangements and re- assigning their assignations. But it was `I'm- not-called-Eileen' for whom I felt real sympathy. I mean we have all forgotten the odd birthday (the way to remember your wife's birthday, they say, is to forget it once), but to forget your own child's name after some 18 years — what could the explanation be? So many children he sim- ply could not muster an accurate roll-call? A scattering of progeny from too many marriages? Or was 'Daddy' perhaps one of the sugar variety who'd simply got the wrong weekend with the wrong young brunette?
Having myself been christened Robin and then registered as Robert by a forget- ful father, I had a special sympathy. Hatch- et-faced officials in one-party states or at the White House gates don't take kindly to a passport which bears one name and a press card with another. But at least he knows what to call me.
Anyway, being due at a book-signing for Valley of The Racehorse, I shared a taxi from Swindon (thank you, Clare and Lee) and made it for the opening race. It was worth the expense for a cracking day's rac- ing. After the first, when Norman Williamson on Kadarann and Tony McCoy on Montreal battled all the way up the hill, I thought we would not see a better finish all season. Only to revise my opinion after the third, when there was an even more pul- sating struggle between the talented young amateur Tom Scudamore on Maid Equal and Richard Johnson on Flying Gunner.
It made it all the more absurd that Robert Ogden's Fadalko, the top weight and ante-post favourite, should have been pulled out of the day's big race, the Thomas Pink Gold Cup, on the grounds that there was not a suitable jockey avail- able. On the flat the talent may be stretched a bit thin these days, but over Jumps we currently have a host of good rid- ers. I am second to none in my admiration for the injured Mick Fitzgerald, who was to have ridden Fadalko, but he is not literally irreplaceable. It was a wrong decision by Barry Simpson, Robert Ogden's racing manager, which was a pretty low blow for ante-post punters. The Thomas Pink was won in impressive style by Lady Cricket. After the race, tram- er Martin Pipe told us that when on a recent suspension 'holiday' Tony McCoy had schooled 60 horses (yes, 60) one morn- ing and that none had pleased him more than Lady Cricket. That was why he had Chosen the six-year-old mare, who can be a little quirky, rather than Exit Swinger, on whom Pipe had put up Richard Johnson, McCoy's close-running challenger for the Jockeys' title. McCoy's choice was spot on. After a duel down the hill with Exit Swinger she went clear by ten lengths. The third Pipe entry in the race, Majadou finished fifth. We are all so used to the astonishing statistics of the Pipe win- ner factory that sometimes this remarkable man does not get the praise which is due. First, second and fifth in a race of that quality is a formidable achievement and one which demonstrates the quality as well as the quantity of the Nicolshayne opera- tion. And, as Pipe says, it is a tribute, too, to sporting owners in his yard like David Johnson and Colin Fleet that they are pre- pared to take each other on. Pipe and Johnson had won the race twice before with Cyfor Malta and Challenger du Luc.
The other impressive victory of the day was that of Nicky Henderson's Capitaine Leau in the novices chase. The five-year- old had not won since a hurdles success two years ago, having had wind problems. But a palate operation has been a success and he came away from a decent-looking field to score an impressive victory on his chasing debut. 'I hoped he'd be a bit differ- ent,' said Nicky, and Capitaine Leau was. Three-mile chases will be his game. He would have been sent over fences last sea- son if they could have got his breathing right. Typically, the Team Henderson train- er pointed out that, while Richard Johnson had given the horse a beautiful ride, much credit was due to Mick Fitzgerald for schooling him. With the jumping season revving into full gear and with Seven Bar- rows housing perhaps his best collection of equine talent ever, Nicky Henderson made clear his longing: 'I want my jockey back,' he said. And so say all of us, Robin Oakley's Valley of The Racehorse is published by Headline at £18.99.
Previous page
