Racing
Pith and win
Jeffrey Bernard Bird's Nest begins to look better and better for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham next month. He coasted in on the bit in his trial at Wolverhampton last Monday, beating Comedy of Errors by five lengths, and if the weather continues in the same vein, which seems likely, he'll have the soft going that he wants—and that Night Nurse doesn't—on the big day. But, at 7-4, he doesn't look as good value as Fulke Walwyn's good horse Dramatist, now 9-1.
Meanwhile, at Newbury last Saturday, that great race the Schweppes Gold Trophy saw some other good hurdlers run a terrific contest. I thought my own personal drought was coming to an end for a moment when Tiepolino made a move in the straight, but it wasn't to be, although I suppose I shouldn't grumble at the 4-1 I got about him for a place. These things so often go in cycles and I'm afraid you'll have to start heeding me again now because I broke the duck with a vengeance on Monday when I backed Napazi who won at 16-1 at Teesside. Thank you, Jonjo O'Neill, and thanks for winning on Ruddy Sam on Saturday too. Ruddy Sam has made jumping errors in both his outings so far, but this one could be a top-notcher when he learns to hurdle properly. Definitely one for the notebook, and a possible Cheltenham winner.
Apart from the excellence of the racing at Newbury last Saturday the company I kept was also perfect. I met an old Russian gentleman in the bar who'd fled his country in 1917 and who confessed to me that he now made an extremely precarious living out of insurance companies by throwing himself in front of the occasional taxi. His
subsequent injuries have made him pretty doddery, but he somewhow manages to hobble from course to course when he's in funds after every accident.
After the Schweppes I took a long hard look at the customers in the packed bar in the grandstand. Much as I love racing I can't help finding regular racegoers, for the most part, quite ridiculous. As usual there were hundreds and hundreds of Lucindas and Ruperts and the thing that always strikes me most about them is that they are completely out of touch with reality. That's to say that they have barely any experience of life beyond the boundaries of Annabel's and Badminton. One wonders what the hell they'd do if they suddenly had to earn a living with their two hands. Apart from that lot there's the lunatic set that I prefer to pass the time of day with like 'Dennis the chest,' 'Jimmy the spiv' and Lulu Mendoza. God preserve them and keep them because the bloody horses won't. One of the characters told me quite a good story about that cynical ex-jockey Dave Dick. I'd remarked about Richard Pitman's commentaries that I thought he spoiled them by the tremendous effort he makes to talk posh. I was then told that when Pitman was riding Dave Dick said to Fred Winter one day, 'Now that you've taught him to speak like you, why
don't you teach him to f ing ride like you ?' Cruel on poor Dick Pitman but pithy.
I was delighted to get my first official letter as an owner this week. Doug Marks wrote to me and said, 'Deciduous is in good fast work. Geoff Baxter rode her last week and when he got off he said. "This one is sure to win a race": I went over myself to see her the other day and the ground was so hard because of the frost that she was simply trotting around the lanes of Lambourn. I'm no expert at judging horses on looks, and when they've got their winter coats it becomes absolutely impossible for me. She looked perky enough and gave me the warm glow of ownership, but she looked horribly like a chestnut-coloured doormat. Doug Marks though thinks she's a bit of a cracker and it seems likely that I and the half-dozen or so readers of this column might have a 'touch' with Deciduous in April or May. Anyway, the fingers are crossed.
There's always some complication or other at the races. Another one has cropped up. Since I started writing this particular column the telephone has buzzed and the man who said he'd put my £5 each way on Napazi yesterday has just told me that he'd like to give me £20 a day for five days instead of £100 today. £100 in one go would be much more fun and the man won't knock me, but. It's got me thinking. Has he done what I've stupidly done in the past—namely
forgot to put the bet on and quixotically keeping quiet about it and paying up out of his own pocket ? I don't know and I won't ask him. I do know one thing. I'll never stick another bet again. I'll lay a horse if I don't fancy it, but I won't stick one. The last time I did that it was for that sprinter Merry Cricketer. 1 had to pay someone precisely £72 at a moment when I had in my
pocket and the world precisely £72.50.
Living in Berkshire the danger is getting too many tips. The best bit of information points to Don't Hesitate winning at Chepstow on Saturday and from the same stable Viewfinder should win at Lingfield. The big race of the day, the Joe Coral Welsh Grand National, could be won by Eyecatcher, who ran on well last time out.
Previous page
