Juliette 'S Weekly Frolic
My finest hour — at least on a racecourse — took place at Kempton three years ago last Saturday. On that historic occasion (it was the first racing jaunt in a professional capacity) both tips obliged and I could see myself gliding grandly from course to course, all diamonds, mink and adoring public, for years to come. Set against that, last Saturday's exploits didn't look too hot, but the fact that Young Robert, actually ran when I didn't even know he was entered, was enough achievement for one afternoon!
About a month back I gave a brief mention to Ivor Herbert's new book, Winter's Tale (Pelham £3.25) which has an unusual launching party this week at Fred Winter's Lambourn stable. "Big names are only the icing on the cake. And the icing, sadly, is all the outsider briefly sees" — at a time when the welfare of stable staff is uppermost in many minds it is fitting that Mr Herbert should have written a book, and a very good one, about the ingredients too. The work's hard, the pay's low but, to quote Richard Pitman, the spirit's "exceptional" and —the Old Man's never asked us to do anything he wouldn't do himself."As Mr Herbert observes, "Industrialists might pay half their current year's profits if they *could buy that spirit for their businesses."
Nobody wanted to 'do' Bula when he arrived 'very fat' at the Winter establishment; twenty-five wins later, his lad Vincent Brookes is the envy of his fellows. The pair of them will be on view in the New bury parade ring shortly before next Saturday's Geoffrey Gilbey Memorial 'Chase, where Bula once again will be humping topweight. Having seen him in the role of falling favourite at Sandown those of little faith, and great greed, like myself will have to look elsewhere for the winner.
Credo, himself a notable stayer on the flat is currently going great guns as a 'chasing sire and his three best offspring, Credo's Daughter, Credibility and Shock Result, are entered for this race. The lastnamed is unbeaten in five starts this season and although they've all been over a shorter distance, if his half brother and sister can excel over 21 miles, there seems no reason why he shouldn't too.
With 'chasing stars in short supply, the Irish have been busily extolling the virtues of their young hurdlers. San Gennaro did little for the cause at Kempton, but I hope Mick O'Toole's Tip the Wink can salvage some Irish pride when he comes over for Haydock's Victor Ludorum this Saturday.
If you think Red Rum hard done by in the Grand National, take a look at the weights for Haydock's Greenall Whitley 'Chase where he is respectively 6Ib and 3Ib worse off with Barona and Straight Vulgan than at Aintree. The former should be laughing all round seeing he's also got a useful 8Ib pull with Tartan Ace whom he beat a length in the Whitbread Northern Trophy.
Assets: £61.45. Outlay: E3 to win Tip the Wink, Shock Result & Barona.
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