Uttoxeter Racecourse - Part One

Racecourse number: 18

First visited: 1990

Number of visits: 9

By my second year at university my interest in horse racing had become much stronger. Seventy five percent of my afternoons would be spent at the races or in the bookies. I was regularly doing two to three race meetings a week. Somehow my life had become a mixture of horse racing, playing football and drinking with friends (with the occasional lecture thrown in). Most of my studying involved racing form not my degree subjects. Leicester had regular race meetings but I needed more. The Midlands rail network allowed me to develop an additional small group of tracks which I attended regularly over the next few years. They were Southwell, Nottingham and Uttoxeter. Using my trusty student railcard I could cheaply and quickly get to these racing destinations. In the case of Southwell and Uttoxeter I was planted right at the racecourse entrance as the racecourses both have train stations adjacent to them.

Prior to 2015 my previous visits to Uttoxeter took place in the early 1990's. On my first visit in November 1990 I had £20 on a horse called Market Forces who won at 5-2. A couple of weeks later I backed him again when he won, this time at Leicester.  At the end of this first visit I helped myself to a Tote placepot poster which I displayed in my room at University for quite some time. For the next few years pictures of horses, copies of photo finishes, bookies posters and losing betting tickets would be my room decorations of choice. My biggest Uttoxeter winner from this time was Captian Dibble who easily won his first novice chase there. I had £50 on at 6-4 and he was never in any danger.  A couple of years later he would win the Scottish Grand National at Ayr. A year earlier I had witnessed his novice hurdle success at Leicester, beating my selection that day Upton Park. These form connections would be a prominent feature of my mini Midlands circuit.

In the winter of 1991 I saw Stay Awake trained by Jonjo O'Neill run on three consecutive occassions. First was a gallant second at Cheltenham on Mackeson Gold Cup Day (My first visit there). Then a cosy success at Leicester. The third run was at Uttoxeter and the race was somewhat memorable, particularly for me. There were only four runners in what was a top novice chase contest with Stay Awake a marginal favourite over a couple of strong rivals. My involvement in the outcome of this race was both unexpected and ironic. At this time in my gambling journey I would often go to the races and have one big bet or no bets at all. On this day like the previous run at Leicester Stay Awake was my one selection and I had £50 on at 5-4. Positioned at the second last fence I watched the race unfold. Going racing as often as I did at that time I enjoyed mixing up where I watched each race and was not content to simply watch in the stands. From early in the race I could tell this would not be my day. Stay Awake did not jump with the previous fluency I had witnessed and jockey Mark Dwyer did well to keep the partnership intact and keep the horse in contention as they turned for home. As the runners approached me at the second last the three leading contenders were locked in battle but with Stay Awake clearly under the most pressure, but still with a chance. As the three of them jumped as one Stay Awake made another mistake and crumpled on landing right in front of me catapulting Dwyer forward into the turf. Unusually the horse simply stood up and did not follow the other runners allowing horse and jockey to be quickly reunited. Now stories of my interaction with jockeys are few and far between but a most interesting and unexpected one then took place. In a surreal twist it became very clear Mark was coming over to talk to me. Surely an apology was not necessary, these things happen in racing! Holding Stay Awake by the reigns he simply asked if there was prize money for fourth place. Somewhat flustered I checked and confirmed that there was. He was somewhat unconvinced and pressed the matter. I again confirmed and was then supported by another race goer who had joined the conversation. Finally satisfied Mark remounted, jumped the last and claimed the fourth place prize money to the ironic cheers/geers of the crowd. Should he have known? Certainly this was an unusual circumstance and of course today he would not be allowed to remount.

There are two other significant memories that stand out from my visits to Uttoxeter. The first was witnessing the filming of a scene for Coronation Street. In it Don Brennan enjoyed a visit to the races with his new redhead girlfriend. I was very close to one scene (Don placing a bet with an on course bookmaker) but on the wrong side of the camera! In 1995 I would attend the first Sunday meeting with on course betting. Desert Orchid was the star of the show, there on parade to promote the big day. Racing seven days a week is so much taken for granted these days but I was there when it all began.