Uttoxeter Racecourse - Part Two

Racecourse number: 18

First visited: 1990

Number of visits: 9

Twenty years after my previous visit to Uttoxeter I would attend twice in the space of a week or so in December 2015. In doing so I learned a great deal about racehorse ownership and fulfilled a lifelong ambition. The first visit was not an ideal day to go racing from a work perspective. An important meeting I always attend and present at was too late to move. I pulled in a favour though, partly sensing that this could be a big day. Certainly not a race to miss as we would find out a lot one way or another.  I was really pleased that Transient Bay was making his seasonal reappearance at Uttoxeter and hopes were high despite a poor 2014-2015 season. A couple of pulled ups and tailed off's nearly lead to the conclusion that we were all wasting our time with Transient Bay. However, many of Phil Kirby’s horses had been running poorly in that period and a couple of more promising runs to conclude the season had left us with two things – hope and a potentially well handicapped horse. Expectation was as wide as could be as me and my Dad made our way to the Midlands venue. We were quite short in the betting in what was clearly not a strong race. I was predicting anything from winning to pulling up and everything in between. As the day progressed towards the crucial race six this uncertainty would be replaced by optimism and then by confidence. By the time jockey Adam Nicol left us in the parade ring it was clear today was indeed the day.

We were made very welcome by the racecourse staff and their arrangements for owners were very good. Free food and drink in a fairly large owners and trainers facility near the parade ring. A poor start in race one from a betting point of view was followed by the first of what would be several winners backed on the day. Aubusson was making his debut over fences, ridden by rising star Lizzie Kelly. I had backed the combination at Haydock Park the year before when they had won a valuable hurdle and I was not about to desert them now, even as a short priced favourite. Once again camped out at the second last fence, my Dad and I watched a comfortable win for the combination. The winner was never really asked for maximum effort and I planned to follow the horse for the season with interest. A few weeks later Lizzie hit the racing headlines when she became the first female jockey to win a grade one race at Kempton.

In between races we bumped in to our trainer Phil Kirby with another of the partnership owners and discussed our chances. Initially Phil repeated a lot of what had been previously e-mailed, that we had a good each way chance and that he would recommend a large bet if we were say 8-1. He could not understand the plunge of money and stated anyone betting to win at the current price was very brave. The 5-1 and 6-1 from the previous night was now long gone and it looked as if we would go off around 3-1 second favourite. Phil touched on a specific strategy to handle the threat of the favourite who was a strong traveller but not necessarily a strong finisher. He also expressed concern about the close proximity of the last hurdle to the winning post. Our horse does not possess great acceleration so a poor final jump could cost us if we were in a battle to the line. This aside everything Phil said was positive and it became clear as the conversation progressed he thought we would win. He was not really worried about the ground, the horse’s fitness or even the opposition, perhaps the favourite Global Dream aside. Reading between the lines his initial nervousness was probably more excitement about a potential winner laced with just a hint of self-doubt. By the time the conversation ended I understood two things clearly. Firstly that Phil believed we had a very good chance. Secondly that many similar conversations over the last couple of days to other partnership owners repeated and passed on had resulted in the current price. The conversation reminded me of a very contrasting one I had with trainer Chris Thornton when our horse Pic N Mix was making his debut at Haydock Park many years before. Excitement and anticipation that day was soon dampened when Chris explained we had no real speed to win at the five furlong trip and would want much further in time. Our chance he explained depended on that being the case for all the other two year old newcomers in the race. Pic N Mix finished last.

The conversation with Phil nearly cost me a winner but I just got a bet on prior to the start of race three. For Good Measure trained by Philip Hobbs, owned by J P McManus and ridden by Richard Johnson was making his handicap debut. Not a bad combination and the team rewarded my speed to get a bet on with a facile win. When I backed the next two winners as well, Baywing and April Dusk my confidence was high as the big race of the day arrived. My Dad also backed plenty of winners himself that day and even better, looked like he had secured the Placepot at Southwell. His horse was in a tight photo for third in the final leg. However, we had to check the result later as it was time to get to the parade ring for Transient Bay’s race. Later in a rare low spot on a wonderful day we discovered he had missed out by a nose for around £80.

As the Waking Ned Partnership gathered in the parade ring confidence was high. When jockey Adam Nicol arrived his anticipation of this ride was clear. He was very excited and had also not eaten properly in two days to make the racing weight. We watched the race in the main stand with some of the other owners. For the majority of the race things went perfectly. We set off quite prominent and jumped well with the field travelling at a solid pace. As the race began to unfold one or two runners started to flag and drop away. As this was happening our strong travelling runner began to push on and stretch out the field. As they began to turn for home Transient Bay began to build a lead, with all the others toiling in his wake, including the favourite Global Dream who was clearly beaten. Entering the straight he began to pull away six, eight, ten lengths clear. Is this really going to happen – it was almost too good to be true. We were cruising in front. Way behind the pack was making little inroads and jumping sporadically. As we approached the second last we must have been trading at 1-20 or lower in running. This is one of the amazing things about horse racing. Very quickly the picture can change. You have not won until you are past the post. Three things happened in the last half mile to bring us back to the reality of horse racing. Firstly we almost came down at the second last hurdle. He jumped it fine but then stumbled a little on landing, losing both speed and momentum. This, secondly coincided with the now staying on well Dandy Duke emerging as an unexpected challenger. Ten lengths had now become six as they set off on the long run to the last hurdle. Thirdly and suddenly Transient Bay was all over the place. Tired, inexperienced and out in front on his own he began a mini tribute to Crisp from the Grand National all those years ago. As the two leaders approached the last there was now little between them. The dream was evaporating before my eyes. I was thinking about what Phil had said about the last hurdle and that second would still be pretty good. The horse had different ideas though. He jumped the last well. Upon eye-balling his opponent he then clarified that it was more boredom than fatigue that explained his wobble between the last two hurdles. With effective encouragement from Adam he saw off this final challenger and won going away by the line. For the first time I was a winning racehorse owner actually there at the course to see it all happen. A brilliant moment and incredible to share it with my Dad who had initiated this journey over thirty years ago. 

The next half hour was a fantastic blur. A joyous gathering in the winner’s enclosure. Photographs. The presentation to winning connections. More photographs. We were then taken to watch a replay of the race whilst toasting the win with champagne. It was a lot more comfortable to watch second time around. I was so focused on our own runner I had no idea during the race itself who our last hurdle challenger was. We collected our winnings and thought about our share of the prize money. The whole experience was great but now there was something even more wonderful. The real win was the realistic potential we now had. We were probably well handicapped, improving, likely to be better over fences. Thoughts turned to our next run. The future was very exciting indeed.

Thanks to Phil and his team for an incredible day.

We returned ten days later looking for a quick follow up win, carrying a seven pound penalty for the previous victory. Like last time the weather was kind to us, especially for December. Like last time we were running in a very winnable looking hurdle race over two and a half miles. Only Hollywood All Star, another last time out winner looked a serious threat. As we set off to the course we were even money favourite and the selection of the majority of tipsters. There were however three big differences from last time to this. Firstly, we now had expectation rather than hope. On the way, worst case scenario felt like coming second. On arrival, another difference was the atmosphere at the course. It had a pre-Christmas feel, with many enjoying a Christmas party and lots more in attendance than the previous Tuesday. There was a high proportion of new racegoers and my Dad found himself offering advice and tips to the inexperienced in the racecourse betting shop. The third big difference was that today’s handicap hurdle was for less experienced conditional and amateur jockeys which ruled out regular pilot Adam Nicol. This was to prove very significant.

We had a free lunch once again in the owners and trainers bar where we were joined by Phil and some of the other partnership owners. Whilst we ate, our runner and Phil were featured in the racing preview on the screens nearby. Phil once again seemed very confident. Discussion turned to the future. Transient Bay would soon be schooled over fences and could be running in novice handicap chases sooner rather than later. Phil explained to us the benefits of this option. We then sat and listened to him instruct another jockey who was riding for him at Southwell later that day. All a priceless insight for racing enthusiasts like my Dad and I.

Pre-race we were becoming a very strong favourite indeed. I had expected us to be closely matched to Hollywood All Star in the betting but we were now odds on and he was drifting towards 3-1. Whilst we did have a decent bet on our short priced charge both me and my dad were tempted in when the 3-1 became available. A value bet we could not ignore even if slightly dis-loyal. Our race now had two non-runners which reduced the field to six which on our first reaction seemed to be good news. An even bigger contingent of owners entered the parade ring awaiting our jockey David Noonan. He was an up and coming young jockey who the previous weekend had won a race at Cheltenham. We were not the only people who were interested in what he had to say. As he arrived our conversation was cut short by the Attheraces cameras who initially interviewed the group and then specifically the jockey himself. He revealed to the viewers that he had spoken to Adam Nicol about the ride and was confident about our chances. Perhaps a little too confident.

David had never sat on the horse before and this would prove critical as the race unfolded. We never had a chance to discuss that a strong pace would be ideal for us and would test the stamina of main danger Hollywood All Star, who had previously won over two miles. Perhaps he knew this already and had been fully briefed by Phil. When the six runners set off it was obvious nobody wanted to force the pace so they began at a crawl. Looking back the two most likely front runners were the two non-runners. Surely we need to push on and establish a more credible test. For the first half of the race they jogged round as a tightly knit group much slower than we would want. As they passed us with a circuit to go we could sense this would mean defeat. The race would end up as a sprint and our relentless galloping skills would not come to the fore. I was wishing we could speak to the jockey during the race to ask what he was playing at and get him to force the pace. I shouted at him anyway from the stands but more out of frustration than any real sense that he would hear me. The pace slowly picked up down the back straight but it was too little too late. As the kick for home began on the home turn we were clearly in trouble. The horse battled on to finish a poor fourth, with Hollywood All Star a very comfortable winner. On reflection I do believe if the race had been run to suit us we may have struggled to beat the eventual winner. David’s explanation after the race was that he did not feel our horse had the experience to force the pace. It would have been nice to find out! The consensus amongst the owners was that he had ridden a stinker and that it was his inexperience that had cost us and not the horses. A disappointing result for sure but as a group we knew this was not a true reflection of our horse’s new found ability. Transient Bay was fine and there would be another day for sure. Later I heard a random disgruntled punter lamenting our effort and suggesting we had not tried to win. It did feel strange to feel part of a group that had let favourite backers down. Horse racing is complex but not in my experience fixed.

We discreetly collected our Hollywood All Star winnings and prepared for the next big event of the day. The “who is wearing the best Christmas jumper competition?” This was being held in the winner’s enclosure between races three and four. Prizes included free racing tickets and free bets. Not being one to shy away from such competitions, I was wearing my newly acquired Christmas jumper in preparation. The entrants, perhaps thirty hardy competitors, were encouraged to line up in the winners enclosure. As the judges assessed the contenders my Dad decided to enter the winner’s enclosure to get a better photo of proceedings. Quite a crowd had gathered to watch and my Dad very much came across as the official racecourse photographer. The only clue that he was not was the shocking photographs he took, this one being the best of a very bad bunch. Controversially I was not selected as a winner despite flashing at the judges at the appropriate moment! Indeed, this was not a day for lots of winners like the previous week and things overall had not panned out as expected. I did however manage to find one good winner just prior to setting off for home, this time at the Ascot away meeting. Coming to the last Le Mercurey was looking well beaten by Amore Alato. The latter though hit the last, unseated the jockey and handed me a fortunate victory. An ironic reminder that for every winner there is at least one unlucky loser waiting for another chance at glory.