Ascot Racecourse

Racecourse Number: 28
First Visited: 1992 
Number of visits: 1

There was a great deal of horse racing media hype about the first day of Royal Ascot in 1992. It was not however that Leicester University student Jason Tomlinson would be attending for the first time. No, it related to the upcoming potential clash of two racing giants from that period. Both horses had also captured general public interest and were entered for the group one St James Palace Stakes to be run over a mile. French trained Arazi had won the Breeders Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs in the most unbelievable fashion, coming from last to first and destroying top class opposition. If you have not seen this race please check it out today on YouTube. Rodrigo de Triano had recently won the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket. This was the first classic win for Lester Piggott aged fifty six, since coming out of retirement the year before. The racing press had built up this clash for weeks and I couldn’t wait. 

Six months earlier I had visited Cheltenham for the first time. Now as good as Haydock, Aintree, York and Chester are, the larger southern courses have an extra edge – scale, quality and class. I was starting to take my racing experience to the next level. This was horse racing at its very best. Fittingly my companion for the day Andy loved horse racing too. Indeed, his love was purer than mine in a sense that it was born of admiration for the horses themselves. Mine in truth was more an outcome of my desire to gamble on these noble beasts. A friend from university, for three years we attended dozens of meetings together around the Midlands circuit. This day would be different though, better, brilliant! The delights of our main haunts Leicester, Southwell and Nottingham were many but could not compete with Royal Ascot on this wonderful day.

The first order of business was getting there. This would involve a more expensive and complex train journey than normal. Leicester to London, change on the tube, London to Ascot. I would love to see a picture of me and Andy arriving at Ascot on this grand occasion. Two scruffy students headed for the silver ring. No top hat and tails here thank you. Jeans and a t-shirt were more our thing. I don’t remember the cost of the train journey but I will never forget the cost of entry to the course, just £3. Unbelievable, the best £3 I have ever spent. The facilities in the silver ring were awesome. Great stands with acres of space in front and behind. Sure we were down around the two furlong pole but this was just where these races would begin to take shape. The weather was idyllic. Everything was set for a perfect day. I remember noticing that the other race meeting that day was Thirsk and feeling somewhat smug about my lofty location. I was at Royal Ascot with the best of the best flat racing had to offer. All I needed now was to find a few winners.

This would not be easy as the big prizes attracted very competitive and generally large fields. It was probably with this in mind that led me to put on a decent Placepot perm. Thirty two lines which involved two runners in each race except race five. My single selection in the King Edward VII Stakes was my nap of the day Jeune, trained by Geoff Wragg and ridden by Walter Swinburn. The day started well with a winner – but sadly it would be my last. Lahib, pictured above, battled home in the Queen Anne stakes under a forceful ride from Willie Carson. With several fancied runners involved in a tight finish in front of a massive crowd the roar from the stands was incredible. Willie just held on by a head from Second Set ridden by a youthful Frankie Dettori.

Finding the winner got a lot tougher after race one. In the Prince of Wales Stakes Willie Ryan produced 20-1 shot Perpendicular to land an unexpected victory. Favourite and my main selection Opera House was well beaten but Young Buster in third kept my Placepot hopes alive. Race three was the big one. After such a big build up there was only three-quarters of a length between Rodrigo de Triano and Arazi at the line. It meant little though as they surprisingly occupied fourth and fifth place. The epic clash had failed to materialise, victory going to Irish raider Brief Truce at 25-1. He would go on to be a very successful stallion. Amidst this disappointing outcome I had manged to sneak a place again with Zaahi in second. With the main fancied runners all unplaced in races two and three the Placepot was starting to look very interesting and I was still rolling. When So Factual got second for me in the Coventry Stakes I had just two more races to negotiate for what would clearly now be a decent return. That was the great thing about the Placepot. The dividend could escalate quite quickly. Trying to calculate by how much was part of the fun.

As the runners cantered down to the start for race five the importance of Jeune’s performance was beginning to hit home. Sure I had had a decent each way bet at 5-1. Sure betting success was always a big factor in how I feel about a day at the races. But this was somehow different. I did not want to spoil what had been a fantastic day in any sense. I wanted to progress by Placepot dream to the final race of the day at least. Most importantly it had become clear in discussion with Andy what was really at stake. If I won the Placepot these two impoverished students were coming back for more on day two. Suddenly a good run from Jeune and Walter Swinburn meant everything – and they did not let me down coming second. By splitting winner Alflora (16-1) and Beyton (12-1) the Placepot potential was boosted further. One leg to go to what could be untold riches! I was twenty one, nearing the end of my three years at University, skint and with no idea what I would do with the rest of my life. Yet I knew with absolute clarity what I wanted to do tomorrow.

Unfortunately race six was the toughest of the day. Run over two and a half miles the Ascot Stakes had twenty one runners all with a realistic chance. One of my two needed to make the first four. As they turned for home only one of my selections mattered as the field was strung out across half of Berkshire. Bardolph, trained by Paul Cole turned for home nicely placed and staying on strongly. As he passed me and Andy at the two furlong pole he was in fourth and keeping on. A big win on such a big day was within reach. As the leaders galloped on into the final furlong Bardolph’s dour efforts were being surpassed by several new and emerging challengers. The race was won by the Henry Cecil trained Gondolier ridden by Pat Eddery. Bardolph finished a tired but gallant ninth. The Placepot paid enough for me and Andy to have returned for the rest of the week, but it was not to be. I have not been back since which is a shame but I think it unlikely I could ever surpass the experience of Royal Ascot 1992 style. Cheers Andy.