Leicester Racecourse

Racecourse number: 15

First visited: 1989

Number of visits: 57

When I arrived at Leicester University aged eighteen in the autumn of 1989 it was clear my life was about to alter in a massive way. New friends, living away from home and new academic challenges were thrust upon me. In truth the one constant that transferred from my previous life to this was horse racing. In a way though the transfer was more of an upgrade. Suddenly I lived half a mile from a racecourse and close to many other tracks on the Midlands circuit. Over the next few years I would very much take advantage of this.

In those days Leicester staged quite a few Monday and Tuesday afternoon meetings which were integrated into my student life. Initially I had mixed emotions as the awe of my close proximity to the racing action was offset to some extent by guilt over missed lectures. In the end racing beat lectures by a distance, not least because the visits were such good value. I would enter the silver ring for £3 including a basic racecard. The old blue stand, part of which still exists (see above) was supported by good facilities up to about the half furlong pole. I also enjoyed the option to wander down to the one an a half furlong point near the final fence/hurdle which was an excellent vantage point. I also soon cottoned on to the enclosure transfer turnstile being opened up prior to the last race, which gave cheapskates like myself the opportunity to enjoy the better facilities in the Tattersalls enclosure. I was not on my own much to the consternation of the silver ring bookmakers who often saw reduced action on the days get out stakes. At the many Autumn/Winter meetings the weather was often bleak and windy and I recall one particular day when the bookmakers set up half way up the silver ring grandstand to ply their trade. There were more bookies than punters that day. I often ended the meetings helping myself to the published photo finish images which along with losing betting tickets became part of my student decor. 

The Saturday meetings in April and June were the highlight of my Leicester student racing days. In fact Saturday 26th April 1990, my 19th birthday is one of my favourite days ever at the races as I was attending with a big group of friends on a sunny spring afternoon. This is still Leicester's big meeting of the year featuring the Listed Leicestershire Stakes which briefly became a Group 3 contest. A big crowd was treated to competitive racing, with representatives from many of the big stables and top jockeys such as Steve Cauthen and Paul Eddery. Both would ride winners that day for Henry Cecil and Michael Stoute respectively. My group was boosted by backing many of the days winners including Se-Aq, J Brand, Angel Train and big race winner Monsagem. Approaching the final race we grouped some funds together to have a decent collective bet on my selection. The horse in question, Kartajana was making her racecourse debut and would go on to much, much better things. She romped home and between us we had £35 on at what seemed a generous 4-5 as she was backed off the boards. A fantastic day. I also really loved the June Saturday evening meetings in the early 1990s. Sponsored by the Leicester Mercury they often featured a great crowd and a Caribbean style steel band. In 1992 my friends and I had a decent win after a significant stroke of luck on our way to the races. We were walking to the course from nearby Aylestone when a posh car pulled over and asked us for directions to the races. We directed them from the back seat on the way. They seemed well connected to the Paul Cole yard and assured us that the bigger priced runner of two in the 8:45 was the one to be on. On arrival they went to the owners and trainers entrance. We went to the silver ring. Sure enough a few hours later Paul Cole's Just Speculation won convincingly at 11-1 (backed from 14-1) whilst his drifting second favourite Summit Fever could only manage sixth! If Carlsberg did Taxis!

In late 1990 Leicester, at one of its obscure Monday meetings would become the focus of the racing world. I was there when the headline in the Racing Post read simply Leicester Piggott. Indeed this was such a big story that it became part of the mainstream news. Lestor, now fifty six, had two rides following his unexpected return to the saddle. His original retirement was five years earlier. Could his first ride be a fairytale return? I was next to the rail about 100 yards from the finish line. Lestor and his mount were locked together in a tremendous battle with a horse ridden by Gary Carter, another favourite jockey of mine from that period. I was literally right there witnessing something very special. Unfortunately Gary had not read the script and held on to win by a head. Lestor's other ride disappointed and he would have to wait until the following day at Chepstow to ride his first winner back in the saddle. Exactly one year later I attended the same Leicester meeting and this time Lestor made no mistake on the Dick Hern trained Claret. This was incredibly his 102nd winner since his return, with the Breeders Cup win of Royal Academy the undoubted highlight.

I have so many fond memories of my visits to Leicester through this period, attending roughly fifty meetings between 1989 and 1995. I witnessed some dramatic finishes and last fence tumbles. I watched some national hunt greats like Stearsby and Terao. One day following a must attend lecture I turned up for just one race to see future Derby contender Muhtarram. Racing all year round, flat and jumps was such a bonus. I celebrated some great wins (Milton Bryan) and suffered some big losses (Fly To The Stars). I even managed to get myself on the front page of the Sporting Life, stood next to the last fence. Sometimes attending alone, often with friends and later with my future wife Claire this was truly a golden period in by racing experience. Whilst attending Leicester University I doubled the number of racecourses I had visited from fourteen to twenty-eight. From this point there was never any doubt that I would ultimately visit them all. 

Hexham Racecourse

                 

Racecourse number: 38

First visited: 1998

Number of visits: 2

In November 2014 my Dad and I attended Hexham races to watch Transient Bay make his debut over hurdles. Following a couple of promising runs in national hunt flat races the previous year this marked the start of his second season as a racehorse. This was my Dad’s first visit to Hexham and my second. The course has a quite picturesque setting in rural surroundings with a natural hillside amphitheatre which provides good viewing. The racecard identifies the course as Britain’s most scenic. I can see where they are coming from. Perhaps though the statement should be qualified with “weather permitting.” This cold, cloudy day would not do the course justice. Undeterred, on arrival we went to collect our owner’s badges. A simple task you would imagine.

Not on this day. Most racecourses allocate at least six free badges to owners and offer additional ones at half price. On this occasion my name was listed to get a free extra badge allocated to the jockey, no doubt to maximise our free badges. I was given free entry and able to pay half price for my Dad but there was an issue. My dad was given a voucher for a free bowl of soup but I was not. I had the audacity to politely request the same. My jockey’s badge it seemed was frowned upon and did not qualify for soup so I was given short shrift by the team managing this entry process. I could have protested further, perhaps ironically stating that I would still make my allotted weight even after consuming the soup. However, the queue was building up behind us and I could instinctively tell I was onto a loser. Now I like soup, especially on a day like this but it’s not really about the soup. Anywhere you go as a customer you want to be made to feel welcome. In horseracing owners are absolutely key to its longevity. Not for the first time at a racecourse owner’s entrance I did not feel particularly welcome or appreciated. Later, Soup-gate as I shall now refer to it took an ironic turn for the worse.

Transient Bay’s race was the second on the card, a novice hurdle over two and a half miles. Seven would run with prizemoney for the first four. Certainly an exciting prospect as we all gathered in the parade ring prior to the race. The partnership of twenty was reasonably well represented as the regular attendees were becoming established. Over the runs to come I would do my best to be one of them. The situation at Hexham would have been even more exciting had we known at the time that one of the runners would go on to win the Grand National. In truth, I had not even considered One For Arthur as a strong contender for this lowly race let alone as a future national hunt star. Lucinda Russell’s runner would finish a promising third this day before going on to much bigger and better things. Prior to the race there was lengthy discussion with our jockey, Kyle James. Surrounded by around ten people he outlined his thoughts directly to me, which did make me feel quite special. In short, his expectation was not high in terms of victory but he did predict a promising run to build on. One concern at the time was that Phil’s horses were not in great form. In fact his Up the Bees had just disappointed in the first race. One thing we were not concerned about was the hurdles themselves for our giant thoroughbred. They were no more than a tiny trip hazard to him. The official race record reports we were held up behind, pushed along 5^th, soon struggling, pulled up 4 out. Not a great effort really and there was disappointment, initially mixed with a little concern as we were pulled up with almost a circuit to go. Speaking to Kyle straight after the run he felt the horse was not himself, was soon very tired and that the run was way too bad to be true.

Whilst I did manage one early short priced winner, punting success would elude me this day. In our race I backed the John Quinn trained favourite Zermatt who, whilst getting a little further round than Transient Bay was also pulled up. A confident bet on Present Lodger came unstuck when the jockey unseated right in front of us. My Dad was faring no better and after race three, decided to cash in his bowl of soup voucher. Unfortunately in the owners and trainers bar the soup had run out. Don’t worry Dad I bet they have loads left at the general racecourse canteen. They did, and it smelt great but this soup there is not for owners and has to be paid for. No doubt most of it was thrown away at the end of the day! Three years on I can confirm I have largely moved on from Soup-gate and eat soup on a regular basis whether paid for or not. Generally though, facilities at Hexham are not great. Certainly, the lack of a stand is a huge miss, even allowing for the hillside location. The betting shop is also quite intriguing, a bit like the opposite of Dr Who’s Tardis. From the outside it looks ordinary sized but inside there is very little room, small screens and something of a rugby scrum environment to overcome to get a bet on. Overall, you may have sensed the course is not massively to my liking and it would appear the horse agreed. When the fifth race was won by outsider Mrs Grass we knew it would not be our day and was time to cut our losses. Disappointed, cold and yes a little hungry we headed home. Looking at the day positively it was one of those that gave perspective. If the day ever came when we were victorious we would appreciate it more based on days like this.