Chelmsford City Racecourse

Racecourse number: 51

First visited: 2015

Number of visits: 1

During my two hundred and fifty mile journey from home to Chelmsford I witnessed the full spectrum of challenging weather that a British winter can throw at you. High winds, rain, sleet, snow, ice caused by very low temperatures and a blinding low sun. This is what all weather racing is all about. Live racing for the betting shops, when normal racing would be abandoned and when no sane person would venture outside. Joining me in my insanity on this occasion was my great friend from university Mark who now conveniently resides near Chelmsford. This would be the first official public race meeting, so in almost every sense was a new racecourse - except that a few years earlier the course had operated as Great Leighs racecourse with all manor of problems before it finally closed. The track and floodlights remained and following much investment and hard work the course was ready for action again with a new name and a very busy 2015 fixture list. 

Prior to my visit I was intrigued by the unusual set up of the track. The grandstand is situated in the centre of the track along with the other main facilities. In practice this would mean a restricted sight of the racing with only the final two furlongs or so in view. The big screen certainly helped but the situation is far from ideal and is arguably significantly flawed. On arrival we received a warm welcome to what in truth from the outset was clearly a work in progress/building site. Much of the track and facilities were incomplete with a full grand opening planned for the summer. However this did not detract from the day out but rather showed how the course had much more scope to improve and expand its offering. As we entered the main sports bar/betting area I was equally impressed by the modern spacious facilities and the abundance of friendly, helpful staff. There was a professionalism about the place more akin to a hotel than a racecourse. A few intrepid staff members were dedicated to holding open the doors to the main betting area which were in danger of being blown off by the very strong winds. Outside where conditions could best be described as bloody freezing I was disappointed to find only eight bookmakers unenthusiastically lined up to form the betting market. Another option was the very odd and new site of DIY Tote terminals which looked impressive but seemed to be avoided by both myself and other sceptical punters. Undaunted I was ready to place my first bet.

The meeting had attracted a lot of runners from the relatively nearby Newmarket including my first selection Wanting, trained by Charlie Appleby. This daughter of Acclamation only needed to justify a portion of her 140,000 gns price tag it seemed to beat opposition that looked moderate at best. I had £20 on at 11-10 and soon returned to collect my winnings as Adam Kirby brought her through to challenge on the home turn and went away to win pretty comfortably. One bet, one win - this all weather racing is easy. Or is it? Four races later my total number of winners was still one! I had missed a couple of important form clues, ignored some very solid advice from a well put together race card and most worryingly neglected to factor in both the importance of the draw and front running tactics on a tight track with a short run in. If nothing else I had identified a potential future winner in Come On Dave who won the days sprint in embarrassingly easy fashion. All was not lost for race six as well as I increased my credibility and my cash balance with £10 on the 3-1 winner Karam Albaari. He came from last to first to win the stayers event under the urgings of my new favourite jockey Adam Kirby. Enthused I started the applause as the victors arrived at a very sparsely attended winners enclosure. 

As we left the course we were treated to a floodlights switch on which added to the spectacle of the setting as we stood on the polytrack surface. I really enjoyed my first visit to a meeting that was pretty well attended given the weather conditions. Cheers Mark, cheers Adam and good luck to Chelmsford City racecourse. Based on what I saw in February 2015 they probably won't need it ......as long as the weather improves!

Redcar Racecourse

Racecourse number: 36

First visited: 1996

Number of visits: 2

My two visits to Redcar so far have both been momentous days, one for horse racing itself and one for my family. In 1996 I attended Redcar for the first time the day Frankie Dettori went through the card at Ascot with his famous magnificent seven winners. In 2013 my family were VIP guests for the day with a sponsored race and hospitality, courtesy of a colouring competition win by my nine year old daughter.

In 1996 my visit to Redcar with future wife Claire saw me complete my "Go Racing In Yorkshire" target. All nine Yorkshire courses now complete, a mini tour which would become a nationwide one. Now I like to plan ahead but when it comes to great moments in sporting history often they come in unexpected ways and on unexpected days. They can't be planned in. So at Redcar in 1996 I had only a minor interest in what was going on at Ascot. I was focused on my first visit to Redcar. I had a couple of losing bets on the first two away races at Ascot and I was aware that Frankie had won them both, but thought little of it and spent the rest of the day watching Redcar only. In the mid nineties I was a member of the Elite Racing Club, something I thoroughly enjoyed. Running that day was an old favourite for the club McGullycuddy Reeks ridden by Kim Tinkler. She ran respectably in race two but did not trouble the leaders finishing sixth. At Redcar I managed a couple of winners including in the fifth race. Windsor Castle, trained by Paul Cole and in the famous Fahd Salman green colours was an easy winner, albeit odds on. A winner is a winner though. My strategy at race meetings driven to is always to make a move before the last or second last race. I am not one for queueing in car parks and horse racing is a little unique in sport in that sneaking off a little early normally means you don't miss much! Normally. The final race is often the least significant. On this day it meant I was well on my way home by the time Frankie steered home his seventh winner at Ascot Fujiyama Quest. Every time I see the race I still think he will get beat. One or two of his earlier wins were similarly unlikely but what a great result for racing and the many punters who were part of this history with a big win. Shame I really didn't tune it to it happening. No Twitter updates or text messages in 1996 and no racecourse announcement prior to me leaving. Surely on my next visit to Redcar in 2013 I would learn my lesson and keep an eye on what was happening at the other meetings! I didn't and it would cost me again.

When me and Claire returned seventeen years later we had two children in tow and one of them to thank for the wonderful day ahead. So wonderful it makes my top ten days at the races list. More on that later. A few weeks earlier we had received a mailing from Redcar Racecourse with the fixtures for the year ahead and a colouring competition promoting the Easter Monday family fixture. The first prize was a VIP family day at the races including a three course meal and a sponsored race. To be fair to Rachel she really deserved the win as she spent a lot of time and thought carefully putting together the winning entry. She included plenty of red within the entry and really took her time to ensure the entry was top quality.  So it was with great excitement we arrived to watch the The Rachel Tomlinson Designed Today's Racecard Cover Handicap Stakes. We arrived as the gates opened. The day started well and just kept getting better. Prior to the first race we were treated to a three course meal and drinks in the Voltiguer restaurant within the main grandstand. Our host for the day Caroline Smith had already made us feel super welcome on arrival and this quality treatment would continue throughout the day. Following an excellent meal we just had time to assess the runners for the first race. One of our selections Foreign Rhythm romped home at 8-1. A great start.

On collecting our winnings I bumped into my now retired former trainer Chris Thornton. We had a chat about Rachel's race but mainly discussed up and coming trainer Philip Kirby. Phil had first come to my attention two years earlier when his horse Agglestone Rock had won my own sponsored race (for my 40th birthday) at Haydock Park. Since then I had followed his progress closely and backed most of his runners with increasing success. A few months earlier by outrageous co-incidence Phil had moved his training operation to Middleham and taken up residence at Chris' old yard Sharp Hill Farm. Following a clear endorsement of Phil's potential I joined the others to get ready for Rachel's race.

We watched the race in the racecourse office in close proximity to the winners enclosure for the post race presentation. Not the most exciting view of the race but in many ways it was the most interesting racing insight of the day. Inside the office with us along side a few racecourse staff was the wife of jockey Michael O'Connell whose fancied ride in the race was now a non runner. In the next ten minutes I was to witness the true nature and competitiveness of horse racing. Pre-race she was already frustrated as he had missed the choice of another fancied runner in Zaplamation. Instead he would carry jockey Barry McHugh and the burden of being my selection in the race. Three furlongs out in this two mile contest, Zaplamation was cruising through the field with McHugh totally motionless. The growing certainty of a Zaplamation victory was too much for Mrs. O'Connell. She simply could not watch and had to leave! Oblivious to this situation the kids watched an easy win for Zaplamation and another winner for Dad. 

Following the presentation Rachel herself was then presented with an Easter Egg hamper which was well received by a decent sized crowd around the winners enclosure. Rachel did really well and was never concerned or nervous about proceedings. We then, in a further surprise joined the winning connections in a private bar area to enjoy a glass of champagne whilst watching a re-run of the race. The owners and representative of trainer John Quinn were in bullish mood following such an easy win and I really enjoyed the experience. I would follow Zaplamation over the coming seasons. This versatile but quirky character would win again including an impressive hurdles victory at Wetherby.

My  knowledge of horse racing has always been pretty comprehensive but has never really extended to the area of breeding. On this day fate would see me make an exception and as a consequence back two more winners. In race three I was very much undecided between three fancied runners. Upon seeing Go Go Green was by Acclamation the same sire as Zaplamation that was good enough for me. The ground at Redcar that day was quite unusual, soft but drying out in the sun and wind. Many runners were unlikely to act on this tacky ground. If one son of Acclamation was suited by it I knew enough to know another would likely be also. My theory worked out when Go Go Green won, albeit in a rare dead heat. He would also survive a stewards enquiry to add to the drama of the day. We then crossed over to the central course enclosure where the kids enjoyed half an hour on a bouncy castle assault course. Meanwhile I had a challenge of my own, race four. Now prior to racing I had absolutely no intention of backing Fieldgunner Kirkup who I felt, stepped up in trip would not get home. However as he was another son of Acclamation I re-invested some of our winnings in what was fast becoming a secret weapon. When Fieldgunner Kirkup saw off multiple challengers in the final two furlongs to make it a hat-trick of wins for my now favourite sire I was full of confidence and excitement. As you can imagine my next action was to scan the remaining card for other runners by Acclamation, but it was not to be. Race five saw me have my first losing race with my selection Big Johnny D one paced in third place.

We were not finished yet though. A bag of sweets later we watched the runners parading for race six, a tricky sprint handicap. We decided to split our money. Half was invested on my choice Baltic Bomber, a course and distance winner trained by John Quinn and ridden by Michael O'Connell. The other half on the kid's choice Captian Scooby who had a cool name. I was happy to oblige. Soon positioned in the stands adjacent to the winning post the final twenty seconds of this race provided a fantastic memory and in a way encapsulated the whole day. As the race began to unfold Baltic Bomber was clearly beaten for the unlucky O'Connells but positioned in midfield and moving forward Captain Scooby was not without a chance. One by one Richard Guest's gelding picked off the other contenders but there was one more to pass and only half a furlong to do it. By this stage all four of us were screaming the stand down, particularly five year old Jake, as Captian Scooby closed to within half a length, then a neck but surely too late as the line approached. With one final desperate surge jockey Amy Ryan got him home in the shadow of the post to win in a photo at 8-1. As a group we gleefully collected our winnings. 

Time to go before the last race as normal but Redcar still had a couple of surprises up their sleeve as we went to collect Rachel's Easter Egg Hamper. She was given a race card signed by all the jockeys in her race and a DVD of the race itself. Later we were sent a copy of the official photograph of the race (below) showing the runners going out on their final circuit in front of the busy stands. Zaplamation and Barry McHugh are tucked away in black and pink with the nose band.

Thanks very much to Redcar racecourse and of course to Rachel. What a fantastic day, but once again I had forgotten  to pay attention to the other meetings. Philip Kirby managed a four timer including a 14-1 winner out of seven runners and I somehow contrived, caught up in the day at Redcar to back a total of none of them! What I did decide that day however is that my next racehorse share would be with Philip Kirby. As we drove home I could look forward to plenty more wonderful racing days ahead.

Sedgefield Racecourse

Racecourse Number: 35
First Visited: 1996
Number of visits: 3

In March 1996 I visited Sedgefield racecourse for the first time with my Dad. Sedgefield is one of those national hunt courses that has plenty of meetings and feels really familiar from years of betting shop viewing. At the track, along with this familiarity it has its own very distinctive feel. I watched a discussion on Racing UK where concern was expressed about the increase in proportion of all weather racing and the lack of character these courses have. It was felt the distinctiveness of individual racecourses is the very essence of the appeal of British horse racing. I couldn't agree more. Something I was reminded of on my next visit in 2014. Sedgefield has real character, tight turns, undulations and a very agricultural feel. Sure it is not very classy but the facilities are fine given it is a lower grade track, though I am not sure that much had changed in the eighteen years between visits. 

By 1996 I was nearly at halfway in my challenge to visit all the racecourses. On this day we opted for the longer trip to Sedgefield rather than the shorter but previously taken trip to Aintree, which had some big names on show being Friday of Grand National week. Runners at Aintree included Viking Flagship, Brown Windsor and Sound Man which we watched in the betting shop in between races. Sedgefield however was not without stars of its own that day though with some significant national hunt names from the nineties on display. Two such horses were Weaver George and Xaipete. Between them they won an incredible thirty nine races. Weaver George disappointed that day but Xaipete took the lucky last in great style and would go on to win three more times at Sedgefield. I still have the racecard and as such have lots of detail from the day including my own betting records. I had a losing placepot perm but managed three winners at Sedgefield including Xaipete, meaning a successful days betting for me and a modest profit. However I would just be looking after this money and returning it to the Sedgefield bookmakers with interest in 2014.

The meeting in 2014, my second visit to Sedgefield was a big day for me. Transient Bay my latest and third significant venture into racehorse ownership (5% share) was having his first run for Philip Kirby in the concluding bumper race. Like the rest of the racing partnership the Tomlinsons were there in numbers. In fact an impressive sixteen of the twenty racing partnership members attended.  Falling on a Sunday the meeting was ideal for a family day out so the four of us plus my Dad made the trip up the A1. Unfortunately the weather did not play its part, the day described as bleak by my wife. Cold, wet and windy would be an accurate description with conditions getting worse as the day progressed. Not ideal when you have a runner in the concluding bumper! For a weekend this was a very poorly attended meeting. Together with the weather, nearby Sunderland's appearance in the Carling Cup Final meant punters where few and far between. A high percentage of attendees were clearly owners, a fact strongly suggested by the queue at the owners entrance. (Something I had not seen before). Later in the day we crossed over to the centre to the course enclosure to let the kids enjoy the park there. Genuinely there was a total gate of around twenty five enjoying one bookmaker, a tote terminal, a dingy canteen area and the view in the picture above. Not one for the website! The set up made me think of the story from footballer Ray Parlour's biography when he played for Middlesbrough. He had taken the first team on a racing trip to York which they had loved. Suited and booted they had fitted in great with the other dressed up young racegoers and had enjoyed the amazing facilities, so they decided to plan another racing trip! This time to Sedgefield! I can only imagine their surprise and disappointment upon arrival at the massive contrast in facilities, customers and dress code. At the meeting I attended in 2014 there was hardly anyone there under forty!

This meeting did not go well from a betting perspective though on a couple of occasions did show some promise. In the first I lazily backed the odds on favourite and came unstuck. In the second things looked very encouraging as the runners turned for home. Long time leader Boris The Blade was being stalked by my selection Caerlaverock who cruised into the lead two out at at odds of 10-1. The picture changed however approaching the last as suddenly Caerlaverock was running on empty and the grey Boris The Blade rallied gamely to take the contest by two lengths. The defeat was compounded by the ridicule of my son Jake who had selected the winner only to be dismissed by me as ungenuine! He pulled up more often than finishing. The winner returned at 25-1. Even when I did finally get a winner in race six (short priced favourite Tokyo Javilex) the outcome was far from joyous. Upon collection I was handed my winnings in Scottish notes which I requested be changed. Though he did comply the grumpy bookmaker was not impressed and stated how he wished he could refuse to accept them.

The big race arrived. Time for my new horse to have his debut run. I had spoken to trainer Philip Kirby a little earlier in the day in the racecourse betting shop and he sounded hopeful, predicting a promising run, though not expecting to compete with some of the more experienced contenders. Not for the first time his insight proved correct. The partnership gathered in the parade ring both expectant and very large in size. In contrast eventual winner Debooch had a total set of connections of one jockey, Jason Maguire. His victory would be his fourth of the day, a win which would see our race later featured on Sky Sports news. Our horse Transient Bay ran a promising race in fourth around twelve lengths behind the winner. As a group of owners we were very happy with this initial run, jockey Kyle James seemed particularly pleased with the performance and the horses attitude. We even picked up a little prize money for fourth place. Phil had also said that anything he achieves now would be a bonus as this potential staying chaser would only really come into his own over a much longer distance. Part of the fun of racehorse ownership is about potential, dreaming of future glory.  Our horse ran twice more at Sedgefield the following season, with me attending on one of those days. Following two poor runs it became apparent that Sedgefield was not an ideal track for us, much like Ray Parlour and friends! If we had known in that disappointing second season that Transient Bay would retire a five time hurdles winner we would have happily taken that.

York Racecourse

Racecourse number: 2

First visited: 1985

Number of visits:7

York's Benson and Hedges Gold Cup Day meeting in 1985 is one of my favourite days racing. My first dozen or so trips to the races were to my local track Haydock Park and so this first visit away from Haydock would open my eyes to other horse racing possibilities. As good as Haydock was, York was simply better. In terms of scale, racing quality, atmosphere and viewing options this was something very exciting indeed. My family watched most races that day in a seated area way up in the stands overlooking the final furlong. What a view. Bourbon Boy was a winner I remember backing for Michael Stoute, Walter Swinburn and Sheikh Mohammed. On this particular occasion I noted the results in the racecard along with the winning distances. Not something I continued with but certainly helpful in terms of this record. The full colour cover of the racecard was as distinctive as the meeting itself, and at 40p a bargain.

The big race of the day which is now the Juddmonte International featured many racing superstars of the time including many future breeding superstars. Top of the bill and favourite for the race was Oh So Sharp who had already won the 1000 Guineas and the Oaks. She would go on to complete a rare triple crown by winning the St Leger. Other leading contenders were Commanche Run, Triptych, Bob Back and Palace Music. The later had previously beaten Pebbles in the Champion Stakes. I was very conscious of the importance of this race. I backed Oh So Sharp but she could only manage second. Racing legend Lester Piggott riding Commanche Run got first run on the favourite partnered by Steve Cauthan and won by three quarters of a length. These equine stars of the 1980's were bred from the equine stars of the 1970's. Sires of the 1985 renewal runners included Roberto, The Minstrel, Alleged, Bustino, Troy and Kris. What a race that would have been. This race was also to provide me with a link to Dancing Brave's Arc De Triomphe one year later in which Triptych competed. To me the 1986 Arc is the best race ever run and was won in thrilling fashion by a fantastic horse.

Perhaps one reason I enjoyed the day so much was some betting success which included a successful dual forecast on the final sprint race. I used to do the old dual forecast quite a bit in those days and with optimism I choose Dorking Lad and Mary Maguire in race seven. The payout was around £30 which was a decent amount for a teenager in the 1980s. The real thrill though was watching it take shape in a perfect way from this unfamiliar yet wonderful viewpoint. This day definitely acted as a major catalyst for my racing hobby to extend nationwide. I was fourteen years old and York had made a big impression on me. By the time I left school two years later my racecourses visited total would have increased to ten. My journey to all the British racecourses had begun in earnest.

Pontefract Racecourse

Racecourse number: 20

First visited: 1991

Number of visits: 7

The photograph above was taken at the pre parade ring at Pontefract in 2010. In shot are my two favourites seven year old girls from then. My daughter Rachel and my racehorse Smarties Party who was fancied for the upcoming two mile two furlong handicap.

Nineteen years earlier in July of 1991 I made my first trip to Pontefract races. Positioned right next to the M62 near Leeds it is a large square shaped flat racing track with a significant climb to the line over the final two furlongs. I have a memory of two horses from this day. After twenty one consecutive defeats Chaplins Club, a great servant to owner Peter Savill, was way off the betting radar but as an old favourite and winner of ten races was surely worth a small interest bet. Meanwhile, the previous season Timeless Times had set a record of sixteen wins in one season. I was thrilled to see this famous horse in the flesh and hopeful of a return to winning form. My two key resources for this blog are the Racing Post online database and the less well known my dads old diaries. Both are invaluable for this early period but what surprised me using the former was that the two horses above actually ran in the same race. My dads entry for this day began "We had a family day out at Pontefract races. Irene, Jason and I picked up Linda and Andrew (My sister's boyfriend at the time) from her flat and took them. We all backed one winner but showed a loss." Timeless Times disappointed carrying the burden of my wager whilst Chaplins Club flew home on the outside to spring a 33-1 surprise and provide me with that familiar racing sensation of if only, should have, could have, meant to but didn't!

My second trip to Pontefract in 1993 was with my later to be wife Claire who joined the Tomlinson family on a typical racing day out for the first time. Still keen to impress her at this stage I made a miserable effort in terms of my betting prowess on this day. Countless losing bets were followed by further betting misery when my banker of the day Lake Popoo, owned by Robert Sangster, was out battled and beaten a neck to deny me any strand of credibility. Even at this early stage Pontefract was destined to be a place of betting failure for me.

When Smarties Party ran in 2010 it would be the last time I would attend a race meeting as an owner with Chris Thornton as my trainer. Later that year he would retire following a fantastic training career which included horses like Shotgun, Path Of Peace and Flossy. Much was expected of Smarties this day which was reflected in the high number of syndicate members who turned up. I genuinely felt she would finish in the first three. She had come second on her previous two flat outings and hopes were high. One big obstacle to success was Sinbad The Sailor owned by Sir Alex Ferguson who would go off favourite. Shrewdly though, Sir Alex did not turn up to see his horse disappoint in fourth......... but he still beat us by two lengths. Patchy soft ground was touted as the excuse for a poor showing by Jockey P J MacDonald. My poor record at Pontefract continued nearly twenty years on. In truth though it was a great day out and we were well looked after by the Pontefract staff. It was a genuine thrill to be in the parade ring with my Dad, trainer Chris Thornton and other syndicate members on a fancied runner watched by my wife, my mum and my kids. Just a shame the hoped for visit to the winners enclosure was not to be.

This blog post is kindly sponsored by Guinness.