Wincanton Racecourse

Racecourse number: 55

First visited: 2018

Number of visits: 1

Two days after attending my fifty fourth racecourse Taunton I was at it again. Wednesday at Wincanton had a nice ring to it. There would be an inevitable close comparison with Taunton, a similar national hunt meeting not too far away. Just to keep the comparison fair and equitable I didn’t back the first winner at Wincanton either! I had driven alone in Claire’s car from nearby Center Parcs and got a real buzz when I saw the stands from a distance. Wincanton impacted on me in a way that Taunton could not. The quality of racing is far superior, I have watched a great deal more races there and the Saturday meetings featuring races like the Elite Hurdle and Badger Beer Chase are significant events in the national hunt racing calendar. This was one racecourse I had really wanted to go to. I was excited to be there. My excitement would be rewarded with an excellent days racing at a quality racecourse.

From the outset the day had a positive feel to it. Wincanton has spacious and excellent facilities. On this day the three enclosures were combined into one so I was able to have a good look around. In truth there was only a moderate crowd but it felt like a racecourse for real racing fans. There was racing memorabilia everywhere and genuine attention to detail throughout. Don’t get me wrong it didn’t have the beauty of Goodwood or the scale of Doncaster but it was very welcoming. In many ways I felt this track was ahead of the curve in terms of horse racing customer focus. Or perhaps sadly it was behind the curve in terms of attracting a different kind of audience. Either way free entry was supplied by my Racing UK subscription. Even the weather was helping – heavy rain earlier in the day had passed through and made way for a pleasant, though mainly cloudy spring afternoon. This rain would actually be the key to the outcomes in the races themselves. Thankfully it only took me one race to learn this lesson and latch on to a winning strategy. My strong fancy in the first Run To Milan was beaten into second by Captain Cattistock, a bulky staying type trained by Paul Nicholls. It was clear that winners that day would need to not only act in the heavy ground but also see out the distance very well. This formed the basis of my quickly revised form study. I would end up backing two of the next three winners on this basis. Contenders that I had previously discounted.

The two winners were Daytime Ahead and Somechine at 5-1 and 6-1 respectively. Both won decisively in the conditions. The latter was ridden expertly by the soon to retire Andrew Thornton. A great jockey and winner of more than a thousand races. He was associated with great horses such as See More Business and French Holly. I was more than happy to join in with the applause on one of his final winners. He would retire in June 2018. My progress was strengthened by a good bet on a Mark Johnson improver at Wolverhampton. I lumped on at 100-30. To celebrate I went mad and treated myself to some Leek & Potato soup in the Badger Beer bar area. Well worth a visit. Race five saw me split my stake on the Colin Tizard trained The Cider Maker and the Venetia Williams trained Achille. My interest was heightened when Venetia herself took a place in the stands almost next to me. It was clear she was hopeful of a good run. However Achille, Venetia and I had to settle for a respectable second as the race was won by Cucklington, another horse trained by my nemesis for the week Colin Tizard! I had the winner of the next race, odds on shot Unioniste but by then I was already making my way back to Center Parcs to continue our family holiday. I was really impressed with Wincanton and would love to return for one of the feature Saturday meetings one day soon. 

                   

Hamilton Park Racecourse

Racecourse number: 13

First visited: 1988

Number of visits: 2

Of the five Scottish racecourses I would have to say that Hamilton Park is my favourite. I have only been twice and left it far too long in between visits – thirty one years in fact. It was in August 1988 when I, along with my Mum and Dad paid my first visit. We were holidaying in Scotland at the not too far away Butlins holiday camp in Ayr where there were no racing fixtures scheduled. A trip to Hamilton was planned well in advance. Recently I asked my Dad to check his personal diary entries from that week and discovered a significant and secret sacrifice he made. On our many holidays of this type he always took part in the camp snooker tournaments and generally did well. On this holiday, much to his personal satisfaction (both then and ever since) he emerged as the triumphant winner. Part of his prize was to be presented with his trophy by and play a few frames against a leading snooker professional and celebrity from the time, Jim Meadowcroft. This was to take place the day following the tournament. Instead my Dad took his racing mad son to Hamilton Park and let the tournament runner up play Jim Meadowcroft. My Dad still has the trophy and I still have no recollection of this sacrifice.

The initial meeting in 1988 featured great weather and very floral racecourse décor. It was a spacious, pretty setting with the stands very close to the action. Hamilton hosts flat racing and has a six furlong straight with a quite steep uphill finish. The straight is attached to a tight loop furthest away from the stands which allows the course to accommodate longer races. These start either on the loop itself or on the straight. Races over one mile four/five furlongs for example actually set off in front of the stands in the wrong direction and then come back two minutes later – an almost unique feature shared only by Salisbury. My research into results that day uncovered some great stalwarts of the eighties northern racing circuit. Engaged in the action were jockeys John Carroll, Nicky Carlisle and Tony Culhane, trainers Jack Berry, Richard Whittaker and Eric Alston and horses Donovan Rose, Overpower and Needwood Nymph. Favourite in the 4.15 was Arum Lily trained by Nigel Tinkler and ridden by his daughter Kim. Dutch Co-ed would represent Nigel on my second visit and provide us both a winner providing a fantastic link between the two days decades later. Back in 1988 he and Arum Lily had to settle for third. Order Paper won the race ridden by emerging talent Alan Munro, who at that point claimed five pounds. Four years later at Nottingham mine and Alan’s paths would cross in a humorous fashion following an unsavoury incident at the previous meeting.

The actual car journey to the races can often form a large element of the day itself, especially on days like these when the destination racecourse is a good few hours away. In July 2019 this Thursday journey north to Hamilton would represent a change of pace for both my Dad and myself as well as a great opportunity for us to catch up. For me it would provide a welcome break from a hectic work and family schedule, a downward change of pace. For my Dad, now long since retired, a big upswing in activity. On the way the main focus is often form and fancies for the day but on such a long journey there is an opportunity for wider conversation, something I had greatly enjoyed over the previous decade’s racing trips. My Dad has great wisdom. That it is wrapped up in a comedy, relaxed outlook to life makes it both valuable and entertaining. He is also a great listener. As we set off on this trip to Scotland he reflected that at least we were not travelling north to fight the Scots as many of our ancestors had throughout history! A comment that certainly put my troubled working situation into perspective. The only battle we would be facing that day would be our regular skirmish with the on course bookmakers. Not that the day would be without danger. Soon after leaving Tebay services (The Royal Ascot of services in my opinion) a car joining the motorway in an aggressive, reckless manor nearly rammed us into the central reservation. Shaken but not physically stirred at least we entered the realm of the greatest James Bond, Sean Connery. We arrived safely and in plenty of time, which was the first of many good results on the day.

The set up for the day was another Racing UK (now Racing TV) Club Day. They were in fact the sponsors of the whole meeting. Our VIP package included free tickets, an exclusive base in a marquee next to the parade ring, a preview of the day with a racing presenter, in this case Gordon Brown and importantly free tea and biscuits. In addition you could put yourself forward to judge the best turned out horse or present a trophy to the winner. Without doubt these VIP days are a great feature of Racing TV membership. Gordon did a good job of previewing the meeting, though arguably he left it a little late, concluding as the runners for the first went down to the start. Dad and I did a good job of sampling the various free biscuits on offer. In the first race we both backed One Bite, trained by Keith Dalgliesh who, despite drifting in the betting to 8-1, saw off his nearest rival in a driving photo finish. A great start which I topped up when Making History easily won the first race at Leicester in the blue silks of Godolphin. However our selections did not trouble the judge in the next race at Hamilton. Race three then saw sustained and significant market support for none other than the Michael Appleby trained Loch Ness Monster. Team Tomlinson remained non-believers though and stuck with the uneasy favourite Harvey Dent. He repaid our faith in workmanlike fashion with Loch Ness Monster a fast finishing second. Following Dutch Co-Ed’s win in race four we were on a roll. Later to conclude a great days punting I backed 4-1 winner Retirement Beckons who won the seventh and our final race in decisive style.

The most interesting race of the day though, from my point of view at least was race six, a novice stakes run over a mile. My trainer Phil Kirby had an intriguing runner December Second, who had recently been second twice in similar contests, including one at Goodwood. The key element of interest though was that the horse would be ridden by new stable apprentice Nick Barratt-Atkin who was having only his third ride in public. This represented a massive opportunity for him to ride his first winner. I would be thrilled to be there when he did. Only favourite New Arrangement looked a danger in this five runner affair. I took quite a few photos before, during and after the race, some of which were used later on the Phil Kirby website news feed. I sent the best photos to Pippa, Phil’s wife when we returned from racing. We watched the race itself close to the winning line near Phil, his owners and some of Nick’s family. As the race unfolded they became increasingly animated, particularly Phil as the prospect of victory became realistic in the final two furlongs. You could tell how much he wanted Nick to win as this young man brought December Second with a sustained run to challenge New Arrangement. There was little between them in the final strides and being quite wide apart it was unclear if the Barratt-Atkin drive would get his mount home. Unfortunately they were defeated by a neck but it was genuinely a great effort by Nick against experienced professional PJ McDonald. It felt like his first winner would surely be just around the corner. However, at the time of writing, six months later in early 2020 Nick has now had 42 rides, seeing quite a lot of action over the winter on the all-weather. He now has eight seconds but unbelievably no wins! I have watched the majority of his rides and still feel his time will come, especially with the new flat turf season now approaching. Good luck Nick.

After a great day we headed home and once again I took advantage of this additional time with my Dad. I had some news to share with him which was both complicated and potentially worrying for him. Following twenty-five years working for the same employer my working situation was about to change. I would lose my job, some long term colleagues and my car. Ultimately if all went to plan, I would be fine and continue a short time later in a slightly different but connected future role. I explained the situation at length to give him the full picture and hopefully reduce any concerns he would have. As usual he sat quietly taking in this information. He, like me had known this was coming following a few previous car conversations. After what was probably about twenty minutes of explanation and clarification I paused to hear his thoughts, hopefully some more pearls of wisdom. He was fast asleep!

Haydock Park Racecourse - Part Six

Racecourse number: 1

First visited: 1981

Number of visits: 157

Now let me start this section by saying that I love Haydock Park. I had my first fantastic racecourse experience there as a child. As a teenager it was one of the places I was most happy, attending numerous meetings excitedly with my Mum and Dad. Later with my own growing family I would very much take advantage of its close proximity, just forty minutes from home. By 2019 I had attended more than 150 meetings over the years enjoying corporate hospitality, music events, family fun days and more. I had twice attended as an owner and had even sponsored a race for my fortieth birthday, hiring a private box for family and friends. Since that special day in 2011 I have been taking my Dad to Haydock several times a year, mainly to the big Saturday meetings. More recently a new addition to our team has emerged. Unexpectedly, my teenage daughter Rachel has started to join us on a regular basis. She has been drawn in not so much by the horse racing itself but the sheer excitement of it all, the atmosphere, the regular famous faces in the crowd and the extra non-racing entertainment on offer. Three generations of Tomlinsons were now in regular attendance as we prepared to attend the highlight of the jumps season at Haydock, the Betfair Chase. Our custom must be an absolute dream scenario for the marketing team at Haydock as they battle to attract racegoers in the face of a changing world, economic uncertainty and significant competition for custom. There was however a massive and growing problem which was threatening to ruin the Haydock experience for everyone. 

This situation was highlighted two months earlier when the three of us had attended the Sprint Cup meeting at the beginning of September. My Dad and I had previously witnessed great victories by the likes of Petong, Dream Ahead and Gordon Lord Byron. My Dad even fondly recalled the first winner of the race, Be Friendly, from the 1960s owned by Sir Peter O'Sullivan. See above photo of him with the Be Friendly statue. This paragraph should really be about the impressive victory of Hello Youmzain in the Sprint Cup or the final furlong tussle between Time To Study and Alright Sunshine in the Old Borough Cup. Unfortunately the main drama of the day unfolded before we even entered the racecourse. Following some well publicised incidents relating to drinking, fighting and drug taking at Haydock Park there was now an additional security process to go through when arriving at the course. Not unlike airport arrangements there was a queue waiting to go past additional specialist security complete with drug sniffer dog and handler. We had gone through this process once or twice before without incident. On this occasion as we walked past the sniffer dog things took a dramatic turn. The dog suddenly became very interested in my Dad getting a little too close to him and clearly identifying him as a drug carrier. My Dad was then quizzed and then searched by the security team who seemed initially confused as to what happens in this process. At first my Dad was bemused by this unexpected situation but soon became quite upset. He then uttered some significant words, the stuff of nightmares for the Haydock marketing team, "I am never coming here again!" 

Now to be clear I don't blame the dog who obviously smelt something of significance. However to the human eye his selection should have been seen as very questionable. Approaching eighty, with failing eye sight and at times struggling to get around you don't need to be Miss Marple to see the flaw in his selection. He joined a surprisingly large number of suited twenty somethings who we soon discovered did very much have something to hide. The security team treated him the same as the others however asking a series of increasingly ridiculous questions. The one crumb of kindness was the suggestion that the dog may have picked up on the scent of his prescription medication! My daughter Rachel and I stayed close by while my Dad was processed and cleared for entry. Whilst we did the extent of Haydock's drug problem became clear. The dog was very excitable as we witnessed drugs being confiscated, more and more people being searched and security staff quizing clearly already high/drunk individuals. This ten minute snapshot was very worrying but ultimately we did not let it ruin our day. My Dad soon bounced back and was able to laugh about it. We were able to reflect fondly on his historical and ongoing capacity to get involved in such mini-adventures. 

The situation at Haydock is somewhat complex. Earlier in the year a regular racegoer had described Haydock park as a ticking bomb following the expansion of drinking areas. This was published in the Racing Post soon after a violent brawl broke out in front of the stands before the final race on Grand National trial day. The three of us had attended this day and whilst we did not witness the violence it was most unsettling to hear about it. It was this event and others like it at other courses that had prompted Haydock's new stance on drugs. Certainly drugs had been a factor in this incident but for me there are other significant factors that need consideration. All of them relate to alcohol. To appeal to a new audience, much needed from a revenue point of view, the racecourse has increasingly attracted younger people whose focus is to drink. It did not go unnoticed by me that on Sprint Cup day the old Tote betting facility near the paddock had been replaced by a gin bar! Drinking is further encouraged by allowing it in all areas. This is insane. Most racecourses restrict where you can drink which really helps the balance for everyone. At Haydock the space in front of the stands is often blocked by massive groups of drinkers. Frustratingly many have little or no interest in the racing, often oblivious to races being run. Back in February a significant cause of the trouble was the abandonment of Newbury the week before. Two additional races were added to the Haydock card meaning a lot more drinking time!

The last ten years have seen a worrying increase in anti-social behaviour on the racecourse. I have witnessed many unsavoury incidents, been verbally abused and bumped around. If I had a pound for every drink I had seen dropped or knocked over in this period I would be attending in a private box at the next meeting. If this process goes unchecked there will be fewer and fewer non-drinking racegoers attending horse racing, the sport will lose its core appeal and would be in a lot of trouble. To give fair balance I would accept that at times these groups add to the atmosphere of the day and I have also witnessed some great examples of fun and friendly shenanigans. One I remember fondly is a group of lads doing a mock commentary on people walking towards the finish line in between races. My Dad and I engaged by staging a mock exciting finish for them. Nevertheless I would implore Haydock to reduce the areas designated for drinking, and refuse entry to anyone already worse for wear. I also accept that people have a desire to drink at racecourses and that this is an issue in society and certainly not the fault of Haydock or horse racing. Ironically my Dad has become an example of the wrong person being deterred from returning to Haydock following their crackdown on drug takers. We did not attend the Betfair Chase in November this year as the large crowd and new processes were going to be just too much hassle for him. Just like the big race winner that day Haydock's efforts to deal with the issue is Lostintranslation!

Indeed I am saddened that my last two blogs have not been inspired by my journey to all the racecourses of Great Britain but instead by the very real fear that future generations will not get to enjoy it. I can positively report though that my Dad and I returned to Haydock, at a quieter Wednesday fixture in December, when the attending crowd were much more horse racing focused. 

Chester Racecourse

Number of visits: 6

My first five visits to Chester were very much an eclectic mix. The first in the 1980s was a standard family affair extending my early range of attended racecourses. By including Chester, York and Haydock in these early visits I was being spoilt by the quality on offer and to some extent setting myself up for later disappointment. Sorry Catterick! Whilst at University I attended Chester in the summer holidays with my racing friend from college Paul. He was impressed with my growing knowledge of racing and my new ‘professional’ approach to betting. I would only back two horses at this meeting. When my first selection won he was very keen to bet on my second. He was then most surprised and disappointed to see my selection never trouble the leaders. A couple of years later a works trip (from TNT) to Chester provided my first insight into where drinking not betting was the priority for my group. I did badly at both but did back the first winner, watching excitedly from high up in the packed stand. I remember it took forever to exit the stands and go and collect my winnings and that my colleagues were frustrated with my efforts to wade through the crowd. They were keen to get to the bar before the next race!

My next visit took in a day of the three day festival in May which includes the Chester Cup and significant trials for the Derby and Oaks. I had travelled alone by train via Preston and Warrington. I won the Placepot on that rainy day watching the decisive race six in a betting shop between the racecourse and the train station. This was 1994 and my method of collection was to send my winning slip to the nice people at the Tote, who in turn sent me a cheque in the post for around £60. When I returned around ten years later to Chester I would have a baby daughter with me attending her very first racecourse. My wife Claire and I plus baby Rachel had stayed at the nearby Mollington Banastre Hotel. At the races, camped out near the paddock our little entourage generated almost as much interest as the horses themselves. It was another fourteen years or so before I visited Chester again in June 2018. A VIP day for me and my Dad courtesy of Racing UK. Despite us having a fantastic day, Chester racecourse had taken significant steps backwards. 

For a Saturday fixture this was a pretty low key affair. The feature race of the day was a class two handicap. There was better racing at York and Sandown but the best flat horses around were now gearing up for the Royal Ascot meeting. My dad and I had bagged some very valuable Festival Chalet tickets, in the centre of the course, for a select few Racing UK Club Day VIPs. The facilities in the chalet village are excellent. Private access to the inner rail, less than a furlong out and our own room for the fifty or so in our group to base ourselves for the day, buy a drink, enjoy the free biscuits and escape the elements. The weather forecast had been patchy at best but following a couple of stormy downpours the day settled to become sunny and warm.

To start things off the Racing UK team had laid on racecourse commentator Stuart Machin to go through the card with us and hopefully point us in the direction of a winner or two. He came across very well, chatting happily with members of the group before discussing significant contenders in each race. Whilst he did mainly sit on the fence he did put strong emphasis on Istanbul Sultan his fancy in the big race of the day. I like to make up my own mind when it comes to backing winners but I am always looking for information to help form my opinion. Race one was a good example of this where Stuart did not tip me the winner but he did prevent me from switching to a loser. I was struggling to decide between the established form of Marie's Diamond and the potential of Gabrial The Wire owned by Dr Marwan Koukash. Stuart was somewhat negative about the latter's debut which nudged me in the right direction. Both me and Dad backed the impressive Marie's Diamond who won under the expert course guidance of Franny Norton despite having an unfavourably wide draw. When Franny Norton won again in race two it was no real surprise but the mood in the chalet was somewhat sombre. The weather had just turned nasty and everyone inevitably had backed the well touted but ineffective today Istanbul Sultan.

At this stage I had placed my bets with the traditional board bookmakers over the other side of the course. I would do this only once more as the process of getting there through the growing crowd was both unpleasant and time consuming. Bottlenecks in key areas were prevalent. After being somewhat crushed and nearly knocked over twice my Dad was now content to stay in the safety of our chalet. There were simply too many people in the same small space. Unfortunately this meant we had to embrace the disaster that is Chester Bet. Before I get into this it is only fair to mention the numerous positives Chester racecourse has to offer. First and foremost it has a wonderful natural setting around the historic walls of Chester. There was live music on arrival and in various areas of the course during racing which certainly added to the atmosphere and quality feel of the place. I enjoyed looking at the display boards around the paddock of historic Chester racing scenes since 1539. The paddock itself is stunning and centrally placed. There are plenty of helpful staff and a high level of security. The racecard, which we got free, is one of the best I have seen including full pages on the key races at other meetings. There are great food options, the usual big screen and plenty of toilets. Despite all this I was not happy.

To be fair I was not happy with the notion of Chester Bet before I arrived. Effectively a replacement for the Tote it should not really have affected my day as I only occasionally bet with the Tote. I was expecting poor value returns and I had heard that it had replaced the on course betting shops, though I found this difficult to believe. Incredibly though, this was true and the reality of it was much much worse than I expected. There was no equivalent of a betting shop, just a series of betting points, similar to the Tote manned mainly by inexperienced young staff. If McDonalds ever do gambling! The lack of a betting shop was a big loss. Nowhere to use as a base between races, nowhere to study the form in depth, nowhere to watch an obscure race from Hexham and nowhere for my Dad to place his favoured multiple bets! A few select races from York and Sandown were shown on the big screen but there was no apparent access to footage from other meetings. Predictably the old betting shop was now a bar. Most of all it was tough to reconcile that I am no longer the target audience for the sport I love. A much younger, drinking focused crowd with only a passing interest in the action is the main demographic. I get the economics of it but I don't like it. Race three was a disaster for Chester Bet but I would have to accept that the majority of racegoers probably didn't even notice. On the way to the start of the race a runner unseated its jockey and proceeded to do two laps of the track. Not an everyday occurrence I know but it does happen quite often. I had intended to have two bets in the race but only managed one.This late non runner crashed the Chester Bet system moments before the race commenced but not before betting chaos ensued. Once the non runner was announced some punters wanted their money back to change their bets. No can do. Others continued to bet freely on the race not realising all bets were now somehow going on race four! Some people realised. Others did not! Once the Chester Bet supervisors fairly quickly picked up on this they stopped any further bets being placed. If you were on the inside of the track like me and Dad you could not place any further bets. In a flash the race was off and fortunately my unbacked selection did not win. I can live with poor divdiends and slow payouts but this was ridiculous. If this is the future of betting at racecourses, betting at racecourses will greatly suffer and maybe even have no future.

We managed another winner prior to our final race where we both fancied sprinter Zac Brown who had run well at Goodwood the previous week. We both had £10 to win which was a bold move on a horse forecast to go off at odds of around 10-1. Our final twenty minutes at Chester highlighted the contrasts of Chester and our own experience of it. Well positioned from the off Zac Brown kicked clear on the turn for home and stormed past us with the race in his pocket. Fantastic, a great way to finish. My Dad and I started the payout queue and were curious to know what we would get paid for our very generously priced 14-1 winner. Ten minutes later we were still waiting to find out while the Chester Bet system, seemingly powered by my ten year old laptop, worked out the returns. The wait was improved a little by us watching a re-run of the race. Finally a dividend was declared and we both received £136. Not terrible especially given the expected price but still £14 short of parity. As we squeezed our way to the exit, happy with our winnings, we encountered the police dealing with a scuffle between two drunken racegoers before finally making our way to the safety of the exit. A day of contrasts for sure but one we certainly enjoyed.

Epsom Racecourse

Racecourse number: 37

First visited: 1997

Number of visits: 1

In April 1997 I was attending a training course in Woking with my good friend and colleague David Bennett. This two day session required two nights in a local B & B. We had no plans to go racing, though we had already lined up tickets for that night’s football game between Crystal Palace and Reading. During the morning session of our first day it became clear that we would not be required to attend in the afternoon. The element of the computer system being covered was not relevant to us. Quite quickly an alternative plan was hatched. Racing at Epsom was only half an hour away. There was, however a bit of a problem. We were not expected back at the B & B until teatime and it seemed no one else was, as at around lunchtime our brief homestead was deserted. No mobile number to ring in those days. No access to our cash or the cash cards we needed. Our limited funds would have to do. So off we went to the home of the Derby for their season opening fixture.

After paying for entry our meagre collective funds required an early winner to keep further bets flowing. The opening race was a very competitive six furlong sprint. Our selection was both topical and sensible. Given our destination later in the day Selhurstpark Flyer, trained by the ever reliable Jack Berry was the obvious choice. In running he looked very much like the solution to our funding problems, leading from three furlongs out, with just one challenger getting anywhere near him. With five yards to go he was leading and on the line it was very close but we both knew we had been defeated. A head victory was awarded to Lord Olivier ridden by Frankie Dettori. The set up at Epsom was both spacious and impressive. It truly was a fantastic sporting theatre. From the stands you look way down on the horses below who are encouraged to drift towards the far rail by the remarkable right to left camber on the course. Not heavily attended this particular day, you could still appreciate how Epsom could host a vast crowd for one of our nation’s most prestigious sporting events.

Undeterred by our initial close call Dave and I pressed on in our quest for a winner. Race two provided another action packed photo finish but this did not involve our selection. Following the purchase of some much needed sustenance we had only enough cash for one more bet, unless it won. Following some earlier competitive races we now had only three selections to choose from. Sometimes the situation dictates your betting strategy and whilst we discussed backing the outsider, logic and our desire to back a winner took over and we backed the short price favourite. The favourite Palio Sky obliged with able assistance from Pat Eddery. We reinvested our returns in a competitive fourth race spreading our stake around to secure a positive interest. Of the nineteen runners none our three fancies finished in the top ten! To see such a large field charging past with a furlong to go was some compensation though. Somehow, surprisingly I was at Epsom.

We planned to watch one more race but had simply run out of money. The solution was literally staring us in the face. At this time every racecourse had a tote credit club facility. Usually an exclusive betting office for credit club customers only. It was often a haven of calm especially on busy days. On this day it provided a solution to our desire to keep betting. I had opened an account to celebrate getting my first proper job a few years earlier so armed with my memorised account number I placed a decent win bet on the final race for me and Dave. Twenty years later I still know this number even though I have not used it in over a decade. Supply and Demand was our choice, one of the 2-1 joint favourites.  Ridden by Kieron Fallon our fancy had little trouble seeing off his market rival. This sent us away with both a sense of satisfaction and the knowledge a cheque would literally be in the post with our winnings. Without doubt the best afternoon’s training I have ever had!