Hello, I’m Barney Chuckles. You may remember me from threads such as ‘Who’s your favourite Royal’ and ‘Dirty Boy! Go wash your hands’.
The salutation ‘How are we???’ has over the years become somewhat functional and almost non-descript. Right now though it has real meaning combined with a wish that people really can answer in the affirmative. I really hope everyone is well right now and able to look towards the future with real optimism.
I haven’t been on the dear old forum much since just before Christmas but hope to remedy that malady from now on in. So how did the membership fare at Cheltenham ’20??? For one it was divided into 2 parts. Up to and including the Coral Cup and then after the Coral Cup. To quote old boy Bernard Matthews the former was ‘boutiful, really boutiful’ but the latter something of ‘a turkey’. Although had either The Storyteller or my beloved Santini obliged things would have been different.
What do we think about the current racing behind closed doors??? I’m still having some trouble adjusting to racing without the roar of the crowd, the sound and smell of the common man, the sight and sneer of a minor Royal or the joviality of the ‘Owners and Trainers Bar’. Still early days, I guess, and I just need to work at things. Personally, I think the best feat has been Grace Harris’ accomplishment in achieving black type (see what I did there) with the mare, Bungee Jump. Whilst honourable mention also goes to old boy Battaash for blitzing the ‘King’s Stand’, Mr Ponsonby for getting it up not once but twice at Royal Ascot (such a shame that Her Majesty, Princess Camilla and his dear pal Lieutenant Henderson couldn’t witness this stunning achievement in person) and Hey Jonesy for finally delivering in the ‘Wokingham’ what he had been threatening to do for over a year.
Meanwhile, a real negative, re the action right now for me at any rate, is the absence of my fave type of heats – sellers and claimers. Although I do, of course, realise why they aren’t been contested at the moment.
I love that there is a ‘Cheltenham ‘21’ thread on the forum although there need to be some heads hung in shame as it ain’t been updated since April! I would though hope to make plenty of additions to this thread over the coming days, weeks and months that follow.
In conclusion I realise that moi has been a bit pretentious in creating a thread of my own but just wanted to say ‘Hello’ again and ask with real meaning, ‘How are we???’
Cheerio now.
The salutation ‘How are we???’ has over the years become somewhat functional and almost non-descript. Right now though it has real meaning combined with a wish that people really can answer in the affirmative. I really hope everyone is well right now and able to look towards the future with real optimism.
I haven’t been on the dear old forum much since just before Christmas but hope to remedy that malady from now on in. So how did the membership fare at Cheltenham ’20??? For one it was divided into 2 parts. Up to and including the Coral Cup and then after the Coral Cup. To quote old boy Bernard Matthews the former was ‘boutiful, really boutiful’ but the latter something of ‘a turkey’. Although had either The Storyteller or my beloved Santini obliged things would have been different.
What do we think about the current racing behind closed doors??? I’m still having some trouble adjusting to racing without the roar of the crowd, the sound and smell of the common man, the sight and sneer of a minor Royal or the joviality of the ‘Owners and Trainers Bar’. Still early days, I guess, and I just need to work at things. Personally, I think the best feat has been Grace Harris’ accomplishment in achieving black type (see what I did there) with the mare, Bungee Jump. Whilst honourable mention also goes to old boy Battaash for blitzing the ‘King’s Stand’, Mr Ponsonby for getting it up not once but twice at Royal Ascot (such a shame that Her Majesty, Princess Camilla and his dear pal Lieutenant Henderson couldn’t witness this stunning achievement in person) and Hey Jonesy for finally delivering in the ‘Wokingham’ what he had been threatening to do for over a year.
Meanwhile, a real negative, re the action right now for me at any rate, is the absence of my fave type of heats – sellers and claimers. Although I do, of course, realise why they aren’t been contested at the moment.
I love that there is a ‘Cheltenham ‘21’ thread on the forum although there need to be some heads hung in shame as it ain’t been updated since April! I would though hope to make plenty of additions to this thread over the coming days, weeks and months that follow.
In conclusion I realise that moi has been a bit pretentious in creating a thread of my own but just wanted to say ‘Hello’ again and ask with real meaning, ‘How are we???’
Cheerio now.
