Just before, know Hustle is nonsense but it's a bit of fun so am not too critical. And Emma really is beautiful, and I'm not joking there! Your quote: "2. Tanya stevenson Joyless... For someone doing a job in an industry they supposedly love she looks as if she cannot be arsed but is doing it for our benefit. They try and dress her up for a big meet but it still does not make her ready for TV, radio perhaps. Treats big mac with contempt which although fair enough by most of us at most times but not on a racecourse. Then again i think she would treat most the same as i am not sure she actually likes anything or anyone." Didn't SA used to say something like "...............and the lovely Tanya said.............."? Think she knows her stuff but appears to be a visitor from the planet Ursus? (Galaxy 6439B > then turn left).
1.The Starter at Cheltenham and that course’s layout for the actual start. To “funnel” them out onto the racecourse proper by doing two sharp left hand turns- and then only having two or three strides to the tape whilst most of the field is still “on the turn”- is idiotic beyond belief. Why on earth can’t they just bring them onto the course proper and then walk in a straight line at a reasonable distance from the tape? Watch poor Brown’s Gazette in the 1985 Champion Hurdle- and they’re still making the same mistake! 2.The current Whip Rule- the most stupid decision in a sport in my lifetime. Full stop. 3.All Weather Racing- third rate mediocre and repetitive rubbish. There’s too much racing anyway. Get rid of it. 4.These amateur commentators and media pundits... eg.Rishi Persad (hasn’t got a clue); John Francome’s tips ( never tips one horse- always up to four in a race, and then doesn’t get the winner); Derek Thompson ( laughing boy- used to be in a glass case on Blackpool’s promenade. Put your threepenny bit in and listen to him laugh). Parrot and Wiltshire (Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warris have nothing on these idiots). Come back Peter O’Sullevan and Clive Graham-all is forgiven! 5.These cotton wool merchants. Two of the first three favourites for the Champion Hurdle haven’t had a race yet- and we’re only seven weeks from the Festival! They should take a leaf out of some of the past top horses eg. Stalbridge Colonist- ran 15 times one year and won 9 races.
1. People who "bump" old threads on forums, for peculiar and probably perverted reasons of their own! 2. McGrath on Channel 4 - or if not banned, make him wear sunglasses permanently so that I don't have to watch his closed eyes, and keep counting the seconds to see if he's broken his own record yet (8 seconds currently) 3. Pizz poor standard mid-week racing - usually all weather. It adds nothing by way of spectacle, and is mostly a bookies benefit. (the single exception being The Tatling's last race) 4. Betting exchanges - they are the spawn of the devil and I WLL not frequent them, but I get seriously hacked off by constantly being informed how they are doing and what is happening on them Illogical? Yes - so what! 5. Willie Carson's cackle. Nice man who should keep his gob shut! Tam: There is only you and me who actually know who Jewel and Warris were! I had a thing for Warris's daughter Verity a few years ago but out of my league, sadly
Reebok, I remember Ben Warris from seeing them on Central Pier at Blackpool as a kid. I can picture him now...dark hair plastered back and eyes popping out of his head ; he looked Jewish but I think they were both Sheffielders. I didn't care for them myself- but I wouldn't as a young kid, would I ?
Ah, Swanny...you're old enough to remember Jewell&Warris, eh....and you live in Munich. What a lovely, cultural city-I spent a couple of weeks there as a student in '67 when I hitch-hiked round Germany. I must admit most evenings were spent in the Hofbrauhaus drinking the steins of beer. What a magic place!
Yes, Tamerlo, it is a good place to live. My good Wife is Bavarian and since I was always away overseas in my job decided to move to Munich, which is her home town. We actually met in Norfolk! Never ever worked in Germany (unlike Oddy) but when I retired a few years ago we decided to stay to keep our small family together (daughter/son-in-law). Have never regretted it although I do miss my language, and have a lot to thank the forum for in this respect. Used to go racing a lot down here but have reined-in a bit nowadays. Certainly remember Jewell & Warris, probably saw them at the old Kingston Empire. The orchestra conductor was Ollie Aston, a customer at my Dad's pub, so we got loads of free tickets! Pleasant memories. Hope you are feeling better now btw............
Swan, thanks for your kind thoughts- I'm struggling but I'm hoping for improvement at the hospital next week.
At the risk of turning this into an old timers thread ........... Both Jimmy Jewel AND Ben Warris were Jewish (didn't know they were from Yorkshire though). The aforementioned Verity was a raven haired beauty, and I was totally smitten. I got my cards well and truly marked though when I ran my hand over her thigh to check for sussies This was early nineties, when you could still flirt with a female without being up before the beak on assault charges Her old man ended his days in a "rest" home for retired showbiz folks - he was interviewed not long before he passed away - you always imagine that if people are famous they must be rich, but I guess not always.
"At the risk of turning this into an old timers thread ..........." No danger of that, Reebok! The youngsters on this forum really know their stuff, and I do compliment them on their in-depth knowledge of the sport. Guess I used to know my onions a bit (with a lot of help from Phil Bull) but I don't ever think I was capable of putting-out the reviews of many of the contributors on here. Impressive. Nice story about Verity, btw!
Swan, ah, Phil Bull. I and a friend once stood either side of him in the toilets at Haydock Park's Vernon's Sprint Day (Absalom just denied the French hotpot, Sanedki, in the big race). My friend Dick, who was pissed, asked Phil to tip him the winner in the last race. Phil Bull said the favourite would win the three horse race. Dick shovelled all his money on it- and it finished last! Dick just shook his head amid his drunken stupor and said..." That Phil Bull, he's just a piss artist!" I couldn't stop laughing all the way home on the coach!
Tamerlo: Very good! Wish I'd met Phil Bull but of course never did. Did share a railway compartment with Major Leslie Petch (Clerk of the Course at York) from London to York once. Nice guy and very interesting to talk to. Told me to look him up at the York races if ever I was there, but my work commitments never seemed to be quite right for a visit.
Unfortunately, I never met Phil Bull either. I met some of his colleagues in the hospitality marquis at Bath once when my then boss (since deceased) had a race named after him at a Timeform Charity meeting there. Got Lester Piggott's autograph on the race card.
At the risk of turning this into a cantankerous old bugger thread - can i please have another go and nominate Ascot racecourse staff for having all the self awareness of a ******ed chipmunk? Who is really going to bother about someone not wearing a tie in the Premier enclosure in the middle of January? It beggars belief
1. Willie Carson As a jockey he was a fine talent, As a presenter he is cringeworthy. Talks utter b**ocks for someone with so much expierience in the sport and his tipping is up there with Mark Winstanley (Awful) 2. Grand National do-gooders - I love horses as much as anyone, And Im sure the stable lads, lasses, jockeys, trainers, owners love them more so than anyone. If they are all for the Grand National then that speaks volumes to Me. Yes horses have lost there lives because of this race but an horse can break his or her leg on the gallops and be put down, An horse can fall awkwardly over an hurdle at Wincanton and be put down, Its part and parcel of the game Im afraid. The funny thing is I bet a large part of the nation as a punt on the Grand National and then come out complaining about the horses who didn't make it home afterwards. Hypocrites 3. The ridiculous changes to the whip rules I sometimes feel agrieved when I back an horse to win and he probably loses the race because he didn't get an extra crack of the whip, And the reason he didn't get a crack of the whip is because the Jockey as a limit and as probably reached it. Like the other weekend at Ascot, Taranis was responding to the whip whereas Imsingingtheblues wasn't Andrew Thornton then recieved a ban for giving the horse a fine ride and getting him over the line. Like I said in My last post, The Jockeys work with the horses day in day out. If they thought the whip was doing the horse any harm Im sure they wouldn't be in the sport of Horse-racing... 4. Piss poor prize money As a proud Brit I will always look upon our racing as the best in the world. But when you look at the prize money on offer its actually awful. We are falling further and further behind the French, Asians, Aussies, Yanks on the prize money front. If we want to attract the world elite then it will need to improve... 5. 4th day of the Cheltenham Festival It just dilutes the quality of the racing for Me, Ryanair Chase, Jewson's Novice? For horses either too slow for the 2 mile events or too quick/don't quite get the trip 3 mile events... Does anyone actually get excited over such races??
