Some time ago I posted one of my favourite NH hanidcappers, the outstanding Forest King, virtually unbeatable over long distances in soft ground. By strange coincidence, one poster knew him personally and it was great to hear some first hand news of this grand staying chaser. With the arrival of the Ebor Handicap on Saturday I recall another favorite handicapper of mine who actually won this race in 1954. The name, By Thunder!, a real trailblazer who had one way of racing; that being to get as far in front as possible and stay there. I loved this horse but I have not been able to find any articles on him anywhere. If anyone remembers him and/or knows of any articles covering his career I would be grateful of any links or of any extracts/memories to share If you have a favourite handicapper from the distant past feel free to share any memories
Have a chapter in a book written by Clive Graham about By Thunder. Owned by L B Holliday I think and By Thunder was a half-brother to Warning the dam of Persian War. Will try to get it to you
My two favourite handicappers would be George Todd's Trelawney and Bill Marshall's Raffingora. Among many other handicaps, Trelawney was a double winner of both the Ascot Stakes and Queen Alexandra at the Royal Meeting. In both Ascot Stakes wins he carried top weight and, in one running, gave over three stone to his stable mate, Square Deal, and triumphed in a desperate finish; in the other, he cantered home by four lengths. Ineligible to run in the Ascot Gold Cup (as a gelding), he later went hurdling with Fred Rimell and, in 1966, won both the Spa Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Coronation Hurdle at Aintree. A great stayer in an era of great staying handicappers- Grey of Falloden and John Cherry included. Raffingora was an exceptional sprinter who won 17 races in 1969/70, among them the Cherkley Sprint at the 1970 Epsom Derby meeting- where he gave 31 lbs to Duty Sheet and set an electronically timed world record for 5 furlongs of 53.89 secs- which stood for 13 years.
The darling of the Australian turf at the moment is the bonny mare Winx. In amassing her AU$6,830,425 to date, she managed to win not just the cream of the countrie's WFA events, but the two biggest mile handicap races in the country, the Epsom and Doncaster Handicaps of 2016, She has a 10 run unbeaten sequence going. 6 of those have been G1 with 3 G2 and a G3. Going into this race there were huge fears that the connections had bitten off more than they could chew. She was asked to set a weight carrying record and do as no other 4 year old mare had done before, win the Doncaster Handicap. Winx is second last away and in the Blue and White. She's a pretty decent handicapper.
Possibly next year Ron. Waller has said that they didn't want to go over for the just passed season because of the the prize money on offer in the upcoming Cox Plate and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, both over 2000m. If she wins both, they'll pocket another $4,000,000. The latter is run in April next year, if she comes through that, then she may be off to the UK.
I was wrong in saying that By Thunder! was owned by L B Holliday. His dam was owned by Holliday at some stage (so thought he was too) but she had found herself in the ownership of William Hill and so By Thunder! was originally in the ownership of Whitsbury Stud but sold as a yearling by them. This article refers only to his 2 and 3yo days as it is from a book 'Great Horses of the Year 1954/55' by Baron and Clive Graham. The book was funded by William Hilll and I believe given to the clients of that bookmaker during 1955. It really covers the 1954 Flat Season when By Thunder! was a 3yo. He continued to be a really good horse in the following seasons. I had seen it as a child but the version I have I was astonished to pick up from a bookseller at Middleham's Open Day in about 2009. I've also included an article nearer to (your) home from the same book about Gloria Nicky. Your mare traces back to Weighbridge who was GN's dam: she won the Cheveley Park Stakes in 1954. Thought it might be of interest to you to see this filly and to compare your mare's confirmation. Weighbridge was also dam of the Hyperion mare Libra, who when sent to Ribot produced the brothers Ribocco and Ribero (who both won the Irish Derby and St Leger).
A handicapper I remember from the '60s is Be Hopeful. He arrived in Peter Walwyn's yard as a 2yo in 1961 and he left the same trainer as a winner almost every year (and the winner in total of 25 races) at the end of the 1973 season. His last win was in a Brighton handicap during that season. He had a race named after him at Bath, a course he won at many times. His owners, the Williams family, owned his dam (Aunt May) and she presented them with Mabel, who finished 2nd in the Oaks and was Walwyn's first good horse. She in turn became the dam of May Hill, who was the champion filly of 1975 and after whom the big fillies race at Doncaster is named.
Hi, Bustino. I remember Be Hopeful but none of his details. John Benstead's Operatic Society was another top handicapper who won about 30 races in total-many at Brighton during the early sixties. He also won the November Handicap as a three year old , even though he bolted at the start and ran about a mile along the river Irwell before they caught him.
Trelawny was bred by Jakie Astor and initially trained by Jack Colling: he won 3 races as a 3yo but was sold that Autumn by Astor as he wasn't particularly interested in keeping geldings (though his trainer was). He was bought by a Mrs Carver and put into training with Syd Mercer and he got him to improve and win the Chester Cup and come 3rd in the Ascot Stakes as a 4yo. Mercer retired at the end of that season and Colling was delighted to be sent him again. Despite winning that year he moved on at the end of the season after an argument with the owners and Colling recommended that they send him to his friend George Todd at Manton. As a 6yo he did the Ascot stayers double for the first time as well as finishing 2nd in the Goodwood Cup (for which he was eligible) and 3rd in the Chester Cup. As a 7yo he did it again but this time also won the Goodwood Cup. As an 8yo he returned to Ascot and finished 2nd in the Ascot Stakes. He was still expected to win the Queen Alexandra Stakes on the Friday but that year (1964) there was a cloudburst on the Thursday and both days racing were washed out.
I don't think Be Hopeful was as good as Operatic Society but he was 'cleverly' placed by Walwyn to win all those races.
Trelawny was a 10yo when he won at Cheltenham. After not winning the next season his owners (who don't get good press in the book Masters of Manton), wanted him to go over fences. Rimell and his stable jockey Terry Biddlecombe were incensed that they were suggesting the old horse should start steeplechasing at his age and felt he had done enough. In the end they agreed to put him over a few trial fences. Apparently the old horse came alive and jumped them like a buck. Biddlecombe and Rimell reported to the owners that he was hopeless. He was duly retired. Trelawny's younger sister was a filly called Tantalizer. Her 2nd foal was an Aureole colt called Provoke who caused one of the biggest shocks of 1965 when beating Meadow Court in the St Leger.
One i will never forget was the touch on Magnifique Etoile of Charlies. Mick was at the yard and read the signs (they are incredibly secretive and you have to read the body languague!) Absolutely had it right off!!!
