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Your Favourite Uncle Smart Arse's Unofficial Blog

Dickie Bird in 1978 helped me persuade my Dad to stop taking me to cricket and take me racing more instead and for that I will always be grateful to him.

It involved the Saturday of the only Test match my Dad ever attempted to take me to see, no rain and not a ball bowled because Bird considered the outfit too wet.

"We're in the wrong game," said my Dad, after in the Ladbrokes tent we watched Shirley Heights beat Ex Directory in what looked like torrential rain in the Irish Derby before departing Headingley never to return.
 
I had set myself the target of looking at eight races on Saturday this evening.

It is fast approaching 10pm, I'd promised myself an early night tonight and I've looked at one of them, hence seven remain.

FML.
 
It was on Cambridgeshire Day in 1981, 44 years ago, that I first arrived at Warwick University to start my Law degree course.

I moved into my room on campus, set up the little portable TV I had, and watched the big race in which I had backed Easter Sun at long odds ante-post.

He ran a stormer, looked like winning at one stage, but eventually finished fourth in a massive field.

The following June he won the Coronatiion Cup, beating Glint Of Gold!
 
It's been a busy couple of days.

Friday was brilliant - me and "Leafy" both independently sorted out Don Virginia at Worcester, we always increase our bets when we agree after the "big reveal" upon conferring, plus we topped up yet again when a semi-pro "Leafy" knows - and we both respect - said it was his bet too.

We got on at double-digit prices, it was smashed down to 5/1, and it only won by SEVENTEEN!

Glorious.

Yesterday was mixed.

"Leafy" put me onto King Of Light at 16/1 - repaying me for a 16/1 winner I gave him when he went to Goodwood on Wednesday - a few bets blew out, we both had poncing each-way trixies up on the thieving extended places, I also called the three 2yo races fairly well, but what I won on Rebels Romance in the USA, I all but gave back on Full Serrano at Santa Anita.

That's why I don't like going all in at short prices - the margin for error/sheer bad luck is too small.

It was like that with the juvenile races - Bow Lodge, Royal Fixation and Wise Approach were my idea of the winners, but rather than lumping on them individually I put them in a chunky each-way trixie.

In the end one eased in the betting and with two out of three winning and all three placed it paid out as a net 11/10 winner with plenty of stake recovery insurance all but assured.

I'll do bets where I can hardly lose and double my money if I win every day of the week.

"Leafy" was at Le Touquet yesterday, sending me various videos and clips as he walked the course etc.

I love all that - didn't half put me in the mood for some French food, though!

Lower-key, but interesting, day today.

I used to go to this final Epsom Downs meeting, but cba and will watch at home along with The Curragh and the AW.

It's gonna be a Sunday wash the car, do a bit of gardening then consume some nice food and drink from Tesco kinda day.

I cooked a banging Italian sausage pasta last week btw - my own recipe too.

I might see if Tesco has anything French - a French seafood soup with a toasted garlic baguette, perhaps.

Yeah, that sounds good.
 
Pre iPhones and stuff I bought a tiny mobile tv that I could watch racing on. I think it ran off a car battery or something like that. Don’t remember it ever working though. Couldn’t even catch up on races on utube back then as they couldn’t be shown on it. I was always trying to find a pub that showed sport but usually they were only showing football although I did find one that showed the breeders cup one year.Just got back from the great global greyhound walk. Given that I only have one knee that’s fit for purpose it’s unfortunate that we took a wrong turning and walked much further than planned. Don’t think me and Winnie whippet will be moving off the sofa tonight. Or possibly even tomorrow…
 
Great stuff, Maureen - I had a little black and white portable my Dad gave me to take to uni.

In addition to the racing, I remember watching "Get Carter," "Dirty Harry" and "Kind Hearts And Coronets" on it in the early 1980s.
 
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Ian_Davies said:
It's been a busy couple of days.

Friday was brilliant - me and "Leafy" both independently sorted out Don Virginia at Worcester, we always increase our bets when we agree after the "big reveal" upon conferring, plus we topped up yet again when a semi-pro "Leafy" knows - and we both respect - said it was his bet too.

We got on at double-digit prices, it was smashed down to 5/1, and it only won by SEVENTEEN!

Glorious.

Yesterday was mixed.

"Leafy" put me onto King Of Light at 16/1 - repaying me for a 16/1 winner I gave him when he went to Goodwood on Wednesday - a few bets blew out, we both had poncing each-way trixies up on the thieving extended places, I also called the three 2yo races fairly well, but what I won on Rebels Romance in the USA, I all but gave back on Full Serrano at Santa Anita.

That's why I don't like going all in at short prices - the margin for error/sheer bad luck is too small.

It was like that with the juvenile races - Bow Lodge, Royal Fixation and Wise Approach were my idea of the winners, but rather than lumping on them individually I put them in a chunky each-way trixie.

In the end one eased in the betting and with two out of three winning and all three placed it paid out as a net 11/10 winner with plenty of stake recovery insurance all but assured.

I'll do bets where I can hardly lose and double my money if I win every day of the week.

"Leafy" was at Le Touquet yesterday, sending me various videos and clips as he walked the course etc.

I love all that - didn't half put me in the mood for some French food, though!

Lower-key, but interesting, day today.

I used to go to this final Epsom Downs meeting, but cba and will watch at home along with The Curragh and the AW.

It's gonna be a Sunday wash the car, do a bit of gardening then consume some nice food and drink from Tesco kinda day.

I cooked a banging Italian sausage pasta last week btw - my own recipe too.

I might see if Tesco has anything French - a French seafood soup with a toasted garlic baguette, perhaps.

Yeah, that sounds good.
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I thoroughly enjoyed backing Don Virginia too, I have to say. The most satisfying winner I've backed in a long long time. It was never in doubt, was it.
 
The Fortune Teller said:
I thoroughly enjoyed backing Don Virginia too, I have to say. The most satisfying winner I've backed in a long long time. It was never in doubt, was it.
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Richie McLernon wouldn't be the most stylish of jockeys, but he's effective and he got the job done there and then some.

Anyway, I'm currently crashed out on the sofa, having polished off a lobster bisque with two cooked garlic baguettes and a raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake - the spoils of War!
 
I'm not gonna lie - it's been a rubbish start to the week.

I had double-digit odds about Bubbles Wonky, who got collared near the line and was beat a neck.

Another bet cost me a chunk by getting done half a length and Southwell tonight was no good either.

I've had a good look at the Arc, but I'm still unsure what the ground will be like so I am not getting involved yet, as it's a tight race and consequently likely to be ground dependant.

And, having looked at the forecast for Ascot the rest of the week, I've decided to leave the International Handicap until Thursday morning.

Don't fancy much tomorrow, but may have some involvement at Sedgefield.

Morale is still buoyant, though, after Friday and Sunday just gone gave me my best winning week in ages.
 
walsworth said:
I've got some red hot tips for you, just write your name and address on the back of a £50 note, pop it in the post and I will email them to you.
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No offence, my dear old online friend, but looking at your recent track record on your Trainers In Form (30 days ago) thread, I'd say you'd be better off recommending them to TheHobbitsReturn as lays.
 
TWENTY NINE.

That how many races I've got to look at in Britain, France and the USA tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday.

It's going to be a busy Thursday night.
 
As friends know, I generally avoid "celebrities" like the plague, but I approached Jilly Cooper at Newbury races ten years ago to tell her a story about my late father taking her book "Class" literally. She screamed with laughter and hugged me. She seemed a really nice lady. RIP.
 
Me (upon walking up to her): "You've got a lot to answer for, Ms Cooper!"

Her (already laughing): "Pray tell, why?"

Me: "Because my late father read your book 'Class,' took it literally, and in our house you had to say 'napkin,' not 'serviette,' and 'pudding,' not 'dessert', or, worse still, 'sweet!'."

Her (by now literally screaming with laughter and hugging me): "Oh, darling, that's hilarious!"

I just replied it was lovely to meet her and share that with her and we went our separate ways.

She was definitely good fun.
 
Last edited:
Ian_Davies said:
Me (upon walking up to her): "You've got a lot to answer for, Ms Cooper!"

Her (already laughing): "Pray tell, why?"

Me: "Because my late father read your book 'Class,' took it literally, and in our house you had to say 'napkin,' not 'serviette,' and 'pudding,' not 'dessert', or, worse still, 'sweet!'."

Her (by now literally screaming with laughter and hugging me): "Oh, darling, that's hilarious!"

I just replied it was lovely to meet her and share that with her and we went our separate ways.

She was definitely good fun.
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Literally, the word for dessert is “afters” in my gaff.

But a lovely anecdote, thank you, Ian.
 

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