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Amateur Jockey Races Thread

Quixall Crossett said:
A useless bit of information for you.

The last person to ask me for the fractions in my working days was the very same Peter O'Sullevan.
And of course he got them. If i remember rightly it was 100/8.

:)
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A useless bit of information back for you.

Quite a few people didn't like him - and apparently he did get a bit pompous once he was knighted - but I take as I find and here's a short story I like.

My first generation middle class father was a keen observer of human behaviour and, as Editor of The Racing & Football Outlook at the time, he was pleased when I got him and me press tickets for Glorious Goodwood circa 1987.

We only went into the press box for the last race (it wasn't actually the best view) and we were on the balcony stood alongside O'Sullevan.

The wind had got up and blew the boater off the head of a bloke who went running after it.

Some started to laugh, but O'Sullevan, upon noticing, just said quietly: "Oh dear, poor chap has lost his hat. Oh, good, he's caught it."

This spoke volumes to my Dad about O'Sullevan being a true gentleman - literally a gentle man, in fact - and he wouldn't ever hear a word against him from that day onwards.
 
He was as good as gold when i spoke to him but i do know that one or two of the lads were not overly keen on him.
He had the hotline number thru to us on the trading desk and like i said, i never had a problem with him. But i do recall a couple of the lads having a whinge about him when he wasnt happy and let it be known. There was no problem with giving him the fractions and we would give him a back price now and again, The problems used to arise when he started pushing for a price that had never existed. We could give him say 14's about a horse we were now 12's on (plus the fractions of course :LOL:) but he would push for 16's which the horse had never been. He would have a moan and ask why we were scared to lay 16's (plus he would want the fraction as well) but it was a rule that we would not lay a price that it had never been A back show was fine but you have to draw the line somewhere.

But as i said, i never had a problem with him.

(And yes, i backed Attivo :LOL::LOL::LOL:)
 
Quite a few of the racing press were like that.

I used to work with Harry Heymer who was Racing Editor of The Guardian who sponsored the Classic Trial at Sandown.

Harry told me about 1981 when they were there on a jolly and after Shergar hosed up Harry went to Graeme Sharpe and asked for a price for The Derby.

"We've just laid 10/1 big, Harry, and cut it to 8/1 but, as it's you and I know you'll give us a plug Monday morning, I won't just hold the 10/1 for you I'll actually give you a bit of 12s," Sharpe said.

"You can do better than that - I want 14s," said Harry.

"You are surely having a laugh," retorted Sharpe.

But Harry kept on at him until he laid 14/1 - Harry had literally no shame.

True story.
 
:D Well done that man.

I always worked along the lines of "if they were nice to me, i would be nice back". And the vast majority were and it was all very polite. But as the saying goes, "there is always one " !!!
The number for the trading desk wasnt given out except mainly to trainers , owners etc. And one trainer was an absolute pain in the arse. Obviously no name mentioned but i will say he is a Grand National winning trainer who is still training today. He would usually come on around lunchtime, long after the "betting action" had kicked in and if he couldnt get the price he wanted he could get real stroppy. If his horse was , for instance, 5/1, i was always prepared to give him a back show and give him either 11/2 or 6/1. But he thought he could demand his own prices because "it is my horse", which of course it actually wasnt. He would say he was looking for 8's and i always felt like saying that if he found some 8's to get me some as well. He would want prices that had never showed and even though we were giving him back shows at the best price it had been, he was never happy.

An absolute pain in the arse. I dread to think how he gets his bets on these days with there being no bookmakers around any more.
 
Aidan Weaver and Murray Dodd both showed ability when riding for Nick Pearce (Dan Skelton's Head Lad) in Points - riding in the 1.25 at Warwick now.
 
I was at Wincanton today and backed it on the Tote which paid about 20s I think - nice little earner as I was standing in Mr Nicholls private box. I reasoned that Rian (who I know well from Pointing) is head and shoulders above the others in a hands and heels race and Kayley Woollacott wasn't going to miss snapping him up for it due to her pointing connections.
 
I watched Tapley's race at Wincanton which he won when ridden by Isabelle Ryder. Her background is in junior show jumping rather than the more conventional point to points. She's ridden fifteen winners over jumps now and should soon be claiming just five pounds. 10 winners from 50 rides this Jumps season which is fairly impressive. I've got a vague memory of John Francome starting off in show jumping.

She rides Hardy Du Seuil for Jamie Snowden at Ascot tomorrow, the 18/1 outsider of eight runners.
 
Jayhawk said:
I watched Tapley's race at Wincanton which he won when ridden by Isabelle Ryder. Her background is in junior show jumping rather than the more conventional point to points. She's ridden fifteen winners over jumps now and should soon be claiming just five pounds. 10 winners from 50 rides this Jumps season which is fairly impressive. I've got a vague memory of John Francome starting off in show jumping.

She rides Hardy Du Seuil for Jamie Snowden at Ascot tomorrow, the 18/1 outsider of eight runners.
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She's well worth her 7 + she has a nice looking ride in the 2.18 at Windsor on Sunday.
 
Not an amateur but if I was to follow one jockey this winter it wouldn't be close.

Toby McCain-Mitchell

He only has one ride today for his Dad but it will most likely be better for the run. I'd rather have a look at his ride at Ludlow on Monday.
 
Slim said:
Not an amateur but if I was to follow one jockey this winter it wouldn't be close.

Toby McCain-Mitchell

He only has one ride today for his Dad but it will most likely be better for the run. I'd rather have a look at his ride at Ludlow on Monday.
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You're in good company - the notorious Joe O'Shea had been saying for ages that McCain-Mitchell and Huw Edwards are the best two young jockeys to have come out of the UK Pointing field in years.
 
I've seen Heidi riding in Points.

She's fearless - she tore round Maisemore Park on Azzuri at an incredible pace, winging every fence, if they'd met one half way up they'd have been pulling her out of a trench.

Do I consider her a top rider from that sphere?

No, bang average if I'm honest - she's highly unlikely to fall off, but don't expect a lot in the way of tactical nous or help at the business end.

I've got money on the horse at Ascot today, but if it wins a neck after she out muscles the pros in a finish, I shall be more than pleasantly surprised!

Needs to be travelling by far the best as they turn in imo - we shall see!
 
Slim said:
Not an amateur but if I was to follow one jockey this winter it wouldn't be close.

Toby McCain-Mitchell

He only has one ride today for his Dad but it will most likely be better for the run. I'd rather have a look at his ride at Ludlow on Monday.
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Toby is Donald's nephew - he's out of Jo, Donald's sister. Not sure of the sire. But yes he's a good lad and I used to see him pointing a lot.
 

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