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The 2026 Great Yorkshire (Handicap) Chase

Meld 1955, my first Classic success. I thought my dad had diddled me, he’d put on half a crown for me, but only gave me two bob winnings. Odds on was a bit of a mystery to me.
 
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23rd March 1996 Lincoln handicap.
Can't remember much of the racing as we were on a coach party for my stag do.
I do remember however standing on a chair to make a speech in the nearby Earl of Doncaster hotel promptly falling over and demolishing a stand lamp!!!
 
1978 Great Yorkshire Chase Day - my Dad actually took me in the Grandstand, not the Silver Ring with the clock tower, but only because he'd ponced tickets via The Daily Mirror (which he didn't even read - he was a Guardian reader) Punters' Club.

Freezing cold, misty, rows and rows of bookmakers indoors inside the Grandstand - surreal.

20/1 outsider Master Owen won the Mansion House Chase (odds on Tree Tangle ur fourth - open ditch), Atlantic something floors Connaught Ranger in the Brewers Hurdle, Autumn Rain wins the Great Yorkshire with an emaciated Michael Dickinson riding at 10st2lb second on Lucius, and Night Nurse puts in the slickest jump at a hurdle I've ever seen to this day and beats Birds Nest in a war in the Yorkshire Hurdle - truly amazing, unforgettable day.

Oh and Slim wasn't even born yet - there was absolutely nothing not to like about this day!
 
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Four of us once travelled to Doncaster races from Preston in a car driven by Brian Goodwill who would later become a judge at Cartmel.
When we got on the track it was obvious that the meeting would not go ahead due to the foggy conditions. I swear at one point you couldn't see your feet let alone the course.
Highlight of the day was queueing up with volatile disgruntled yorkshiremen who threatened to burn the course down if they didn't get a full refund!!!
 
Ian_Davies said:
1978 Great Yorkshire Chase Day - my Dad actually took me in the Grandstand, not the Silver Ring with the clock tower, but only because he'd ponced tickets via The Daily Mirror (which he didn't even read - he was a Guardian reader) Punters' Club.

Freezing cold, misty, rows and rows of bookmakers indoors inside the Grandstand - surreal.

20/1 outsider Master Owen won the Mansion House Chase (odds on Tree Tangle ur fourth - open ditch), Atlantic something floors Connaught Ranger in the Brewers Hurdle, Autumn Rain wins the Great Yorkshire with an emancipated Michael Dickinson riding at 10st2lb second on Lucius, and Night Nurse puts in the slickest jump at a hurdle I've ever seen to this day and beats Birds Nest in a war in the Yorkshire Hurdle - truly amazing, unforgettable day.

Oh and Slim wasn't even born yet - there was absolutely nothing not to like about this day!
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Jan 25 1978.
As a huge Night Nurse and Bird's Nest fan I sat in front of my tv watching Sports Stadium in anticipation of this race, a 3 horse affair with Sweeps Hurdle winner Decent Fellow making up the field.
A stormy day, the signal link with ITV failed and I watched as Brendan O'Reilly or whomever apologised for technical problems "beyond our control".
I had to wait for the Sunday papers to see the result, head and 25 lengths, the big duo showing the youngster what racing was about.
I finally saw the race a few years ago on youtube, a classic if there ever was one.
I bet Michael was emaciated as well as emancipated.
 
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edgt said:
Feb 25 1978.
As a huge Night Nurse and Bird's Nest fan I sat in front of my tv watching Sports Stadium in anticipation of this race, a 3 horse affair with Sweeps Hurdle winner Decent Fellow making up the field.
A stormy day, the signal link with ITV failed and I watched as Brendan O'Reilly or whomever apologised for technical problems "beyond our control".
I had to wait for the Sunday papers to see the result, head and 25 lengths, the big duo showing the youngster what racing was about.
I finally saw the race a few years ago on youtube, a classic if there ever was one.
I bet Michael was emaciated as well as emancipated.
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Bloody auto correct!

If there's a full version of this race from January 1978 anywhere, I'd love to see it:
 
edgt said:
I finally made it to Doncaster in 1989 , the year the St Leger was postponed when the drainage system caved in.
I walked a circuit of the track to see the damage and cross over Rose Hill; it is a long taxing circuit.
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I've only ever walked the course once - some dour winter day in the 1980s - I'd say Rose Hill isn't much of a "hill," but yes, it's a demanding galloping circuit.
 
I shall not keep you all in suspense until final declarations.

New Order is really catching my eye.

He put in a career best last time, where he didn't get up the Cheltenham hill as well as the first two home.

The slight drop in trip to 3 miles should be ideal.
 
Ian_Davies said:
If all 13 run and the market stays as it is now, I can see a bet in this.

Roll on, Thursday.
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By the way, Ian, I saw a stark illustration of your point that you should never take the official description of the going as gospel, when I was looking into Hyland's performances on soft ground. On 20 December at Ascot the official going was good to soft, but the going stick was 4.7 - heavy. Is it common to see such wide discrepancies?
 
Good would be nice, true good/soft would be ok (he ran up to his best on that at Kempton) and coming to the boil nicely if his last run at Ascot is anything to go by. He made a few jumping errors there and the one two out probably stopped him finishing a bit closer. Given the way he ran I”d question it was heavy - the silks didn’t look as if they needed much washing, either.
 
barjon said:
Good would be nice, true good/soft would be ok (he ran up to his best on that at Kempton) and coming to the boil nicely if his last run at Ascot is anything to go by. He made a few jumping errors there and the one two out probably stopped him finishing a bit closer. Given the way he ran I”d question it was heavy - the silks didn’t look as if they needed much washing, either.
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Yes, it really didn't look heavy. I wondered whether there was a mistake in the numbers.
 
barjon said:
Good would be nice, true good/soft would be ok (he ran up to his best on that at Kempton) and coming to the boil nicely if his last run at Ascot is anything to go by. He made a few jumping errors there and the one two out probably stopped him finishing a bit closer. Given the way he ran I”d question it was heavy - the silks didn’t look as if they needed much washing, either.
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RP have the timed ground as good at Ascot.
 

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