Best moment of your racing life.

Tanlic

Tanlic

Senior Jockey
Joined
Dec 6, 2011
Messages
11,749
Location
Bangkok Thailand
Mines came when my late best friend Tony PA Charlton and I had pulled off a few gambles he had ridden.

My business was going well so I suggested I buy a racehorse.

Off we went with Ten Grand in pocket to Newmarket sales.

I remember picking out a Bustino but when we saw him in the flesh in the ring he looked less than useless.

I asked to be excused to go to the toilet and when I came back Tony said I just bought you a horse.

Some guy known to be a good judge and would even go over the odds if he liked a horse was stilting in front off Tony.

When he bid not many would take him on but what happened was Tony bid 1500 quid a a second or 2 before the guy in front of him and he thought the bid was his.

Pure luck.....Went down to look at him a bit later and Tommy Craig who I knew came over and said you stole that horse he's got a head like Arkle.

Then the plot thickened. Tony had just bought Bellwood Cottages where John Quinn Tony's Jockey started training after Tony was killed.

Tony spoke to Mick Lamberts and asked could he train him under Micks name,

Only Tony myself and one other person knew the time of day. We would pop up to the gallops early or late and school him over logs and canter him over 7 furlongs as he strengthened up.

A year late we ran him at Nottingham for a look at the people. Then we ran him at Hexam finished 9th of 18. I thought he could just about would have won that day but Tony said he might have finished 3rd he's still weak.

The next season we worked him with Mick Lamberts best horse over 7 furlongs and he kicked Micks into touch without breaking sweat.

Tony entered him for a novice hurdle at Ayr but said he wanted to give him a run.

The race was on the Monday and I had gone home when on Friday morning my phone rang...."You better mortgage your house there's no way this horse will lose on Monday said Tony" He suggested we involve a bookmaker/come trainer under another name to advise and not to worry he'll have grand on once you get on,

The bookie told me get half a dozen friends and tell them they have been invited to a private room bla bla bla.

Myself and a new partner Brian got to the races 10 minutes before the off I told then take this money and put it on.....do not try and get best price just take what is being offered and move on to the next bookmaker.

Thousands later the horse went from 33/1 to 11/8 favourite and Tony was looking round for dangers well before the home turn and won by 5 lengths twithought breaking wind.......I am told it was the biggest gamble with lots of zeros ever pulled off at Ayr. The bookies aske if the could pay by cheque some asked if we could wait till after the last we had all but cleaned them all out. I bought out my partner and got the money back on a horse Tony rode a few days later.

The horse went on to win again but through pure neglect by a person I wont mention the horse was never the same again.

A dream come true...........
 
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Four memories always spring to mind, three best moments and one worst.

Best jumper memory. Arkle beating Mill House in the 1964 Gold Cup and avenging his defeat in the Hennessy where he had slipped on landing. Easily the best jumper I have ever seen until Constitution Hill came on the scene.

Best flat memory. “Seabird wins” shouted the guy next to me at the 1965 Derby as he started to challenge a furlong and a half out. And win he did, as easy as you like - never seen better until Frankel appeared.

Best battle memory. Grundy and Bustino in the 1975 King George. If you’ve never seen it call it up on YouTube - you’ll never forget it. Finished both of them.

Worst memory. Crisp dead on his feet in the 1973 Grand National giving up a 15 length lead and losing out to Red Rum in the last two strides.
 
Standing (well on my knees, praying through the tears which started about 50 yards off that final bend when it looked seriously like he was going to do it) in the middle of a packed Ladbrokes in Maidenhead, full of dead silent Kauto supporters (except me, although I loved him) as Imperial Commander jumped the last in his Gold Cup.

Hold him Paddy, hold him Paddy, hold him.............Comeonnnnnnnnnnnnnn

You could have heard a pin drop over the commentary until I just couldn't hold it in any longer!

I can literally live it again every time. The last leg of an antepost treble with Menorah and Big Zeb :)

ofc "a 3-way photo in the Whitbread" brings tears to the eyes as well.
 
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Years ago. 1977.

Squatting in London, on the dole, down to my last 50p and no Giro for a couple of days.

I thought to myself that 50p will get me nothing so I walked into a William Hill near Euston station. It was the big sprint up at York, the Nunthorpe.

I had a look and decided I'd put the 50p on one called Haveroid, 10/1. To my delight, he came in and, typical of me, I thought I'd have another go by backing in the Melrose handicap over 14f. Since I was now rich, I went for an outsider and could afford to do the horse ew: A Clive Brittain 3yo, ridden by Pat Eddery by the name of Mackelly. 50p Ew.

You'll no doubt have guessed that the beauty came in. 40/1, my winnings: £25.

So the poor '50p boy' left the shop with £30 in my pocket and feeling as smug as you like before going on to buy my dinner for the evening.

Sweet.

Only a small story and involving next to little money but I'll never forget it.
 
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….and best embarrassment. In the sixties I went to get my hair cut in Berwick Street when Alex Bird (pro punter and friend of my father) was getting out of the chair. We exchanged greetings and when I sat down the barber immediately wanted to know if I had any tips since I knew Alex Bird. Well, young and cocky I gave him one of mine, keeping quiet that it wasn’t from AB. It won and the barber couldn’t wait to get me in the chair next time. The Lincoln was upcoming and I’d sorted out a horse called Majority Blue (?) so I passed that on. Come the day I went into the betting shop there, but couldn’t get a bet on, it seemed nearly the whole of Berwick Street market was on it and the bookie had called quits. Needless to say Majority Blue finished nearer last than first and I didn’t dare get my hair cut again!
 
For me, got to be old Rooster Booster winning the 2003 Champion Hurdle.

I started the thread on here titled something like 'Rooster Booster's Champion Hurdle Prospects' after seeing it slaughter a proper job horse of Pipe's (Mr Cool, if memory serves) at Kempton around this time of the season.

I backed it then at double-figure odds and kept backing it all though the winter.

People who have been on here long enough will remember it all.

Definitely my best day but not my winningmost one. That was the day I had a full point each-way double on two Godolphins-in-handicaps and both won at 20/1 (prices taken, I think SP of one was less) for a 440/1 double.
 
A few spring to mind. Dessies gold cup win. Was in a pub in Edinburgh where the racing would be on in the background. Most were watching the race and when he turned for home the whole pub were screaming dessie home. Only time I've had that before was when Barry mguigan was fighting in London.
Seeing Lester in the flesh for the first time at York where he won on a horse called alleged who turned out to be some horse.
Lester's Derby win on teenoso. I'd got 5/1 on him but had put 3 quid each way on carlingford Castle at 33/1. Teenoso took it up with c Castle coming out of the pack. I did win a decent amount but was torn in the last furlong who to shout for.
Swains first win in the king george. My mate was a big gambler and was on a bad run so asked me for a tip. I thought swain at 25/1 on the ground was a good bet. He had a tenner ew and of course he won and my mate got a wee holiday out of it. I of course didn't put a thing on it but was delighted for my mate who then saw me as knowledgeable about racing.
 
Being at Ascot on Champions Day 2012 to see the great one run his last race.
Happy and sad all in one.
 
Walking from the train at Esher to Sandown Park racecourse Feb 1989 after taking the night ferry to London, purpose to see Desert Orchid run in Gainsborough Chase the following day. I decided to go a day early to recce the track before the big crowds .
That feeling of freedom was the best feeling ever.
Many adventures followed , but that was the first.

Arc Day 2008 ; the Abbaye was re run so my mate Paddy had left early .
Leaving the racecourse I spied HH Aga Khan coming down the steps with his daughter when this Irish man ran across the concourse to shake his hand.
I too broke into a run to ask him to autograph my racecard; Zarkava had won the Arc so it would seal the day for me.
As he signed it I could smell my father's presence; a mixture of pipe tobacco and fragrance de l'homme that only he had.
The hairs stood on my neck as I remembered his famous words " The Aga Khan always bred the best racehorses".
 
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Sprinter Sacre's 2nd CC

Enable v Crystal Ocean

Was there for both and backed both winners, i couldn't say which one was best but they are probably racings 2 best moments in the last 30 years

Maybe Frankel's Queen Anne is up there as well
 
Sprinter Sacre’s 2nd QMCC for me too. His first for pure class and second for pure emotion
 
I can imagine Tiggers. I was so far gone and loved up with Sprinter I wouldn't hear of defeat on his comeback.

People tend to forget at Sandown he beat 2 previous QMCC winners and increased hi winning margin over UDS to a massive 15 lengths was one of the best performances of his life.

Despite that Nicky felt he had done everything ever asked of him and the fairest thing to do was retire him.
 
Greatwood Hurdle 2007-I had everything I could spare on Sizing Europe.In desperate conditions he won under a well judged Timmy Murphy ride.
I walked into the winners enclosure with HdB and kept telling him it was a great day for Waterford -something he has referenced in a few subsequent interviews.At this point I was soaking wet -I got a taxi into town and had to buy new clothes.Happy days -would anyone have access to tbeCh4 coverage that day.
Second favourite memory was having a 3 day press badge to Aintree in 2002.
 
The Genesis of my best moment occured eight years before the actual race. Me and a mate were at York for the Nunthorpe in 1994 and Lochsong was well odds-on. She bolted to the start and her price didn't alter, it must have happened during an ad break we surmised. This obviously was before Betfair so what to do, she couldn't win and was 8/13. We backed three horses each but didn't find the winner, Piccolo. Ever since that day I'd kept my eye out for bolters and in 2002 found one. It's Hunt Cup day at Ascot and the Gerard Butler trained Beauchamp Pilot unshipped his rider pre-race and bolted to the start. I wouldn't have a Betfair account until 2004 but I did Spread Betting in those days and Sporting Index had a 50/30/15/5 performance spread on the race (I think, something like that) had the horse at 10 so I sold him at £30 a point, an easy £300 or so I thought - he finished 3rd. I wasn't pleased naturally but was astonished that a horse who had used so much energy pre-race could finish as well as he did. He became my number 1 project horse.

Next up he ran in the Magnet Cup but was berthed in 19, a terrible draw. Kieren Fallon took the ride and kept him wide throughout and he did so well to finish 4th. The Peter Harris trained Kirovski was next to BP in 18 and his 7lb claimer had taken the brave route going inside and hoping for luck and he'd finished 2nd so again...finishing that close to a really good handicapper like Kirovski who'd won the City and Suburban the previous start despite covering more ground BP had proven he was ungodly well handicapped and just as importantly that he stayed further than a mile, I had the Cambridgeshire in mind for him. After York the horse ran in a couple of nonsense events at Ascot, a classified stakes race he was evens for and won and a Shergar Cup race.

As soon as prices came out for Cambridgeshire I started getting involved. 16/1 was the biggest I got but I backed him at all rates down to 9/1. I couldn't have him beat, couldn't foresee him not winning. I've never felt as sure of a winner as I did that day, despite the size of the field.

 
Mine is not a moment as such, it is finding racing forums in 2000 when I first got online. First time in my life I found other people to talk to about racing. Usually for 30 years before it had been an individual obsession, then I found out others were of a like mind. Not just gamblers but people who had real knowledge and were prepared to share what they knew. Obviously you had the usual chancers but so many genuine lovers of the game and how to make a bob or two. I was then a systemite and thought it might just be nonsense, then turned into studying times etc. Mixed between both since. Now I haven't the patience or time to care much about methodology or times etc, I just look at races through experienced eyes and go with my gut.
 
I hear what Luke's saying about Sizing Europe. Seeing him go on over fences and win an Arkle was nice. Of course he came up against an all time great in Sprinter Sacre later on in his career. But he was a solid horse was Sizing Europe. There was something sweet about him.

Financially, one really good win I had was Balthazar King's first Cross Country. This was a ballsy undertaking on my behalf, as I had him in a £20 win Lucky 15 ante post, with another winner at 11/2, Bob's Worth It was from memory. I had my local Hills shop down the town center quaking in their boots. I only put the bet on as I had a good day at one of their offices. I won a good four figure sum in the end, with one more winner needed for a very big payout. One of my big four was not actually declared. The other one was a Hobbs horse that came nowhere in the Bumper. I so wish I had stuck Champagne Fever instead of that one. Nevermind.

Waldgeist's Arc. I had a few quid on at 16s ante post. I didn't have him that far behind Enable, and just felt he was going to post a career best effort in that Arc. I wish he could have stayed for one more run in the Breeders Cup, but the Arc turned out to be his last run.
 
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