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In Memoriam (racing people)

I know a local syndicate who bought a half brother to an Arc winner to run over hurdles.They sent him to a proper under the radar trainer who gave him a great education -unfortunately by the time the horse won at the Punchestown festival _33s available in the morning -most of the syndicate had lost patience.
 
As broadcast on Opening Show this morning, US based French trainer, Christophe Clement has died aged 59.

I'm going to counter the eulogy that Chapman gave him ("you couldn't meet a nicer guy in racing....") with this story (yes I know you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, yada yada....)
So I worked with the guy whilst at Cumani's in the late 1980s. Initially he was Assistant but based down in the bottom yard so I didn't have a huge amount to do with him but then when the main assistant left, he was promoted. And he literally hated the girls who worked in the yard. I think he was probably the most misogynistic guy I have ever had the misfortune to meet. At that time it was thought that the female of the species should not either ride or groom colts in case their hormonal smells prompted a reaction.....:rolleyes:. So we were assigned to ride and look after the fillies (which were often far more difficult to ride anyway).
Not content with bullying us on a daily basis and this was constant, he provoked us as well inferring that we were second class compared to the lads in the yard. Well at one time we had a colt who had broken bones in limbs both on the same side so he had to be supported (god knows why he wasn't transferred to the vets!) and CC decided that he would set up a rota amongst the lads for who should do the over night watch. I was offered 3am to 4am! And this bearing in mind we were not even allowed near colts on a normal day. I told him to feck off and refused. But you get my drift!
A couple of weeks later I was riding a Mill Reef half sister to Khayasi who was a scrawny little rat. Anyway she had a nasty lump on her back and I was concerned that she shouldn't be ridden. The vet was in that morning and sent down to look at it. So I stood and helped him by holding the filly. CC arrived and told me flatly to get out. Being a "confident" 20yo I countered that the vet had asked me to help him. With that he literally grabbed me by the shoulders and threw me hard against the barn wall saying "don't you ever backchat me again!" Regardless of how I spoke, He physically assaulted me. I had bruises across my shoulder and marks where his hands went. Two lads and the vet were horrified and all said he was out of order. If it had happened in this day and age, I suspect I could have pressed charges and won. Of course there was nothing I could do but he bullied several girls out of their jobs there by being so unpleasant.

Anyway - thought I'd just share that with y'all!
 
As broadcast on Opening Show this morning, US based French trainer, Christophe Clement has died aged 59.

I'm going to counter the eulogy that Chapman gave him ("you couldn't meet a nicer guy in racing....") with this story (yes I know you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, yada yada....)
So I worked with the guy whilst at Cumani's in the late 1980s. Initially he was Assistant but based down in the bottom yard so I didn't have a huge amount to do with him but then when the main assistant left, he was promoted. And he literally hated the girls who worked in the yard. I think he was probably the most misogynistic guy I have ever had the misfortune to meet. At that time it was thought that the female of the species should not either ride or groom colts in case their hormonal smells prompted a reaction.....:rolleyes:. So we were assigned to ride and look after the fillies (which were often far more difficult to ride anyway).
Not content with bullying us on a daily basis and this was constant, he provoked us as well inferring that we were second class compared to the lads in the yard. Well at one time we had a colt who had broken bones in limbs both on the same side so he had to be supported (god knows why he wasn't transferred to the vets!) and CC decided that he would set up a rota amongst the lads for who should do the over night watch. I was offered 3am to 4am! And this bearing in mind we were not even allowed near colts on a normal day. I told him to feck off and refused. But you get my drift!
A couple of weeks later I was riding a Mill Reef half sister to Khayasi who was a scrawny little rat. Anyway she had a nasty lump on her back and I was concerned that she shouldn't be ridden. The vet was in that morning and sent down to look at it. So I stood and helped him by holding the filly. CC arrived and told me flatly to get out. Being a "confident" 20yo I countered that the vet had asked me to help him. With that he literally grabbed me by the shoulders and threw me hard against the barn wall saying "don't you ever backchat me again!" Regardless of how I spoke, He physically assaulted me. I had bruises across my shoulder and marks where his hands went. Two lads and the vet were horrified and all said he was out of order. If it had happened in this day and age, I suspect I could have pressed charges and won. Of course there was nothing I could do but he bullied several girls out of their jobs there by being so unpleasant.

Anyway - thought I'd just share that with y'all!
That's shocking Jinny.
 
Yeah that's racing pre #MeToo though. I've got lots of horror stories as I imagine lots of others do too. Don't get me wrong, I loved working in the industry and wouldn't swop it for anything but it was a tough old life at times and I suspect I had it easier than many of my female predecessors
 
As broadcast on Opening Show this morning, US based French trainer, Christophe Clement has died aged 59.

I'm going to counter the eulogy that Chapman gave him ("you couldn't meet a nicer guy in racing....") with this story (yes I know you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, yada yada....)
So I worked with the guy whilst at Cumani's in the late 1980s. Initially he was Assistant but based down in the bottom yard so I didn't have a huge amount to do with him but then when the main assistant left, he was promoted. And he literally hated the girls who worked in the yard. I think he was probably the most misogynistic guy I have ever had the misfortune to meet. At that time it was thought that the female of the species should not either ride or groom colts in case their hormonal smells prompted a reaction.....:rolleyes:. So we were assigned to ride and look after the fillies (which were often far more difficult to ride anyway).
Not content with bullying us on a daily basis and this was constant, he provoked us as well inferring that we were second class compared to the lads in the yard. Well at one time we had a colt who had broken bones in limbs both on the same side so he had to be supported (god knows why he wasn't transferred to the vets!) and CC decided that he would set up a rota amongst the lads for who should do the over night watch. I was offered 3am to 4am! And this bearing in mind we were not even allowed near colts on a normal day. I told him to feck off and refused. But you get my drift!
A couple of weeks later I was riding a Mill Reef half sister to Khayasi who was a scrawny little rat. Anyway she had a nasty lump on her back and I was concerned that she shouldn't be ridden. The vet was in that morning and sent down to look at it. So I stood and helped him by holding the filly. CC arrived and told me flatly to get out. Being a "confident" 20yo I countered that the vet had asked me to help him. With that he literally grabbed me by the shoulders and threw me hard against the barn wall saying "don't you ever backchat me again!" Regardless of how I spoke, He physically assaulted me. I had bruises across my shoulder and marks where his hands went. Two lads and the vet were horrified and all said he was out of order. If it had happened in this day and age, I suspect I could have pressed charges and won. Of course there was nothing I could do but he bullied several girls out of their jobs there by being so unpleasant.

Anyway - thought I'd just share that with y'all!
Sorry to hear you had such an unpleasant experience with this man. It must be galling to hear the gushing tributes to him after his passing.

Let’s just hope he changed somewhat as he got older and deserved some of the praise that he is now receiving. Still, it doesn’t undo the harm he has done along the way.
 
Fantastic trainer but I still believe he should not have run Alverton in the Grand National.
It took its chance because it would never get a better weight in the race.
That was true because it was fatally injured.
 
Put me off the National for about 25 years.

Great dual purpose trainer though - isnt he the only one to train more than 1000 winners over jumps and on the Flat in Britain?
 
I was fortunate enough to be there when Night Nurse won the 1978 Yorkshire Hurdle at Doncaster, I saw Sea Pigeon beaten six lengths after lying almost a furlong out of his ground in a Beverley Amateur Riders' race, as Julie Cecil rode Pat Muldoon's son to sleep, and I saw Little Owl win at Doncaster and Nottingham.

Many other horses of his as well - his Schweppes winner Within The Law and No Bombs both at Beverley to name but two.

But my only anecdote about the bloke was one wet miserable day at Wetherby.

I was stood nearby Peter Easterby and some eager members of his entourage who were watching Alick run at Sandown Park on a TV.

Approaching two out it seemed to me Alick started to come under pressure, as his jockey tried to mount a challenge.

"He's coming to win it!" one member of the entourage surprised me by excitedly shouting.

"Nah, it's fucked," Easterby replied in impassive dead pan style.

And he wasn't wrong - Alick faded out of contention.

He was a great trainer for sure.

And he could evidently raceread too! 😂
 
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An amazing man and trainer .
Prominent King was sent there as a six year old after his owner had a difference of opinion with his Irish trainer , Kevin Prendergast.
His novice chase season ended in defeat in RSA chase but he won Long Walk hurdle next start.
Off for a season, (he was unsound and usually lame after each race) the horse was left with the Easterby's to settle his account.
Anyways he ended up winning hunter chases at 13 and 14 , running in Festival Foxhunters eight years after his Triumph Hurdle placing. Some handling of an unsound horse.
 
One of his lesser lights he got every penny out of was Comedy Fair.

From (hazy) memory one season IIRC it's form figures were "515151" at one stage.

Every win was narrowly in a 2m handicap hurdle, every fifth was up a few pounds at 2m4f, which it didn't stay, and then it would win back at 2m at a bit more of a price, having been unplaced last time out, than ought to have been the case.

He could game the system when he needed to, but he wasn't hard to read.

A great trainer on every level, including for punters.
 
One of his lesser lights he got every penny out of was Comedy Fair.

From (hazy) memory one season IIRC it's form figures were "515151" at one stage.

Every win was narrowly in a 2m handicap hurdle, every fifth was up a few pounds at 2m4f, which it didn't stay, and then it would win back at 2m at a bit more of a price, having been unplaced last time out, than ought to have been the case.

He could game the system when he needed to, but he wasn't hard to read.

A great trainer on every level, including for punters.
Did Lorcan Wyer ride him to win on National day.
 
I will take your word for it, Luke, if you say he did - my recollection isn't that vivid.

I just remember the horse winning at places like Catterick Bridge and being prices like 7/1 when he should have been half those odds as Easterby effortlessly gamed the system with him.

He did his owners - and himself - proud with every horse he had at every level of ability imo.
 
No Bombs and the Mars Bar theft disqualification another story that comes to mind.

Classic. The brothers and I still refer to horses that we suspect to have been jagged to have 'been given a Mars Bar before the race'.

(Not saying No Bombs was jagged but we thought that as a comment it ranked alongside the French trainer claiming his horse made its own anabolic steroid.)
 
I only saw No Bombs race once - it was in a 2m Handicap on the Flat at Beverley.

I'd youthfuly backed Amber Valley who had won for me at the previous meeting.

He had something like 9st11lb (can't remember the mark he was off) and No Bombs had something like 7st12lb.

No Bombs opened at 5/2 at one pitch and the bookmaker was besieged and wiped it off very quickly - he started even money.

My God, No Bombs won easily - you'd think he'd just joined in the way he quickened clear below the Distance (Beverley actually had, and still has, a Distance post).

Once again, Peter Easterby had found the perfect opportunity for one of his string.

Starjestic landing a thumping gamble in a Southwell Novices' Handicap Chase is another I remember.

I'd spotted him as a possible plot and had 16/1 and it was in the old Extel Days (1985) and he went "16, 14, 12, 10, 8" on the Shows before what sounded like a very easy win - I listened to it in a Coral in East Ham, where I lived at the time.

Favour after favour, Peter Easterby did for me - I can't remember backing one of his who ever ran badly.

And I found him a LOT easier to read than his brother.
 
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I know a local syndicate who bought a half brother to an Arc winner to run over hurdles.They sent him to a proper under the radar trainer who gave him a great education -unfortunately by the time the horse won at the Punchestown festival _33s available in the morning -most of the syndicate had lost patience.

What was the horse?
 
M H Easterby also trained that good miler handicapper St Ninian who in 1991 with Lester up won the Newbury Spring Cup and the now sadly defunct Jubilee Handicap . The late Mark Birch had ridden him to be second in the Lincoln - I suspect it was the owner Lady Murless that called for Lester rather than M H Easterby .
 


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