Cheltenham Charity Race - March

D

Digger

At the Start
Joined
Sep 17, 2009
Messages
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Guys - I've had a blow to the head and entered myself for the charity flat race in March. Expect lots of Justgiving begging request for sponsorship in the coming months! I need to raise 5k for Cancer Research.

12 people will get picked and as you may know they normally pick stable staff etc but I'll give it a go.

James Ewart and Brian Hughes have agreed to train me (but are probably pissing themselves at the thought) If I cant make the grade or dont get picked for March I'll go for the Greatwood charity event in October.

Oh - I also have to get down to 11st 10lb for the race.

WTF have i done! :blink::blink:
 
Good man ( I hope) OTB.
Will be delighted to give you 100 in your quest; it will be as near as I will get to riding around the course myself. Mind you in my dreams I am Choc Carberry- Walsh; the greatest shamatuer pundit camera in my helmet jock of them all!
Hope you make it! Live the dream!
 
Not one bit jealous (much!! )... Ill sponsor you as well (tho can't afford to match above!!)

Always wanted to do one and if I could, it would be there that I'd want more than any other course. Good luck getting in (over all the 'celebs'and wives!)
 
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OTB said:
Guys - I've had a blow to the head and entered myself for the charity flat race in March.
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You've had a blow to the head, or some blow in the head? Have you ridden an thoroughbred (equine) before? Will James Ewart make you ride your own horse, the somewhat gassy Un Guet Apens (who ran quite well, I thought, on Saturday)?

I'll sponsor you too if you get selected, the progress reports will be fascinating.
 
Haha thanks Grey. Yes Getty ran very well until his novice mistake when he took off about 20ft before the fence, that knocked the stuffing out of him and he fell when very tired. He's 100% though and will hopefully run before Xmas over 2m. I reckon he's a wee bit too excitable for me to ride!

Ive ridden horses before but never race horses. Its going to be a fun/**** scary few months!
 
Oh you'll have a blast OTB! And good on you for putting your name forward. There'll be plenty of armchair jockeys out there who wouldn't dream of actually doing this.

I rode in one at our local point to point a couple of years ago. I did admittedly have a slight advantage in that my horse was a flat horse with plenty of speed (actually 5/6f speed and we ran over 1m2f!!) and I also had the professional know-how to get him properly fit. However we had at that time the leading (and subsequent champion pointer) at work so talk about the pressure being on for me to win!

We set off at a complete crawl only for my horse to say "stuff this - I've run over 5f at Sandown - I know the pace we should be going!!" and he shot through up the inside at a fair rattle. He then took a right old hold and I looked round to see another girl at my quarters. I asked her what the hell she was doing as I was getting pissed off with only for her to reply that she was too! We went a rare old pace and I was convinced my horse was going to run out of stamina. Or duck out at the big black fences we were passing and snorting at! Fortunately I had got him fit enough and he won easily at a fairly stingy 1-20!

The girl who had joined me for most of the race had a good tussle for second with our local vet who had shed 3 stone to ride in the race!!

It was a great experience to be honest although I'd never do it again but that was only due to local pressure. Really hope you get to have a go - you'll love it!
 
jinnyj said:
p
We set off at a complete crawl only for my horse to say "stuff this - I've run over 5f at Sandown - I know the pace we should be going!!" and he shot through up the inside at a fair rattle. He then took a right old hold and I looked round to see another girl at my quarters. I asked her what the hell she was doing as I was getting pissed off with only for her to reply that she was too! We went a rare old pace and I was convinced my horse was going to run out of stamina. Or duck out at the big black fences we were passing and snorting at! Fortunately I had got him fit enough and he won easily at a fairly stingy 1-20!
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I hope you were on!! :D

Good luck OTB. Find a horse to plot up for it like Cecil did with Plato a few years ago.
 
I confidently predict that OTB will:

1. Put up 17lbs over-weight if he gets in.
2. Falls off through weakness in the first furlong if he does manage the weight.
3. Falls-off at some point regardless

:whistle:
 
Well they have picked the 12 for the race, and unfortunately Im not on it. On the plus side I have lost a stone, and Im on the list for the Ocotober event if that happens.
 
OTB said:
Well they have picked the 12 for the race, and unfortunately Im not on it. On the plus side I have lost a stone, and Im on the list for the Ocotober event if that happens.
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That sounds like a good outcome. Is there some doubt about the October race?
 
I can see now why you didn't get selected, you're not a racing insider like almost every other person on that list. They're an exclusive tribe at times.
 
Grey said:
I can see now why you didn't get selected, you're not a racing insider like almost every other person on that list. They're an exclusive tribe at times.
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Digger is an aspirational type, Art, and truly believes in his heart that he belongs in the upper echelons of society.......a position somewhat incongruous to his pikey upbringing in the slums of Musselburgh.
 
Being a friend of yours was no help either, even though you'd promised to stay well away from the festival this year.
 
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