On This Day In (Racing) History

Eleanora Duse said:
On Saturday the 2nd May 1992 Lester Piggott rode his last classic winner aboard Robert Sangster's Rodrigo de Troiano, trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam.
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Had him at big price anti post as someone worked with at the time knew someone in the yard and they were totally convinced about him for a long time.
 
edgt said:
May 5 a big day in racing history.

1904 Sir Gordon Richards born.

1950 Sir Gordon won on Abernant at Sandown, his 4000th British win.

1973 Secretariat wins Kentucky Derby in 1m 59.2 sec,running every quarter faster than the previous one.

1979 Spectacular Bid wins Kentucky Derby among 26 wins from 30 starts. Some horse.

1984 El Gran Senor wins a cracking 2000 Gns from Chief Singer, Lear Fan And Rainbow Quest. At Leopardstown the same day I witness Sadlers Wells scramble home in The Derrinstown Derby Trial by a short head. Linda Martin fails to make it an Irish hat trick in Eurovision finishing 2nd with Terminal 3 !

1987 SIS begin broadcasting daily in Betting Shops

1990 Tirol wins 2000 Gns for R Hannon , M J Kinane and Horgans from Cork who also owned Dont Forget Me in 87.
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Just a reminder !
 
edgt said:
Mar 29
1901
Grudon wins Grand National after butter is placed in his hooves to stop snow balling in his feet. Apologies for saying it was 1902 in another post DG.

1935
Grand National won by 2 Furlongs;owner trainer Noel and jockey Frank with Reynoldstown. He won again in1936 ridden by Fulke Walwyn.

1947
Caughoo wins GN at 100/1 from Lough Conn.
First GN to be run on a Saturday at the request of Prime Minister Clement Atlee.
Run in the fog, the jockey on Lough Conn was ademant he was never passed and that Eddie Dempsey had somehow hid in the fog and rejoined the race.
Photos prove Caughoo jumped Bechers Brook twice but both jockeys were arrested in a Dublin pub in the 1960s for fighting.

1958
Mr What became the last Irish trained GN winner until 1975.
He never won again in 33 starts.
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This weekend’s Irish Field has as an extract from the new book, Who Was Who in Irish Racing, which gives a bit more detail on the brawl between Eddie Dempsey, rider of Caughoo, winner of the 1947 Grand National, and Daniel McCann, who rode runner-up Lough Conn. Some years later they were both taken to court for brawling in public.

Giving evidence, McCann accused Dempsey of cheating him out of the Grand National. The race had 57 runners and was run in dense fog. People in the stands saw virtually nothing. Alleging that Dempsey had pulled Caughoo up on the first circuit and was hacking home when the roar of the crowd encouraged him to get my his horse going again and jump the last two fences. Passing the stands the first time the crowd could see that Lough Conn was leading and McCann was adamant that no horse had passed him on the second circuit.

The court did not resolve the matter, but as Eddie mentions, there is pictorial evidence at least that Caughoo jumped Becker’s Brook twice, which contradicts at least part of McCann’s allegation.
 
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Grey said:
This weekend’s Irish Field has as an extract from the new book, Who Was Who in Irish Racing, which gives a bit more detail on the brawl between Eddie Dempsey, rider of Caughoo, winner of the 1947 Grand National, and Daniel McCann, who rode runner-up Lough Conn. Some years later they were both taken to court for brawling in public.

Giving evidence, McCann accused Dempsey of cheating him out of the Grand National. The race had 57 runners and was run in dense fog. People in the stands saw virtually nothing. Alleging that Dempsey had pulled Caughoo up on the first circuit and was hacking home when the roar of the crowd encouraged him to get my his horse going again and jump the last two fences. Passing the stands the first time the crowd could see that Lough Conn was leading and McCann was adamant that no horse had passed him on the second circuit.

The court did not resolve the matter, but as Eddie mentions, there is pictorial evidence at least that Caughoo jumped Becker’s Brook twice, which contradicts at least part of McCann’s allegation.
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Watched this recently and you can see the horse jumping the last on the first circuit and turning out of the home straight and running down to the first on the second circuit on the pathe newsreel.

https://youtu.be/AK3hR1AL8ic

He is the horse with the noseband that sidesteps the jockey who looks like he is dead at the fence after valentine's on the first circuit. (1m55s)

It sounds like a stereotypical Irish brawl.
 
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Not strictly a this day in history post, but I have really enjoyed reading the Racing Post Classics in the News section.

I've been one of the Post's critics, and only stumbled across these after following a news link back in to the Post. And what a treasure trove and trip down memory lane they are. It also serves as a reminder of when the Post used to employ proper journalists who could write about racing and paint pictures in your mind, rather than the garbage (mostly paid for!), that they produce now. It would be a real shame if they didn't realise it themselves, and use it as a wake up call.

I've been really ill recently, and while recovering they have been a really good read, and very pleasant time filler from my sick bed. As a follow up, I actually bought The Best Of Alistair Down on kindle, as I'd forgotten just how much I enjoyed reading his pieces in both the Sporting Life and the Racing Post. Very entertaining, and another trip down memory lane.

Anyway, rather than ramble on, I'd recommend both to anyone looking to while away a few hours on racing. And I'm sure there's something in one or the other that happened 'on this day' so it makes my post remotely relevant!
 
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On Friday 15th May 1992 George Strawbridge's Selkirk won the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, ridden by Ray Cochrane and trained by Ian Balding. Must have clashed with the FA Cup Final that year.
 
Cup Final was Sat May 9th, Lockinge was Friday May 15th. Only thing I can think of off the top of my head was that the Lockinge was a a Group Two in those days becoming a Group One in 1995. Maybe that's why they moved it to a Saturday ?
 
Diamond Geezer said:
Cup Final was Sat May 9th, Lockinge was Friday May 15th. Only thing I can think of off the top of my head was that the Lockinge was a a Group Two in those days becoming a Group One in 1995. Maybe that's why they moved it to a Saturday ?
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The Lockinge was nominally run on a Saturday, even when it was a Group 2 and 3. In 1991 it was run on the Friday ( I was there) and the Cup Final (Spurs vs. Forest) was on the Saturday. There must have been some other reason in 1992.
 
Well I can’t imagine Sir Anthony, or even Ruby, taking kindly to being asked to discuss what they thought were their worst rides. How long would it be before either would start asking Blake how many winners had he ridden?
 
Listened to about twenty minutes of it and turned it off. Found it painful Blake trying to be funny on about high elbows etc. Is there any racing/betting podcast that isn't painful these days?
 
Agreed DO. But how many interviewers would even dare suggest such questions to certain jockeys?
 
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It was hardly Lydia Hislop vs McCoy?

Blake’s apprenticeship on the Ff podcast showing, every question put in half-jokey form.
 
I think plenty would dare suggest them but not many interviewees would agree to them.

It's one of the reasons I favour interviews in the immediate aftermath of a race while the jockey is still in a state of elation. They sometimes say things they wouldn't in a rehearsed interview.
 
redundant pal said:
It was hardly Lydia Hislop vs McCoy?

Blake’s apprenticeship on the Ff podcast showing, every question put in half-jokey form.
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I think that sums it up well. It was painful listening and I'm not sure what it is we were suppose to be gaining from it.
 
It would be inappropriate these days for an interviewer to be trying to skewer Pat Smullen. What would be the point? As it was the format of the interview encouraged him to speak more freely than he would have done if he was still riding.
 
On June 3rd 1992 Dr Devious won the Derby for trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam and jockey John Reid. Unusually his previous race was the Kentucky Derby. As far as I know Dr Devious was the last descendant of the Byerley Turk to win the Derby.

On June 3rd 1964 veteran, Australian jockey Scobie Breasley won his first Derby aboard the Mick Rogers' trained Santa Claus. Santa Claus was the last descendant of the Godolphin Arabian to win the Derby.

It's been the Darley Arabian sire line all the way since 1992.
 
Scobie must be the only jockey to be jocked off a Derby winner.
His reception from connections was muted after the race by his account; they never asked him why he did not extend the horse fully, he never explained to them the horse was feeling the firm ground and he claims to have advised Bill Pyers how to stretch SC on Nasram in King George.
Dr Devious named after Demi O'Byrne, coolmore vet , the name given to him by Billy McDonald.
 
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