Luke Harvey's Blowing Stone put on the market
by Rodney Masters
ONE of racing’s most popular public houses was put on the market this week, with the current landlord Luke Harvey opening a book on which of his regulars will buy the property.
Harvey makes his tee-total neighbour Tony McCoy favourite at 6-4, withex-champion jockey Richard Dunwoody the 5-1 second favourite.
After three years, Radio 5 Live’s racing correspondent Harvey is selling The Blowing Stone at Kingstone Lisle near Lambourn to concentrate on his main career.
Harvey is asking £150,000 for the remaining 20-year lease on the free house, and anticipates one of his racing customers will snap up the inn.
“I’ve increased turnover fourfold, but I’ve no longer sufficient time to run the place as I’d like,” explained the former jockey, who also works for At The Races and has a public relations contract with Renault and Newbury racecourse.
He added: “My sister Jessica is in partnership with me at the pub, but she has had more babies than In The Groove, and obviously now has more important demands on her time.”
The Blowing Stone is a favoured port of call for many jockeys and trainers in the Lambourn area, and Harvey is confident that McCoy, who lives within a 30-second walk of the pub and is a frequent pool player there, will be the new owner.
However, the current landlord fears a problem, and said: “The trouble is, AP would be hopeless behind the bar. He’d ask customers if they wanted still or sparking. Richard Dunwoody will be interested for sure, because a pint is the only thing he has pulled since he quit racing.”
Assessing other likely candidates, he added: "Carl Llewellyn is next in my betting, simply because he can’t resist property. He already owns the part of Swindon that John Francome didn’t want, and he’d be keen to have my pub because he bought his first ever round of drinks the other night and will want to get his money back.
“Seamus Durack would have been a front runner, but he’ll never grasp how to work the till. Mick Fitzgerald will be a big drifter because landlords must be good listeners.
"Steve Drowne, the one Flat jockey on my list, is an outsider because he’d restrict engagement of bar staff to RaceTech employees.”
Harvey intends to remain in the village, and is seeking planning permission to build a house next door to McCoy. The champion jockey was reportedly seen in Wantage at lunchtime on Monday looking in estate agents windows.
joint venture?? Jules as been in training as mine host according to her threads earlier this year or late last year... so go on put in your bid?????????? 
