Call me an old git but for me The Derby lost some of its appeal as a day out when it switched to the Saturday. 1st Wednesday in June was always Londoners' unofficial extra bank holiday. Great memories of being there for Troy in 1979 - 200th Derby, Lester on the Queen's horse, Milford, 300,000 on the Downs and Troy destroying the field. Those were the days when you could get right next to the Grandstand for free, before they fenced it off.
The highlight for me was being there for the mighty Shergar.
Wonderful race, the best for me as a purist, but FIRST WEDNESDAY IN JUNE!
I backed Telecaster in the Dante but I don't fancy it today. Too darn hot didn't frank the form in Ireland and nothing came from the back in the Dante whereas today there'll be stronger stayers
That’s twice I’ve clicked on the post thinking it’s about the match with the spanners. And twice disappointed. Anyway, I agree it [Horse race] should be moved back to mid week.
Call me an old git but for me The Derby lost some of its appeal as a day out when it switched to the Saturday. 1st Wednesday in June was always Londoners' unofficial extra bank holiday. Great memories of being there for Troy in 1979 - 200th Derby, Lester on the Queen's horse, Milford, 300,000 on the Downs and Troy destroying the field. Those were the days when you could get right next to the Grandstand for free, before they fenced it off.
The highlight for me was being there for the mighty Shergar.
Wonderful race, the best for me as a purist, but FIRST WEDNESDAY IN JUNE!
Another wonderful sporting tradition ruined. Derby Day was wonderful, factories and firms closed for the day and the workers were bussed to the Downs and the charabancs could park inside the track for free whilst the toffs watched from the stands and enclosures. Was there in '89 to see Nashwan piloted by Willie Carson cruise to victory.
Who saw my all time favourite flat horse Nijinsky run?
I saw him win at Epsom. To go on to win the Leger after also winning the Guineas and Derby marked him a true superstar My first Derby was Santa Claus but my biggest ever win was when Charlottown won. He was trained by John Gosdens father as a 2 year old but was taken over by Gordon Smyth when Towser became ill and a group of us backed him ante post throughout the winter.
Who saw my all time favourite flat horse Nijinsky run?
Never saw him run live, but an outstanding horse - the type that only seem to come along once in a generation. Amazingly though the following year gave us Mill Reef and the best of them all, Brigadier Gerard - my favourite flat horse ever, although I will begrudgingly accept equaled by Frankel.
Lester described Nijinsky as the greatest horse he ever rode........that’s good enough for me.
Lester also said (to HMRC) that he'd told them about all of his bank accounts, just before he gave them a cheque to settle his tax bill from an undisclosed account!
Who saw my all time favourite flat horse Nijinsky run?
Never saw him run live, but an outstanding horse - the type that only seem to come along once in a generation. Amazingly though the following year gave us Mill Reef and the best of them all, Brigadier Gerard - my favourite flat horse ever, although I will begrudgingly accept equaled by Frankel.
Although both were magnificent horses would you agree that the Brigadier and Frankel only truly stayed 10 furlongs.
Who saw my all time favourite flat horse Nijinsky run?
Never saw him run live, but an outstanding horse - the type that only seem to come along once in a generation. Amazingly though the following year gave us Mill Reef and the best of them all, Brigadier Gerard - my favourite flat horse ever, although I will begrudgingly accept equaled by Frankel.
Although both were magnificent horses would you agree that the Brigadier and Frankel only truly stayed 10 furlongs.
The Brig won the King George as a four year old but that was the very limit - and he clearly didn't enjoy it. Like Frankel , 8 to 10 furlongs was the ideal trip.
As a miler The Brig was imperious - Geoff Lewis said of the 1971 2000 Guineas something like "I hit the dip on Mill Reef and was going as well as I had ever been going on a horse - Brigadier Gerard went past us as if we were standing still!"
and maybe win a bit of dosh.
Comments
Was there in '89 to see Nashwan piloted by Willie Carson cruise to victory.
My first Derby was Santa Claus but my biggest ever win was when Charlottown won. He was trained by John Gosdens father as a 2 year old but was taken over by Gordon Smyth when Towser became ill and a group of us backed him ante post throughout the winter.