DIARY – ASCOT – SATURDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2008
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A beautifully sunny day, although cold, so I wore
my ‘rambling’ hat all day. After the nightmare trip home on Friday I decided
to go by train to Ascot today, despite realising traffic would be a lot
quieter on a Saturday. This being the
case I drove to the station at around 08:50, parking my car at my work’s car
park. So, having purchased my ticket I
caught the 09:20 Brighton train, although it was only 4 carriages in length making
it standing room only all the way to London.
There were no engineering works today, which meant the trains were
running through the Thameslink tunnel, so I decided
to alight at Blackfriars. I understand
the station is being upgraded soon and, evidently, will be out of action from
March 2009 to late 2011 – damn, as I find the station very convenient for
transferring onto the underground. As I hadn’t swiped my ticket at my home station,
I had to be let through the National Rail barrier, but the barrier to the
underground station did admit me. The electronic train notice-board stated
that the next train was out of service, but it wasn’t! I therefore caught it to Embankment,
although it terminated there as all District Line trains were going no
further. No Circle Line trains were running. I transferred to the Northern Line for just one
stop to Waterloo. I checked the
electronic timetable, despite probably knowing that my train would leave from
platform 19. It was the 10:20 service,
which I’d caught the last time I went to Ascot by train. Unfortunately the
train was packed as there was a match at Twickenham between England and South
Africa, however I did walk some way down the
platform and managed to obtain a seat. Numerous passengers alighted at Twickenham, but
quite a few stayed onboard to Ascot. I trotted (well almost) up the leafy
footway to Ascot High Street and the racecourse. I purchased my ticket for £10, as a kind
gentleman had given me his £5 money off voucher on Friday. Upon entry I bought a race-card and as it
was a nice sunny day, and the paddock side was leeward to the wind, I stood
on the ‘balcony’ above the ring.
Whilst I was waiting, it was announced that the IJF stand was selling
spare copies of Paul Nicholls’ and Alan King’s Owners Open Day brochures in
aid of the Fund so, not surprisingly, I went across and purchased a copy of
Alan’s brochure for £10, which features lots of photos of the gorgeous Choc! I wasn’t sure if the brochure would fit in my
bag, so I went for a scout around the Christmas stalls but, not surprisingly,
everything was very expensive. But, in
the event, the brochure did fit quite well into my fairly spacious Clarke’s handbag. Choc wasn’t riding in the first or second race of
the day. It was an early start, 12:10
being the off. The first race, the Huggies Novices’ Hurdle Race, was won by Toby Belch,
ridden by Paddy Brennan. As the number
cloths were sponsored by Huggies, perhaps the
horses should have been wearing nappies, and maybe
the jockeys too! Just a thought! Wilson Renwick aboard Tora
Bora won the 2nd race for trainer, Brendan Powell. I definitely thought the horse looked well
in the paddock and, if I had struck a bet, it would have been where I’d have
put my money. After the race Mattie Batchelor went across to pull faces, etc, when Mike
Cattermole was trying to interview Wilson.
Mattie is renowned for being the ‘joker’ in the pack. It was then time for the third race, in which
Choc was riding Howle Hill. I knew the colours as I’d asked Choc for
his autograph at Sandown prior to him riding the horse. Howle
Hill was again wearing blinkers, and Choc was still limping, but not quite as
badly as yesterday. Choc mounted, exited the paddock and cantered down to the
start at the beginning of the home straight.
Then they were off. Howle
Hill ran towards the rear of the field, hit the 2nd, which was scary as it
was the fence in front of the stands, blundered again at the 3rd, was soon driven,
and was behind when pulled up before the 8th fence. As he’d not been placed,
Choc unsaddled in the paddock set aside for unplaced horses, which left Choc
to limp back from there to the Weighing Room, which he did on the grass
rather than the paddock pathway – which might suggest that his foot is the
problem. The race was won by Jack the
Giant trained by Nicky Henderson, ridden by Barry Geraghty. The 4th race of the day was the Coral Ascot
Hurdle, in which Choc was riding the JP McManus
owned Franchoek.
The horse looked well, tracked the leaders, was driven 4 out, but kept
on at one pace from 3 out, finishing 5th.
However he was gaining on the 4th placed runner at the line, so may
improve for the run. Again as an
unplaced horse, Choc had to unsaddle outside and limp back to the Weighing
Room. The race was won by Chomba Womba trained by Nicky
Henderson and ridden by Barry Geraghty. Choc didn’t ride in the 5th race, a Novices’
Steeplechase. Richard Johnson’s mount,
Beherayn, led the field, hitting the 1st, and then
fell at the 5th fence. It looked as
though he had a nasty fall but he was okay, but I was worried for a while as
to which of them might drive home if they had car shared and both were
injured! The race was won by Cheating
Chance ridden by Mark Grant. Choc’s
final ride of the day was on The Hairy Lemon in a Limited Intermediate
Handicap Chase over approximately 2 miles and 3 furlongs. The Hairy Lemon was wearing blinkers. Choc held up the horse, rode him from the
13th fence but made no impression, finishing 6th and last of the
runners. Again a walk in from the
‘unplaced horses’ paddock, accompanied this time by Anita Cusack, who returned
with him to pick up the relevant equipment, and I think she had the blinkers
in her hand too. It was my last view of Choc for the day. The winner was My Petra, yet again trained
by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Barry Geraghty. During the afternoon, when the screen above the
paddock was broadcasting the races from Haydock
Park, including Kauto Star’s race, Alan King and
everyone in the Parade Ring were watching with interest. Luckily the last race, a bumper which was won by
Red Harbour, was off at 15:40 so I was able to leave just before 16:00 and
walk down to the station in time to catch the 16:07 train to Waterloo. I went to the front carriage so there was
room to sit down. As should be
expected, the spectators from the rugby match all piled onto the train at
Twickenham so it was then definitely standing room only. I gather England had lost 6 - 42 to the
South Africans. Once at Waterloo I caught a Northern Line train
to Warren Street, changing onto the Piccadilly Line for 2 stops to Kings
Cross. Then the long walk to the Thameslink platform, catching the 17:40, which stopped at
all stations to my home station. The following train, although fast, was
running slightly late, so I decided it was better to catch the slow train
than wait longer at St Pancras Thameslink. It was zero degrees when I collected my car to
drive the last mile home. I arrived
home at around 18:20, in time to watch all bar one of the competitors on
Strictly Come Dancing. |
