DIARY – NEWBURY – MONDAY 29 DECEMBER 2008
|
As I was still on leave from work, I decided to
take a trip to the races at Newbury where, initially, Choc had 5 rides
scheduled. However, Tarotino came through as a
non-runner in the 6th race, having been self-certified (that makes it sound
like the horse wrote its own certificate!), so Choc now had 4 rides on this
day. The distance to the course,
although mainly via motorways, is around 70 miles each way. I left home a little after 09:00, visiting the
petrol station to fill up on the way out.
Then, deciding to be a little obscure, I drove around the M25 to the
M40 junction, where I took the latter motorway to Junction 4 High Wycombe
west, turned down the A404 to reach the M4 and then along to Junction 12,
Reading West, where I took the A4 through Thatcham
to Newbury. I’d driven to Junction 13
on my first visit to Newbury, only to be directed back eastwards along the A4
so thought it probably best to leave the M4 at Junction 12 this time around. I arrived at the course at 11:00, this time
having been directed to the main entrance, as opposed to through the nearby industrial
estate. Having parked my car, and wrapped
up warm – 8 layers plus coat – I walked around to the Grandstand Entrance to
buy my ticket (£15 today) plus race-card £2.50. It was bitterly cold, so I decided it was
probably best to remain in the sunshine, so I walked around to the course-side
rails to sit on a bench. I’m still not
brave enough to frequent the bars on my own.
I stayed there until it was time for the horses to arrive in the
Parade Ring in preparation for the first race. For every race today, I stood on the grass at the
front of the Grandstand area, next to the rails, returning to the Parade Ring
after each race to view the winners and then the competitors for the following
races. The first race was a Novices’ Chase, and Choc was
not riding in this one. There were 5
runners and the contest was won by Planet of Sound under Richard Johnson,
trained by Philip Hobbs. The horse led
for most of the way and held off the challenge of I’m So Lucky. The second race was a Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle,
no mount for Choc again in this one. The
race was led out by Nino Cochise under AP McCoy, Moment Present fell and brought down Shaftesbury in
the back straight. By the last flight, Higgy’s Boy
was stalking the leader, and went on to win from Blues in Cee. Victory for Barry Geraghty
and Nicky Henderson. It was then time for Choc’s
first ride of the day, Trigger the Light, in the Mandarin Graduation
Chase. He had just 4 rivals. As it was very cold, and my fingers were
freezing, I decided not to take any photos of Choc in the Parade Ring, and
was hoping I’d get an opportunity after the race as the odds were that he
would return in one of the first four places.
Although, of course, the horse had fallen at Wincanton first time out
this season and blundered badly at Cheltenham on his second appearance. When it was time to mount, Choc was legged up over
the far side of the paddock and walked around in front of me before exiting
onto the course. The race started over
the far side of the track. Once they
were off, Sir Bathwick and Gone to Lunch under AP
McCoy led the way. Trigger the Light
was held up at the back, along with Mr Pointment. Choc took closer order into 3rd place as
they travelled down the back straight for the final time. However the grey, Money Trix,
put in an extra stride at the fourth last and fell. Unfortunately, the animal
fell into the path of Trigger the Light, who tried to jump him but was
brought down. Luckily Choc fell into
the gap beneath the horse’s belly as it rolled over. Both horses got up quickly and galloped
away up the course. The jockeys
remained down for a few short minutes, but then rose under their own steam to
walk to the ambulance unassisted. They
were then driven back up the course.
The race winner was Gone to Lunch. I stayed at the rails a little longer than usual,
Choc having come to grief, but then returned to the Parade Ring to take up my
position in preparation for the next race.
As I walked across the concourse, I glanced across to the Weighing
Room and noticed Choc’s valet, Phil, was taking a break
with one of his colleagues. I didn’t see
Choc return, but the rider-less Trigger the Light was led into the Parade
Ring to be unsaddled, and Alan returned with the saddle to the Weighing Room
in preparation for weighing out for the next event. Choc’s
ride in the next race, the Greatwood Introductory
Hurdle, was China Gold. There were 9
runners in this race, Tigger having been withdrawn
at the start on veterinary advice. This
time Choc mounted on the nearside of the Parade Ring and exited immediately
onto the course. The start for this
race was halfway down the home straight.
Once they were off, Choc raced in 4th or 5th
place, on the inside rail. At the end
of the back straight David’s Dream ‘cut-up’ Gremlin (Alan King’s second
runner) as they neared the turn. China
Gold chased the leaders and challenged as they approached the 2nd last
flight. But, despite chasing the
eventual winner, David’s Dream, he could make no impression and finished in 2nd
place. A second winner of the day for
the team of Barry Geraghty and Nicky
Henderson. The Stewards held an
enquiry into the interference between David’s Dream and Gremlin, and awarded
Barry Geraghty a 5-day ban for improper
riding. Choc came back into the Winners’ Enclosure aboard
China Gold to unsaddle and speak to connections before returning to the
Weighing Room. His ride in the next
race, the Challow Novices’ Hurdle, was the
blinkered runner, Junior. He was
legged-up into the saddle on the nearside of the Parade Ring, the horses
having been arranged in number order in preparation for the pre-race
parade. The 6 competitors paraded down
in front of the Premier and Grandstand areas, before cantering to the start
in the far left-hand corner of the course. Once the race began, Choc held up his mount in 5th
position, Massasoit led them off, with Talenti in 2nd
and the favourite, Diamond Harry in 3rd. Junior made headway to chase the
leader from the 3rd flight out, at which Massasoit made a bad mistake, but Choc’s mount made no impression after 2 out, edging left
before the last flight. Diamond Harry under
Timmy Murphy won, with Junior finishing 2nd.
Again he returned to the Winners’ Enclosure in 2nd place spot. Having unsaddled he returned to the
Weighing Room, stopping on the way to sign a number of autographs for some
young lads who were waiting at the Parade Ring entrance. Choc no longer had a ride in the 6th race of the
day, Tarotino having been withdrawn. This event was
a Novices’ Handicap Chase. The race
was led off by Present Oriented, who stayed in front for the first
circuit. Freeze the Flame and Plein Pouvoir then took over
the lead, with the eventual winner, Shouldhavehadthat,
hitting the front at the 2nd last obstacle.
South Bank and Poker de Sivola chased the
winner, with the latter almost beating him on the line. Yet another winner for Barry Geraghty and Nicky Henderson, their 3rd of the day. Choc’s
final ride of the day was aboard Chapolimoss, for
owner Sir Robert Ogden and trainer Jonjo O’Neill,
in a NH Flat race. Choc mounted over
the far side of the Parade Ring and rode around in front of me before exiting
onto the course. The horses cantered
down past the stands to the start half way down the home straight. Once the race had started, Chapolimoss was held up in rear and could make no
impression, finishing 11th of the 16 runners.
As he had finished unplaced, Choc and his mount
returned to the far end of the Parade Ring to unsaddle, after which Choc took
a shortcut across to the Weighing Room and disappeared inside. Having seen him for the last time today, I
left via the Grandstand entrance gate to return to my car. Having arrived back at my car, I drank a cup of
hot black coffee from my thermos and ate a few pretzel sticks, then I set off for home.
There was a queue of traffic heading towards the main entrance, so I
was directed out via the golf course, where there were no traffic hold-ups. Upon reaching the roundabout at the far end
of the industrial estate, my queue of traffic had priority over the race-day
traffic from our left, so we exited onto the main road very quickly. Then it was a right turn at the traffic lights, back
through Thatcham (which annoyingly has many traffic
light controlled junctions) to return to the M4 at Junction 12. Being a little paranoid about my
concentration (or rather lack of it) on motorways during the hours of darkness,
I turned off at the Maidenhead Junction to travel up the A404 towards High
Wycombe. I left this road near Marlow,
and travelled via Bourne End and Wooburn Green,
Beaconsfield, Amersham, and Chesham to return to Hertfordshire, arriving home
at around 18:20. |
