DIARY – MARKET RASEN – SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2008
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I highlighted the Market Rasen
2-day meeting for possible attendance a number of weeks ago, and then
Worcester’s meeting scheduled for Friday 26th was moved to Southwell due to the course still being affected from the
flooding early in September. As my
foot operation had forced me to miss work from Monday 15 September to Tuesday
23 September inclusive, I thought it inadvisable to go to Southwell,
followed by 2 days at Market Rasen, especially as I
hadn’t driven since before the operation and had missed so much work. It would also have meant staying over in
the Lincolnshire area on both Friday and Saturday night, and time was then too
short to book anywhere. Anyway, Choc had four booked rides at Southwell, although Miss Carroll was then withdrawn as
Choc had reservations about the ground. No winners for Choc at that meeting.
He had 4 rides scheduled for Saturday at Market Rasen
but just one for Sunday. He was
initially scheduled to ride Maslak (who he’d won on
at Fontwell on 7th September), but was obliged to
ride Beverley Hill Billy for Alan King once the latter was confirmed as a
runner. His other rides were Truckers
Delight (an Irish raider), Black Jacari (having his
first outing in public over hurdles and well thought of by Alan King), and Ouzbeck (seeking his 4th consecutive win over
fences). My final decision was to solely attend on the
Saturday. I needed to fill my car with
petrol so I drove down to the local supermarket Filling Station to do so, and
also dropped into M & S to buy some bits and
pieces to eat during my trip though, of course, not to take into the course
itself. I couldn’t resist visiting the boot and shoe section (a weakness of
mine) and, having bought some chocolate biscuits, pretzel sticks and cheese
straws, I took a look around the clothes section and ended up with an indigo
denim button-through skirt (which I later wore to the races that day), a
paisley print pointy hem skirt (which I’d seen on the internet and wanted
anyway), a mid-brown autograph crossover top, and a mid-blue tie-front
sweater. Oh, I love clothes, but not as much as Chocolate ... that’s
chocolate and Chocolate!!! I’d also
bought a couple of Snickers bars at the petrol station – Choccie’s
current poison. That’s Marathon bars
to us golden oldies! I bumped into
Marilyn, my work Receptionist, on the way out of Marks and Sparks. Having arrived back home, I changed my mind about
the skirt I would wear, having originally chosen my longer blue denim skirt
(the one I’d worn to Worcester and Uttoxeter in
June – although I was convinced it was unlucky as he’d drawn a blank at the
former and fallen at the latter) and wore the indigo skirt I’d just purchased
from Marks instead. I also decided I
could wear a different pair of earrings from my normal silver flowers, otherwise
I would be allowing superstition to dictate my outfits and jewellery. I had intended to leave for Market Rasen at 09:00 but, having taken longer than expected in
Marks and Spencer, I didn’t leave until about 09:25, and conditions were
foggy, it having developed overnight. The
journey up the A1(M) to just past Peterborough was
good, despite the fog. I recalled
there having been roadworks near Stamford, but
these hardly affected me on my previous trip to Market Rasen
on Sunday 03 August, but when I approached the same roadworks
where the dual carriageway narrowed into just one lane it caused a long
tailback near Wittering. It seemed to
me that vehicles in the outside lane had an advantage over those in the
inside lane, despite it being them who were filing into our lane. The fog
seemed to clear whilst I was in the traffic queue and it became a beautiful
sunny autumn day. It was then a rush to get to Newark, Lincoln and finally
Market Rasen.
Around the Lincoln by-pass I travelled a few vehicles behind Noel
Chance’s horsebox (Noel being Richard Johnson’s father-in-law). The next hold
up was in the town of Market Rasen, a little worse
than last time, as the queue was almost tailed back to the A46. The main problems are the traffic lights in
the town centre, the pedestrian crossings, and traffic filing in to the main
street from the A46 northern approach.
Once clear of the crossroads traffic lights, the road was clear as I
turned into Legsby Road, and entered the car park,
parking beside a mini-bus which appeared to be from the South of England. I changed from my brown trainers into my bronze
sandals (which are the only high-heeled shoes I can wear at the present time,
following my foot operation). I
believe it was around 12:45 when I purchased my ticket and race-card, the
first race being at 13:35. Initially I went to sit in the County Enclosure,
returning at 13:00 to the Winners’ Enclosure to listen to jockey, Dominic Elsworth, giving his thoughts regarding horses to follow
that day. I then went back to the
County Enclosure and Parade Ring to see the horses arrive and wait for Choc
to appear and mount up. Noel Williams,
Assistant Trainer to Alan King, was doing the honours today. Beverley Hill Billy went off as fourth
favourite, the favourite being Maslak who was now
being ridden by Tony McCoy. The commentator pointed out the JP McManus had
two runners in the race, but AP had been permitted to ride Maslak. AP sent his mount into the lead from the off and
was still in front at the winning post, despite a mistake at the second last
flight. Choc was just touched off for
fourth place, so no appearance in the Winners’ Enclosure. Choc missed a possible winner but, perhaps,
he’ll get further opportunities to ride Maslak in
the future. After the first race, the winner of the Tom Halliday Memorial Scholarship for 2008/2009 was awarded.
Tom died as a result of a fall at the Market Rasen
track. It went to Tom Halliday’s brother, and the presentation was made by Ruby
Walsh, whilst some other jockeys looked on, I noticed William Kennedy and
Richard Johnson amongst them. I have a habit of not taking photos of Choc’s first mount of the day, so have missed a number of
picture opportunities, such as Southern Regent’s win at the track on 3rd
August. In race 2, another hurdle
event, which was won by Katies Tutor, Choc rode the
Irish raider, Truckers Delight, into 3rd place. I walked around to the
Winners Enclosure and positioned myself by the 3rd place marker to see Choc
dismount and talk to the owners. Ruby
Walsh rode a horse for the same trainer in the Bumper, but was claimed by
Paul Nicholls to ride in this race. In the third race, yet another hurdle event, Choc
rode Black Jacari for Alan King, a pretty bay.
Unfortunately he met one too good for him, a grey called Indian Groom, who’d
not raced over hurdles before, nor won on his two flat race appearances
either. Choc’s
mount tended to put his head on one side and then hung to the left on the
run-in. Woolfall Treasure was third (having won at Fontwell on 7th September), and Simarian
fourth. Again I returned to the Winners’ Enclosure to see Choc return to the
2nd place spot. All the first three races had started over the far side of
the course, being 2 miles, 1 and a half furlongs. Choc didn’t ride in the big Steeplechase of the
day, which was won by Always Waining, ridden by Tom
O’Brien, trained by Peter Bowen. Another big race win
at Market Rasen for Peter. Choc’s
fourth and final ride was on Ouzbeck in the 2 mile,
6 and a half furlong, Novices Steeplechase, winners prize £9,906.00. I
thought Ouzbeck looks like a nice horse, and has a ‘kind’ eye. The horses started just in front of the
final fence in the straight. There
were only eight runners, the first to unseat was Moon Melody at the open-ditch
in the back straight, where AP’s mount, St Mellion
Freeway, made a mistake. AP then fell
at the next fence, showing his annoyance by throwing down his helmet. But the worst wasn’t over, as Choc was then
unseated at the sixth fence, the middle in the home straight, possibly having
been slightly bumped by Nikola who drew alongside at that stage. Fortunately Choc
rose to his feet fairly quickly, although a medic did run over to him. Choc
walked over to the far side of the course, waiting for the race to be completed,
then he jogged up the straight to collect his saddle
from Ouzbeck who had finished the race ahead of all
the runners. Noel saw what happened and walked up the paddock chute to
collect the loose horse. Amazingly the race was won by the aptly named My
Turn Now, trained by Charlie Mann and ridden by Noel Fehily,
who had dropped out after leading, and looked like the least likely to win of
the five remaining horses as they turned into the final straight. Once Choc is ‘down’ my attention is fully
focused on his welfare and I don’t notice what is happening until I know he
is okay, and luckily he up on his feet very quickly. I returned to the Winners’ Enclosure, and watched
as Choc walked back carrying his saddle alongside Noel. One of Ouzbeck’s
owners, a lady, came to meet him as he approached the pedestrian crossing
point, Choc said ‘Sorry’, and explained what had happened. She said it was just one of those things. Choc then went through the gates and into
the Weighing Room, his final ride of the day over. I
stayed to see the final two races, a Handicap Hurdle and a Bumper event. Whilst I was waiting for the prize giving
for the final race, I noticed Choc returning from the racecourse direction to
the Weighing Room, he was dressed in jeans and shirt. So staying for the final two races and another
brief glimpse of him was worth it. Oh
dear, time to go home. I returned to
my car, where I had a brief conversation with the occupants of the mini-bus,
who asked if I’d won anything. No, I don’t bet (well, only very occasionally).
Yes I was alone. And I explained that my main reason for coming to the races
is because I like Choc Thornton! As
usual there was a long queue back to Market Rasen
town centre, but I was clear of it just before 18:00. I
don’t know why but I get very melancholy when I drive home from Market Rasen, so perhaps it should be renamed Melancholy Rasen. It doesn’t
happen with any other racecourse, or at least not yet. The drive is around 140 miles each way, so
I must to limit my visits to Market Rasen between
April and September. The trip home
went well, with the sun setting low in the sky across Lincolnshire. It was dark by around 19:10. I arrived home at 20:30. As I’d not stopped
to eat before leaving the car park, I made up for lost time before going to
bed. I watched the video of the races I had recorded before going to sleep.
No return to Market Rasen on Sunday, as Choc has
only one ride and I can’t justify the distance versus the time I’d see him. (He rode Nikos Extra to win on Sunday.) |
