Some of you may be familiar with our small Christmas booklet, a collection of little pieces that have caught our fancy, taken our imagination or which we simply thought might amuse you. There are two versions you can have, a flipbook and a straightforward PDF. To open the Flipbook on your computer, simply CLICK HERE…
Major Thompson Lives In France and Major Thompson and I – by Pierre Daninos
Contributed to Raceweb by “High Rise” First published in 1955 then again in 1957 – this is a musing on the differences between the French and English as seen through the eyes of the Major himself. Daninos first came across the English when acting as a French army liaison officer with the BEF during its…
Theatre Notes
When Raceweb’s Editor said: “I’m thinking of adding a new literary review and wondered whether you would be prepared to knock me out a thousand words on some highbrow theme? Don’t you live in London? Could you do something on any plays you’ve seen recently?” My immediate response was: “Of course, no problem”. But then…
At last – a post that doesn’t cough and does involve racing!
I remember many years ago, at about this time of year, the team launching The Middleham Trainers Association and then the Middleham Open Day. The local MP, Marcus’ dad Roddy, Pat Haslam, James Bethell and countless others all turned out for the first Open Day on a Good Friday. Peter Walwyn, who ran Lambourn Open…
Get past the wheezing – inside I’m laughing
I am currently receiving some forty messages a day of various hues of kindness, love and in one or two cases, imagined promises. (I say – Ding Dong!) Work has started on The Corona Commonplace, a collection of stories, quizzes, observations and random thoughts, and I am assured that we will soon on Raceweb, step…
Even God can get the distance wrong sometimes
I have recently felt that God was perhaps attempting to make an early declaration on my behalf, over a distance, I consider way too short. While he carries the ubiquitous “Authority To Act”, I did feel the use of the word premature was apropos. Because we all have some spare time, and because some of…
Broadsword calling Danny Boy – Broadsword calling Danny Boy
There is now no doubt that we are at war. Our website today came under an attack from Panama with 249 attempted hacks in 10 minutes. Fortunately, our defences are strong, but quite what Signor Jorge was hoping to do is beyond me. Was he trying to discover the secrets of our Cheltenham – I…
Capt. Kneesup falls under the spell of CV19
As we are surrounded by war-time analogies delivered by people who have never served in HM vineyards, nor fired a shot in righteous anger, I shall swerve saying that tapping this out on the tablet was becoming increasingly reminiscent of an old exercise I took part in using badly-formed morse code. (As an aside, The…
Crikey – Raceweb fails to show a profit at Cheltenham! Who knew
I’m wondering whether to get a decent webcam so that I can contribute to important face-time remote meetings, looking serious, full of wisdom and yet somehow avuncular. My concern is that no webcam is going to give me the look of a George Clooney offering Madame a cafe au lit. (yes I can spell). Aside…
Cheltenham Day 4 – Staying alive, staying alive
It’s getting increasingly difficult to tell between exhaustion, alcohol poisoning, and some ghastly virus passed on by an itinerant back-slapping, celebrating Irishman. I was, on Thursday, surrounded, (trapped would be a better word), in just a situation. Sat in the confines of The Cheltenham Automobile Society’s on-course HQ, one chap had bought a “lucky dip”…
CHELTENHAM 2020 DAY FOUR – Quick and Dirty from The Pharoah of Galway
1.30 TRIUMPH HURDLE ALLMANKIND 2PTS WIN A WAVE OF THE SEA 1PT E/W 2.10 COUNTY HURDLE ADJALI 1PT E/W STOLEN SILVER 1PT E/W OAKLEY 1PT E/W 2.50 ALBERT BARTLETT HURDLE HARRY SENIOR 1PT E/W THYME HILL 1PT E/W LATEST EXHIBITION 1 PT E/W 3.30 CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP CLAN DES OBEAUX 3PTS E/W BRISTOL DE MAI…
CHELTENHAM 2020 DAY THREE
I am hoping that lots of you followed my advice on day one and none of you on day two – the outcomes were very different…. Here goes for today: 1.30 MARSH NOVICES CHASE SAMCRO 2PTS WIN MASTER FISHER 1PT E/W 2.10 PERTEMPS NETWORK FINAL HANDICAP HURDLE THIRD WIND 1PT E/W SKANDIBURG 1PT E/W THE…
DAY 3 CHELTENHAM. Nearly out of hand-wash……
Exhausted. Surely this punishment can’t go on. Together with some 50,000 of my closest friends, I have chosen to self-isolate this week in a marquee or two at Cheltenham, where I am drip-fed Guinness, white and red wines of varying qualities and have to eat food to which only a very grumpy gourmet might turn…
CHELTENHAM 2020 DAY TWO
1.30 BALLYMORE NOVICES HURDLE Envoi Allen is the favourite and probably will win. But I don’t like that price in a race like this at Cheltenham. I think SPORTING JOHN is worth a punt. He has done everything he has been asked to do and looks progressive. There are a number of interesting e/w angles…
DAY 2 WEDNESDAY – CHELTENHAM: CHAMPION CHASE DAY
Well, a tough first day, where we really can’t make any excuses. The Pharoah of Galway suggested decent performances from KILDISART – HONEYSUCKLE – IMPERIAL AURA – RAVENHILL and Capt. Kneesup had a few places. I hope you made some sense of it all. As for today’s selections, like a bunch of Cistercian monks, whose…
Cheltenham 2020 Day One – The Pharoah of Galway returns
1:30 SUPREME NOVICES HURDLE A great race to start the festival with some very exciting novice hurdlers to choose from. Many future stars such as Altior are listed among recent winners but only Douvan and Vautor have gone off as favourites. Clearly this is driven by the fact that many are unexposed and are still…
Cheltenham 2020. Surely we’re sunk if the future is cinq.
Over the last 96 hours, I have sacrificed the remaining parts of my working anatomy to your collective cause. I have dined with Nicky Henderson and Nick Luck; I have sat with Haggas, Jarvis, Beckett and Balding and then remembered they weren’t a firm of National Hunt solicitors. I have drunk a huge amount of…
Coronavirus, Corvid19, and Saturday’s TV Racing – All you need to know.
The most novel thing about COVID-19, is the extraordinary speed with which the brutish symptoms of the associated #MEFIRST culture have spread. Aided by 4G, 5G and WiFi, people everywhere have been able to tell us every moment of their illness. Unless you’re in China. Apps tell you when you’re nearing an infected address in…
Today’s Saturday racing tips.
Working on the Cheltenham stats, so just tips today. A profitable day last week, but I have done some work on today’s card and think I have a couple of decent winners. 1:15 KEMPTON Betway Pendil Novices’ Chase (G2) Cl1 (5yo+) 2m4½f 7 runners SOUTHFIELD STONE – ERIK LE ROUGE 1:50 KEMPTON Adonis Juvenile Hurdle…
Something to make a Sunday night pass by.
Occasionally I kid myself that the time is right for me to take up Goff, the received pronunciation of the game involving sticks and lost balls. I like the game, I have even sponsored a team of racing journalists, providing electric carts and ice buckets and a decent Macon for the relief of my players….
A profitable weekend, but more importantly Nicholls kept a good ‘un.
A cracking day’s racing, where we did well at Ascot and dismally at Haydock. It was astonishing that the racing went ahead at all, and well done the ground staff and on-the-day course men who kept things in place and battened down. In line with our policy of accurately reporting our results, we carry forward…
Another Parisian attack on our, green, semi-submerged and pleasant land
Storm Denis is on its way, and my view of the weather rolling towards Raceweb Towers, suggests it is going to be an unutterable bastard. This is hardly unsurprising given that St Denis is the patron saint of France and Paris. I was always rather fascinated by St D as a child, because the rumour…
Sometimes despair is an underrated word.
The brief version of Saturday’s diary was: Woke – Breakfast – Form – More Form – Watch Racing – Bath (as in water, not the little spa racecourse) – Theatre – Dinner – Sleep. The eight words intervening between Woke – Dinner – Sleep, really cannot do justice to the desultory nature of the day….
Laying Trump perhaps, plus a wonderful and informative TV card
My inbox delivered an interesting piece from Politico.com which political punters might find interesting. The article refers to the work of Ms Bitecofer, a political scientist of some repute, Putting aside the fact that at this stage in the USA’s presidential race any fresh political voice is a siren, Ms Bitecofer does appear to make…
Good Moaning, here is the good news and the end of civilisation
As you might guess, the ceaseless whining of Woke spokespeople, has driven me insane. I seem to be constantly reminded that I am not wearing my hair shirt (only available from Sackcloth and Ashes, tailors to the Liberal Elite and Champagne Socialist Party), while adenoidal pimples, rub their televisual hands together and invite us to…
The weekend’s racing and a tip for The National
I had to go to town last week for a memorial to celebrate a good, racing, gentle man – the space is deliberate. Nicky was there, having trained for him, and post-service we chewed the fat for almost three hours with a bunch of mutual racing chums and his . I personally gave thanks that David…
The Results for 2020 to date
We all know someone who never had a loser, some genius whose every betting account had been closed and now was only allowed to bet in 50p maximums. We, on the other hand, are determined, to be honest about our endeavours. Thus we produce these occasional reports. We started with a Carry Forward Balance of…
Festival Trials day and all Saturday’s TV races
I suppose as race titles go, the 1:50 isn’t at all bad, given that it tells us exactly how much time we have to wait for The Festival. However. it doesn’t tell us how much time until the announcement by Martin St Quinton, Cheltenham Chair, regarding the introduction of a five day Festival. So, as all…
The ITV Races on Saturday 18th Jan
At the overnight stage, we’re looking at an average of under seven runners per race, which means by almost any measurement; entertainment, income, televisual experience, interest, competition and form, it is an unsatisfactory state. If that sounds as though I am disgruntled, yes I am. Part of that is down to Charlie Brooks who writes…
The results from last Saturday
As we rush headlong to being unable to have a bet because it is not a carbon-neutral activity and where horses will only be able to race if they are powering a wind-generator, it was refreshing to find that our efforts to date have not been entirely fruitless. Not profitable, but at a loss of…
Ante-Post? No but the ITV races are here now.
I thought it might be a good idea – with just nine weeks to go – to start having a look at a couple of the big races, and almost immediately regretted my thinking. It’s a bit like ordering a 1000 piece jigsaw of a green square, and discovering too late that the manufacturer will…
Are we not nearly Good?
At a recent editorial meeting, the head of compliance suggested that in 2020 we should in some way hold ourselves accountable, so that the incurably stupid who blindly followed our tips, might at least get some pre-warning, and thus an opportunity to bag a decent pitch under the arches on the Embankment. O’Tool via his…
The 10th Night – or is it 11th?
Firstly a very Happy New Year to you all. A couple of weeks away from the Raceweb coalface, and while you may struggle to come to grips with the concept, I have actually had a couple of half-decent days of profitable racing!. A spectacular New Year’s Day at Cheltenham, where The Pharoah of Galway had…
Saturday’s TV racing tips
The height of the waters is of serious flood concern in our part of Oxfordshire, and I have tried to stiffen my resolve, lest we repeat the ghastliness of 2007. This was easy to do having looked at the pictures of the great and the good inspecting the course at Ascot today. I didn’t…
Cheltenham Saturday’s Tips
Once again The Pharoah of Galway provides another selection of winning tips. Be aware that The Dublin Pharaoh runs in the 2.35 Newcastle today. The Gosden duo might provide a challenge.
Cheltenham Friday 13th December
12:10 STOLEN SILVER 1PT E/W 12:45 PYM 2 PTS WIN 13:20 PETER THE MAYO MAN 1PT E/W 13:55 ZARA HOPE 2PTS WIN 14;30 SINGLEFARMPAYMENT 1PT E/W DANDY DAN 1PT E/W 15:05 EASYSLAND 1PT E/W JOSIES ORDERS 1PT E/W 15:40 KILBRICKEN STORM 1PT E/W ASK BEN 1PT E/W
Just time for a quickie
As I head off to the annual Guinness Carol Concert, I spied one for today which, had the Captain not already made his selections I would have popped into the Advent Calendar.
Saturday’s Racing 7th December
Those of you swerving the actual selections for The Raceweb Advent Calendar are doing well – although today, I felt as though a corner had been turned. Doubtless, it will be followed by walking into a pane of glass being carried by two slapstick comedians. Hey Ho… it’s only a bit of fun. Meanwhile, we…
They’re Mighty Meaty Matey
Once upon a time, there was a company called Drings, that produced a widely-advertised sausage, under the slogan “They’re Mighty Meaty Matey”. I think there might even have been a bit about “…slap ’em on your platey”, but I could be imagining that bit. What I didn’t imagine was that extraordinarily slanted piece of gratuitous…
Traincrash, Disaster, Devastation, Mayhem, Sadness
Yesterday started brilliantly. I had done the form very early on Saturday morning and, despite slipping on ice and crashing to the ground at 1:00 am, I was none the worse for wear. The cataract operation, (done on Monday), is on course for the Outstanding Performance by the NHS award and four days later, I…
Saturday 30th November
NEWBURY 12:05 SILVER FOREVER 2pts win 12:40 RESERVE TANK 2pts win 13:15 LARRY 1pt e/w 13:50 PETER THE MAYO MAN 1pt e/w DOWNTOWN GETAWAY 1pt e/w 14:25 ELVIS MAIL 1pt e/w TORCELLO 1pt e/w 15:00 WEST APPROACH 1pt e/w MISTER MALARKEY 1pt e/w ROBINSFIRTH 1pt e/w ELEGANT ESCAPE 1pt e/w All four in a 12…
Good exciting racing on Friday and even better to come on Saturday
The mighty O’Tool posted minutes after myself – I was unaware o didn’t notify you dear readers – and while not on fire, I think it safe to say that we are both pretty well in tune – maybe even on song. The records speak for themselves: POT 12.15 TRINCOMALEE 16/1 3rd 12:45 KHAGE Lost…
Newbury Friday 29 Nov
12.15 TRINCOMALEE 1pt e/w i think the market leaders are difficult to separate and are poorly priced. I’m taking a chance that Lucy Wadhams gelding will improve further following an encouraging debut over hurdles. 12:45 KHAGE 1pt e/w THE FLYING SOFA 1pt e/w 13:20 FAUSTINOVICK 2PTS WIN BREWERS PROJECT 1PT E/W 13:50 SAN…
If Ladbrokes did Cognac, it would probably be called Hennessy
The Hennessy, The Schweppes, The Whitbread and The Massey-Ferguson. Capital The. It’s a Proper Noun, It’s also a Proper Racing Name and as such should have a BHA rule. This should state that, if you sponsor a race for over thirty years and you haven’t gone bust, the race will always carry your brand. Not…
Saturday’s Racing Tips
Quite a busy week with business in London, plus a drinks party, an-almost-dinner-with-Sajid-Javid which only lacked an invitation, trips around the countryside handing out healing words and sound advice, you know the sort of thing. I did pop into Peter Jones and suddenly realised that my rural concepts of value-for-money needed something of a makeover….
Ascot and Haydock Saturday 23rd November
Having done a lot of research in advance of these meetings at Ascot and Haydock I felt particularly well informed about Friday’s racing. However, on Thursday evening I attended a charity dinner at the splendid Northcote Manor in the Ribble Valley. It was a successful evening with excellent food, wine and company. And we raised…
The weekend rolls on
I’m quite relieved to be socially unattached today. My TV and a roaring planet-destroyer are calling with Racing, EuroFooty, Grand Prix and maybe even a bit of left-over take-away Chinese washed down with beer and no glass … a real boys-at-home “Slack Order” day. Yesterday could have worked out better on the tipping front –…
Sunday Muddy Sunday
CHELTENHAM 12:45 Colditz Castle 1pt e/w Demon Fou 1pt e/w David Pipe’s booking of Jonjo Jnr on Duc De Beaucherne is eye-catching. However, I have opted for two at longer odds. Alan King’s Colditz Castle looks the type to appreciate the trip whilst I think the handicapper has been lenient with Demon Fou. CHELTENHAM 13:15…
Those magnificent men still happily at it
My monthly perusal of Drone Wars, while always entertaining, this time contained some proper Sit-Up-Straight-and-Pay-Attention news. It was, in summary, this little insight. Throughout the UK’s air campaign over Syria and Iraq, between October 2017 and September 2019, the RAF’s Tornados, Typhoons and Reaper drones attacked 499 ISIS targets. The cost of the ordinance detonated…
A Soggy Saturday
I had every intention of providing the tips for TV racing today when I started. Then I noticed two races from Lingfield snuggled among the races, with titles that were so obscure as to make the race name redundant. Perhaps it is desperately important to remind people that this is Polytrack as opposed to Tapeta…