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Thread: On This Day In (Racing) History

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    May 4 1780
    The Derby first run over a mile at Epsom. Sir Charles Bunbury, after losing the toss to name the race with Lord Derby wins the race with Diomed.

    1935 Omaha wins Kentucky Derby on his way to TripleCrown win.
    Comes to England to race in Ascot Gold Cup in 36 only to be beaten by Quashed.

    1968 Dancers Image wins Kentucky Derby only to be disqualified for failing a dope test.
    Forward Pass gets the race. Dancers Image sire of Godswalk, top sprinter 1977 in the Golden Ballydoyle era.

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    Godswalk was trained by Christy Grassick (senior) for his juvenile season before going to Ballydoyle.

    The Grassick stables at the time were just outside the Castleknock Gate of the Phoenix Park, and there was a gallop for their horses on the Fifteen Acres, near where the Papal Cross now stands. I don't know what the surface was, perhaps a mixture of sand and cinders, but it was in a public space and was not regularly maintained. I'm not sure it was used at all by that time, they might have just run their horses on the grass, like everyone else. The grass was kept under control by the thousands of cattle who summered in the Park and by the permanent herd of deer.

    Hundreds of other horses from hacking stables used the Park every day, with the result that the routes to and from the Acres were as bad as a ploughed field most of the time. It was not an easy place to be training racehorses.

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    May 5 a big day in racing history.

    1904 Sir Gordon Richards born.

    1950 Sir Gordon won on Abernant at Sandown, his 4000th British win.

    1973 Secretariat wins Kentucky Derby in 1m 59.2 sec,running every quarter faster than the previous one.

    1979 Spectacular Bid wins Kentucky Derby among 26 wins from 30 starts. Some horse.

    1984 El Gran Senor wins a cracking 2000 Gns from Chief Singer, Lear Fan And Rainbow Quest. At Leopardstown the same day I witness Sadlers Wells scramble home in The Derrinstown Derby Trial by a short head. Linda Martin fails to make it an Irish hat trick in Eurovision finishing 2nd with Terminal 3 !

    1987 SIS begin broadcasting daily in Betting Shops

    1990 Tirol wins 2000 Gns for R Hannon , M J Kinane and Horgans from Cork who also owned Dont Forget Me in 87.

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    May 6

    On this day in 1972, Meriel Tufnell became the first woman to ride a winner under Jockey Club rules when Scorched Earth struck at Kempton.
    "The owls are not what they seem"

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    May 6 1978
    Affirmed won Kentucky Derby on his way to Triple Crown having memorable tussles all the way with Alydar. Steve Cauthen became first jockey to win Kentucky and Epsom Derbies on Slip Anchor in 85.

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    May 7

    On this day in 1977 jockey Edward Hide rode four winners at Ayr to take his career tally to within one of 2,000.
    "The owls are not what they seem"

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    May 7

    1977 Seattle Slew wins Kentucky Derby on way to Triple Crown

    !988 Winning Colours, a roan filly wins Kentucky Derby for Gary Stevens and D Wayne Lucas. Has a filly won KD since ?
    Meanwhile at Leopardstown I witnessed Corwyn Bay win the 2yo maiden ( he later won Cartier Million race) Kris Kringle win Derrinstown Trial and Shannon Spray win the Savel Beg Stakes.

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    May 8

    On this day in 1941, champion jockey Gordon Richards suffered a broken leg in an accident at Salisbury.
    "The owls are not what they seem"

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    May 8 1788
    Sir Thomas was the first Derby winner owned by a member of The Royal Family.

    1915 Regret became the first filly to win Kentucky Derby

    1920 Paul Jones (the horse) wins Kentucky Derby. There was dancing in the grandstand seemingly.

    1937 War Admiral wins Kentucky Derby. He was later to meet Sea Biscuit in a famous match at Pimlico.

    1945 VE Day in Newmarket with Lord Derby's Sunstream winning 1000 Gns ridden by Harry Wragg ( who became champion jockey in 1941 after Sir Gordon's accident)

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    May 9
    On this day in 1987 legendary trainer Sir Noel Murless died at the age of 77.
    "The owls are not what they seem"

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    May 9 1987

    Seattle Dancer, the Worlds most expensive yearling at $13.1million won Derrinstown Derby Trial at Leopardstown from stable mate Ancient Times.
    At the time of his purchase Robt Sangster reportedly said that if the horse won a Grade 3 he would be worth at least $8 mill.
    Condor Pan won Savel Beg and Steel Commander won the sprint in the good old days when Leopardstown had a straight 6f track. Both were multiple winners and cracking horses for those who remember them.
    Cash Asmussen also won 2yo maiden on an unraced M A O Toole trained colt which I thought was the best ride I had ever seen. Last a furlong down Cash manoeuvered the colt around two horses without hitting him to get up on the line by a short head.
    He never won again.
    This was also the day I first met 2 of my best racing buddies who saw me with binoculars at a bus stop and offered me a lift. Mike Doody the driver is unfortuanately no longer with us RIP but Paddy Mehigan is thankfully hail and hearty.

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    How much would you estimate that they recouped on their $13.1mm investment?

    I can see he won £110k in prize money? How much did he stand for?
    Welsh and Proud.

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    $15000 to begin with I believe (if memory serves).
    Had Seattle Rhyme (Racing Post Trophy) in first crop but little after.
    Must check to see if he shows up in any pattern winner for last few seasons.

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    On this day in 1979 Remainder Man trained by Reg Hollinshead and ridden by Joe Mercer won the Ormonde Stakes at 7/4fav

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    May 10 1989
    Major controversy caused on this day when J Francome rode a horse around Chester with a helmet camera to show viewers how tight the track was. The horse was Gaasid due to run in Chester Cup that day. Horse started 2nd fav and finished 5th. Trainer Reg Akehurst had no knowledge that horse was being so used and fired the staff who arranged the gallop.

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    Quote Originally Posted by edgt View Post
    This was also the day I first met 2 of my best racing buddies who saw me with binoculars at a bus stop and offered me a lift. Mike Doody the driver is unfortuanately no longer with us RIP but Paddy Mehigan is thankfully hail and hearty.

    Nice post, Edgt.
    "Beat the price and lose. It's what we do".

    SlimChance, March 2018

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    May 10

    On this day in 1997, subsequent St Leger hero Silver Patriarch took the Derby Trial at Lingfield.

    Speaking of the Derby on Radio4 today at 11am Val McDermid investigates the death of suffragette Emily Wilding Davison at the 1913 Derby.
    "The owls are not what they seem"

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    May 11

    1985 Theatrical wins Derrinstown Trial in the style of a top class horse for D K Weld and M J Kinane. They had a bumper on the card to boost betting turnover in those days.

    1988 At Phoenix park races my uncle's horse Brave Run got beaten by the smallest margin by Yuopon in Mercedes Benz Bumper, at the time the most valuable bumper in Ireland. Judge must have taken 10 mins or more before calling the result. Trained by Pat Hughes he cost the trainer a fortune in bets. His next run at Naas saw the trainer running a treble onto him only to finish 2nd again.A jady b*****d of a horse he ran in snatches before finally winning a Novice Chase at Punchestown the following January.

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    May 12

    On this day in 1992, Lochsong justified 9-2 favouritism when taking the Paul Caddick and Macgay Sprint Trophy at York off a mark of just 73.
    "The owls are not what they seem"

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    May 12
    2002 I had the pleasure of going to Longchamp for French Guineas meeting.
    I nearly had the place to myself as Landseer won 2000 Gns for A P O Brien and MJKinane with Medecis Firebreak and Captain Rio behind.
    Zonda won 1000 Gns fro Richard Hughes, J Gosden and Khalid Abdulla
    Act One won Prix Lupin.

    Meanwhile at Leop High Chaparral won Derby Trial and Magarula won 12f handicap for JSBolger off 87 on her way to Irish Oaks win.

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