Here is Paul Haigh's piece on the 2003 Breeders Cup meeting at Santa Anita. Paints a picture so colourful you almost feel you were there.
Oh..hang on a minute.....
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Here+...n.-a0109238391
Here is Paul Haigh's piece on the 2003 Breeders Cup meeting at Santa Anita. Paints a picture so colourful you almost feel you were there.
Oh..hang on a minute.....
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Here+...n.-a0109238391
Last edited by an capall; 1st February 2021 at 4:35 PM.
"And still they gazed and still the wonder grew. That one small head could carry all he knew.
And that small head knew that Impaire Et Passe would win the Champion Hurdle."
Still in the top 5 races of my life.
RIP Paul. One of the more flamboyant larger than life characters. He knew how to live a life that's for sure.
RIP Paul Haigh.
Also buried today was former flat jockey and trainer Peadar Matthews.
A classic winning jockey in the 1960s, he most famously picked up a ride for Vincent O'Brien on Friday May 13th 1977 on the outsider of three Ballydoyle runners, indeed the outsider of an eight horse field.
The race was the Royal Whip Stakes , the horse Alleged.
He set off in front and never saw another horse, Lester riding runner up Valinsky , the favourite.
This was a night when Lady Capulet won the Irish 1000 Gns on debut , Lester riding Lady Mere in the Sangster colours instead and later being defeated on Marinsky at 1/7.
When Alleged won his second Royal Whip in 1978, he was more of a household name and started at 1/7.
Lester rode him this night as Peadar watched on, in full knowledge that his win the previous year was no Friday 13th fluke .
Rest In Peace Peadar.
I remember watching that meeting on RTE Ed, Lady Cap made an impression. Was it her first time out?
"And still they gazed and still the wonder grew. That one small head could carry all he knew.
And that small head knew that Impaire Et Passe would win the Champion Hurdle."
Indeed it was Colm, her only win in three starts.
"The owls are not what they seem"
edgt (4th February 2021)
Pat Buckley who rode Ayala to win the 1963 Grand National has sadly passed away.
"The owls are not what they seem"
edgt (4th February 2021), Eleanora Duse (4th February 2021)
Sandy Barclay.
He was the wonder kid of 1968, stable jockey to Noel Murless and won all around him on Royal Palace and Connaught.( Before my time but I read all about it in my formative racing years)
Went to France in early 1970s,( it must have been a combination of crippling tax rates in UK and centralised high prizemoney in France ;Tony Murray followed him) back to North Of England,( remember him finishing fourth on Dakota at a huge price in 1976 King George and Queen Elizabeth when it was annually the race of the season).
He even came to ride in Ireland one year, I have his autograph somewhere, before his last big payday on Annie Edge at Doncaster in mid 1980s.
Was a work rider later but on his day his light shone as bright as any.
Rest In Peace.
Rest In Peace
A sad loss. He was sacked by Noel Murless and that's the reason he went to France. Apparently had become unreliable and then when he lost on a certainty at Ascot for Lord Howard de Walden, Parmelia, Murless sacked him on the spot. Lewis rode Lorenzaccio for Murless in the Champion Stakes to beat Nijinsky, then became his stable jocked. Barclay was a man of great talent but must have had his demons.Originally Posted by edgt
RIP Tom Foley
Beef or Salmon (24th February 2021), edgt (24th February 2021), Paddy Beag (25th February 2021)
I remember a newspaper advert for Toyota featuring Tom Foley and Danoli , the tag line was that Tom wanted his transport to be as reliable and hard working as his horse.
Must say I had a share in a few Ladas in my time.
A client told me that Tom Foley had a huge role in breaking in Solerina for the Bowe family; can anyone confirm this please ?
Last edited by edgt; 25th February 2021 at 11:48 PM.
News that Rebecca Bastiman, trainer, has passed away aged just 40 following an illness.
"The owls are not what they seem"
Outsider (21st March 2021)
Hamdan al Maktoum.
I wonder if Hamdan's and Khalid Abdullah's deaths along with Sheikh Mo's reputational difficulties is flat racing/breeding sitting close to a precipital downgrade in investment. Worrying.
"And still they gazed and still the wonder grew. That one small head could carry all he knew.
And that small head knew that Impaire Et Passe would win the Champion Hurdle."
I was that too. Does his family have any interest in racing or bloodstock?
Welsh jockey Granville Davies, rider of Grey Dolphin and Yangtze Kiang has passed away from cancer.
tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito
Trainer Brian Forsey has passed away on Thursday following a short battle with cancer. He was based just up the road from me and rode as as a jockey before taking out a training licence.
I rode out there for a while and you couldn’t meet a nicer man who was so incredibly dedicated to his horses. I had no idea he wasn’t well and my sympathies are with his family.
tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito
https://juddmonte.com/post/the-lord-...racing-manager
"The owls are not what they seem"
Eddie O'Connell owner of Un De Sceaux.
Born near Buttevant Eddie went into the transport business and settled near Glanmire .
Always had a few in training and sponsored the Hilly Way Chase in Cork.
Alzheimer's Disease was the culprit so the family used the racing scarves in the blue and orange for him to recognise family when racing.
WPM rated Un De Sceaux's Punchestown Festival win ridden by Patrick as one of his Punchestown highlights; it was also one of mine.
I still cannot say why UDS was not in my all time top ten, he had all the right qualities in spades.
Rest In Peace.
an capall (23rd April 2021), moe (23rd April 2021), Paddy Beag (22nd April 2021)
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