Racing Reflections: Admiral's Advice: WW1 Remembered.

A Race 

Anticipation as the
Roar of the crowd tingles nerve ends.
And moves adrenaline into overdrive.
Coming over the last fence together,
Ecstasy or despair awaits.

Ck 15/3 /'14

Well as I write on this Saturday ( 15 /3 ) the balloons have come down from the bookie shops
and the racecourse has began the cleaning-up process. The National Hunt Festival is over for another year.

So what did we learn from this festival:

1 The order is changing, younger horses are taking the place of the older ones. Big Buck's and Hurricane Fly did not run up to form. Big Buck's the hero of eighteen successive victories, including four World Hurdles, was wisely retired from racing. Bob's Worth and  Sillviniaco Conti, the two horses at the top of the betting didn't get home. We saw the next generation of winners on parade; including two scopey Irish juvenile hurdlers  Vautour and Faugheen from Willie Mullins stable. Names to keep an eye on.

2. In this sport small stables can still win the big prizes. Gary Moore, who trains at Cisswood Stables at Lower Beeding, West Sussex, has a modest string of horses. They are not usually good enough to compete for the biggest prizes; but this year his horse Sire De Grugy, ridden by his son Jamie won the  Grade One Queen Mother Champion Chase, over two miles, being the top race on day two of the festival.
The story gets better. The horse is owned by a Mr Steve Preston, who was given it as a fifty birthday present, from his family who had a 'whip-round ' to pay for it. It is his only horse and needless to say it didn't cost a lot of money. Incredibly  having won two grade one races previous to the festival  Sire de Grugy now has amassed £500,000 in prize money.



3 Jockeys realize that each race contains the possibility of victory, losing, narrowly losing and worse of all injury. Daryl Jacob, stable jockey of top trainer Paul Nicholls, is a case in point. He lost a race by a nose and was so upset broke down in tears. Later on day four  he finally won, only to be taken by Gloucester Hospital injured from a fall  on his way to the start of the next race !

4 The jockeys all showed great dignity in victory  and comforted those who they had beaten. There were no arguments and the communal bond between the jockeys helps to enhance the sport.

RrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrR

Cheltenham expects...... Here you can get an
                                       Ovation from the fans
                                       Making every attempt to
                                        Entertain them richly
Home win Robins.

RrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrR

P.S. they did 1-0

World War One was one hundred year's ago. In a memorial to those who fought and in many cases gave their lives; many places are making special attempts to commemorate this anniversary.
Such a place is the Cotswold village of Chedworth, who have obtained a grant to produce a memorial screen within the local church.

Impressive work, impressive message.