LOOK SHARPE: All Things Brighton Beautiful?

Sports betting PR legend GRAHAM SHARPE brings you his latest ‘LOOK SHARPE’ column…

Graham Greene’s very dark 1938 novel, ‘Brighton Rock’ features gambling-related themes, and scenes set at Brighton’s racecourse, where ‘Pinkie’ Brown is the small-town hoodlum, whose gang runs a protection racket, based at and operating from and on the course.

By 1938 the track had been around for 155 years, staging its first official meeting in August, 1783, when it was apparently known as Brightelmstone, and permission to race had been acquired from a local farmer, who accepted 27 gallons of wine a year – known as a ‘pipe’ in return.

There are, though, historical references to races being held there as early as 1713, but the course received early Royal approval in 1784, when the then Prince of Wales – later King George IV – paid a visit to the seaside track and decided it was to his liking.

He returned subsequently with an entourage of what the course itself now refers to a ‘high-living, big-betting aristocratic friends’ who raced their own quadrupeds at Brighton, helping both the racecourse and the town to thrive.

The course’s first stand was erected in 1788, but burned down in 1803 – thanks, according to racing writer Alwyn Sampson, ‘a trespasser’s match’. The current one, Brighton’s highest landmark, was built in 1965, at a reported cost of £400,000, and 14 years later Queen Elizabeth visited the course to watch just one race, the Portslade Stakes, which her own filly, Alesia, had won in 1958. Her next Brighton racecourse trip was in March, 2007, along with her husband, to host a lunch for local dignitaries in the Silks Restaurant – which just happens to be the very venue in which I and seven others dined recently on August 20, 2024.

Unlike others around the table that afternoon, my better half and I have never been remotely tempted to become racehorse owners – even though she used to own a pony named Bonus, who lived in a field at Wood Farm, owned by local celebrity and former British Heavyweight Champion boxer, Joe Bygraves who, in a lengthy ring career once beat the great Henry Cooper, and also held the Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship during his pugilistic pomp. Neither I nor Sheila ever argued with him!

Also amongst those round the table with us was a lady who used to go out with pop star Alvin Stardust – in the days when he was a pop star named Shane Fenton – Di, for it was she, tells me sternly – ‘I dumped him – NOT the other way round.’ As well as once being the drummer in a pop band, Di is also a long-standing, successful racehorse owner.

Another of those with us was racehorse owner Mike – whose current best horse is probably the sprinter, Diligent Harry, and a long-term pal, Roger, who was one of the two driving forces behind the Daily Mirror’s punter-friendly and very successful rating system for racehorses, Spotform.

With such a starry array of horsey knowledge at our disposal, it was a no-brainer to have a crack at the afternoon’s Placepot. Much musing, pondering and considering went on before I collected all of the individual choices of our panel, and worked out which were the two most popular selections for each race – enabling us to team up for a 2x2x2x2x2x2 ‘permutation’ bet of 64 entries.

We settled back to await our inevitable progress towards ultimate glory as the 8 runners left the stalls for the opening race. Our two selections romped home…….somewhere towards the rear of the field. Our 64 bets had gone down at the first opportunity.

To say we were dumbfounded would not be accurate. I do remember one occasion when we actually landed a multi-hundred quid Placepot – but I think back then we were paid out in pounds, shilling and pence.

One of those around the table used to be the owner of a very decent horse who we would all back every time it ran. That horse was called Xtension. The day after we’d been at Brighton,I stuck with my usual system of backing whatever Jamie Spencer rides in long-distance races when deciding on a flutter in the last televised race from York. Jamie rode his usual thoughtful and effective race, coming home a decent second, but having to give best to the 14/1 winner, Extensio (NO final ‘n’)……..yes, a son of Xtension.

D’oh…….

More Brighton trivia: Jump racing reportedly took place at Brighton during the 18th century, when sheep hurdles were used as obstacles…..

On August 3, 1966 a horse named Pat, trained by Miss Norah Wilmot (1889-1980) became the first winner on the flat to be officially trained by a woman, just one day after she had officially become one of the first two women granted a licence to train by the Jockey Club……….

In 1977 Brigton’s Bevendean Stakes was won by Hatta, which, it transpired, was the first winner in Britain owned by virtually unknown Sheikh Mohammed……..

In October 1990 octogenarian Frank Hill, owner of Brighton winner, Saysanam, was baffled by the odd looks he was getting from racegoers he’d known for a long while – until one of them told the 87 year old that his obituary was in that day’s Daily Telegraph……..

Pioneer of budget airlines, Sir Freddie Laker, who died aged 83 in 2006, was also a racecourse steward – at Brighton and Lingfield.

The course’s raffish reputation was summed up by racing writer, John Tyrrel in his 1989 book, ‘Racecourses On The Flat’ , from Crowood publishers, when he asked, ‘where else would you go to find sea air, cold champagne, fast women and slow horses?’

If you’ve never been, treat yourself to a visit – you’ll love the atmosphere, even if, like us, you struggle to find winners.

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Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

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