SHARPE MIND: Caught Napping…

In this week’s SHARPE MIND blog, where sports betting PR legend GRAHAM SHARPE aims to bring you a rundown of Sensational, Hard to believe, Amusing, Remarkable, Pertinent & Entertaining events which have happened over the years in the worlds of racing and betting during each specific week of the year, he digs out some of the golden moments from the week between 4 October and 10 October.

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OCT 4, 1986……..CAUGHT NAPPING…Fifty eighth time lucky for Alf Rubin, today as the Morning Star tipster selected 4/9 Suhailie, winner of a three runner race to break his sequence of 57 consecutive losers…..

OCT 4, 1994……..PROMISING LAD…20/1 Bonus Boy, trained by Bob Buckler won at Newton Abbot, the first winner over fences for a promising young rider, getting a 3lb allowance, Tony McCoy. The race report read: ‘Held up towards rear, headway to go 2nd 4 out, challenging when left clear 2 out, stayed on.’ The horse had failed to complete the course last time out, and never did so again in his remaining three races.

OCT 5, 1992….…SUE STARTS OUT…Sue Causton, 35, made racing history today, becoming the first female member of a starting stalls team.

OCT 5, 1950……CALM DOWN, LADS…As a French stable lads strike became violent, gallops at Maisons-Laffitte were littered with broken glass and the running of the Arc three days hence was in doubt. A head-lad was kidnapped by strikers and locked up, but tempers finally cooled in time for the Arc to be run. it was won by Tantieme, who did so again in 1951.

OCT 6, 1989…………HEXED PUNTER…An unknown punter flew in to Hexham racecourse by helicopter today – he staked a total of £100,000 on 4/5, 2/5, 1/ 4 and 1/ 4 losers, before flying off again.

OCT 6, 1993……….HOLED ON, LADS…Haydock’s meeting was cut short after just two races when groundsman Alan Fyles spotted a large hole in the middle of the track, believed to be caused by subsidence.

OCT 7, 1992……………DEAD, BUT RULED A RUNNER…Despite collapsing and dying before the race started at York today, Fetchinni was ruled to have been a runner – as the horse had come under orders in the starting stalls before expiring.

OCT 7, 1962……………..CLASSIC SHOCK……..Six Classic winning runners from five different countries were amongst the 24 Arc de Triomphe runners – but none won, as Soltikoff, ridden by Marcel Depalmas, was the 40/1 shock winner.

OCT 8, 1967………………………..CAR CRASH TV…Jockey Bill Pyers rode Topyo to win today’s Arc de Triomphe – only to end up in prison after a tv viewer recognised him as the driver of a car which collided with her vehicle 15 months earlier. Pyers was sentenced to three months in jail.

OCT 8, 1985………………………PLAY MISTY FOR MARK…Misty Halo, trained by (Sir) Mark Prescott, set a record of 21 wins by a filly or mare on the Flat when winning at Brighton.

OCTOBER 9, 1979……………………WENT TOO EARLY…The opening race on Worcester’s card today was to all intents and purposes unexceptional, apart from the outcome with 33/1 Quantock Mauger winning. However, a stewards’ inquiry was called and the race eventually declared void – for starting 43 seconds earlier than its scheduled 2pm – thanks to the weighing room clock by which the starter was instructed to set his watch being 90 seconds fast.

OCT 9, 2008…………….HEADING FOR A WINNER…Returning to the saddle after suffering a serious head injury just seven weeks earlier, which required four hourse of surgery, jockey Joe Tizzard was back on the winning trail today on Rudivale at Wincanton.

OCT 10, 2008…………………..BARRY THE BA*TARD…Barry Geraghty rode four winners at Kilbeggan today in 2008 – despite having been described as ‘a cocky little ba*tard’ by trainer Noel Meade earlier in his career.

OCT 10, 1949…………..FIRST FOR 235 YEARS…Monave’en, owned jointly with then Princess Elizabeth, was the first winner for the Queen Mother, scoring over fence todays at Fontwell at 3/10, ridden by Tony Grantham, trained by Peter Cazalet. He was the first horse to win for the Queen of England since Queen Anne’s horse, Star, 235 years earlier.

AND FINALLY…………..OCT 7, 2007………YOUM’S HAT TRICK…One of my all-time favourite racehorses, Mick Channon-trained Youmzain finished second in the Arc de Triomphe today – as he would go on to do again in both 2008 and 2009. Perhaps the nearest jumping equivalent would be Theatreworld’s three consecutive Champion Hurdle runner-up slots in 1997, 98 and 99.