SHARPE MIND: Right Royal Treble…

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 17 May and 23 May.

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▫️ SHOWDOWN OF THE WEEK… It was billed as a contest between the greatest flat- and the greatest jump- jockey when, on MAY 18, 1985, Lester Piggott and John Francome faced off against each other in a match race at Warwick. With Lester on Liquidator, and Francome, who predicted ‘Whatever beats me will win’ on Shangoseer…….Francome was right – Lester won!

▫️ HENRY OFF THE MARK, BUT NOT MANY NOTICED… For the first time in his career as a racehorse trainer, on MAY 17, 1969, Henry Cecil sent out a winner – 5/1 Celestial Cloud, ridden by Bill O’Gorman at Ripon. Henry was, though, a little overshadowed by former champion jockey Scobie Breasley who, on the same date, also sent out a debut winner – Benroy, at Lingfield. And on this busy day Right Tack won the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh, already having won the Newmarket version, thus becoming the first to complete that double.

▫️ RIGHT ROYAL TREBLE… The Queen enjoyed her first triple winner day on MAY 17, 1957, as Pall Mall, Atlas and Might And Main all obliged for Her Maj at Haydock.

▫️ WINNING REVISION… 17-year-old Welsh lad, David Pritchard, rode his first winner on MAY 18, 2009, booting home 20/1 shot Corking in an amateur riders’ handicap at Bath, before confessing, ‘I’m sitting a Spanish exam tomorrow – and my headmaster thinks I’m at home revising.’

▫️ SAILING TO BIRTHDAY TRIUMPH… The 1929 Derby was the only one ever run in which the winner was celebrating his actual birthday – as Sailor, was born on MAY 18, 1926……..and MAY 18 was notable in 1959, although few paid much attention at the time as unknown jockey Willie Carson landed the first victory of his fledgling career as he partnered Marija to victory at Redcar.

▫️ BAKER’S TREBLE… The horse only finished 3rd at 33/1 in a race at Leicester on MAY 19, 2009, but there was a fair amount of interest in the equine George Baker’s performance, as he was ridden in the race by jockey George Baker – oh, and saddled by trainer George Baker……and owned by….gambler, Harry Findlay.

▫️ THE FALL GUY… Born on MAY 19, 1955, jockey ‘Padge’ Gill is surely one of very few from his profession who, when asked what was the highlight of his career, would have chosen a fall he took……but Padraic, who partnered Anaglog’s Daughter and Belsir in his time, named the tumble he took at the 23rd fence in the 1985 Grand National from the horse Royal Appointment when posed the question.

▫️ GIVEN A SWEETENER… Aged just THIRTEEN years old, jockey Mornington Cannon rode his first winner, Flint, at Salisbury on MAY 20, 1887, and was rewarded by trainer Charles Morton with what was a generous amount then – a sovereign (£1) coin, and told ‘Use it to buy sweets.’ Not a bad gift, as a quid then was the equivalent of £134 today……

▫️ SERGEANT PULLED RANK… For the first time, the Derby was run over one and a half miles on MAY 20, 1784, having previously been run over a mile. 3/1 favourite, Sergeant was in charge, striping the ten-strong opposition.

▫️ WEIGHT A MINUTE!… Mr Maynard’s mare beat Mr Baker’s horse in a contest over one mile at York on MAY 21, 1788 – how fast they may have gone is something of a mystery, given that both ‘runners’ were carrying 30 stones of weight.

▫️ DEATH-BED TIP… ‘Depend upon it, that Eleanor is a hell of a male’ croaked her dying trainer, Cox, from his sick-bed shortly before the Derby, in which, on MAY 21, 1801 the filly became the first of her sex to win the big race. And as if that wasn’t enough, she also won the Oaks, the very next day.

▫️ SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT DAY!… A weekly paper in Hertfordshire seemed slightly disappointed by the recent local race meeting, to judge by its article of MAY 22, 1857 in which it ranted, ‘We can but deeply deplore the blackguardism which, once a year, has been allowed to establish its saturnalia in the quiet village of Harpenden.’

▫️ DERBY DEAD HEAT… Run for the first time on a Thursday, the Derby also produced its first dead-heat on MAY 22, 1828 as Cadland and The Colonel couldn’t be separated by the judge. Cadland, ridden by Jem Robinson won the race’s first run-off.

▫️ ALLY PALLY NIGHT… London’s first evening imeeting took place on MAY 23, 1955, at Alexandra Park, which would become John McCririck’s favourite racecourse.

▫️ AND FINALLY, A LOAD OF BULL… Racing was delayed at Beverley on MAY 23, 1989…..because of a bullock on the track……..

GRAHAM SHARPE

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