Sunday 22 August
A quiet Sunday to catch up with some things that have been happening in the wider raicng world this week. York was fantastic, a great week for Mrs Robeson and her team at Southcourt Stud with the victory of The Fonz,and the brave second of Rosika in the ultra competitve Ebor Handicap.The PIE of the week: News reached us of a very unsavoury episode at Market Rasen last weekend, when a male racegoer was ejected from the course by police for performing an unspeakable act in front of the packed stands. It is not the first time that I have been critical of Market Rasen on this page, and I have to say again that on these big weekend racedays in the summer the crowd at the Lincs track is always big, rude and not a nice thing to be involved in. M Rasen is a lovely track, well run, producing good racing, but it seems as though during the summer months (when the football season is in recess) large crowds of people (not even youths) arrive at the track to get very drunk and cause trouble.I have seen it first hand, and it is not very pleasant, and it really makes the genuine racegoer not want to return to the track. Perhaps a more stringent alcohol policy could be enforced somehow, I don't know how, but I think it would be a good idea to address this problem. It is a shame because in the autumn and winter, M Rasen is a great course to go to, with a friendly and knowledgable crowd - just sort out this problem of the summer months! Sariska failed to come out of her stall at York - some bookies do not repay bets. Quite right too, we only hear about the folk that backed Sariska - what about the bettors of the winner Midday who would lose 30% of their winnings due to a rule 4 deduction if those backers of Sariska were payed out? - That is unfair. Added to this, if it were public knowledge that she had been playing up in the stalls at home, and you knew you would get your money back if she did it on course, you would be getting a win bet for free on a short priced favourite, which is hardly a level playing field is it!! A tremendous piece of horsemanship from Spencer, as he kept calm and took the filly out of the back of the stalls and led her round the front and gave her a pick of grass - it would have been all too easy to have lost his rag. At home things keep on an upward curve - we welcomed more new owners this week, as we sold shares in both Omaruru and Robo, there is now only one share left in Robo, a horse that does nothing but please, and one that is fast becoming a yard favourite. Omar shares continue to move fast, and his new owners will be pleased to know that he is piling on the weight, and has taken very well to his new jumping career. He enjoys having a pop and has never offered to duck the issue, which is very good for a young horse - he is very honest and game. Bobby Gee looks amazing and is going very well in his work, it is so far so good with his breathing, he should be very well handicapped when he returns, and there is still a share for sale in him!! Kikos is well after his mid summer break and very much on course to be running again next month - whether that is in a hurdle or a chase remains to be seen.
