Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[henrik777]

ok, maybe 35% are scottish then. coyle threw me cos he played for ireland

he's not from glasgow though

knew there was one that wasn't

I'm gonna claim 1/2 a point for that one

Lol, when I typed it I actually had'we need to get Gatso on the case to check it out' but then I took it out as it could have looked a little rude.

I think Coyle was the tricky one, he was born in Paisley but according to the article spent some of his time in Glasgow. Tho that could just have been to bolster the stat a little.

Paisley is home of Glasgow airport.

Sandy

[rex008]

and btw, that weird thing is happening that someone mentioned a while back, maybe it was mond

it takes an age to post on this thread but no others. in fact the last post I made is still trying to post in another tab even though I can see in this tab that it's was done about 3 minutes ago

It's not weird, it's the forum software having issues. On another (huge) forum I use, they close a thread and start a new one after 1000 posts, let alone 1000 pages, for exactly this reason.

so you're saying the best thing to do is just delete this thread?

I'm saying that blonde could probably avoid this problem by closing it, starting up a new thread called "Concrete and Trains Part II", with a link to this thread in the first post. Proberly. If it's good enough for avforums (I suspect about 1000 times bigger than blonde in terms of users, etc) then it may help here.

[DesD]

There's nothing like a bit of snow in February....how are the numbers?

Lol, Des, you know!

Never seen such numbers, eye-popping. If I were a poker player, I guess I'd print off the daily graphs & stats & rub them on my titties.

The snow at the weekend, as you would know, is always a boost for Online poker, but the numbers started climbing rapidly in the Autumn, & are still growing, week on week, & last week they burst the previous uniques record by over 6%, & there are some 5,000 players on site most evenings now, & all the various KPI's are heading into uncharted territory. Same across the whole business, RF is some sharp dude, imo.

When the numbers come in each morning, 9am on the dot, it's almost the highlihght of the day, I just spend 20 minutes cooing.

Sod's Law struck this evening, though, when a bit of a glitch resulted in, seemingly, over 10,000 people reported as being on the site, obviously a false situation, & I've had a bit of an evening, with over 100 PM's & questions along the "what's going off, SORT IT SKY" theme. It's sorted now, everything back to normal, (5,600 online), but there was a bit of noise for 20 minutes or so, groan. Luckily, with a Forum, there was no shortage of players telling us what we needed to do to sort it, & what the problem was......

Hope all is well with you & yours.

The Gabriel Campos departure from 'Stars was a bit of a surprise, yes?

I lol'd at the bit in bold above - thanks for that!

Great news about the numbers Tony and yes RF is some sharp cookie, but so too is RM and credit where credit is due.  Occasional minor glitches aside, it's great that the platform is coping with the increased numbers, that was always the sting in our tail.

All is very well with me thanks.  I'm extremely happy, albeit poor!

Gabi's leaving was a bit of a shocker.  In the few times I met him it was clear he was extremely smart and well on top of the detail.  I would guess that his leaving was more to do with potential future court appointments, than performance.  It's not as if 'Stars have had a lean last two years... 

[DesD]

Tikay, how many scarves do you own?

No idea, Dawn.

In my new posh house residence, I have a dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, 4 TV's, & a whole scarf section in the wardrobe.

Posh, or what?

4 TVs!!! Why on earth do you need 4 TVs?

I assume you live on your own the same as myself? Admittedly I have 5 but I only ever watch 1. The others are just for show in case I ever have a visitor.

You don't seem the showy type so I assume you actually need them?

I don't! It was not a chirp at all, just part of a daft comment really, but I do have 4 - Lounge, Kitchen, Study, & Bedroom. At my real home, I have "just" the one, & will never have more than that. It's not even a plasma jobbie.

The London place is sort of rented, I'm a "caretaker tenant" for a good friend, & it came fully-furnished, exactly as she lived in it, everything, top to bottom. Some "interesting" chintzy furniture & drapes, too, though it does not bother me.

I watch the TV in the lounge, & it is "linked" to the one in the kitchen, so I may have that on when I am up & down messing around in the kitchen, but I have never even switched on the ones in the Study or Bedroom. I have never watched TV in bed in my entire life, it jut seems so wrong, & I never will, bed is for reading & sleeping. Mostly. I like to read for an hour each night in bed, if I can, delicious, almost the best part of the evening.

For show in case I have visitors? I don't have visitors, as such, & don't encourage them, I like solitude at home. I never had them at my own place, in Ilkeston, either, apart from occasional girlfriends, back in the day. That's girlfriends, occasionally, not the other way round.

Oh, does the house belong to....!  

4 TV's?  Surprised it's so few.

[pokerfan]

Cesers  stock Soars 98% in debut      $22 billion in debt !

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/08/markets/caesars_ipo/index.htm?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+%28Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+UK

[bobby1]

A sad day Tony with the death of Josh Gifford, one of the main players in one of the great sporting achievements.

[jakally]

A sad day Tony with the death of Josh Gifford, one of the main players in one of the great sporting achievements.

Just watched a rerun of the finish of the '81 National. Wasn't into racing particularly at the time, but remember it so well.
I'm pretty sure I wanted Spartan Missile to win, and it so nearly did. Would have still been a great story, even if he had denied Aldaniti.

John Thorne's riding style was amazing to watch, and I'd be pretty sure all the experts would have said, it would have won with a 'pro' on board (did someone mention Long Run?).
Whatever, it looked like he gave it a fine ride to me, and I can't imagine he would have swapped his day for a seat in the stands, and his horse coming home first.

[bobby1]

A sad day Tony with the death of Josh Gifford, one of the main players in one of the great sporting achievements.

Just watched a rerun of the finish of the '81 National. Wasn't into racing particularly at the time, but remember it so well.
I'm pretty sure I wanted Spartan Missile to win, and it so nearly did. Would have still been a great story, even if he had denied Aldaniti.

John Thorne's riding style was amazing to watch, and I'd be pretty sure all the experts would have said, it would have won with a 'pro' on board (did someone mention Long Run?).
Whatever, it looked like he gave it a fine ride to me, and I can't imagine he would have swapped his day for a seat in the stands, and his horse coming home first.

I could watch that race every day and it would still make the hairs on my neck stand on end every time. The bit where Spartan missile is staging one last run and the comm  goes ' John Thorne, 54 YEAR OLD John Thorne' still brings a lump to the throat.

This might sound soppy but I still have a real sense of guilt about that race as I was 10 years old and had 20p ew on Spartan Missile. As the race finished I can still remember to this day how gutted I was and resentful that this horse had beaten mine.

 I didn't know the full story of Aldaniti or Bob Champion at that time but remember the BBC interviewing connections and stable lads and not one of them could stop crying, I remember how bad I felt when I realised just what the horse and the man had done that day.

John Thorne almost rode a grand national winner at 54, Bob Champion and Aldaniti incredibly overcame illness and injury to win the toughest race there is. Tho what really drives home the enormity of what they both achieved that day is what happened to them afterwards.

Less than two years before the race Champion was cancer stricken and in hospital and Aldaniti was on the verge of retirement. Josh Gifford and the owner told Champion they would keep the horse in training and he could ride it again when he was fit enough and this helped him get through each day.This helped give him something to aim for.

Less than 2 years afterwards John Thorne was killed riding in a point to point race and Spartan Missile had been hit by a vehicle when out cantering, I remember seeing it run in one of the Foxhunters races at the end of it's career and it clearly never recovered from those injuries.

If I could win a prize to meet any sportsman in the world I would pick  Bob Champion, he had another heart attack a few months ago and I felt sad when I heard how ill he was. I think his cancer charity has raised tens of millions of pounds since that day too.

[tikay]

Thanks Neil, Phil, what great memories, Red Rum never gave me a flicker of emotion or interest, but that National was just wonderful.

I have a certain sadness when there is a collision between Amateur jump Jockeys - wow, how brave must they be? - & punting. It's pretty awful to see punters lambasting amateur jockeys for failing to win when it is clear they are talking through their pockets. If you don't trust amateur jockeys, don't punt on them, simple. It's pretty sad to see them giving the jockey a hard trime if he or she fails to win. Oh that the punter had one tenth of the nerve, bravery & skill.

Josh Gifford? Very sad, he was very much my era. I vaguely recall him as a flat jockey, but have clearer recollection of him as a jump jockey, he rode many winners for Ryan Price - sorry, CAPTAIN Ryan Price, lol. He later took over Captain Price's yard, in Findon, I believe.

He trained a very good horse called "Approaching" to win the Hennessy one year, & I had a big punt on it, but my favourite animal of his was "Kybo", which was owned by Isodore Kerman, who owned, I think, Plumpton &/or Fontwell. "Kybo" stood for "Keep Your Bowels Open". I'm pretty sure Kybo was killed in a fall at Cheltenham. Later, there was a full brother, named "Super Kybo".

This page brings the memories flooding back.....

http://www.findonvillage.com/0557_the_josh_gifford_fact_file.htm

[outragous76]

not sure posting pictures of yourself in your own diary is cool thou

[tikay]

Nice piece here, about Isidore Kerman, & how he came to own Kybo.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-isidore-kerman-1172982.html

Note.....

His racing interests came directly from his work in the divorce courts. One of his clients in this pre-war period was a well-known jockey called Tommy Weston who offered Kerman a yearling in lieu of a fee. Kerman accepted his offer and named the horse Kybo - an acronym for the advice that his mother gave him when he went to Cheltenham: "Keep your bowels open".

Kerman became an enthusiastic racehorse owner and introduced others to the sport, like the property developed Louis Freedman, who went on to have a distinguished Turf career. Kerman's recreational interests were as varied as his professional ones. He only gave up riding at the age of 86 and continued to ski at St Moritz until the end of his life. He bred Romney Marsh sheep and was a keen gardener.

Throughout his life he contributed discreetly to charitable causes and in the 1930s gave accommodation and help to Jewish families forced to flee from Nazi Germany.

He was still horse riding at the age of 86! The piece confirms that he owned both Fontwell & Plumpton racecourses.

What a wonderful picture of Isidore this is - proper old-fashioned Jewish gentleman!

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

not sure posting pictures of yourself in your own diary is cool thou

I'm not THAT old. I have the eyebrows though.

[tikay]

Lovely piece about Captain Ryan Price here, Phil. You've opened my memory floodgates now, damn you. Pretty sure I have a book about Ryan at home.

http://www.findonvillage.com/0516_a_personality_of_the_past_captain_ryan_price.htm

Here is Ryan's wiki page - look at that training roll of honour, including Bruni.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._Ryan_Price

[bobby1]

What  a picture that is mate. I remember being told two things bout Ryan Price when I was a lad. If he moves a horse on you can bet your bottom dollar it will not improve and if the money is down get on.


Didn't he get suspended a few times for winning top handicaps with horses that ran many many lengths above any other form the had recently achieved?

I got the Schweppes Huirdle in my head as being one race he got into trouble for winning but not sure if that is correct

[tikay]

What  a picture that is mate. I remember being told two things bout Ryan Price when I was a lad. If he moves a horse on you can bet your bottom dollar it will not improve and if the money is down get on.


Didn't he get suspended a few times for winning top handicaps with horses that ran many many lengths above any other form the had recently achieved?

I got the Schweppes Huirdle in my head as being one race he got into trouble for winning but not sure if that is correct

Yes, he was a bit "cute", but I always thought he was straight. The Schweppes at Newbury, you may be thinking of the fact that he farmed that race, winning it 4 years in 5.

Not a man to trifle with, I gather.

Off to watch the Golf now, guess no betting interest, as it is a mickey mouse Pro-Am? On second thoughts, ignore that, I'll take a look at the Golf betting thread.