Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[Ironside]

it aint that big infact my pc monitors bigger

[77dave]

It is big

FACT

[taximan007]

 Mtankha

[Ironside]

It is big

FACT

u sure your not imagining things

better go check the blue prints

[77dave]

It is big

FACT

u sure your not imagining things

better go check the blue prints

Are you seeing what im seeing check your history any problems just PM Kev

[kenjude]

You had a Share in Muse? Nice one!

Snipped

Personally, I preferred genuine hurdlers & chasers, those bred to jump, over Flat horses which moved across codes. There were a few though that were exceptional at both. Always Geldings though, rarely Entires......

Yup, we had some great times with Muse. It wasn't a vintage time for hurdlers but he was rated in the top half dozen of the time on his best performances and would have gone very close in the Champion Hurdle if he hadn't whipped round as Simon Morant decided to let the tapes go regardless.

Breeding and stamina is a strange thing. We also had Riverhead who was trained by Criquette Head in France on the flat and who we also bought to go hurdling. It transpired that he didn't really get 2 miles (needed exagerated waiting tactics) so we never managed to win a race with him after his novice year, although he did run well in the William Hill H'cap Hdle at Sandown and the Ladbroke Hurdle (the proper one before Ladbrokes decided to switch their money away from Leopardstown to Ascot). He would probably have been a megastar if they'd had 1m5f  and 1m6f hurdle races  .

He was an entire, and after another crack at the Ladbroke we sold him for a pittance to a small breeder in Ireland. And he went on to sire Ryalux who won the Scottish Grand National - over 4m1f. Beats me!

[tikay]

You had a Share in Muse? Nice one!

Snipped

Personally, I preferred genuine hurdlers & chasers, those bred to jump, over Flat horses which moved across codes. There were a few though that were exceptional at both. Always Geldings though, rarely Entires......

Yup, we had some great times with Muse. It wasn't a vintage time for hurdlers but he was rated in the top half dozen of the time on his best performances and would have gone very close in the Champion Hurdle if he hadn't whipped round as Simon Morant decided to let the tapes go regardless.

Breeding and stamina is a strange thing. We also had Riverhead who was trained by Criquette Head in France on the flat and who we also bought to go hurdling. It transpired that he didn't really get 2 miles (needed exagerated waiting tactics) so we never managed to win a race with him after his novice year, although he did run well in the William Hill H'cap Hdle at Sandown and the Ladbroke Hurdle (the proper one before Ladbrokes decided to switch their money away from Leopardstown to Ascot). He would probably have been a megastar if they'd had 1m5f  and 1m6f hurdle races  .

He was an entire, and after another crack at the Ladbroke we sold him for a pittance to a small breeder in Ireland. And he went on to sire Ryalux who won the Scottish Grand National - over 4m1f. Beats me!

Damn you Sir, you've tweaked my memory again.

Criquette Head - did you ever meet her? What was she like?

Criquette is a member of a famous French racing family, almost a dynasty.

In the late seventies, the father, Alec, started to "hand over" training to his Daughter, Criquette.

He purchased a filly by Lyphard (a son of Northern Dancer) out of a mare called Three Roses. He placed ownership in his wif'e name, & gave it to Criquette to train, & she used Alec's son, & her brother, Freddy Head as jockey. Freddy was not much respected in Britain, but he was a very successful jockey in France.The Filly was named Three Troikas.

In her 3 y-o season, she turned out to be quite spectacular, sweeping the board & beating all the best colts. She won several Grade 2 & 3 Races, before at the Season end, triumphing in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, & the next year, the Prix Harcourt. She was the Champion 3 year-oold in her 3 y-o Season.

I know all this because I'm sad, but also because.....

I used to subscribe to a Racing & Breeding Magazine, "Pacemaker International", for many years. They ran a "10 to Follow" Competition each year, & I won it from several thousand entries in, I think, 1979, got my pic in the mag, interviewed & all that. (They asked me name my favourite racing book, & I named "Men & Horses I have known" by George Lambton - get a copy, it's unbelievably good, set at the turn of the century, & non-fiction, & read about the aristocracy - Lambton was a son of the Earl of Derby - betting 10 & 20,000 guineas on horses over 100 years ago). Anyway, my star pick for that year was Three Troikas, who I'd noted as a 2 year-old of huge scope, & she effectively won me the Trophy. I nearly won the Jump version of the Comp another year too, by naming most of Dickinson's stable of Chasers, plus the hurdler Kybo.

I don't have time to research him right now, I'm off out, but please tell me more about Riverhead.

[kenjude]

I met Criquette Head once - I went with Horse Racing Abroad to the Arc one year and if you go with them and take the opportunity of a Chantilly gallops visit (and why wouldn't you, it's beautiful out there), it's timed to co-incide with her string being out on the gallops followe by a wander through her yard as they have good links with her.

She rides over for a chat as her string gallop past. And she can either name every one of her horses as they go past or identify them by their breeding in the case of as yet unnamed horses. But I guess that's true of most trainers.

Couldn't really tell you what Riverhead achieved on the flat with Mme Head before we bought him and can't look it up from here. He was by Riverman (trained by Alec Head) who won the French Guineas, was third behind the Brigadier in the King George and second to him in the Champion Stakes. He was champion sire in 80 and 81 in France and sired Bahri, Detroit, Tryptich etc. Further down the generations his bloodline is in Spinning World, Six Perfections, Hatoof, Vintage Crop, Sakhee etc. So plenty of class in the blood-line, we just didn't get quite enough stamina in our beast. And he was much more expensive than Muse :-)

I imagine it would have been quite difficult for whoever it was trying to stand Riverhead as a NH sire as his achievements over sticks amounted to diddly squat. Think he was sold on at least once after he left us and I don't think he threw anything else of note beyond Ryalux.

[Simon Galloway]

How come you can't remember a hand from last week or player's names from last year, but you can remember horse's names from 1979, who sired her, how many lengths they won by etc...  Is it all lifted from books, or do you actually remember most of it??

[AndrewT]

I used to subscribe to a Racing & Breeding Magazine, "Pacemaker International", for many years.

Please try and make it a slight challenge for us to mock you about your age - if it's too easy it's less fun.

[Acidmouse]

Have you ever been to Eden camp Tikey? http://www.edencamp.co.uk/

if so what did you think of it.

[Laxie]

I used to subscribe to a Racing & Breeding Magazine, "Pacemaker International", for many years.

Please try and make it a slight challenge for us to mock you about your age - if it's too easy it's less fun.

You STILL managed to come up with a line that made me giggle.   

[tikay]

Have you ever been to Eden camp Tikey? http://www.edencamp.co.uk/

if so what did you think of it.

Luton, Wednesday.

No - I had barely heard of it, & did not know what it was until I perused the link you sent - thank you.

It looks right up my street, & I'm gonna go see. I have to go to Harrogate (they are well posh there I believe) on business in about a fortnight, & I'll make a detour & visit it either on the way there, or back.

I can't abide "ancient" history, but I'm fascinated by modern history. When I retire properly, I'm gonna immerse myself in such things, that & Nature.

[tikay]

I used to subscribe to a Racing & Breeding Magazine, "Pacemaker International", for many years.

Please try and make it a slight challenge for us to mock you about your age - if it's too easy it's less fun.

You are truly blonde's wittiest wit, & drollest dollop.

As you well know, I did not mean trhis....

[tikay]

...I mean't this......