November has always been my favourite month. Right from the day Gaykart just outpointed Pretty Puffin, with Eric Eldin getting the better of Lester Piggott on a bitterly cold Newmarket afternoon and urchins were begging ‘A penny for the Guy, … Read More »

I approach my 77th birthday not in trepidation but with much to ponder. I am greatly interested in quotes attributed to famous people. I don’t always agree with them, of course. Francois de La Rochefoucauld, whom I studied at school and … Read More »

Anyways looking back I think about the mare before anything else. Don’t get me wrong. I think about the Grinder and his sumbitch missus and the Crawfords, especially Miss Jenny, as well. But the mare was something special. When a … Read More »

I tip Jimmy Deans a filly I like at Deauville, knowing full well that an appreciation of Un Homme et une Femme will follow; let’s just say he knows his films and leave it at that. It’s good to see … Read More »

A recent race at Newmarket was sponsored by the brewers Adnams, the full title being Adnams Pink Gin Gallop Handicap. I’ve kept up with the wine and spirits trade after spending several years in the industry but I hadn’t noticed … Read More »

Ian Carnaby

At Sandown the other day the television presenter, handing over to the commentator for the final race, mentioned that ‘Ginger Baker’ would be performing afterwards. ‘No, me neither,’ came the response. I have no problem with that. If ‘Ginger Baker’ … Read More »

I wanted the Southampton v Arsenal game to mean more to me but couldn’t quite make it happen. We get older and think about the time left. It was a good atmosphere the other day, even though neither side had … Read More »

I don’t like gaps. I like complete sets. Therefore a piece missing from a jigsaw puzzle, especially if it happens to be a city centre somewhere, irritates me more than in bothers other people. In the dying days of steam … Read More »

They seem to race a lot at Doncaster. It’s not just my imagination. Summer and winter, afternoons and evenings, fixtures on Derby day and fixtures during Cheltenham; Jonjo O’Neill was recently anticipating a routine task on Town Moor until Willie … Read More »

On and on he gallops in the fading Chepstow light. He is called Lightonthewing but reminds me of Jim’s Tavern at Plumpton all those years ago in a race broadcast, for some long-forgotten reason, on Southern Television in midweek. Plumpton … Read More »