I seldom dwell on isolated successes  –  too many setbacks for that  –  but I did find the last winner of the turf season, the 16/1 shot Zip at Doncaster, after the sort of intense analysis that justifies falling in … Read More »

The other day I was trying to remember why Glastonbury reminded me of Coppermill Lad. I must have found a connection between the pair and thought about including it in a column, though how there can be any sort of … Read More »

Of course, I spend more time than most people on the second division of Class 5 apprentice handicaps at Salisbury. Like my father before me, I like to spot up- -and-coming riders with a handy allowance making a fair mark … Read More »

It’s been a miserable year for just about everyone and we can’t let minor personal setbacks outweigh the desperately sad losses suffered by many. I adjusted to televised racing behind closed doors quite quickly, though it would have been a … Read More »

Well, here I was, thinking about a Chepstow piece and how well David Probert rides the course (see Cool Strutter) or Pastfact overcoming a marked tendency to throw his head around in the stalls and a slow start before getting … Read More »

Quietly and with the minimum of fuss, racing has returned behind closed doors. We’ve already become used to jockeys in masks and the television channels, both terrestrial and otherwise, have set up interviews where required. Against the odds, and in … Read More »

Of course, we are all missing racing (and various other sports) but some people are more concerned than others. Putting my cards on the table and admitting to a strong personal bias, I want racing to be up and running, … Read More »

Trying to remain optimistic, I’d been hoping for a resumption of racing, with people actually at the track, that is, just before the three-day Goodwood meeting at the end of May. I see now this is virtually out of the … Read More »

Under normal circumstances, lists of horses to follow for the 2020 Flat season would be well underway by now. Sadly, there is no telling where or when racing will start up again, or whether it will be staged behind closed … Read More »

In certain situations, gamblers tend to view things according to the odds. Or, more correctly, they settle for an outcome which would be acceptable if hardly attractive. The roulette player, starting with a hundred pounds and working it up to, … Read More »

There we are then, all over for another year and quite possibly all over until the greenfinch puts in an appearance on the bird table outside and the talk is all about Royal Ascot, Wimbledon and the Tour de France. … Read More »

Given my time again  –  a singularly pointless opening conversational gambit  –  I might have delayed a hospital trip following a palpable loss of energy on the way to the Southampton v Aston Villa match. Once sitting down I was … Read More »