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DAVID CARR |
Weblog: What do you mean the Wi-Fi doesn't work? The life of a Racing Post reporter
Saturdays night all right for racing
What's all this fuss about Leicester on Monday? Who said the French were stopping you seeing Frankie in action on a British racecourse?
You should have been at Doncaster tonight.
Okay, it wasn't that Frankie. Mr Dettori would not have been allowed to do his thing. But Frankie Sandford was. And did.
Don't tell me you have never heard of her? (yes, her) Surely you knew that she is one-fifth of The Saturdays? That she is the one betrothed to footballer Wayne Bridge and expecting her first baby? (isn't it wonderful how five minutes of internet research can make you sound an expert?)
The Saturdays were playing after racing, which set the music lovers of South Yorkshire a dilemma.
Should they stay at home and watch the Eurovision Song Contest on television. Enjoy the barbed comments of Graham Norton and a cool drink from the comfort of the sofa.
Or take a punt on the weather and come out to see the Anglo-Irish pop/electro-pop/dance-pop/R&B (Wikipedia was undecided) five-piece. And boy band Lawson too? (one of the less youthful members of the press room needed convincing that there were two groups in action - he thought Lawson were playing on the Saturday)
No sofa but plenty of space on Town Moor, where it was a good deal drier than in most of the rest of Yorkshire.
No Graham Norton but we did have both Simon Mapletoft and Robert Cooper, though the latter's risque, Nortonesque wit was reserved for At The Races viewers.
There wasa whole plethora of ATR faces in action as Tony Ennis was commentating and Gina Bryce was filming a promotional video for Doncaster (which was a shock - I thought there was something in the council by-laws saying no such production could go head without the involvement of Derek Thompson).
Oh, and there was actual racing too. An added bonus rather than the main attraction for many in a crowd which must have been nudging five-figures, a large number of whose dress (or lack of it) was more reminiscent of Hollyoaks than Channel 4 Racing.
The multitudes made for a much better atmosphere than might have been expected for the grade of racing.
Rarely can there have been more shouting and squealing through the final furlong of a 56-70 apprentice handicap than greeted the victory of Mr Snoozy - perhaps that's what sparked up the relaxed winner who apparently lives up to his name and whose trainer reports: "He even eats his tea laid down."
Some other, very different discoveries during the night.
The name of the two-year-old Mitcd who made her debut for the 'Crazy Gang' is pronounced Mit See Dee, according to her owners.
The winner of his race, Eccleston, appears to have a Royal Ascot-class turn of foot, as do other impressive winners Cape Peron and Albasharah.
Expect the unexpected - there was a delay to the fifth race while two joyriders in vans were 'persuaded' to leave.
And interesting press room news emerged in the aftermath of the 70th anniversary of the Dam Busters raid.
Eric, who has brought the judge's slips, stewards enquiry notices and the like for more years than anyone can remember, revealed that he flew two dozen or so missions in Lancaster bombers himself.
He was a gunner, just 18 years old then. Which makes him 88 now - yet still bouncing up and down the stairs between our place, the judge's box and the weighing-room with the zest of a teenager.
Age shall not weary them, indeed.
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