|
DAVID CARR |
Weblog: What do you mean the Wi-Fi doesn't work? The life of a Racing Post reporter
Does the sun ever shine here?
Brian Cox and D:Ream were right. Things can only get better. And they did. Thank God.
Absolutely desperate start to the evening at Southwell. Rain falling horizontally. Bucket loads of it.
"Don't be cowards," called one bookmaker, desperately trying to attract punters to an empty betting ring. "It's only rain."
"Does the sun ever shine here?" asked a woman racegoer. "We've been here half a dozen times and it has always rained."
Pity the poor reporter braving the downpours beside a deserted paddock, under an umbrella destined with a broken spoke and destined for the dustbin (looks like I'll have to break the habit of a lifetime and buy a replacement as the recession seems to have ended the fashion for freebies from betting organisations, racecourses and others with something to promote).
But pity a good deal more the amateur riders with no more than jockeys' silks for protection.
Soaked through in the walk from weighing room to parade ring. A lap and a bit of the track to get even soggier in as they race for 1m6f.
Just to rub it in for the amateurs racing for love rather than money, the rain stopped almost as soon as they passed the post and their professional counterparts did not see a drop all night.
My trousers had dried out by the third race.
Must have been dry earlier in the day as demolition work had been going on.
The old Tote building has gone and the old stable lads canteen is about to disappear, removing the last two traces of the old - pre-all-weather - course.
Can't imagine English Heritage put up much of a fight to save either of them.
The Olympics continues to have odd after-effects. Throwing up scenes you never thought you would see.
Betting ring manager Kerry Grace is a plain-speaking ex-policeman who fits every cliche for the stereotypical Yorkshireman.
Yet on seeing John Hunt in the press room, he waxed lyrical on the joys of dressage, revelling in memories of the dancing horses and wondering where he could get to see it again.
Comments