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DAVID CARR |
Weblog: What do you mean the Wi-Fi doesn't work? The life of a Racing Post reporter
There's nowhere he'd rather be
"I don't know why people keep asking that. You know the answer."
Didn't think it was that unreasonable a question to the owner.
With your Melbourne Cup hope Mount Athos, arguably your best horse in training at the moment, in action at Newbury, in a Group 3 race, were you not tempted to go there rather than here?
But the 'here' was Chester and the owner was Marwan Koukash. For whom the Roodeye is Ascot, Longchamp and Wembley rolled into one. So that when he says Mount Athos's bid for the 'race that stops Australia' is just a warm-up for the Ormonde Stakes back here in the spring he is only half joking.
He's not alone in his love for the place, hence the thousands who turned up to soak up the sunshine - and block the path from press room to winner's enclosure - for a meeting which was staged for the first time today. So much for the idea that new fixtures need to 'bed in' - if the sun is out, they'll come history or not.
Andrew Balding was delighted to be here and to land a big-race double so that for once he could upstage sister Clare, from whom there is no escape at present.
On television for the Olympics, in the papers for her new job with Channel 4 and in today's racecard, promoting her appearance at the Chester Listerature Festival.
But 'Mr Chester' is Koukash's jockey Franny Norton, who rides the place better than anyone and proved the point with a four-timer this afternoon.
He always seems to know just where he wants to be on this unique course, and what to do when he gets there so he's very much the go-to guy here.
I was almost tempted to give him a call when the wi-fi wasn't working before racing.
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