FROM EPSOM TO TRALEE A Journey Round the Racecourses of the British Isles From Epsom to Tralee A Journey Round the Racecourses of the British Isles Published by FROM EPSOM Medina Publishing Ltd 310 Ewell Road Surbiton Surrey KT6 7AL medinapublishing.com TO TRALEE © Roy Gill 2015 A Journey Round the Racecourses of the British Isles ISBN: 978-1-909339-07-1 Roy Gill asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this book. Designer: Kitty Carruthers Editor: Martin Rickerd Assistant Editors: John Slusar, Doug Sutton, John Pinfold Printed and bound by Toppan Leefung Printers Ltd, China CIP Data: A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owners FROM EPSOM TO TRALEE A Journey Round the Racecourses of the British Isles 3 Kelso Key Park Flat only National Hunt only Both Flat & National Hunt 4 CONTENTS Foreword by Frankie Dettori mbe 7 Acknowledgements 8 Preface 9 The Racecourses: Aintree 10 Goodwood 116 Pontefract 194 Ascot 19 Gowran Park 122 Punchestown 196 Ayr 27 Hamilton Park 124 Redcar 198 Ballinrobe 30 Haydock Park 126 Ripon 200 Bangor-on-Dee 32 Hereford 129 Roscommon 202 Bath 34 Hexham 132 Salisbury 204 Bellewstown 37 Huntingdon 134 Sandown Park 206 Beverley 38 Kelso 136 Sedgefield 212 Brighton 40 Kempton Park 139 Sligo 214 Carlisle 42 Kilbeggan 143 Southwell 215 Cartmel 44 Killarney 145 Stratford-on-Avon 217 Catterick Bridge 46 Laytown 146 Taunton 219 Cheltenham 48 Leicester 148 Thirsk 222 Chepstow 61 Leopardstown 150 Thurles 224 Chester 63 Limerick 152 Tipperary 226 Clonmel 66 Lingfield 154 Towcester 228 Cork 67 Listowel 156 Tralee 232 Curragh 68 Ludlow 158 Tramore 234 Doncaster 72 Market Rasen 160 Uttoxeter 236 Downpatrick 76 Musselburgh 162 Warwick 238 Down Royal 78 Naas 164 Wetherby 240 Dundalk 80 Navan 165 Wexford 242 Epsom 82 Newbury 166 Wincanton 244 Exeter 100 Newcastle 172 Windsor 248 Fairyhouse 102 Newmarket 175 Wolverhampton 251 Fakenham 104 Newton Abbot 183 Worcester 256 Folkestone 106 Nottingham 186 Yarmouth 258 Fontwell Park 108 Perth Hunt 188 York 260 Galway 112 Plumpton 190 List of Racecourses by Date First Visited 265 Picture Credits 275 Index of Horses 266 Bibliography 276 Index of People and Places 271 5 Spectators flock to see the Epsom Derby in 1913 on foot, by car, by motor bus and by horse-drawn coach. Little did they know what dramas would unfold that memorable day. 6 FOREWORD by Frankie Dettori mbe was thrilled to be asked to contribute the Foreword for Roy Gill’s book since, although I don’t ride on all ofI these racecourses, I do spend most of my life on one course or another! The main difference between racing in the UK and Ireland compared with the rest of the world is the huge variety of our racecourses and the fact that we change venues on an almost daily basis. Every course has different features that make up the challenge for owner, trainer, jockey and punter, and these include undulating tracks like Epsom that are left handed and stiff tracks that are right handed like Sandown or Ascot. The number and variety of tracks also has the downside in terms of the hours that we jockeys have to spend travelling. The mileage involved is as arduous as anything else in the job and, now that racing is so Naturally, many horses and people I’ve known established on an international stage, we could be racing feature here, but also a great many I had never heard on a different continent every weekend. of. I enjoyed reading about the chap who won the Irish I obviously have my favourite tracks and these Grand National in 1929 with a wooden leg and a few include Ascot – you just cannot beat the Royal meeting fingers missing, and the race that was awarded to a dead which, for me, is the best and most competitive racing of horse at Tralee. There are heroes and villains aplenty and the year. I also, of course, had a life-changing experience it was interesting to me to learn the background to some there in 1996 when I went through the card and won all of the greatest riders of years gone by, like Frank Buckle seven races. For that reason, whenever I walk through the who won 27 Classic races (including five Derbys) and gates on Ascot High Street I get a real buzz that I don’t get the biggest ringers in racing history, like Francasal and anywhere else. I also love riding at Newmarket, York and Flockton Grey. the other feature meetings of the summer season – like I hope that you enjoy From Epsom to Tralee as much Goodwood, which beats them all in terms of location. as I did. It is thoroughly researched and entertainingly This book is testament to the rich variety of our told and is the ultimate guide to all of our individual racecourses and the heritage and history that wrap them racecourses. all together. I think it is these behind-the-scenes stories that make it such a special compilation. Frankie Dettori 7 PUBLISHER’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Roy Gill appeared on our doorstep in the late summer of 2012, The author and publisher are delighted and honoured weighed down with folders, files, photographs and books that Frankie Dettori consented to write the Foreword, and covering a lifetime following the form. I was at first a little daunted equally indebted to Sir Peter O’Sullevan, Lady Cecil and Bob by the scale and complexity of the task we were about to embark Champion for reading the book before press and generously on, but in the face of Roy’s encyclopaedic knowledge, his quiet offering their comments. assurance and our instant rapport, the making of this book I am also extremely grateful to all those helpful people at became not a task but a mission, and a very enjoyable one at that. the racecourses who replied to my approaches regarding the In the quest to make From Epsom to Tralee accurate, accuracy of their entries and my requests for photographs. And informative, entertaining and visually appealing, I am indebted without being able to draw on the archives of Racing Post and to a great many people – besides Roy himself – most notably: Associated Press, the book would have been much the poorer. John Slusar and Doug Sutton, experts both, for taking an interest at a very early editorial stage. Their meticulous fact- That it has taken more than two years for this book to reach the checking, proofreading and helpful suggestions have improved bookstands shows the devotion to accuracy of the author and the book immeasurably; the experts mentioned above. With its breadth and depth, we John Pinfold, Aintree’s official historian, who gave hope there is something in it for everyone – Turf afficionados, unstintingly of his time and knowledge not only of the Grand horse lovers, all those with an interest in the history of racing National, but of the history of racing in general; and of the British Isles, and trivia buffs around the world. If Jane Clarke, also a fount of knowledge about Aintree, for readers spot an error, or have further useful information, we her eagle eye; would be delighted to hear from them. Martin Rickerd for doing a great job on the first edit back Kitty Carruthers in 2012. London 2014 AUTHOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to add his thanks to the following for their help in the making of this book: Toby Balding, Michael Bloom, Joyce Brown, Ted Burpham, Molony, Sam Morshead, Steward Nash, Graham Orange, Vera Challoner, Peter Corbett, John Dillon, Barrie Bernard Parkin, Charlotte Pawsey, Wendy Pawsey, Tom Doddington, Julie Drewitt, David Eustace, Mel Fordham, Pierce, Martin Pipe, Chris Pitt, Chloe Price, John Randall, Michelle Forsyth, Richie Galway, Norman Gundill, Eddie Peter Robinson, Teddy Robinson, Gary Sears, Albert Siggins, Harty, Francis Hyland, Eric Joy, Holly Kite, Richard Landale, Jackie Taylor, Colin Turner, Joe Walsh, Malcolm Whitehead, Nickyj Lander, Christian Leech, Pierce Molony, Riona David Williams, Hugh Williams. 8 PREFACE ou could say that racing is in my blood. My father Reg included. In the next edition of the book they surely will was a milkman (horse-drawn cart, of course) but in be! hisY spare time he was an illegal bookmaker. Our local Around the mid-1970s, I started collecting the odd racecourse was Epsom, where licenses were frequently memento and bits of memorabilia from race meetings, overlooked, and he often worked on the Hill. Although and by 1997 had assembled quite a scrapbook of photos, racing was part of family life, I didn’t attend a meeting racecards, newpaper cuttings and the like. I began to until my father took me to the Epsom Spring Meeting in write a few words on each course – more for my own 1955. I was instantly hooked and it marked the beginning amusement than with a view to publication. But my of a passion that has lasted to the present day. notes grew and I began to delve into the background After boarding school and a brief spell in the Royal of racing and racecourses, until one day a friend said, Navy, I embarked on a career in bookmaking, learning ‘You should write a book about it!’ So I did, and to my the ropes courtesy of the London School of Turf delight found a welcome at Medina Publishing.