NOVEMBER 2018 FINISH LINE Cheltenham & Three Counties Race Club CONTENTS Editor’s Natter Dominic Elsworth by Jo O’Neill Editor’s Natter John Hales Article Dodge’s New Adventures by Lucy Sharp Richard Davis Award & Club Events CTCRC in Ireland by Mike Lawrence, Nigel Chapman CTCRC had a stand at The Cheltenham Showcase meeting which was situated in The Centaur. It was manned by and Nichola Roden members who had so kindly volunteered to give up a race Jo O’Neill Article to help out. We attracted 13 new members over the 2 days. Nick Scolfield Article I would like to welcome the new members and please invite October Club Meeting Report by David Bishop them to make themselves known to me or another committee David Massey Article member at a meeting so we can make them feel at home and Q & A with Ceris Biddle introduce them to a few of the other members. May I also say Upton Viva by JLB a BIG ‘Thank You’ to the members who so kindly volunteered, we always need more so please do bear it in mind for next David Miller Article year. Dan Skelton 100 The Leading Jockey at Worcester was won by Richard Olly Murphy Cheltenham Winner Johnson who unfortunately was at another meeting on the last day at Worcester so was unable to have the trophy presented to him. We will hopefully do the presentation at the first meeting at Worcester next season. Since the last newsletter I have managed to make it racing to Worcester, Ludlow, Stratford, Wolverhampton (yes AW!), Punchestown and Cheltenham. The season now seems to have started properly with the last 2 mentioned although I think we still do need more rain as we have had a few abandonments due to the ground. Do come and say hi if you Sam Red Thomas Darby see me out and about and I do hope everyone manages to get some racing in. SaRah doesn’t necessarily make perfect...it Ha Ha... After a session on the INTERVIEw wITh JOCkEy COaCh makes permanent. Therefore, I install Equicizer, both of us have an idea in my jockeys the correct way to do about the level needed to be effective DOMINIC ElSwORTh things. Then, when it comes to race in the saddle!! With the Equicizer, you day, hopefully they are fully equipped must generate the movement yourself, How do the jockeys get assigned to from the drills we have covered on the like you would generate power to push mentors? Equicizer. After each race, we review the horse forward... it and then go back to work on certain They can choose whichever Coach areas that need improvement. they want; they can also have a What attributes in a young jockey do secondary Coach should they wish. you look for that suggests him/her Do you coach apprentices or just may be successful? conditionals? Do you get a kick out of watching your The basics of any sportsperson… training succeed? I have two Apprentices and the rest Commitment, drive, desire, will to win, Conditionals. I am also an assessor Dominic Elsworth, 38, I get immense pleasure, purely as willingness to learn. showjumped and hunted as a boy and for The Point-to-Point Authority, so I I know how hard the game is both coach quite a few Amateurs too. started in racing at Sue and Harvey physically and mentally. Smith’s. Latterly, he rode for Oliver Did you enjoy being a coach for Love Sherwood, Paul Webber and Henrietta Islands’ Chris Hugues for York’s Race How does nowadays compare to when Knight. He won a Sky Bet Chase and a for Life for Macmillan? How do you begin once assigned a you began? Victor Chandler Chase on Calgary Bay, new jockey? Apart from getting a marriage Pony racing gives kids a huge a Haldon Gold Cup on Somersby, a Start with the ending in mind… What proposal via social media, yes, it was Beecher Chase on Ardent Scout and a advantage, this has been happening great fun! Chris is a very nice guy, did they want to achieve as a jockey, what in Ireland for decades, but the UK Festival winner on Mister McGoldrick. is their long-term goal? amazingly well, if he were lighter he Dominic sustained a bad head injury is now catching up… I was so bad would definitely be able to make a go in August 2009 but returned after when I first started, I wouldn’t get a of it, he even schooled over the jumps. fourteen months to win his comeback How did you come about making a look in now, I’d imagine. Having said He finished 4th, rode a nice race, the ride at Cheltenham. comeback in the Chepstow “Legends” that, Equicizers and coaches really horse just wasn’t good enough on the have brought the game on. I used to Since retiring in 2014, the charity race? day. practice on an oil drum suspended by Yorkshireman has worked in veterinary I was a little bit tipsy when I received a chain on either end! pharmaceuticals and trained as a an email, which I duly read and replied Jockey Coach. The mentor scheme to... Being the wrong side of 12 stone, started in 2011 and ex-jockeys it wasn’t the brightest ideas I’ve had! What is the best advice you were involved include Carl Llewellyn, Rodi Although, I have thoroughly enjoyed given? Greene, Mick Fitzgerald, Russ Garrity, the challenge, be it with three weeks’ 2 ears, 2 eyes, 1 mouth...Never stand Peter Scudamore and Brian Harding. notice. in front of a gun or behind a horse... You’d be amazed at how many people Who organises the mentor system? Is it vital to see your jockeys ride real I have seen been kicked from being careless. The BHA organise and partially fund horses or just simulators? the Coaching system. Equicizers are a very good training aide, they help install certain key areas How do you instil the importance of By Jo O’Neill for young jockeys to work on: practise fitness into your jockeys? a very nice prospect from Dan Skelton is very pleased arrived early and we were John Hales France. A 3yo by Saint Des the way Eclair Danaiy is asked to sit in the Cinema Saint who finished a very working in training so you to watch some of the great impressive 2nd in his only will see him make his UK races from the past until Article race at Autueil in Paris. His debut sometime in November the other guests arrived. I We have just had our first name is Protektorat. This is probably at Newbury at what I was absolutely delighted to runner in Marie Banrigh at not an ideal name which we still refer to as the Hennessey see Golden Miller win the Carlisle. She is a beautiful cannot now change as he meeting. Just Rocky is Grand National carrying 12 mare which I own with John has raced under rules. His recovering from his wind op Stone and break the course Diver. We were very hopeful name in English sounds like and may also be ready for his record. It is very difficult to she would run well after protecting a Rat so we have first outing at Newbury. compare a horse from one winning at Market Rasen given him his stable name era to another but he possibly in her last run following a Roland. He is very impressive was the greatest chaser of wind operation. She did not standing 16.3 hands with a lot all time. I believe he won the disappoint us winning well by of scope so we hope he will Cheltenham Gold Cup 5 times 6 lengths. It is a long way to make a top class chaser. We and I cannot remember how Carlisle so my wife and I went hope you will see him before many Grand Nationals. I did by train (London to Glasgow) the end of the season. He is learn something from this visit in a time far quicker than we now at Dan Skelton’s who is and was told that in the 1930’s could have gone by car. We having a great season. The Cheltenham Gold Cup were at Preston when Dan was treated as the prep race Skelton phoned to say the Paul Nicholls has told me for the Grand National. How horses were stuck on the M6 today (27/10) that we hope nice to see that now they are caused through an accident to run Ibis Du Rheu and Her Majesty The Queen the two greatest races of our near Stoke. Although the possibly the Dellercheckout photograph courtesy of sport. motorway finally cleared Dan’s at Weatherbys next week The National Horseracing Museum box arrived too late for the first at the Charlie Hall meeting. race but Marie Banrigh (which I am particularly interested is Celtic for Queen Mary) was to to see “Dellboy” following This week the Jockey club in time to impress coming his wind operation. Paul invited some National Hunt up the Carlisle hill which is a tells me that Politologue is owners for an evening at finish similiar to Cheltenham. flying in training so we can the museum in Newmarket look forward to seeing him which Her Majesty The Queen I am very pleased to let you at either Ascot or Haydock opened some two years ago. Golden Miller know we have purchased then hopefully onto the King I strongly recommend a visit unknown photographer with Sir Alex Ferguson, GED George on Boxing Day.