THE WINNING POST
OFF OFFICIAL BULLETIN OF THE YORKSHIRE RACING CLUB
MEETING FIRST TUESDAY EACH MONTH 8-00pm
HEADQUARTERS: THE PARKFIELD SUITE
8 PARKFIELD TERRACE, OFF GRANGEFIELD INDUSTRIAL ESTATE,
PUDSEY, LEEDS, LS28 6BS
June 2009
A Grand Day Out
Bill and John were interviewed by Tom O`Ryan
and the interview was shown on Racing UK, I
hope we may be able to get a copy of this.
Members turned out in numbers to celebrate
the Yorkshire Racing Club’s 25th anniversary in
style, on a glorious summer’s afternoon with
top class racing on the Knavesmire at York.
William Darby and his assistants, Nick and
James made sure that this was a day to
remember. If they arranged the weather a big
thank you for that as well!
Many thanks to David Beardsall and Gill Morland
for their contributions and also to the many
guests for giving their time.
Guests who made an appearance were Graham
Orange, Richard Fahey, Bill Warby, John
Morgan, Tim Walford, Laura Eddery (Lady
Amateur Rider) and Michael Gallagher
(Conditional Rider).
The top tipster competition was won in
impressive style by Audrey McConnell, 2nd
Tommy Willis and joint 3rd Freda Warr and
Sonia Hepworth. Not a bad effort from Audrey
who had said that she did not want to enter the
competition! Well done to all the prize winners!
I hope everyone enjoyed the food and drink on
offer, quite a few people stayed on after the
racing finished so they must have enjoyed it.
All in all I think it was a day to remember, if
enough people are interested it is possible we
could do it again next year.
Ray Edwards
A Course for Celebration – see page 6
The photo shows guests enjoying the facilities at the Roberto Pavillion.
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A Course for Celebration
York Racecourse very kindly
provided us with access to the
Roberto Pavilion on Saturday the
30th May to celebrate the 25th
anniversary of the Yorkshire Racing
Club.
After several months of advertising,
publicity and anticipation the day
finally arrived. And what a day it
was!!!!!!! The sun was blazing, on what
turned out to be the hottest day of
the year so far as we set off to
York, full of high hopes. Almost
seventy members and their guests
made the pilgrimage from far and
wide to support the day.
When the three of us arrived at
York, early morning, we were greeted with a
locked gate and we had a frenzied conversation
to check we had got the date right. Turns out
we had, we had just misjudged our journey
time. They don’t call Jim Jenson Button
Cheetham for nothing! Hughie Turner, a
renowned backseat driver, was only sick twice
on the way with nerves and throughout all this
Keith ‘Saturday Naps’ Mather juggled the
mobile, a pen and his pad so that all naps
phoned in were recorded.
Above – Two of our Special Guests at York, John
Morgan and Bill Warby being interviewed on
Racing UK by Tom O’Ryan.
---------------------------------------------------Chairman Ray (the Mike Catterole of Rothwell)
Edwards distributed selection sheets for the
naps competition which prompted a period of
quiet reflection not often seen by any of the
members or York Racecourse staff. The study
time was pleasantly broken by the arrival of
top trainer Richard Fahey, who along with John
Morgan and Bill Warby proceeded to ‘mark our
card’ for the afternoons racing ahead. I am
sure many people changed their selections as a
result of what they said.
The gate finally opened at 11.15am and we were
as excited as 3 children on Christmas Eve, in
we went to find the much heralded Roberto
Pavilion. The pavilion certainly did not
disappoint, it was located approximately 75
yards from the winning post and consisted of a
large elevated decking area with tables and
chairs and a private marquee complete with bar
facilities, Tote and toilets. Everything you
could possibly need for the day was there.
There was food available, a selection of hot
meals, including lasagne, cottage pie and spicy
mince all accompanied by vegetables and good
old Yorkshire puddings. This proved to be well
received by all.
Just to mention a big thank you to the
organiser David Beardsall, who did a sterling
job and all the facilities, the food, the
presentation, the trainer talk, entrance fees,
race cards and the top tipster competition
were included in the price of £27.00!!!
The racing kicked off with a Howard Johnson
trained winner romping home at 10/1 which was
backed by several members of the club, in
particular Jim Cheetham. Race two saw Dandy
Nicholls find the winners enclosure with his
progressive sprinter Regal Parade at 7/1 much
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to the delight of a number of our party.
Winner of the third race was the Nicky
Henderson trained 12 year old hurdler
Carracciola at the rewarding odds of 7/1
beating the well backed Godolphin hotpot, a
winner that was well supported by the massive
crowd. The day continued with another three
races, including the Richard Fahey trained
Kyllachy Star at 12/1 and the well backed and
impressive Grand Art at 3/1 in the finale.
At the end of the meeting we all agreed that
the day had been a resounding success and
unbelievably enjoyable for all. Many of the
group said that ‘it was the best days racing’
they had ever known, a tribute to David’s
organisational skills and hard work.
Finally, a few well deserved ‘thank-yous’.
Firstly and most importantly to York
Racecourse for their outstanding hospitality
which made the day for all concerned, they
cannot be commended highly enough. To Ray
and David for all their efforts on the day, to
Jean and Freda for ordering the sunshine (a
few degrees less next time please) and finally
to all the members who came along and made it
such a memorable day!!
As the day wore on and the sun got hotter it
really made us appreciative of the outstanding
facilities that had been provided for us by York
Racecourse. We could sit in the shade of the
marquee or sit out on the terrace suitably
factored up, with a cool drink and a full naps
sheet.
See you all at York next year?
The bankers of the country tell us there is a
Credit Crunch on and we are in a recession but
we saw no evidence to support this among the
massive crowd at York Racecourse.
Yours in sport
Jim, Hughie and Keith (the 3 stooges)
York – Top Tipster Competition
As usual the tipster competition at York was
a competitive affair; and as usual the Ladies
were well to the forefront.
After the opening exchanges ie after Race 3,
there were no less than six joint leaders:
Freda Warr, Mick Copley, Jim Cheetham,
Vic Barnes, Sonia Hepworth and David
Edwards.
It was the exact same situation after Race 4
but after race five the ladies were asserting
there stranglehold on affairs. Audrey
Mconnell took the lead on 42 points with
Sonia Hepworth second on 36 points and
Freda Warr third on 34 points.
The Final Result after Race 7 saw Tommy
Willis dared to break the ladies dominance
but it was too little too late as Audrey held
on for an impressive victory.
1st
Audrey McConnell with 52 points
2nd
Tommy Willis
with 42 points
rd
3 = Sonia Hepworth
with 36 points
and
Freda Warr
also 36 points
Audrey McConnell receives the First Prize in the
Tipping competition from Chairman Ray
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FOUR GO TO STUD
The bloodlines of all thoroughbred racehorses can be traced directly back to three
Foundation Stallions: The Byerley Turk, The Darley Arabian and The Godolphin Arabian.
Little wonder then that HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (aka The Boss)
chose the names that he did; i.e. Godolphin for his family racing operations and Darley
for his breeding colossus.
dying of grass sickness. His most talented son,
Dubawi, who emulated his sire with victory in
the Prix Jacques le Marois, now stands at
Dalham Hall alongside his paternal half-brother
Echo Of Light, who has his first foals on the
ground in 2009.
On 1st May your intrepid YRC explorers
entered the “Magic Kingdom” that is
Dalham Hall Stud, the Newmarket base of
Darley. Very efficient guards at very efficient
electric gates welcomed us warmly and to
their credit found the gag about 2 old mares
in the back a lot funnier than did the mares (S
& V) themselves.
The population at Dalham Hall is increased
annually with the arrival of Maktoum Family
endurance horses when 80 animals along with
grooms and work riders descend for a summer
of air-conditioned pampering and competition.
The Boss recently rode the winner of a race
over 120km in Dubai and such is his passion
that there is on site a 2 mile (yes 2 mile) circular
all-weather gallop for endurance training.
A reception area that would grace any hotel in
the world screamed opulence in every detail
and right on time we met stud manager Ray
Eyre who was to be our guide for the afternoon.
From the air-conditioned comfort of a luxury
people carrier we were whisked on a
remarkable journey around the 12 individual
stud farms that make up a total of 4500 acres of
pristine perfection.
Security is tight with much use made of CCTV
and the many gates between studs are
electronically controlled with only a chosen few
having “unlimited access” key fobs.
The Boss bought Dalham Hall in 1981 and has
since added a further 11 adjoining properties. A
staff of just 10 people, tending one stallion in
1981, has grown to 250 at Newmarket and an
overall total of 1300 world wide.
Darley keep 30 retired mares in luxury and have
on hand some 20 foster mares all of which are
cobs as opposed to thoroughbreds. 4000
sheep plus shepherd and 40 bullocks are kept
for ground maintenance purposes whilst 18
gardeners have created some fabulous
displays. A “select” team work at keeping yards
and paddocks spotless with vacuum equipment
which ensures droppings barely touch the
ground before they are taken away together
with used bedding for recycling on site and
eventual return to the paddocks as top
dressing.
Currently heading the line-up of 12 stallions at
Darley Newmarket is 2008 Derby winner New
Approach, who was also the undefeated
Champion Juvenile of his year. He stands (at
£30k a time) alongside Singspiel the
globetrotting superstar who won the Dubai
World Cup and the Japan Cup who is now
establishing himself as a top-class sire with 7
Group 1 winners to his name already, and
Manduro who was top-rated horse in the world
in 2007.
The Stallion Yard was obviously the high spot of
our visit and we had as much time as we
wanted to meet and greet the residents at close
quarters. It is awesome to think of the value of
the horses you are stroking, remembering what
they did on the track and realising what they
now help to create as sires.
One of the most famous stallions to stand at
Dalham Hall was Sheikh Mohammed’s favourite
Dubai Millennium. Born on the stud and trained
in Newmarket, he also won a Dubai World Cup
and was the sensational eight-length winner of
the Prince of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot. On
his retirement from racing he returned to the
stud but sadly sired just one crop of foals before
Newmarket’s two-day Guineas Meeting was a
fitting end to a memorable excursion and we
must also give a “travel guide” mention to
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Tommy and Dee at The White Hart in Fulbourn
(Newmarket 20 mins) Tel.01223 880264 /
www.whitehartfulbourn.co.uk
(sole heir to the Goldsborough Estate in
Knaresborough) The Byerley Turk stood at
Goldsborough Hall Stud until his death in 1706.
He is believed to be buried close to the Hall.
There are 12 Epsom derby winners, 10 St
Leger winners and 14 Oaks winners listed in the
family line of Byerley Turk descendants.
Darley kindly gave us a copy of their 2009
Stallion Directory which makes very interesting
reading and is available should any member
wish to borrow it.(see Jean at YRC Meeting).
THE GODOLPHIN ARABIAN…Is named for
his most famous owner Francis 2nd Earl of
Godolphin and stood at Babraham Stud in
Cambridgeshire until his death in 1753.
Amongst his earlier descendents the most
famous was his grandson Matchem.
Susie, Angus, Vivienne and David
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All thoroughbred racehorses are descended
from just 3 stallions imported to England from
the East some 300 years ago. From these 3
founding stallions the modern racehorse has
been fashioned by a succession of skilled
breeders who have carefully selected horses
based on pedigree and performance to get to
where we are today.
THE DARLEY ARABIAN…Bought by Thomas
Darley in Aleppo, Syria in 1704 and shipped
back to stud at Aldby Park. He famously sired
Flying Childers and his great, great grandson
was Eclipse who was born in 1764 and won all
his 18 starts. Almost 90% of thoroughbred
racehorses trace back to Eclipse and The
Darley Arabian.
THE BYERLEY TURK…Was captured by a
Captain Byerley at the Battle of Buda in 1686
and also served as his war horse in the Battle of
the Boyne. After Byerley married Mary Wharton
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Fond Memories
The April meeting passed so quickly that I didn’t get the opportunity to tell members about the
tremendous success the YRC Flat owners group had with their horses. Two in particular were stars for
the group; those were Double Splendour and Highborn.
Both had tremendous careers and the highlight was probably Highborn who won the Queen Elizabeth
class C handicap on the 24th June 1994 when trainer Paul Felgate was presented with the prize by Her
Majesty the Queen. The career details are listed below and I am indebted to Paul Matthewman who
provided the information.
Double Splendour. Trained by Paul Felgate.
79 Lifetime starts (11 wins; 12 seconds; 4 thirds).
He earned £87910.00 in prize money and achieved a top
rating of 103.
His best racing year in my view was 1996 when he managed
2nd in the Coral Sprint at York 3rd in the Lawrence Batley and
4th in the Ayr Gold Cup.
Highborn. Trained by Paul Felgate.
91 lifetime starts (14 wins; 6 seconds; 8 thirds).
He earned £95156.00 in prize money and earned a top
rating of 100.
Best racing in 1993 between May and August when he had 4 wins and 2 seconds.
In 1994 he won 4 times between June and September including twice in a week; The Ripon
Rowell’s over 8f on good to firm and over 7f at Chester on good to soft drawn 13 of 13. But
perhaps the best day out was the 24 June 1994 when he won the Queen Elizabeth all weather
(class c) Handicap at Wolverhampton when he beat the favourite by ¾ length returning odds of
11/2.
Two fantastic horses who gave a few people many great times.
Another who did well for the group, also trained by Paul Felgate was Macs Maharanee who had 62
starts, 6 wins, 10 seconds and 7 thirds and earned £40 251 in his lifetime.
Other Flat group racing club winners have been Finn McCool, Angel Isa, and Instructor who were all
trained by Richard Fahey.
Whilst speaking to retired trainer Paul Felgate I asked about the three stars, unfortunately Highborn
(18) and Macs Maharanee (16) were put down after a happy retirement but Paul said Double Splendour
is still gambolling around the paddock.
Vic. Barnes
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Forthcoming Attractions at The YRC
The Next Club Meeting is
On T u e s d a y 7 t h J u l y a t 8 - 0 0 p m
The Guests will be North Yorkshire Trainer
Noel Wilson
Ayr Gold Cup
All those booked for the trip to the Ayr Gold Cup and the Hamilton meeting on Saturday and
Sunday 19th and 20th September should arrange to pay the full cost to David Orange no later
than the club meeting on Tuesday 4th August.
Aintree
David Orange is making arrangements for Sunday 22nd November to take a trip for the
meeting at Aintree.
Fondly known as Becher Chase Day, with two races over the world famous Grand National
fences, Sunday 22nd November is the only other meeting in Aintree’s calendar to witness
racing over the famous Grand National course.
To help David to cost this trip he needs an approximate number who wish to participate
therefore anyone interested should inform him on or before the day of the July meeting.
Details will then appear in future issues of The Winning Post.
Noel Wilson
The Guest a t The Next Club Meeting On T u e s d a y 7 t h J u l y wi ll be North Yorkshire
trainer Noel Wilson. Noel was due to vi s it th e Clu b in February but th e meeting
was can celled becaus e of the snow.
He had once again promised to come to the June meeting but was una ble to do so
because of a family bereavemen t in Ireland. Noel was una ble to con tact David
Beardsall as David was also out of the country so he could not tell us of th e
change in circumstan ces.
Noel has expressed his keen ness to come and see us s o we look f orward to
welcoming him in Jul y. Third time lucky ??
The next club meeting is Tuesday 7th July – see you then-- ----
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