Juliette's Weekly Frolic
In 1962 The Spectator had yet to saddle itself with a racing correspondent — male or female — but that didn't prevent its doing justice, in the shape of a full-length review, to Roger Mortimer's The History of the Derby Stakes. "A delectable social history," we called it then, and having read, browsed and flipped through the 700-odd bages of the newly-published, updated version (Michael Joseph £8.75), I'd go along with that view. Scandals always make good reading and early Derby history fizzes with them. In fact for the first 150 years it's hard to find a race without some villainy afoot — although, in fairness, it wasn't until the thirtythird running that Manueila won a certain notoriety as the first horse actually to be ' sttipped.'
At this frost-bitten time of year, fields for big races,swell like the kitty of a snowballing Jackpot as meeting after meeting falls victim to the frost, and an ever larger and more illustrious collection of horses roll.on to the next big prize. Weather permitting, it could be Cheltenham's turn to get lucky this Saturday when Pendil v The Dikler, Lanzarotte y Comedy of Errors and Captain Christy v Bula are just some of the plums being dangled in front of the Cotswolds crowd. Although the first of these clashes is not absolutely certain, the second fifty-fifty and the third doubtful, it only needs one to materialise to
ensure a capacity crowd.
Apart from its pair of starring topweights, the field for the £8,000added Massey Ferguson Gold Cup seems rather uninspiring. Pendil with a warming-up race and the distance — two and a half miles — in his favour looks a snip at 5-2, but since Fred Winter is apparently anxious not to give him too tough a time under his 12.7 burden, a little each-way interest in Royal Relief — in receipt of 13Ib --seems in order.
On Saturday Cheltenham hasn't a dud race on the card since the customary novice event happens to be the Daily Express Triumph Hurdle Trial featuring the cream of the young brigade. The showdown here is between Supreme Halo and Adam's Well, but from what is usually a large, competitive field, I select Young Robert who scored by twelve lengths here on Mackeson t cland can record the sixth succesS Of his short career.
At the time of writing there are a Staggering 79 horses left in Friday's Tony Teacher 'Chase and an appetising collection they are too. First choice finally falls on Foreman who won twice at Cheltenham last year and since he missed a race at Sandown last Friday seems most likely 'to run, Should he switch to the 2.30 at Lingfield the next .day, the money's still down.
Assets: E78.95. Outlay £2 ew Royal Relief, £3 to win Young Robert & Foreman.
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