The turf
Unfulfilled dream
Robin Oakley
Life has its disappointments, as I was reminded the other day when told the tale of the son who phoned his Jewish mother. How was she? 'Fine,' she replied. 'As well as can be expected for anybody who hasn't eaten for 37 days."Mother, you haven't eaten for 37 days. What on earth is wrong?' Nothing's wrong. But would a son want to call his mother for the first time in 37 days and find her with her mouth full?' I expect that one started with the incomparable Rabbi Lionel Blue and it is Godolphin's 'boys in blue' for whom all racing folk feel this week in their cruel disappointment.
Sheikh Mohammed's challenge to Michael Tabor to run his Montjeu against Godolphin's Dubai Millennium for a $6 million side-stake over a mile and a quarter brought echoes of the great sporting chal- lenges of the past. It would surely have been the race of the decade. But no sooner had the next day's headlines rolled off the presses than the news came through that Dubai Millennium had broken a hind leg on the Newmarket gallops and that his rac- ing days were over. His sporting owner deserved better. Even he may never have a finer horse than Dubai Millennium, whose only defeat was in the 1999 Derby and who had amassed nearly £3 million in winnings, including the Dubai World Cup. Now we must all dream of what might have been.
The sad news about Dubai Millennium took the edge off what would otherwise have been a day of real racing celebration last Saturday. The best thing about it was Frankie Dettori's successful return to the saddle after the light aircraft accident 66 days before which killed his pilot and near- ly did for him and Ray Cochrane too. I had never taken Frankie seriously when he said that he might come back and find he had lost his bottle. Driving home Atlantis Prince and Dim Sums he showed that all the old instinct and talent is there, even if it did leave him a little puffed. And there might just have been a mutter when he got home to his wife. Frankie greeted his sec- ond winner with the declaration: 'I just hope Catherine isn't feeling randy tonight as I won't be able to do anything about it.'
What is it with these jockeys? Hadn't he learned from the experience of National Hunt rider Mick Fitzgerald, who took years to recover from his response to Des Lynam's query about how he felt after win- ning the 1996 Grand National on Rough Quest: 'After that, Des, even sex is an anti- climax.' Anyway, however satisfying Satur- day proved for Mrs Dettori, we all love him and it is great to have him back. Racing is a sport of great character but it has too few characters in the saddle. We cannot man- age without his infectious enthusiasm.
I was at wonderful, unstuffy Goodwood in the Saturday sunshine with the panamas bobbing, the steel band as melodious as ever and a crowd of the nicest people you could hope to meet around the unsaddling enclosure. Among them was former trainer Peter Walwyn, who has just finished proof- reading his autobiography, due out this autumn. His chums are wondering whether P. Walwyn will list in his volume those peo- ple in racing whom he has always said he would use to fill a bus and send it over Beachy Head. What is promised, according to his friend Jim Cramsie, is a picture of Big Pete on holiday in a Greek soldier's purloined stand-out skirt. I can't wait.
Another training veteran who puts across his enthusiasm, Dettori-style, is Clive Brit- tain, and there was pleasure all round as his classy filly Crimplene stepped up in dis- tance to 12 furlongs and still won her third successive Group One race. Clive had left it to jockey Philip Robinson to decide the tactics and even though it was her first attempt beyond a mile he chose to go on early in the race and let the rest chase him home. Crimplene's trainer told course interviewer Mike Cattermole publicly before the race that she had the class to get the trip. Afterwards he explained that with the field going and pulling up, going and pulling up in the early stages Crimplene was clearly anxious to get on with it — 'there's no point in disappointing a good filly' — and so Robinson had let her go. The neat, unfussy Robinson rode a shrewd- ly judged race. And if it looked easy let us remember what might have been said about him if those tactics had not worked.
Another piece of top-class jockeyship came from Richard Hughes, riding Tayseer to victory in the Stewards Cup by coming from behind in the 30-horse cavalry charge, just as he had done to win the race on Har- monic Way the year before. Owners Jonathan Ramsden and Henry Rix had asked for exactly the ride they got. But in that kind of race it takes considerable nerve to execute such orders.
Salutations too to the canny Gerard But- ler. Owner Tim Holland-Martin had said he would do well to win a race this season with Fanfare. Her success in the Turf Club Rated Stakes was her third this season and I don't imagine it will be the last. 'She's as tough as old boots,' said her trainer. Watch out too for Mick Channon's Murrendi, who ran a promising race in the Richard Baer- lein maiden stakes despite being buffeted about. He'll surely be placed to win over seven furlongs before long.
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