The turf
Armchair racing
Robin Oakley
Three weeks around the party confer- ence circuit, listening to fine speeches from Robin Cook and Ken Clarke and a great deal more which were the oratorical equiv- alent of painting by numbers, left me with some sympathy for party leaders. The top trainers at this time of year go cheerily round the sales, flogging off the dross and re-stocking their yards with talent for next Year. Messrs Major, Blair and Ashdown have to make do with the livestock on the premises until the electorate next makes its dispositions.
It was to have been Ascot at the week- end, but. having been reduced to a fevered croak by exposure to the germs of all three parties, I had to settle for the hardship of whisky and hot lemon, an armchair and the eight races on television, which included four hotly contested handicaps with large fields. Irresistible, although betting at this time of year owes as much to the crystal ball as to the form book. Coats are 'going', the going is changing and you just cannot tell which horses are running because their trainer thinks them ready, and which are out because the owner has nagged for just one more run in the hope of a contribution to the winter's keep bills.
Horses which start at 2-5 rarely carry my money. But I had been impressed by reports of how easily Henry Cecil's Derby favourite High Roller had won his maiden at Yarmouth. When Barnum Sands went clear up the short Ascot straight in the Autumn Stakes, often a pointer to next year's Classic prospects, I never thought High Roller would catch him, but Pat Eddery. firm but not punishing, got him down to work and they just made it by a head on the line. Some say that was not potential Classic form, but I side with those who argue that the gawky generous colt will have learned much from the experi- ence. The two principals had drawn many lengths clear of some other talented juve- niles. The £18,000 for that win brought Henry Cecil within £20,000 of Saeed bin Suroor in the champion trainers contest and that now looks like being decided this weekend by the Dewhurst and Champion Stakes at Newmarket.
Easycall's win in the Group Three Corn- wallis Stakes after his busy season made a nice contribution to the pot at 11-2. His Impressive performance giving weight to all his rivals stamps him as a sprinter to watch next season and his handler Brian Meehan as a man who knows what to do with quali- ty in his hands.
Frankie Dettori's return to an Ascot Sat- urday for the first time after his seven- timer had been billed as a duel with his French equivalent Olivier Peslier, the `Frankie of France', who also had a trio of mounts. The rivalry is said to be friendly, although I will not forget the shot in the Longchamp jockeys' changing-room after the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe of the jubi- lant Peslier drawing his finger across his throat as he gestured at the temporarily disconsolate Dettori. But it didn't do pun- ters much good last weekend as both drew a blank at Ascot.
I had reckoned Altamura to be Dettori's best mount of the day in the Princess Royal Stakes and thought Brian Meehan's book- ing of Peslier for White Emir in the Wilmott Dixon handicap to be significant. Alas, it proved to be no more significant than an early dinner booking by a party- cruising deb's delight. Both finished out of the money.
Channel 4 provided the highlight of the racing day for me after the apprentice-rid- den Bonin Joanne had won the £17,000 Coral Sprint Trophy. The horse had been backed down from 12-1 in the morning to 6-1 joint favourite. Nor was it the first gamble of the season on Tim Easterby's sprinter. Some reckoned connections had got their fingers burned after the horse was well-backed at Ripon in August. Derek Thompson valiantly tried to get comment both from Tim Easterby's father Peter, pre- viously in charge at Habton Grange Sta- bles, and his trainer son. But it is easier opening oysters with a toothpick than per- suading a Yorkshireman to talk about money. Peter wandered off at the first break in the conversation and Tim mut- tered a terse, 'Wouldn't know, would I? Don't bet.' As Thommo observed, you would not want to play poker with the Easterbys.
It was before the previous race, the Crowther Homes Handicap, that we heard too in characteristic style from the inim- itable lady rider of the year Alex Greaves about how they had to train the seven-year- old mare Pride of Pendle largely by racing her as often as possible. 'At home she spends more time dumping you on your bum.' I do wish I could go racing in York- shire more often. I'm also for reviving the tradition of a movable Parliament, sitting regularly in the North.
Although Barry Hills's Nightbird came home for me an impressive winner of the Coldstream Guards Rockingham Stakes I could not find another winner on the extensive York card. I do, however, counsel an interest in Astrac next time out over six furlongs. A winner of York's Coral Sprint in 1994 and of the Wokingham at Ascot last year when trained by Reg Akehurst, this useful sprinter moved earlier this year to Gay Kelleway. After a sixth place to Bol- shoi over the shorter trip of five furlongs at Ascot three weeks ago, he ran on well in this year's Coral Sprint to finish fourth, and looks like a horse whose zest has been renewed by a change of scenery. Have another go too with Bolshoi, who was run- ning on like a train in the William Dixon at Ascot but hadn't seen daylight until too late. I am sure Jack Berry can place this one to win again.
Robin Oakley is political editor of the BBC.
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