the first racing post. (part 2).

​The first race-cards in the first Racing Post were the 4-day declarations for Newmarket and Cheltenham. Three of the races at Newmarket were sponsored by Remy Martin, Charles Heidsieck and Krug – oh would it not be nice if racing could attract similar sponsors today.
The Craven Stakes attracted 20 horses at the 4-day stage, one of which was Dancing Brave. Other entries that jog my memory were Huntingdale, Sure Blade, Faraway Dancer and Sharrood. I am ashamed to say not one of the eight horses in the Champagne Stakes have left their mark on my memory. Likewise, not one of the eighteen entered for the Boldboy Sprint Handicap have left any impression on me, though Boldboy, that admirable horse owned by Lady Beaverbrook, will never be forgotten.
The main race at Cheltenham was the South Wales Showers Mira handicap Chase, with 20 possible runners, headed by another admirable horse, Half Free. Also entered were The Tsarevich, Mr.Moonraker, Roadster, Pan Arctic, Run To Me and Bishop’s Yarn. What knocks the eye out, though, is that the novice handicap chase, attracted thirteen, whereas the opening handicap hurdle had thirty-six, the novice handicap hurdle forty-seven, the Hunters’ Chase nineteen and the juvenile handicap hurdle twenty-nine.
Amongst the thirty-six in the opening hurdle was Panto Prince, then trained by Les Kennard. He was five back then and was set to carry 11st. Amongst the thirteen for the novice handicap was Gee-A, then trained by Josh Gifford and set to carry only 10st 1Ib, a horse that will always be associated with Gee Armitage, of course. The novice handicap hurdle was graced by the presence of Pegwell Bay and Mrs.Muck. The latter being the horse that launched the training career of the always under-rated Nigel Twiston-Davies, now one of the best trainers either side of the Irish Sea. Eliogarty was the best horse in the Hunter Chase.
Oh, I’ve just turned the page and discovered a seventh race, a National Hunt flat race that had – stand back in disbelief – one-hundred and eight entries. Those were the days, no doubt.
There was also a meeting at Perth, with entries of twenty-three, fourteen, twenty-one, twelve, fifteen, and twenty-two. Following the Perth entries, there are the entries for Newbury on the Friday, sadly only the first two races feature, with the direction that the rest of the card can be found on page fifteen, except it isn’t and I cannot find it on any page. Oh dear, stewards’ enquiry in the editors’ office, no doubt.
On the first day of Cheltenham’s meeting, Badsworth Boy was to be asked to carry 11st 12Ib in the handicap chase. The Piper Champagne Golden Miller had amongst the entries Charter Party and there was the final of a series that ought to be revived, The Steel Plate and Sections Young Chasers Championship. There were also meetings at Redcar, Perth and Newmarket.
Incidentally, the lay-out of the four-day declarations was a mess. One might almost say amateurish. Yet the cards for the day’s racing, April 15th, was far neater.
There was a very promising amateur riding at Fontwell by the name of L.Harvey, claiming seven. Also, a good number of female amateurs, more than I would have imagined for 1986.
Wolverhampton was noticeable for two things. The ground was soft and only two turned-out for the two-year-old seller, one, obviously, trained by Jack Berry.
Sonic Lady was favourite for the Nell Gwyn. I imagine she won. In the following race the then eleven-year-old Popsi’s Joy was ridden by Richard Fox.
Durham Edition carried top-weight in the 3-mile chase at Catterick and Samantha Dunster rode White Penny in the conditional jockeys novice hurdle, also in the race were Judy Blakeney and Jacquie Oliver.
At Devon & Exeter (now just Exeter, and still nowhere close to the city) Samantha Dunster was down to ride Mr.Peapock. How she achieved the fete of riding at both Catterick and Devon & Exeter I cannot say. Martin Pipe had runners that day and Peter Scudamore rode there but not for the master trainer. Samantha Dunster and Tracy Turner rode in the final race. I mention this small fact as I am gobsmacked by the number of female jockeys who were riding over hurdles and fences back in 1986. In fact, more than have licences today, it seems.
The day before the Racing Post graced newsagent shelves, there was a meeting at Folkestone, where Steve Cauthen rode the winner of the Privy Councillor Stakes for Henry Cecil. There was a meeting at Wolverhampton, where, in truth, nothing much of note occurred. At Wetherby, Drops O’Brandy beat the thirteen-year-old Honourable man in the 3-mile Chase.
At Oakland Park, the Fantasy Stakes, worth £191,888 to the winner, was won by Tiffany Lass. The Champagne Stakes at Randwick was won by Bounding Away. Oh, and I have now found the rest of the Newbury declarations on page 45, so perhaps there was no stewards’ enquiry, only a rap on the knuckles for the employee responsible for the oversight.
Monica Dickinson was had in by the stewards’ at Wetherby and had her attention drawn to the rule governing schooling in public. She was not best pleased, seemingly. Desert Orchid was finished for the season after an exhausting run behind Repington at Ascot. The horse Princess Anne hoped to ride at Cheltenham was one of the one-hundred and eight entries and Jimmy Fitzgerald was waiting to find out what the ground would be at Ayr before deciding whether Blue Tarquin or Bally-Go would represent him in the Scottish National.
Liverpool and Everton were battling it out at the top of Division 1, Norwich were clear at the top of division 2 and Bristol Rovers were mid-division in league 3.
To my surprise, on page 52, there was both a general t.v guide and a summary of world news, with a photograph of Margaret Thatcher. I shouldn’t think she ever imagined featuring in a horse-racing newspaper. One headline you’ll never see now ‘Blacks die in unrest’. Far from woke back in 1986. I think it is fair to say that the Racing Post has improved out of all recognition since publication of the first edition.