BACK-TO-BACK NAPS WIN: After Master Milan (WON 11-8) stumped the layers on Saturday, Daqman’s nap scored again yesterday through Swing Bowler (WON 4-5), and he also named Hada Men (WON 7-2) for two winning races out of three.
SIX LAYS UP OUT OF SEVEN: It was a double whammy for Daqman as his lay, Sleeping City (fell 7-2), was toppled by Swing Bowler in the same race.
FIVE WINNING DAYS OUT OF SIX: Yesterday was Daqman’s fifth winning day out of six. His profit was 32.90 after 44.40 on Saturday, 12.20 on Gold Cup day and 19.00 on Thursday, making a total of 108.50 from four consecutive successful days
ATR and RUK are acronyms which take on greater significance this morning. As the oldest of them all, BBC, bows out, there is one message to racecourse television: open your doors, spread your wares so you can reduce your prices. Let’s have easy access all round.
Racing’s big chance in 2012 of getting the crowds back is, contradictory as it may seem to some, for an instant Googling of the races, live as they are happening, to be available to the masses all round the world.
One thing racecourse television has proved is that you don’t need retired jockeys to do the job. Only a few who loved the Beeb coverage will be asking ‘what’s going to happen to laughing Willie?’ (Carson), just as few ever asked ‘where’s Jimmy ‘Shy Talk’ Lindley gone?’
John ‘Greatest Jockey’ Francome, who in fact is well eclipsed these days by Ruby Walsh and Tony McCoy, now stands alone as the man on the box who has sat in the saddle (‘looks well; has a big chance at 33-1’).
I remember ghost-writing his column for the newspapers. I did the same for William Hunter Carson. They are not writers and it was work, for me, as hard as jumping fences (I did jump them once or twice; fell off and broke my hand; not a clever thing for a writer to do).
But, as I have said, those guys are not writers, nor are they commentators. They are, or were, jockeys; and any punter who has ever had his ear to the ground will know that jockeys are the world’s worst tipsters.
Somehow soccer has managed to pull it off better than racing, this idea that a sportsman can be commentator or critic of his own sport.
Alan Hansen earns more than some modern footballers, even though – in Francome mode – he first off tips the outsider (Liverpool? Surely not), and then in true Tommo fashion highlights the favourite for the identical reason: their sheer class and courage can pull it off. Manchester United are the Big Buck’s of football all right!
I used to know Tommo well – yes, I even admit it – and I’m pleased that one (only one?) irritation of the Tommo style has at last been pointed out to him.
I don’t mind his new breathless, upbeat tone. What I did used to hate was when he introduced a recording of races already run that day.
Tommo would mention only two or three to watch out for just before the reprise came on, ending his preamble with very strong emphasis on the horse that proved, of course, to be the winner.
Fortunately Tommo the eager tipster has largely been replaced by Tommo the eager ‘this is all a great adventure’ presenter.
An opportunity now, please Tommo, for you to revise your commentating tone a bit when it comes to finishes. As I listen to a radio relay of the 3.20 Southwell AW, in which something has railed round and gone clear, I don’t want to hear that something else is ‘going to make a race of it’ and is ‘getting closer’ when he’s actually plodding pathetically, one paced and four or five lengths behind with no real chance.
But at least the boy is value for money for showmanship. Analyse the words of most ‘pundits’ on terrestrial TV and you are non-the-wiser, though I do like to hear the Irish brogue of Ted Walsh, with one or two sardonic words of insight.
I always think it’s a pity that Walsh is wheeled on only for the big-time jumps venues: at least, we should hear him at the National now, which will be a bonus, and they should make much more of his comments on the runners auto alongside ‘I can do it with my eyes closed’ Jim McGrath.
Not to be confused with Jim Aloysius McGrath, whose Aussie tones on the Beeb will no longer be heard. We poor mortals will have to judge for ourselves which horse is ‘giving them all a good start.’ Unless we watch racecourse TV.
So, as the great TV race takes a new turn, let the whole world in on the secret of English and Irish success with the thoroughbred. And, before they retire Ruby and put him on the box, give me more of father Ted.
DAQMAN’S BETS
LAY to win 10pts KING JACK, and BET (to win 20 points) 1.7pts win SUM LAFF with 1.8pts win (stakes saver) NIGHT IN MILAN (2.30 Southwell)
BET 9pts win (nap) BAILEYS CONCERTO (4.00 Southwell)
BET 3.4pts win CROWN COUNSEL and 3.2pts win GREENSWARD (4.50 Kempton)
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