The Secret Racegoer on doubling up at Plumpton and Cheltenham

by admin · Published January 26, 2020 · Updated January 27, 2020

The Secret Racegoer on doubling up at Plumpton and Cheltenham

It was a week of contrast for the Secret Racegoer in his latest trips to the races.

On Monday he went to a meeting which, four days earlier, nobody knew was taking place, and finished the week at a well-publicised day that could have a bearing on the Festival.

Heavy rain meant Plumpton had to cancel an earlier fixture, but five days later they put on an extra meeting which featured a competitive veterans’ handicap.

Given the short notice, there was a decent enough turnout with racegoers paying £10 for the day’s six-race card. And the Plumpton team seemed pleased that people had made the effort.

Not everything was open, but the main bar was serving Guinness so all was well with the Secret Racegoer’s world.

There were two lads behind the bar but one did seem to disappear from time-to-time. Maybe it was a skeleton staff and people were doubling-up on racecourse jobs. Perhaps he was also the flagman, and was rushing back after each start to return to pulling pints.

Not very salubrious

Now you would have thought that with a modest-sized crowd, parking would not have been a problem. But early in the proceedings the driver of a grey Volvo was asked to move his vehicle as it was blocking the entrance to the not very salubrious sounding jockeys’ hut.

After a couple more races, his return to the grey Volvo was again required, as this time he was blocking the entrance to the adjacent farm. Thoughts turned to hoping that he had not now parked anywhere near the level-crossing at Plumpton station.

The feature race, the Sky Sports Racing Conditional Jockeys’ Veteran Handicap, went pleasingly to the 14-year-old Loose Chips who was having his 61st race under rules, a racing career which began in 2011.

Loose Chips made all and won by two-and-a-half lengths, giving the impression he could have doubled-up and run again in the finale.

Ahead of the day’s proceedings commentator Mark Johnson went through the card and was very sweet on White Chocolate in the mares’ novices’ hurdle, a fact that he was reminded of before the race by the raceday presenter.

Fortunately, the Seamus Mullins six-year-old recovered from a mistake three from home and stayed on to win. It gave the Secret Racegoer a chance to catch up with Johnson after the race to say “the Milky Bars are on you”.

At Cheltenham’s Festival Trials Day five days later there was no shortage of racegoers, or people to meet them.

Officialdom

Everywhere you looked there were pairs of racecourse staff in red jackets, doubling-up to ensure the crowd knew where they could or could not take their drinks.

The officialdom had started at Cheltenham Spa station where there was a fine example of management by wandering about. Armed with a clipboard, one of Stagecoach Buses’ finest walked around looking at the queues and the busses slowly filling up.

It was slow because passengers were having to pay the driver the £4 return fare. Had the man with the clipboard told people in the queue the price of the journey, boarding the bus might have been quicker. Even better if he and his colleagues, who hadn’t yet been awarded clipboards, collected the fares along the queue, as they do at Epsom and Goodwood.

A little early in the day

One of the Secret Racegoer’s favourite racecourse haunts is Cheltenham’s Arkle Bar but it’s best to be there early as it gets very busy. So, maybe a little too soon before noon, the day’s first pint of Guinness went down between a look at the Arkle memorabilia which adorns the bar’s walls. Probably no horse since has had such press coverage.

There was more Guinness to come as the Secret Racegoer met up with three friends who rather conveniently all enjoy the black stuff. It’s possible that they also enjoy each other’s company as a plan was hatched to meet up later in the afternoon.

After watching Harry Senior down the Secret Racegoer’s selection, King Roland, it was back to the bar for four more pints of Guinness. Just as the Secret Racegoer’s debit card was swiped to confirm the £24 payment, a text was received from one of the other members of the gang of four to say she’d got him a pint of Guinness, and three more to complete the round.

So there the four stood, surveying the doubling-up of the round – eight pints of Guinness. Should they say to anyone passing by that there were spare pints of Guinness going, or should they rise to the challenge?

Nearly succeeded

They rose to the challenge, and very nearly succeeded. The challenge was a bit too much for one of the men, who pleaded the need to leave early and catch a train to the West County, so he pulled up. What was left of his second pint was distributed among the three still standing.

Everyone continued to be involved, although the young lady disappeared to the loo about every three minutes. It’s a good job that Cheltenham’s recent redevelopment has added so many new facilities, as one of the field could easily have run out.

The remaining three got home, and about a quarter of a pint was left behind.

And hearts, but probably not livers, were raised by the victory of Paisley Park.

Sláinte.

More Secret Racegoer reports

Doubling up and Plumpton and Cheltenham http://wp.me/p8e3Dl-3kk

Walking through history at Warwick http://wp.me/p8e3Dl-3d6

Joining the Mayfair set http://wp.me/p8e3Dl-2ZV

Ascot’s Beer Festival http://wp.me/p8e3Dl-2JE

A nice lunch in Newmarket http://wp.me/p8e3Dl-2xk

It’s pretty much all Champion in Ireland http://wp.me/p8e3Dl-2CT

Royal Ascot 2019 part 1 http://wp.me/p8e3Dl-2bn

Royal Ascot 2019 part 2 http://wp.me/p8e3Dl-2co