Welcome Danny Frenchholly , I'd like to agree with you and Q ,
But your'e 10 year's out for me !!.
Anyhow , Sometime when your'e in the mood .
Give us a little insight to the horses youv'e been involved with.
I'm sure there's plenty of people here , interested to hear . :encouragement:.
Well for those who are interested, I’ll try and keep it as brief as possible.
The first syndicate me and my Dad joined was with Arthur Stephenson way back it was the first syndicate horse at his stables and was therefore named Going Public. He was by Strong Gale and was a beautiful looking horse. He ran first time and Perth travelled well under Chris Grant who held him in high regard but petered out very tamely. He had a tendency to travel supremely well but never finish his race. Arthur unfortunately died and his nephew Peter Cheeseborough took over. He ran at Musselburgh and did his tendon. He was out for over a year, ran several times without any success. He then won at Newcastle at 14/1 I think? and I didn’t have a penny on! Next time he won at Wetherby and I had a decent bet on. Just when we finally thought all his problems had been rectified he ran disappointingly. Until he did another tendon and decided to call it a day. He did come back again without any success.
Also had a share in another Strong Gale called Strong Measure with Cheeseborough. He was very average and managed to win a small race at Hexham. The reason I actually prefer the flat is NH racing tends to be very attritional and injuries are very common and frustrating when you have a share in one or two horses.
Then preceded to get a share in a sprinter called Miss Aragon trained by Lynn Siddall. Initially another syndicate fell apart so Lynn phoned to say she was running in a seller at
Haydock and she’d win. So had a decent bet to win at first show 20/1 she duly won at 16s. So we decided to form another syndicate to join her over a year later. After running with promise, she ran one day at Doncaster and disappointed. They found out she had a bad back and after a couple of runs she then won twice at Newmarket’s July course in a week. Had Bajan Affair with Lynn who unexpectedly won on her hurdles debut then ran a very distant 4th behind Mysliv at the December Cheltenham meeting. But never did anything after wards. Had another horse with Lynn called The Other Man he was absolutely useless!
Then in the Racing Post there was an advert for a syndicate for a 2yo with Ferdy Murphy. He only ran once at Ripon under Ray Cochrane and was no good and Ferdy got rid straight away. He then got the same syndicate a maiden hurdler from Ireland called Pharbrig. He had two sighters and then Ferdy told us get yourselves to Catterick. We backed him at 5/1 in a Maiden chase he won by 15l under Iain Jardine but the saddest thing I saw he died of a heart attack in the winners enclosure. We than got a little mare called Goldengirlmichelle who won once at Musselburgh but never backed it, she was an expensive failure at Towcester then moved on. Ferdy then bought Birkdale from Major Ivan Straker with the aim of winning the Thyestes. He was 2nd first time out at Wetherby, then over Christmas was 3rd in the Rowland Meyrick. He was supposed to have one last tune up run at Wetherby but the meeting was lost due to fog. So off to Gowran Park where he finished a gallant 2nd trying to give 12lbs to This Is Serious who won the Eider on his next start. He may have only been 3rd if The Bunny Boiler hadn’t fallen who on his next start when the Midlands National. Birkdale then ran 9 days later at Uttoxeter and pulled up the race coming too soon. He was supposed to run in the Kim Muir but the ground was considered too fast. So onto the Grand National where Ferdy hired him out for a considerable amount of money to Sporting Index. He was 10th behind Bindaree on ground too fast. That was the last time he ran any sort of race.
Then joined a syndicate with a horse Evan Williams he was unraced and for the life of me cannot remember his name? He was well regarded by his trainer and was going to run at Chepstow in a bumper but days before he was injured but fair play to Evan he gave the syndicate the money back. Then for whatever reason we moved onto Paul Blockley the syndicate got a horse called Rideawhiteswan who was a half brother to the useful Baby Strange. But I’m afraid he was a complete disappointment. At the time I’d been going through a purple patch gambling winning five figure sums on Purple Moon, Utmost Respect, Indian Trail and Pipedreamer. So I asked Paul if he could get me a quarter share in a horse? He said give him a month or so and told me he had a real fun horse. Her name Friends Hope and she really was. He said she didn’t get into foal and was well handicapped.
Paul told us she would win first time up despite not having ran for over a year. Anyway the day was Southwells first meeting back after having the track relaid due to flooding I think. Paul’s confidence was tempered by this he said he couldn’t be sure how it would ride otherwise he felt she’d be a steering job. He still said have a good bet on her and I had a decent bet at 16s. She bolted up by 5 lengths at 9/1. The handicapper put her up 13lb so on Boxing Day at Wolverhampton Paul put up a 7lb claimer Gabriel Hannon. Told she should win we went in for a decent amount at 5/1. Next she stepped up in distance in 1m 4f she was last of six but her ideal trip was 1m2f. She was then given a break before a spin over hurdles to tune her up for a Musselburgh seller. Paul said you could have what you wanted on her. So I placed my biggest bet ever on her at 5/1 she duly obliged. She then twice finished twice over 1m4f due to no suitable races. She then went to Jersey to win an egg and spoon. She was 2nd at Newmarket then won at Chepstow. She started the season on 57 and went up to 79 and she was too high in the handicap. So it was decided to move on unfortunately my Dad took ill and died so I lost my passion for a while. But good times and great memories.
Definitely recommend it to anyone and maybe if we could get enough interested parties we could have a syndicate?
Loved Bobs Worth as any horse tough enough to win at 3 Festival’s and a Hennessy, a warrior of a horse.
Lads hate to correct you but it was Aces Four that was behind Denman
no problem when you correct me when I’m wrong
Getting back to Ferdy he was an amazing trainer of a staying chaser, eg Sibton Abbey, Paris Pike, Ackzo, Streamstown....
