Winner number 21 yesterday - but at a price.
Albany was a game and gutsy winner of the Claiming hurdle - but he will need a period of long recuperation before he is back on track. He sustained a pretty nasty leg injury - probably, Andrew feels, as he gave the last hurdle a proper kicking. He is a tough old boy and we will give him all the time in the world to recover - if his next race is back for yesterday's equivalent in two years time, so be it. If he does not stand training, he will make somebody a fabulous hack one day...
The whole card sponsored by Andy Stewart and Cenkos - and kind of Andy to select Albany as the best turned-out.
And a fabulous run by Wingull in the Bumper to end the card. A running on fourth was a massive improvement on his previous form for this fine-looking son of Darnay. Still a bit of a goon and failing to settle through the early stages, he got better the further he went and was certainly the "eyecatcher" as he scythed through the field down the far side.
Cliche time, I know, but this horse is not about running in bumpers - he already has the frame of a staying chaser, and that will be his game. A really exciting prospect, hopefully for years to come, and one for us to nurse and nurture through his formative campaigns.
A great shame that his part-owner Trevor Day was not with us - but excellent that Charlie Methven was there to see his first ever runner. Charlie was the founder and editor of the sadly ill-fated Sportsman newspaper - if the two of us had been told two years ago that we would be standing at the bar at Plumpton.................. (apologies, tired old record time again).
Having had my one and only ride (and I use the term very loosely) at Plumpton in a charity race some years ago, I was obviously able to give Andrew Tinkler the benefit of my expertise of riding this undulating track....??!!
My race had several serious riders pitched against me - Richard Rowe, Bill Smith, Steve Smith-Eccles, Luke Harvey, Alex Hammond and Barney's Godmother Alice Plunkett. I was told by Paul Webber to settle Brazil or Bust at the back. After 100 yards, Simon Holt called "and George Baker takes Brazil or Bust to the front....". I had no choice....
I remember Steve shouting "steady, steady" as I involuntarily shot through a tiny gap, finding myself in front passing the winning line on the first circuit. Looking up, I suddenly had to make a decision as to which side of the rails at the head of the straight I should go.
By luck, I took the right course - and then as I turned onto the crest of the bend, my right leg slipped out of my stirrup. For a split second, my life flashed in front of me. Through pure outrageous luck my foot popped back into the iron a stride later.
Alice, on stable star Redemption, slipped up my inside as I took the rest of the field wide in a manoevure that would have made any Irish trainer proud.........
As Alice and Redemption strode away to a majestic victory, "Bob" and I came home in our own time - a very, very long last.
A dream realised - an ambition fulfilled. A career ended........
I have a photo of the field passing the post on the first circuit - priceless..........
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