A Gluten-Free Lunch at Newmarket
I went to Newmarket races this afternoon. Judging by the number of cars in the car park, a lot of other people had the same idea. I blame the sunshine! It was cold though, but people were wrapped up well, as this photo shows.
Newmarket Races
Note the large number of cars in the background.
I needed lunch and went to the Bistro. If I’d done this some years ago and asked if the liver was gluten-free, I’d have got a blank look. But for the last couple of years, they’ve known what was in any of the meals.
The liver was excellent and as I was driving I washed it down with a pint of Diet Coke. The cost was even reasonable for a racecourse, or even any sit-down meal with service, at twenty pounds. That service was very much on the good side of four out of five.
They only charged two pounds for the Coke, which is about the same you’ll pay for it in a motorway service station. And in that case you don’t get a glass and you have to pour it yourself.
How to Bet
Betfair is a betting exchange and after yesterday’s Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, they are showing on their blog, that some lucky punters got on at 999-1.
That was certainly a good bet, even if the stakes were small.
Have wins at these sort of odds happened before? Yes! See my post about Terimon.
What is strange about this one, is that the horse was owned by JP McManus, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by AP McCoy. All are masters of their trade and in JP’s case betting as well.
The odds anomaly was more because the horse had lost his way and had lost several races before Cheltenham. Read the story on the BBC.
Café de la Paix, Paris
The Cafe de la Paix is one of the most famous cafes in Paris. So much so, that the French declared it to be an historic site in 1975.
Cafe de la Paix, Paris
My late wife and I went there by accident. It was the only time we did too, but then it was also on the only day, that one of the horses we had bred, Diamond White, had won The Prix de l’Opera at the Arc meeting at Longchamp. We had hurried away from the racecourse and the crowds made it difficult to get anywhere, but by reason of some luck, we were able to get a bus to the Place de l’Opera.
So we just stumbled into this famous cafe and as we had little time to catch the Eurostar back to Ashford, we asked the waiter what could be served quickly.
Everybody in the cafe surpassed themselves and within an hour, we were on the Metro towards the Gare du Nord.
If there is a postscript to this trip it happened on the train home. The day had been disastrous for English punters and come the last race, The Prix de l’Opera, most had lost heavily. So they put what they had left on Diamond White at 12-1. And the rest as they say is history.
On the trip back, my late wife had needed a coffee and went to the buffet. When she interrupted the party and told them that she had bred the horse that had got them out of trouble, everybody wanted to buy her champagne.
But she didn’t drink bubbles!
So on this trip to Paris, when the guy I was to meet on business suggested that we meet in the Cafe de la Paix, I accepted.
I had a very good gluten meal too!
Smoked Salmon and Poached Egg
The picture shows the first course!
Incidentally, the wife of one of the waiters was a coeliac, so this made them even more careful.
Would I go again?
Yes!
Even if it is very expensive, but then the decor, the ambience, the food and the wine are worth it.
Ceiling of the Cafe de La Paix, Paris
A Bankruptcy Story
Wilfrid Hyde-White was one of those British actors, who did everything by being British. Most people of my age remember him in films and on television. I also remember him in the BBC radio series, The Men from the Ministry. David Ashcroft of the Racing Post, is writing a series on racing eccentrics. Yesterday, he wrote about Hyde-White and Robert Morley. This is an extract.
By the time Hyde-White appeared in the Jockey Club Stakes, which enjoyed a successful run on Broadway in 1973, he had moved to the USA. When Morley asked his friend why he was moving, Hyde-White replied, “I really cannot stand another winter in England with the income tax and Violetta [his girlfriend].” Then Hyde-White paused and apologised. “Sorry, that was a very caddish thing to say about the income tax.” In 1979, Hyde-White returned to face the wrath of the Inland Revenue, which entailed several bankruptcy hearings.
At one, the official receiver asked why Hyde-White was staying at the Savoy Hotel. “Two reasons, dear chap,” Hyde-White replied. “One, it is the finest hotel in London and two, it is the nearest to Carey Street.” “But how are you going to pay for it?” asked the incredulous receiver. “Well,” said Hyde-White, “You’re the financial expert. You tell me.”
I hope all these stories get published as a book.
Some Horse!
Sea the Stars achieved immortality on Sunday, by winning the Prix de l’Rac de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday.
According to Paddy Power, he might even win the Irish Sports Personality of the Year! I doubt it though, as Brian O’Driscoll is long odds-on!
Some years ago, we went to Longchamp on Arc day. The reason was that a horse we had bred, was running in one of the supporting races. According to the odds, the horse only had a modest chance. But no-one had told her!
Unfortunately, this memoral day is not recorded on film, as I din’t take a camera! I learned the lesson then and always have one in my pocket now!
Setanta Again
I used to subscribe to Setanta, as it gave me a lot of Premier League matches and Racing UK. Now I need to subscribe to one company to get both. The price will be more than twice what I paid Setanta.
No wonder they went bust!
But seriously, why do I have to pay through the nose to see some racecources on the box and the others are free?
Because most of those running racing are as described by Will Carling and can’t understand that one Racing Channel is for the best of the industry.
Dubai’s Annoying Adverts on Channel 4 Racing
The title says it all. They are so annoying and fully justify my rule of not watching any programme with adverts unless it’s absolutely necessary.
I’ve just created this poll to see how they work.
Outsiders – Al Muheer and Terimon
On Saturday, Clive Brittain won one of the televised races at Ascot with Al Muheer.
The horse was at a price of 40-1, so the bookies were very happy, as at those odds few would have backed it, although there was some support in the forums on the web.
But I didn’t back it!
Unlike in 1989, when Terimon was second in the Derby at 500-1. I had ten pounds each way! So I trousered over £1000.
So if nothing else the trainer has form.
I actually saw Terimon perform his last piece of work before that Derby on Newmarket Heath. Everybody thought it was good and that horse was in good form. But did he really have the form to do well in the Derby. The owner, Lady Beaverbrook, wanted a horse in England’s most famous race and Clive had promised her that he’d beat more than beat him. I think it is true to say, that the jockey, Michael Roberts, rode him intelligently to get the best place possible and in the end he was a fairly easy second, without troubling the great Nashwan.
Terimon went on to win several races in the highest classes and looking back he was just beaten in his first race of 1989 by Braiswick, who was probably the best filly that year.
20/20 hindsight is a great thing!
As an aside to this one, my son was working in the city at the time and managed to persuade a bookie to give him 1,000-1 each-way. He bought a new suit on the proceeds. It was also the first bet of one of the secretaries where he worked.
The Advantages of European Time
I was at Newmarket Races last night and got chatting to a friend about one of my beefs with the UK; the fact that we don’t have the same time as most of the UK.
To take a narrow view, horse racing would benefit enormously, in that with longer evenings, there would be a much longer time, when evening meetings would be viable. As they would generally be an hour later, there would be much more time to finish work and come racing, so it would be likely that current evening meetings would benefit. Not that last night wasn’t a large crowd!
Now if racing would benefit, so would lots of other outdoor activities and sports, from just walking in the park to playing a game of golf. I also think that some sports like football, where they use floodlights would benefit financially as they wouldn’t need to be used so much. Aren’t we supposed to be saving energy?
There is always the argument that more children would get injured going to school in the dark. This is wrong, as when we didn’t put the clocks forward in the winter of 1968-69, the number actually went down, as most accidents occur after school and then it was light. Incidentally, I worked at ICI at the time, and the worst thing that happened was that people left their lights on when they parked after driving to work. Cars warn you now!
And there is the argument about farmers not wanting to get up in the dark. I have kept horses for years and you do a lot of the work according to the sun and not the clock. All my farmer friends are the same and don’t care at all what the clock says.
So is the real reason, we don’t have European time, the fact that if we did, the tabloids would say that we are cow-towing to the wishes of the EU. Bollocks!
You will note I have not said anything about the international advantages of being on the same time as Europe. They are so overwhelming, I’ve not bothered.
The Anonymous Widower 