25th October 2024
On a journey driving down from Caledonia to watch Edinburgh Rugby play at Ospreys, I looked around for a something to help fill in the time during an overnight stop in the Midlands. I narrowed things down to a visit to Wolverhampton Races, or attending a gig by Cast at Nottingham Rock City.
This latter is a well-regarded venue I have yet to visit - unless you count a fruitless hour spent standing outside, trying to blag a ticket for a sold-out Macc Lads' gig. Reacquainting myself with Cast's output on Spotify on the first part of the drive, I was reminded just how much of a second rate Britpop outfit they sounded.
So, it was off to Wolverhampton for me. A decision reinforced by the fact this afternoon's meeting was being marketed as a Fiver Friday.
As usual, I entered the venue with just £50 in betting cash - ensuring I left my bank cards in the car, just in case I was ever tempted to go chasing my inevitable losses.
Well, it only took three bets and four races to hoover up my pocket money for the meeting. In Race One, I chose a horse called Antelope to win, to begin the evening. Surely with a name like that, it would be fleet of foot. And, perhaps it was. But the thing appeared to get hemmed in on the rails for most of the race and, unable to negotiate the traffic, finished 7th.
Not a good start, so I decided to visit those awfully nice Tote people for my next flutter, picking a horse in each of the next three races to be placed, in a treble. I chose the favourite in each of these three races - what could possibly go wrong? Strong favourite (5/6) Spirit Lead Me did the biz for me in Race Two, winning by four lengths (which I think is a lot). But in Race 3 my treble crashed as 4/7 favourite Unassuming who, going into the back straight well-placed, decided to begin running backwards. Or so it seemed, as a fistful of less bookie-fancied horses effortlessly danced past it. In 5th it finished.
My last bet of the day, was my traditional longish odds one, attempting to recoup a few of my hard-earned. Wondrous Light - close enough to a Yes song title - took my eye, and an 8/1 Each Way gamble did not appear too fanciful. But again, I proved my seemingly uncanny ability to pick horses who finish in the bottom places in any race.
But real story here was the 66/1 shot Eazy On The Eye who led pretty much from the start to win this race. Indeed, I noted that at one point bookies were offering 100/1 for this one. I heard no cheering from amongst the assembled crowd as this one crossed the finishing line - just a symphony of hundreds of betting slips being torn or scrunched up.
A huge rainbow lit up the sky as I left the racecourse, and I could not help but wonder if the owner of Eazy On The Eye had perhaps placed a few bob on their horse, and would presently be picking up their own little pot of gold.
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| The entry gate to Wolverhampton Racecourse... |
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| ...or Dunstall Park, to give the venue it's Sunday name. |
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| Jockey Alec Voikhansky |
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| Alex and Antelope setting out to (hopefully) win me some money riding Antelope in the First Race of the meeting. |
Hmmm...perhaps not
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