Legends

It was lovely at Windsor on Monday evening.  Those Monday evening fixtures in the summer there are idyllic when the weather is good, and it was certainly good on Monday.  We were in a late race, but we got down there early to avoid being caught up in the rush-hour traffic on the M25, and it was a real pleasure to be there.  Fen Lady ran respectably, too: she finished last, but she was not disgraced, and it did not represent a disappointment as that was predictable. She was one of only two unraced fillies in the race, which put her at a disadvantage, especially as the other one - a very well-bred Sea The Stars filly who had cost a six-figure sum as a yearling, who looked far more mature than her, and who won the race - was never likely to be much of a companion for her.  She behaved well and seemed to enjoy the evening, so we can proceed with cautious optimism.

I've had another outing since then because I had a shift in the At The Races studio in Milton Keynes yesterday afternoon, covering Wolverhampton alongside Robert Cooper.  There was some interesting racing there, and it turned out to be a very enjoyable afternoon (for the presenters, if not the viewers) as Robert is such good company, and, with only one meeting on the channel, there was plenty of time between races to enjoy the brahmas.  Plenty of email feedback from viewers helped to keep things flowing, and the time flew.

I haven't left Newmarket today, but I've left the stable (well, I leave it every day on horseback, but I mean other than that) as I spent the second half of the morning at the Legends of the Turf unveiling ceremony, which (thanks to the kindness of the Jockey Club) began in the Jockey Club Rooms before continuing out on the High Street, where we unveiled the six paving stones honouring this year's inductees.  Only one of these inductees is still alive: Frankie Dettori.  He was present with his family to unveil his stone - the format was that the unveiling was done by (representatives of) the Legends, alongside local schoolchildren - which was lovely, and then the other five Legends had people representing them.

It was really good to see Julie Cecil and Noel Cecil representing Sir Noel Murless, who was father and grandfather to them respectively.  Sir Michael Stoute kindly did the honours for Shergar.  For Pretty Polly we had Harriet Loder (a descendant of the mare's owner/breeder Sir Eustace Loder), Eveleyn Faber (great-grandson of her trainer Peter Gilpin) as well as John Gosden and Rachel Hood, the current incumbents of Clarehaven, where she was trained.  Andrew Merriam, on behalf of the Jockey Club, represented Admiral Rous; while Andrew Braithwaite, on behalf of the British Racing School, represented Nat Flatman.

And then tomorrow evening we shall have the living legend Roy Rocket representing both 'McCarthy & Berry' and himself at Epsom!