All's well that ends absolutely bloody brilliantly

When I wrote the last chapter, last week, a week of which I had held high hopes, wasn't going quite as well as I had hoped.  Three of our four chances of a winner had been and gone, yielding only one runner; and that runner (Sussex Girl, the horse whom I had regarded as the best chance of the week) had finished an arguably luckless third.

We just had Roy to go, and the downturn in the weather had meant that the ground on which he would be running would be considerably softer than anything he had ever won on previously.  (Although it did cross my mind that, the entries having been taken when the ground was very firm and looking set to stay that way, probably all our rivals would be in the same boat).  Happily, though, things turned round in an instant, as a magnificently brave victory by Roy blew any disappointment away and replaced it with pure joy.  Most times when one has a winner, relief that one has avoided yet another disappointment is the primary emotion as one has gone into the race thinking that the horse should have a good chance of winning and that one will be either slightly or hugely disappointed if he/she doesn't win.

In this case, I had stopped thinking about whether Roy might win when the heavens opened, so that didn't apply here.  Furthermore, the prelude to the race was so rushed that, even if I had been thinking about victory beforehand, I didn't have time to do so as the race approached.  Apparently a car had crashed on the motorway just in front of Rob Hornby, so he was delayed en route to Brighton and only arrived just ahead of the 15-minute deadline.

Tom Marquand was kind enough to put himself on stand-by in case Rob didn't make it, but Rob arrived 17 minutes before the race and presented himself to the clerk of the scales right on the deadline.  Consequently, saddling the horse was a very rushed procedure and we didn't have time to go into the parade ring (which was a shame as Roy is always very popular in the parade ring there) as all the other horses had already set off to the start by the time that Roy and I appeared.  And then the main part of the stand was closed because of the high winds, so again that set me back as I worked out where best to watch the race from.

And then the race was off.  The high winds meant that the high cameras weren't being used, so the film of the race was different to normal; plus the pictures were wavy as the cameras were being buffetted by the wind.  It all looked perfect in the first half of the race as Roy was very relaxed at the back of the pack in a strongly-run race (and being sheltered by the strong wind which the leaders were facing) but then things weren't so good as they came down the hill.

It was hard to see what was going on, but Roy appeared to be badly checked when trying to make ground up the stands' rail about three furlongs from home (it being our plan to be the widest runner to try to find the least soft ground).  Rob was quick-thinking enough and sensible enough to devise a Plan B and to switch to it very smartly, and Roy could then be seen coming with a run up the middle of the track inside the final two furlongs.  But then the horse he was challenging was drifting left, carrying him across the track - and horses basically never go by when that is happening.

Simon Holt's wonderfully passionate and thrilling commentary seemed to suggest that Roy was keeping coming, but surely he wouldn't be able to force his head in front of the horse who was leaning on him?  Conditions were very tough, and Roy couldn't get past - and then they were in the shadows of the post and Roy forced his head in front.  As Simon exclaimed, "He's done it!".  It was incredibly exciting.  Roy shouldn't have been able to win, but he's as tough as they come, tries his heart out - and knows to the inch where the post is at Brighton.  What a horse!  What a day!

The icing on the cake was, as always, how nice everyone was.  Even by the usual standards, the cheers as Roy passed the post and the reception which he received when returning to the winner's enclosure were overwhelming.  It was one of those occasions when, even hours after the race, one doesn't want to leave the racecourse.  Particular plaudits must go to a fellow trainer, Mark Loughnane, who kindly took Roy off me after the race (I always lead him up) and headed back to the stables with him to wash him off so that I could join Larry and Iris McCarthy on the podium for the presentations.  I had hesitated to accept his offer, but he insisted: "Go on, enjoy it.  You always miss it!".  So very kind.

And the aftermath.  Lovely pieces in the Racing Post by Lee Mottershead and the Daily Star by Patrick Weaver today.  Riding out on Saturday morning, it seemed as if everyone whom I rode past had a kind word to say on the subject.  I had two shifts on At The Races over the weekend (Saturday night covering Lingfield, Kilbeggan, Arlington, Saratoga and Gulfstream Park, plus the Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar, won in brilliant fashion by the hugely promising Instagram, with Kieren O'Sullivan; and the Sunday Forum, alongside Gay Kelleway and Dave Ord, hosted by John Hunt) and it seemed as if we spent more time on both shows talking about Roy's win than about the subjects in hand.  All this excitement and joy, all thanks to Roy and his wonderful toughness and genuineness.  We are truly blessed to have him.

The first, third and fourth photographs come courtesy of Brighton annual member David Taylor; the third photograph courtesy of Brighton racecourse.