Cheltenham, Ascot and Sandown Park are wonderful but without the little tracks racing would be lost. It was perishing cold — cold enough for brass monkeys to be keeping a watchful eye on their private parts — and the ground was heavy, but you could not have a better day’s racing than Warwick gave us on Saturday.
I fuelled myself at the blue-and-white Whitby scampi stall, which would be a welcome presence on any track, and a fellow muncher set the tone: ‘I only really come for the scampi,’ he said. ‘And I don’t mind if I never back a winner.’ But he was clearly enjoying himself, as were the punters huddling for warmth in the cosy betting hall — more of a snug than a ‘hall’ really — and tapping their feet between races to a lively three-man rock band in the grandstand. You don’t get much closer to horses either than when they stretch down the all-weather strip in front of the Warwick stand on the way to the start.
The opening novice hurdle went to Bold Duke, ridden by 3lb claimer Ben Poste for the four-horse Herefordshire yard of Edward Bevan, and the second race went to the Alex Hales-trained Big Jim, the beneficiary of a bold ride from Kielan Woods, a young rider whom I have noted seizing his opportunities this season.
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