ferdy murphy - 1-1

‘comfortably’ appears in the post
race analysis.
Things didn’t stop there. Just
Like A Woman was bet from 9-2
into 7-2jf and got home by a neck
under Hayley Turner, the layers
were too busy grumbling and
peering into their bags for readies
to have their hearts melted by
her beaming smile this time.
The favourite didn’t win the
next, but only because it wouldn’t
go into the stalls. Bold Argument
won at 11-2 minus a rule four.
Most layers that were still there
for the last were pretty pleased
it was nearly over so they could
draw a line under a terrible day.
It was just about to get a lot
worse for the ring, helped along
by the off-course firms who were
no doubt looking at bad losses
in multiples given the plethora
of winning favourites. They got
stuck into Frankie Dettori’s
mount Regal Flush backing the
duo from 6-4 into 11-10f before
winning accordingly.
After the last favourite won
with ease I thought I’d venture
over to the Westcountry book so
happy to accept a losing day that
he considered due. I had only
gotten halfway to his joint when
I copped a look that said it all so I
turned on my heel.
An Elvis lookalike was
spotted at Kempton
Hooray for Bollywood
Kempton’s Friday night theme
was ‘Bollywood’. There were
stilt-walkers in Indian attire, an
Indian themed band-dj and tasty
titbits of curry flavoured chick
peas being offered around.
Rocket Rob won the first
under Jamie Spencer at 15-8f
which needless to say wasn’t a
great start for the ring. Spencer
notched up a double in the next
when Crowded House landed a
gamble having been supported
from 10-3 into 11-4jf with ease.
Then the rain started. ‘Do
they have monsoons at this
time of year in Mumbai?’ asked
one bookmaker. I was quite
impressed that he knew that
Mumbai was the indeed the
home of Bollywood but couldn’t
answer his question though did
make the observation that if they
do it’s probably warmer.
The punters that did brave the
torrents appeared were sweet on
the chances of Adorn, at 5-6f but
did justify their support under
Ryan Moore.
It was another popular jockey’s
turn in the next when Frankie
Dettori won on 10-3 shot
Moonlife getting the better of 6-
4f Say No Now by half a length.
The winner had been 9-2 so
wasn’t a particularly good result
for a sodden and practically
deserted ring. Deserted at least
by punters but the books were
standing their ground probably
thinking it would be wetter to try
to leave than stay.
The resilience of the layers was
rewarded when they got another
favourite beaten in the next
when Grand Vizier won at 8-1
(from 11-1) with the well-backed
11-10f Cave Lion back in third.
The result that they had all been
waiting from came in the last
when Mohawk Star belied odds
of 20-1 to pip Moonshine Beach
the 3-1f by a nose on the line.
It’s normally only Boxing Day
when Kempton Park takes centre
stage but basked in the limelight
on Saturday when keeping the
racing show on the road. With
every other meeting submerged
the already excellent card was
heralded by most ensuring the
press room was full and the
sandwiches devoured before you
could say ‘they are going down
for the first’.
The bookmakers that had
been betting on Friday were still
drying out but were warmed up
by the first winning favourite
when Elnawin landed the opener
having been backed from 7-4 into
6-4 helped in by the offices.
‘I hate this place’ grumbled
one bookmaker to nobody in
particular as he got bundles of
soggy readies together to pay a
growing queue of winners.
He liked it better in the next
when 16-1 shot Hattan sprang
a surprise. ‘Pay Pay’ shouted
one rails layer who blatantly had
nobody to pay at all but spare
a thought for the boards layer
betting in a very poor position
who ran into a £2000-£100 eachway
the winner.
There was a 16-runner
handicap to get stuck into next,
Premio Loco was only 5-2 to land
the race and that price was soon
demolished by one off-course
firm determined to smash the
price off of the boards.
The layers seemed keen to take
on a shortish one in a big field
but eventually had to capitulate
and the price tumbled to 2-1f. It
appeared that the off-course firm
knew more than their on-course
comrades, the jolly won easily.
The already decent crowd were
swelled by what appeared to be
several ‘stag’ groups. A guy from
one such group was having a bet
with a rails layer, the layer looked
up, then to my surprise and
somewhat embarrassment he
called out to me, ‘Eh Simon, look
at this bloke, doesn’t he look like
Elvis Costello.’
To be fair the bookie was right,
but I wasn’t sure if likening the
chap to the warbler of ‘Oliver’s
Army’ would go down too well, so
I took the coward’s way out and
mumbled about not having the
right glasses.
There were three horses really
backed in the race, two of them
fought out the finish. Captain
Ramius won the race from his
15-8jf Ashram, though only after
surviving a stewards enquiry. The
winner probably cost the runnerup
the race but it kept it anyway.
There was another short one in
a handicap backed by the offices,
this time Ethaara supported from
11-4 into 2-1f. Once again the
on-course books took on the offcourse
money and once again the
off-course money was too sharp
but this time only by a neck.
There was a desperate finish and
a nose in the next race. Precision
Break got up on the line to foil a
gamble on Barrowdale who had
been backed from 16-1 right into
10-1.
His backers must have been
gutted as most people thought
that he had just held on in the
photo and traded as short as 1-10
on the exchanges. Not everyone
was miffed though as the winner
had also been backed from 7-1
into 5-1.
The concluding handicap was
also the subject of off-course
attention, this time the office lads
left it behind when Pediment (9-
4 from 7-2) could only manage
fourth behind 9-2 shot Amure. A
result at last for the layers?
Well this is a tale of mainly woe
this month so I have to relate
that the winner had been backed
from 11-2, I didn’t have the heart
or nerve to ask.
Racing Ahead 19