Hey Micky!

Following on from the music TV fuck ups. Did you ever hear the Lord Oaksey classic screw up while talking about an owner collecting the winners trophy on channel 4?
 
No never heard that. I did hear Julian Wilson once say that the rain is that bad that only the foolhardy would venture out only for the BBC cameras to instantly switch to pictures of the Queen walking towards the winners enclosure with one of those silly clear dome umbrellas
 
I've searched google for it for years and can't find any reference to it. I can't even describe what happened fully, I couldn't do it justice. Probably the most painful moment I've ever seen in telly.
So the owner of this racehorse, probably in her sixties, done up to the nines as you would expect goes up to get the trophy which is being presented by some dolly bird wearing a sash with the sponsors name on. I'm sure you get the picture.
Cue lord Oaksey.
"(Name of the owner) in coming forward to collect the trophy from the lovely young lady who will be presenting it on behalf of the sponsors, and what a lovely young lady she is... that's not to say (owners name) isn't lovely, she certainly is, for her age... err I'm sure she was beautiful when she was younger... err that's not to say she's not beautiful now because she is..."
And on and on it went, it must have gone on for a good 20 to 30 second.
You could hear the production team in the background trying not to laugh and gasping.
Then John Francome jumps in as says
"I step in to save Lord Oaksey digging a deeper hole" and everyone just bursts out laughing, with Francome grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
I sat there open mouthed and realised my toes had curled up not far off getting cramp. Of course it was all live, proper car crash telly.
 
I deffo have a slight memory of that 'incident', Oaksey and Francome were a superb 'odd couple' pundit team. I think this incident was late eighties early nineties, the era when I lived and breathed hoss racing.
 
Me and my racing sparring partner were at Towcester one freezing Saturday and Barney Curley was in the bar next to the parade ring, we got a drink in and Harry says that Curley must be here for a reason because he only had one hoss in the last race bumper so Harry goes up
to him and says "Any info on your horse in the last Barney"....Barney says " I have info for you, fuck off and leave me in peace" Harry walks back all sheepish and embarrassed. When we went to leave the bar BC must've realised that we were just two bob punters who love racing and calls us over and said "Sorry about that lads, no offence. My horse has no chance but a friend has a runner in the same race at massive odds, back it each way it'll make the frame" (forgot its name) but we pooled all of our money £6 eachway and backed it on the tote, it finished 2nd and paid £14 odd for a place, we were singing all the way home:)
 
Me and my racing sparring partner were at Towcester one freezing Saturday and Barney Curley was in the bar next to the parade ring, we got a drink in and Harry says that Curley must be here for a reason because he only had one hoss in the last race bumper so Harry goes up
to him and says "Any info on your horse in the last Barney"....Barney says " I have info for you, fuck off and leave me in peace" Harry walks back all sheepish and embarrassed. When we went to leave the bar BC must've realised that we were just two bob punters who love racing and calls us over and said "Sorry about that lads, no offence. My horse has no chance but a friend has a runner in the same race at massive odds, back it each way it'll make the frame" (forgot its name) but we pooled all of our money round £6 eachway and backed it on the tote, it finished 2nd and paid £14 odd for a place, we were singing all the way home:)
Through a friend of a friend I got to know Ken Bridgewater, small trainer out kineton way. Lovely bloke. His son Kenny, think he took over the training when Ken retired, was having problems with his vhs recorder that was in the stable lads living quarters. I went over and sorted it out, he said what do you want, a drink or a tip?
Of course I said tip. He gave me a horse that was running on the Monday. Massive price. Something like 33/1 or 50/1
Monday came, I stick £20 on it (this was back in around 1985/86)
First one to start struggling and pulled up on the back straight 😂
Fucking right donkey!
 
Ken trained Winnie The Witch to a 33/1 win in the County Hurdle at the festival in the early nineties, some bloke on our bus backed it. Ken's son David, rode it, a pretty good jockey and now a trainer. Ken always supported Warwick and Stratford with runners, and Leicester
 
That's right, 2nd or 3rd Jock behind Scudamore. Is Kineton near to Edgehill?

EDIT *Complete bollox, he was No1 for Pipe, Scu had long gone*
 
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