Mount!

by Jilly Cooper

  Other great trainers who inspired me were not only the legendary Peter Walwyn and Michael Dickinson but also Ralph Beckett, Brian Meehan, Andrew Balding and his marvellous parents, Ian and Emma, Luca Cumani, Gay Kelleway and the irresistible George Baker, who, incredibly kindly, offered for a couple of months to train a horse I had a share in, who wasn’t performing, for nothing.

  Another great favourite is Roger Varian, and his sweet stable lad Sheynets Vadym, who lit up the racecourse with his beaming smile every time the mighty Kingston Hill clocked up another win.

  A trainer who lights up everywhere and who, with his lovely wife, artist Katie O’Sullivan, is particularly strong on horse-pitality, is the irrepressible Jamie Osborne. At his yard, I was enchanted to meet the great Toast of New York, winner of the UAE Derby, and only beaten by a whisker in the mighty Breeders’ Cup Classic. After such exertions, Toast likes to lie in and often breakfasts on incoming stable staff’s ankles.

  A highlight of a visit to Newmarket was meeting a hero and achingly funny public speaker, Sir Mark Prescott, who sustained me with buttered toast before a lightning trip round his horses and yard with its narrowed starting stalls and intricate swimming pool, followed by the most delicious Pimms.

  Another Newmarket hero is the hugely successful John Gosden, and his wise and wonderful lawyer wife, Rachel Hood. Anyone who doubts that racing people love their horses should have witnessed John’s entire staff in floods when the great, sweet-natured Derby winner Golden Horn left the yard to take up stud duties.

  Equally, when another great horse, Caspar Netscher, returned from stud having got only a handful of mares in foal, his owners, Charles and Zorka Wentworth, two of the nicest people in racing, insisted that thousands of pounds be spent rebuilding his new box, so he could look out straight into trainer David Simcock’s office and not feel lonely.

  Flat and jump racing often merge, and I’m so grateful for more advice, wonderful stories and ongoing horse-pitality from my jump trainer friends Richard Phillips, Jonjo and Jackie O’Neill and Charlie and Rebekah Brooks.

  Owning a racehorse needn’t bankrupt you and provides colossal fun if you join a super syndicate like the ones Harry Herbert masterminds at Highclere, or the Hot to Trot Racing Club. This is run by the dashing Luke Lillingston and Sam Hoskins, who scour the top trainers for exciting horses and take their members on jaunts to visit the horses in their yards or to see them racing.

  To experience owning a flat horse, I took a twelfth share in a lovely grey filly called Love Grows Wild in a syndicate set up by the irrepressible Henry Ponsonby. Broken in by Jamie Magee and trained by the handsome Michael Bell at Newmarket, the filly was looked after by Matt Johnson, who touchingly and regularly hand-wrote me letters about her progress. As an indication of how hard stable staff work, Matt fell asleep the moment any lorry left the yard. Travelling to Great Yarmouth, I was regaled with hilarious stories of yard life by other lads, Ian Smith and Martin Gleeson. My object was to watch Love Grows Wild being saddled up, but I was greedily side-tracked by an invitation to lunch by Great Yarmouth’s Clerk of the Course, Richard Aldous.

  I have been so lucky that my son Felix has looked after me and accompanied me not only to the Dubai World Cup, but to numerous other race meetings. We had a lovely time at Wolverhampton watching Love Goes Wild ridden by Hayley Turner come third and enjoying an excellent dinner with Clerk of the Course Fergus Cameron, Managing Director David Roberts and super starter Steve Taylor, who explained some of the intricacies of getting horses out of the stalls.

  Whilst on this subject, another great inspiration has been the wonderful horse whisperer Gary Witheford, who seems able to sort out the trickiest horse, particularly those reluctant to start. Mention must be made of his lovely wife Suzanne and his charismatic rescued stallion Brujo.

  Back on our racecourse tour we made many visits to Newmarket, where we enjoyed the company of past and present managing directors Stephen Wallis and Amy Starkey and their able executive assistant Lucinda McClure, and watched the great Frankel devouring the Rowley Mile. I’d also like to thank Lord and Lady March for a glorious lunch and day’s racing at Goodwood, and Petra Gough for a fun day at Sandown Park.

  Ascot is always an inspiration. Here manager Kevin Maguire showed me round the beautiful and tranquil stable block, which both Black Caviar and Frankel once glorified, and from where the mighty Yeats sallied forth four times to win the Gold Cup. I was also helped by my friend Becky Green, business development manager, and the gallant clerk of the course, Chris Stickles, who described the hardships of getting fit to ride in a charity race.

  Another thrill on Champions’ Day, at a marvellous lunch given by the then chief executive Charles Barnett, was announcing that my favourite horse was Gordon Lord Byron, and finding I was at the same table as his enchanting owners, Morgan and Mary Cahalan. Later they took me into the paddock to meet Gordon, and even more excitingly watch him hurtle home in the British Champions Sprint Stakes, followed by the bliss of welcoming him back into the Winner’s Enclosure and drinking his health far too many times in the Winning Connections Room. Gordon is now starring in a film of his life.

  Coming from Yorkshire, I adore Doncaster, particularly during the bustling fun of the St Leger’s meeting and the Legends race earlier in the week, where champion jockeys such as Dale Gibson and George Duffield return from the past to raise fortunes for charity. The day organized by Kevin Darley also includes a great lunch and auction, brilliantly compered by journalist and broadcaster John Sexton and enhanced by the sartorially resplendent Tim Adams, one of the trustees of the Northern Racing College. I must also thank Sian Williams, former head of Racing Sales, for pointing out that the winner of the St Leger receives as a trophy a plate – beautiful, but not suited for drinking champagne out of at an orgy in Mount!

  One shouldn’t have favourites, but I always feel I’m coming home at York – the most beautiful course with wonderful racing, the loveliest flowers, even in the stable block, and the most friendly and welcoming of managements. Headed by Chairman Lord ‘Teddy’ Grimthorpe, easily one of the nicest men in racing, they include Clerk of the Course William Derby, assistant Clerk of the Course Anthea Morshead, and Assistant to the Chief Executive Jane Richardson, who provided so much exciting detail for my several chapters devoted to York, which include the great Gimcrack dinner.

  Again on the horse-pitality front, William De La Warr of De La Warr Racing, and his wife Anne, President of the Shetland Pony Stud Society, invited us to see their yearling parade at Wellington Barracks, and to lunch at Buckhurst Park during which Jenny Smith lyrically described riding out at dawn and scattering deer across a dew-laden park. Later we went racing at another lovely course, Lingfield.

  We’ve also enjoyed Derby days as guests of Investec, and would like to thank Rupert Trevelyan, Epsom’s manager director, and Kate Masters. My hero Rupert Campbell-Black however has always bet with Ladbrokes and I cannot imagine a more riotous way of spending Derby Day than in the Ladbrokes’ box, in the company of serious punters, yelling encouragement to horses and players competing on different monitors round the room. For this, I’d like to thank David Williams, Ladbrokes’ handsome media director, lovely Hayley Beaux O’Connor, the Irish PR manager, and the flame-haired Kate McLennan, the inspired director of Customer Relations. On another occasion, Kate wrapped a risqué mocked-up jacket entitled Winners round my book Jump!, which on the back flap thrillingly made me a member of Ladbrokes Elite, with whom I now register my own bets with delightful men in faraway places.

  Talking of delightful men, few could be more charming than the bloodstock agents who advised me, headed by the divine Lord Patrick Beresford, who gives the most wonderful lunch parties during Royal Ascot. The legendary Charlie Gordon-Watson was another fund of information and great stories who, with his dazzling wife, Kate Reardon, editor of Tatler, also invited me to heavenly parties.

  The beguiling Ed Sackville, who co-runs a thriving bloodstock agency, Sackville Donald, p
rovided more hilarious anecdotes, particularly of selling horses in the Far East.

  Another charmer, Richard Frisby, did me the truly good turn of introducing me to Nicky and Chris Harper, and their son Ed, who own Whitsbury Manor Stud in Hampshire. Here I had a magical visit and saw foals being born, mares covered, met great stallions Showcasing and Foxwedge and watched horses working on the glorious gallops, where Desert Orchid became a legend.

  Other studs I was privileged to visit were Highclere, run by Harry Herbert, Sheikh Al Shaqab’s racing manager, and Juddmonte Farm in Newmarket, another domain of dear Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to the great Prince Khalid Abdullah. Here, I would like to thank retired general manager Philip Mitchell, and express my delight when stable cat George ushered me across the gardens to meet the mighty stallion Frankel and his stable mate Oasis Dream, both looking happy and relaxed in the care of Rob Bowley.

  Nearer home, I enjoyed an owners’ day at Warren Chase Stud, and also loved visiting Tweenhills Farm and Stud, owned by David Redvers, also manager to Qatar Racing, who so generously sponsor the Qipco British Champion series. Here I was taken round and introduced to star handsome stallions Makfi and Harbour Watch by equally handsome stud groom, Ben Hyde, and showed some vital statistics by dashing form analyst Mikey Wilson.

  My new friend Ed Harper later took me to a blissful open day at Dalham Hall Stud, Sheikh Mohammed’s breeding HQ in Newmarket, where we watched more beautiful stallions, including New Approach, Raven’s Pass, Exceed and Excel, parading in front of top breeders, who must find it almost impossible to choose the finest mate for their mares. Here I must also thank director of stallions, Sam Bullard, and Ali Rea and Richard Knight for showing me round backstage.

  The parade was followed by an exquisite seafood and champagne lunch, after which Ed and I went racing at Newmarket, where we had a hilarious drink with owner and friend Jeremy Kyle, made a trip to Tattersalls, where Ed bought a lovely mare called Lady Macduff, and went to the best party in racing given by the Castlebridge Consignment. Finally, I tottered back to the marvellous Bedford Lodge Hotel, which has a splendid spa and in Noel Byrne the nicest manager in the world.

  To cut the superlatives for a second, without owners, who carry on despite the often pitiful prize money, there would be no racing. For this and for their generous horse-pitality, I would like to thank Charles and Zorka Wentworth, Jane Meade, Piers Pottinger, Carole Bamford, Caroline and David Sebire, Laurence and Elaine Nash, Julia Langton and the utterly marvellous Lizzie Prowting and her dear husband Peter.

  It can also only be vocation that makes jockeys starve themselves and drive endless miles for, if they are lucky, only a percentage of tiny prize money. I admire them so much and am grateful for inspiration from Jim Crowley, Joe Fanning, Hayley Turner, Harry Bentley, as well as great jump jockeys Richard Dunwoody, Sir Anthony McCoy and Noel Fehily. Stable staff, as I’ve said, work harder than anyone else, so I’d like to thank Jo Collinson, Leanne Brouder and many more for their input.

  I was so lucky while writing Jump! that my friend Minnie Hall, a wonderful head lad who became a trainer, lived nearby so I could just wander out and bombard her with questions. Sadly, Minnie has moved to Bedford, but happily, while I’ve been writing Mount!, her place has been taken by two utterly wonderful friends. Firstly, the gorgeous Liz Ampairee, who works, among other things, on books at the Racing Post and is one of the most helpful and loved people in racing. Liz effected crucial introductions, drove me around, answered my questions on everything and even read through the manuscript for howlers.

  Secondly, I have been constantly advised by the lovely Leanne Masterton, travelling stable girl for Andrew Balding and another worthy winner of the Godolphin Stable Staff of the Year Awards. Leanne is encyclopaedic on racing, has taken horses everywhere including the Dubai World Cup and, like Liz, gallantly read the manuscript.

  One of the hardest parts of these acknowledgements is thanking the great and good and getting their titles right, because they’re always playing musical chairmen. Simon Bazalgette is still COE of the Jockey Club, Paul Lee still Chairman of the Levy Board but stud owner Tony Hirschfeld is no longer Chairman of the Racehorse Owners Association, and its last President, Rachel Hood, has been succeeded by Nicholas Cooper of the British Horse Authority, while yet another ex-chairman, Paul Roy, is now chairing ROR, namely the Retraining of Racehorses.

  Tony Kelly of Arena Racing, who entertained me to yet another lovely lunch, has whizzed off to run the Hong Kong Jockey Club, while the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, whose awards I thoroughly enjoyed, is now chaired by Julian Gordon-Watson. My thanks to all of them.

  A huge incentive to owning a racehorse is that it entitles you to become a member of the wonderful Racehorse Owners Association, organized by the delightful Keeley Brewer, whose team keep one in touch with all owner events and who hold splendid lunches and award ceremonies with terrific speakers.

  Nor can I express my gratitude too highly for racing’s regulators, the British Horseracing Authority, who have been such a support that I have teasingly re-named a parallel organization BRA in Mount! Early on in my research, I had a fascinating lunch with Paul Scotney, former Director of Integrity. Later dear Adam Brickell, the present Director of Integrity, Legal and Risk gave me endless help, particularly into how an enquiry might be staged at the BHA. Details were provided by Danielle Sharkey, Compliance Adviser and Adam’s sweet PA Fiona Carlin. The charming new BHA Chairman Steve Harman, and his Corporate Affairs Assistant Laura Bewick must also be thanked.

  Another great friend Paull Khan, now Secretary-General of the European & Mediterranean Horseracing Federation, was invaluable with his advice when he was previously Racing Director of Weatherbys, the fount of all wisdom where racing is concerned. Also at Weatherbys, Ali Wade has been heroically patient checking whether my innumerable fictional horses’ names have been used before. I cannot thank her enough. I’d like to thank Rachel Jones of Bloodstock Marketing Services for the glorious Weatherbys Stallion Book, and Nick Cheyne, Weatherbys jovial Client Relations Director, who invited me to the mighty King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, a crucial race in Mount! Best of all I have joined Weatherbys, who must be the wisest, most courteous bank in the world, and would like to thank its Chief Executive Roger Weatherby and Stephen Cannon and Simon Gardiner who advise and look after me so beautifully.

  I am again so grateful to Diana Cooper, stalwart at Godolphin, for introducing me to her sweet sister-in-law Juliet Cooper, who invited me to a marvellous eventing weekend, the equivalent of Badminton, staged by Tattersalls in Ireland. This resulted in Juliet and Patrick, her glamorous husband, a leading light of BBA, the great Irish Bloodstock Agency, taking me to a blissful day at the Curragh, Ireland’s greatest racecourse.

  During my stay in Ireland, my great friend Jacques Malone, who seems to know everyone in racing, took me to another Paradise, Coolmore Stud in Tipperary, where no petals of the divine gardens were out of place. Here Mathieu Legars showed me round and I was ecstatic to shake hooves with gentle Galileo, the greatest stallion in the world, and equally thrilled to meet the mighty Camelot. For who in racing will ever forget the joy on the faces of his parents, trainer Aidan and Anne-Marie O’Brien, when their son Joseph in 2012 rode this wondrous colt to victory in the 2000 Guineas and the English and Irish Derbies?

  Later, at Ballydoyle, Coolmore’s racing arm, Polly Murphy drove us around endless tracks and gallops, enabling one to appreciate how Aidan prepares his horses for every eventuality. This was followed by a wonderful lunch for which I must thank spokesman Richard Henry and also Peter Steele, who took me round Coolmore’s stunning museum, where an understandably rapturous thank-you letter from Her Majesty the Queen is proudly on show.

  The following day, Jacques took me to visit awesome jump trainer Willie Mullins and his lovely wife Jackie. Willie’s yard is a total contrast to Coolmore, bustling with dogs, hens, bantams with Christian names and utterly relaxed world-beating horses in ev
ery shape of box. Willie is so laidback, believing horses should get used to everything, he didn’t miss a beat when on the gallops his Alsatian puppy ran through the legs of a hurtling stampede of horses. This pragmatic approach is clearly responsible for Willie’s this year nailing the leading jumps trainer in Ireland and only by a whisker missing the English title.

  Whilst in Ireland, I met another enchanting couple, Edmond Mahony, Chairman of Tattersalls, Newmarket and his wife Juliet, and back in England spent an excellent day at Tattersalls enjoying lunch and watching their stylish auctioneers at work. I was also most grateful to Property Manager John Morrey for taking me on a riveting tour of the stables and loading areas.

  Although I was so lucky to go to the World Cup, I regretfully never made the Breeders’ Cup in America or the Melbourne Cup, though they are essential to my plot. I therefore had to rely on television, DVDs and friends who’d been there. Here again, Leanne Masterton graphically described her journeys abroad with Andrew Balding’s great horse Side Glance, while Jamie and Katie Osborne filled me in about those of Toast of New York.

  Alastair Donald at the International Racing Bureau in Newmarket kindly and graphically unravelled the red tape surrounding the Breeders’ Cup. The wonderfully funny James MacEwan of Janah Transport told me about flying at least six thousand horses a year round the world to race or take up stud duties, including one mare, for whom her solicitous owner begged a window seat. Kevin Needham of BBA Shipping also gave me great advice and it was marvellous to be able to call on Barry Preece of the Little Jet Company at Staverton for advice on flying planes and helicopters.

  Racing people are not just generous in their hospitality, but also in the hours they devote to raising money for both horses and humans. Heading these are my great friends Andrew Parker Bowles, founder, and Di Arbuthnot, Chief Executive, of the marvellous Retraining of Racehorses (ROR), who find new careers for these brave horses once their days on the track are over. The indefatigable Paul Roy’s recently becoming Chairman of ROR can only be to their good, whilst a lovely friend, Katie Dashwood, often rides rescued horses to victory.