Well what a week it’s been for Wilsford Racing Stables! COURT AFFAIRS, with Jerry McGrath on board, started the roll off with an impressive bumper debut win at Carlisle and now heads off to the Cheltenham Sales to seek a healthy return. Things then simply got better at Aintree on Grand National Day as immediately after the big race the team of CHESTERFIELD and Dan Sansom – still claiming a valuable 10lbs – took part in the Pinsont Masons amateur and conditional jockey’s race, the last race of the three day Aintree extravaganza.
Well you must know the result, Dan (aka Mowgli) steered the powerful chestnut racing machine to a comfortable win, eased near the line as Mowgli gave his victory salute.
Could it get any better for supporters of the yard? Yes it could, and yes it did! For those of you who are avid followers of Facebook and You Tube saw the unthinkable when Reggie, in his jubilation, ran to greet Mowgli and CHESTERFIELD after their emphatic victory, decided to let the horse tread on his foot as he fumbled to attach the lead rein and took, what appeared to be, a backward step into a manhole as he disappeared from view into the ground with a force that sent a tremor round the main Aintree grandstand (measuring force 5 on the Richter scale), only then to reappear from the bottom of your TV screen seemingly as if nothing happened.
Even of more concern was that the yard first aid leader – first point of contact in any emergency – one Seamus Mullins, did not at any point even attempt to go to his aid but simply side stepped him amid fits of laughter!
1,000 hits/views, and increasing daily by a rate of knots, on Facebook and You Tube also failed to show any sympathy for our red haired talisman, who in his attire of green gilet and yellow tie resembled at times a traffic light, with comments ranging from ‘pmsl’ (if you don’t know what that means ask your kids) to ‘oops Reggie takes a tumble’.
Well they say any publicity is good publicity, but seriously Reg, in front of 600 million viewers worldwide from 140 countries, let alone all those scouse birds who were hurling abuse at you, what on earth were you doing man???
But let’s remained focused – a superb result for all concerned, absolutely brilliant.
An impromptu party was called upon the jolly boys outing successful return to the yard and a good time was had by all, Dan relaying the race step by step, Seamus and James relaying the event step by step and Reggie relaying his tale step by fall!