Category Archives: Uncategorized

At the end of the 2019/20 National Hunt season, Cyrname was the joint-third highest-rated steeplechaser in training, alongside Min and behind only Chacun Pour Soi and Altior, according to Timeform. Indeed, in November, 2019, the Nickname gelding became the first and, so far, only horse to beat Altior over hurdles or fences when winning the Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot. He was subsequently made favourite for the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, but could only finish a distant second behind stable companion Clan Des Obeaux and fell, when beaten, at long odds-on in the Betfair Ascot Chase on his only subsequent start.

Both defeats were disappointing, but particularly so the latter. Twelve months previously, Cyrname had brushed aside favourite Waiting Patiently in the Betfair Ascot Chase, drawing away in the closing stages to win, impressively, by 17 lengths. Trainer Paul Nicholls reported the eight-year-old ‘exactly where we want him’ ahead of his bid to win the race for the second year running but, once headed by eventual winner Riders Onthe Storm at the third last, never looked like doing so and parted company with jockey Harry Cobden at the final fence.

Cyrname has not run since, but Nicholls recently reported him ‘in very good form’ and ‘well on schedule’. The original plan to run him in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal on October 31, 2020 was abandoned because of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, but he has been re-routed to the Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on the same day. Cyrname has raced just once, without success, beyond 2 miles and 5 furlongs, but Nicholls wants to try him over three miles again in preparation for another tilt at the King George VI Chase, for which he is currently 16/1 ante post.

Part of the joy of cashing out any bet is that only the power of hindsight can determine whether or not cashing out was the right decision. One occasion when it definitely was not was in the case of Bailey Grant, who staked £1.06 each-way on a seven-fold accumulator, through the card, on the fourth day of Royal Ascot in June, 2022.

Grant correctly selected Meditate (10/3), Perfect Power (7/2) and Candleford (6/1) in the the first three races and, having rejected the option to cash out for £125.48, watched his fourth selection, Inspiral (3/1) go clear in the final furlong for an impressive, 4¾-length win in the Coronation Stakes. Sensational though the filly may have been, Grant lost his nerve and, with three selections yet to run, cashed out his bet for £463.75.

Of course, it can be argued that £463.75 is a healthy return for an initial outlay of £2.12, but if Grant was happy with less than £500, why, you may ask, did he include seven selections in his bet? In any event, he trusted his instincts, which, on this occasion, failed him miserably. Selections five, six and seven, Heredia (4/1), Changingoftheguard (13/8) and Latin Lover (10/1), all won, at prices better than starting price, leaving Grant to rue his earlier decision. Had he lasted the distance, his total return would have been £83,638.75.

In the face of questioning about cashing out a bet that cost £2.12, Grant tweeted, ‘Some of you on here [Twitter] don’t have the brains to think about it financially! Imagine if one of them got placed or came nowhere in the race.’ Of course, some return is better than no return at all, but short-changing yourself by tens of thousands of pounds, when all you really needed to do was, well, nothing, must be a chastening experience, whatever Grant says.

Some out there moments from the sport of kings!

With a passion and understanding for horses, Murphy won big at the racetrack by using his knowledge and skills.

Murphy’s father trained and raced horses, which sparked his interest in horse racing. From a boy, Murphy had decided to devote himself to caring for and conditioning racehorses. The majority of the horses he worked with were steeplechase horses that competed on the National Hunt circuit in both Ireland and England.

Working for Nicky Henderson

As a result, he was offered the opportunity to work for Nicky Henderson, a National Hunt trainer who is considered to be one of the best in the country. Race horses were galloped for exercise, their manes combed, and manure shovelled by him. Murphy enjoyed the job despite it not being luxurious or paying substantially.

In December 2011, he believed five horses in Mr Henderson’s stable had been trained exceptionally well and were all scheduled to compete in the Cheltenham Festival the following year. Despite the obvious odds against him, Murphy bet $75 on the five horses, including Finian’s Rainbow (8-1), Bobs Worth (10-1), Simonsig (14-1), Riverside Theatre (9-1), and Sprinter Sacre (10-1).

Each of the five horses Murphy bet on had placed first in their events, as well as Finian’s Rainbow, which won the Queen Mother Champion Chase. In his excitement for the horses, Murphy almost forgot about the bet he had placed.

Despite the slim chance of winning all five horses, Murphy’s $75 turned into more than $1.5 million, which led to him quitting his job and becoming his own boss. As soon as Murphy won his big race, he moved to Kentucky to train horses for prominent jockeys. Bronterre, Dimension, and Mon Ami Jolie were three reasonably priced horses he purchased in England before he moved to the United States.