Ashforth's Angles: All you need to know about Monday racing


Windsor: the Flat course used to stage jumps meetings

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (  

 By David Ashforth 5:30PM 3 JUL 2016 

DEAR Reader(s). After six months of Angles, it is time to catch up on your questions. Many concern Monday racing and I will do my best to answer them.

Dear Sir – Why are so many Windsor meetings held on Mondays?
The reason is historical. Windsor used to stage jumps meetings. A meeting was due to take place on Friday, December 11 1936 but Edward VIII said that he would be unable to attend as he was abdicating that day. Royal Windsor brought the meeting forward to the Monday and Mondays have figured prominently ever since. The Queen is known to keep her Monday evenings free to watch Matt Chapman on At The Races.

Dear Sir – My husband insists that a horse’s performance is strongly influenced by biorhythms and that some horses perform best on Mondays. Is this true?
Yes. Some professional gamblers have become wealthy by following this phenomenon. For instance, trainer Clive Cox ran Quebee (Windsor 8.05) on Fridays and Wednesdays but it took a Windsor Monday, May 30, to secure success. The same with Athlon (Windsor 9.00) for David Lanigan. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays proved hopeless for Athlon’s biorhythms. Windsor on Monday, June 13 did the trick.

Dear Sir – It is almost 250 miles from Nigel Tinkler’s Yorkshire yard to Windsor. He’s not taking Etienne Gerard (6.05) and Bashiba (7.35) all that way for the good of their health, is he?
Probably not, although his horses have run six times at Windsor in the last five years without winning. Maybe they like the drive.

Dear Sir – Why is Windsor a figure-of-eight track?
Because if it was square the corners would be difficult to negotiate.

Dear Sir – I never seem to have any luck punting on Mondays and think the day of the week affects our punting and sporting prowess. Is this true?
No, and it is easily proved. In American Football, Jeff Saturday was an outstanding centre for the Indianapolis Colts yet played nearly all his football on Sundays. I think you will find that any day of the week can be disastrous.

Dear Sir – Why is Worcester racing on Monday this week? It is most inconvenient.
Because the course is likely to be flooded by Tuesday.

Dear Sir – In every race at Ayr at least one trainer has two runners. Interesting, isn’t it?
Not very. If Aidan O’Brien was there he’d have more.

Dear Sir – If you don’t tip winners, what’s the point?
If you wait long enough I will tip one. People have no patience nowadays. Besides, you could say the same about life. There’s no point to that, it just is.

Dear Sir – Is there one for today?
Yes. I’m afraid it won’t win but we should all give it a cheer. It’s Rich Harvest (Windsor 6.05) who last won eight years ago. Trainer Ray Peacock, now 82, first held a licence in 1965. In 1986 he became the first British trainer to win the Galway Hurdle, with Rushmoor, ridden by Peter Scudamore. It wasn’t a Monday, though. It usually isn’t.

Horse Racing News | Racing Post

