Costly day's racing at increasingly wonderful Brighton saved by Lewis Dunk

My - purely platonic obviously - love affair with Brighton racecourse just grows and grows. It used to be a dump, and it still has to struggle with vandalism, its location in a 'liberal' city which is not exactly enthusiastic about horse racing, logistical difficulties in watering, buildings inspired by the worst period of local council design, and two roads (Wilson Avenue and Manor Hill) crossing the track.

Despite all this, and mainly owing to the determined efforts of the current management, it offers a friendly welcome that many of the grade 1 and 2 tracks lack, and its quirkiness even suits some decent horses from high profile stables.
After a week away in Magaluf, where the weather was a continuation of this English winter, I finally got a chance to go racing again yesterday (Monday) at the great Ian Carnaby's favourite racing location.
Remarkably the going report had the word 'firm'. Indeed after 6 hours sun and wind, the going was changed after the second race from 'good - good to firm in places' to 'good to firm' for the whole course.
Trainers represented at Monday's meeting included Sir Mark Prescott (bt), Richard Hannon, William Haggas, Roger Charlton and Brian Meehan. The 4th race was won cosily by Paling, owned by one Prince Khalid Abdullah. I was shocked to see that the Prince did not turn up in person to receive his prestigious trophy. Instead the printed bit of of paper with the words 'winner' on it was collected by trainer Roger Charlton's 18 year son, who I am sure will pass said piece of paper to his Highness.
Mick Channon also had a runner, and I noticed Mick's son posing for photographs with a bunch of 'lads' which included an equally famous footballer, Chris Waddle. You would have been forgiven for missing Chris. His mullet is gone but unlike Mick he has not gone bald. Instead he now has a slicked back brylcream style haircut reminiscent of that sported by goalies in the 1920's and '30's. Mr Waddle was enjoying himself with the Winner Group, which seemed to involve drinking pints of some kind deep purple liquid (nope, me neither).
Other highlights for me included visiting the winner's enclosure after the first race. The man next to me was very animated as the trainer Richard Spencer threw water over the second, Sir Theodore, who had just failed to overhaul the winner Al Sailiyah, in a close finish.
The victor's jockey, Pat Dobbs, has vast experience, while Sir Theodore was ridden by the appropriately named apprentice, Louis Steward (who had a 3lb weight allowance because of his inexperience).
Mr Animated was not impressed.
"Throw the f***ing water over the jockey. Not f***king strong enuff."
Me,
"Did you back the second?"
Mr Animated,
"Err well yeh."
The second race gave me the chance to test a well known racing theory. There were 3 runners, so the potential was there for 'the outsider of 3' to come off. It worked for me once in a race at Plumpton on an Easter bank holiday, but it is best to draw a veil over that as it turned out it was probably fixed. On all known form the favourite - Mister Sunshine - had to win. I had a soft spot for him in any case as he is trained by Clive Cox, who for obvious reasons I feel a certain affinity towards. My paddock inspection did though suggest he was vulnerable. Mister Sunshine was bucking like a bronco, and the syndicate who owned the third favourite, Secret Ballerina, were all there and smiling. I watched one of them have a lumpyish bet on their filly, and followed in. Secret Ballerina shortened from16's into 10/1, while the jolly drifted from 1/2 to 4/6.
I have to admit that I was quietly confident as Secret Ballerina led to the cutaway 2 furlongs out. Mister Sunshine had been pulling all the way, wanting to run far faster than jockey Adam Kirby considered wise. Surely he was using too much energy?
Well no. Secret Ballerina found nothing off the bridle, trailing in a distant last, whilst Mister Sunshine continued to pull Adam Kirby's arms out of their sockets whilst winning by an easy 5 lengths. I think he might win again!
All in all though a lovely sunny day, albeit punting wise with 4 losing bets a bit hard on the bank balance. I headed back into town to check the odds on the football in Paddy Power's. Sadly I feared (correctly) that Brighton's play-off campaign was doomed. Quick check on the first goalscorer odds though. Surprised to see Solly March (lame) quoted at 10/1 and Adam Chickson (plays for another team) 40/1. My final £40 went on Lewis Dunk, who looked to me to be overpriced. 
Happy days.

As They Cross Wilson Avenue

Graham Green must take most of the blame. Brighton Racecourse 'enjoys' a reputation for a certain roguishness on the back of the depiction of razor gangs and racketeering in his most famous novel Brighton Rock, and the iconic Boulting Brothers film based on it.
In actual fact the events portrayed in Green's book took place at the long closed nearby Lewes racecourse, but the image has stuck.
15 years ago there was every chance that Brighton racecourse would suffer the same fate as Lewes. Long neglected by its owners, Brighton Council, it was unloved, unsafe and basically a dump.
Under the inspirational leadership of local racing fan Phil Bell - now gone onto to great things at Chepstow - the course was smartened up and has enjoyed something of a revival.
To be honest the course is never going to be Ascot but its future looks secure and a day watching the racing there is always interesting.
Last Monday was a day for real racing fans, not the stag/hen, family fun, ladies' day crowd which Brighton, along with many other courses, try to attract in the summer.
Autumn had set in, and the wind swept across the paddock. The betting jungle was sparsely populated.

Brighton is a unique racecourse, uneven with twists and turns, which favours course specialists. One of my first successful betting strategies was to follow a horse called Belper, who had only one eye. He could not win anywhere except Brighton, where he could fix his good eye on the running rail and find his way to the finishing line.
In all races except those over the shortest distance of 5 furlongs, the horses have to gallop across a road. This can be scary, especially when the wind is tugging at the straw matting put down to cover the tarmac, and the rain makes it as slippery as ice.
A tradition amongst the commentators is to mention this road in every commentary, making Wilson Avenue the second most famous road in racing folklore (after the Melling Road at Aintree obviously).
Inevitably with the inclement weather changing the going, the results on Monday proved to be a bookers' benefit with a host of long odds winners.
Highlights for me were seeing the veteran horse Megalala, 14 years old and effectively drawing his pension in horse terms, go into the stalls without any help from his jockey or stall handlers. He finished 3rd, beating horses over 10 years younger than him.
Most Brighton racedays include a seller. These are for the worst horses in training, and involve the winning horse being sold at auction immediately after the race. The great sports journalist, Ian Carnaby, sponsors a 'truly awful' selling race at Brighton every year, and in days gone by used to finish his day out in town with an evening listening to the late Rockin' Billy playing Billy Fury discs in Preston Street.
Brighton racecourse still has its many detractors. The chances of it ever hosting a Derby trial (eminently sensible because if a horse can handle Brighton it could certainly deal with the contours of Epsom) again are probably long gone. It suffers vandalism, the going can be very firm in the summer, the travellers were still allowed to camp at the 2 furlong poll this week but it remains a cracking day out.
Oh and even if the getting out stakes (or in my case the getting in deeper stakes) does not work out there is a chance of a rainbow to guide you into town afterwards.

Brighton marks (out of 10)
Welcome/friendliness 8
Atmosphere 5
Betting ring (size, competitiveness) 5
Racecard (cost, quality) 6
Queues for bar 8
Viewing 7
Standard of racing 4

Total (out of 70) 43
Punting success - lost