While the effects of the flu continues it does seem to be maturing and changing - rather like a good bottle of wine. The vintners will tell you that a bottle of wine is “well developed and evolving into a smooth yet robust and hearty beverage with a hint of chocolate and an aroma of raspberries”.
A write up on me right now would say something along the lines of “ an astonishing and enviable amount of thick gloop accompanies this little number, its sharpness produces a persistent cough and breathlessness with the unmistakable aroma of vicks vapour rub and olbas oil”
The flaming virus has cost me two super occasions, today I missed the go racing In Yorkshire lunch and on Tuesday I missed attending the famous Gimcrack dinner, I felt so wretched but the lovely William Derby kindly emailed me the speeches made by the Gimcrack winner’s connections Peter Swann and ITV’s ace presenter Ed Chamberlain
Ed focused on all the good things (and there are many) about racing and how we all must be more open and welcoming in order to attract more people to the Sport (although I don’t see how we at Sun Hill can be more open and welcoming but I get his drift and have practiced his methods for 20plus years, in fact it might have been my old drum he was banging).
Peter Swann’s speech was interesting too and in parts very funny so I have taken the liberty of copying a small section
“I was asked if there were many comparisons with my other love which is being the Chairman of a football league club, in particular, between footballers and horses, well surprisingly there is as follows:
We try and buy athletic, good moving, fit horses as we do footballers. If they move well, have no major injuries and have a forward going mentality it ticks a lot of boxes for both players and horses. However some have vices, in horses we have windsuckers, cribbers, weavers and a lot need headgear, rugs and blindfolds to go into the stalls. In football we have dribblers who should pass, passers who should dribble, goal scorers who don’t score and defenders who can’t defend. Some need help and wear gloves, tights and support equipment along with a few who would benefit from a stall handler pushing them onto the pitch in the cold depths of winter. The one telling connection is neither a footballer or horse has won mastermind and you can make your own conclusions from that!”
Priceless !!!!