Drama
by Hayley
With 2018 getting off to a great start for some, others probably wish they could rewind a little and do a few things differently. Jump jockeys Tom Bellamy and Adam Wedge, I would imagine, fall into the latter category. Tom Bellamy fell afoul of the breathalyser having enjoyed a couple of sherbets on New Year’s Eve. An empty stomach and alcohol isn’t a winning combination for any of us but for Tom, the result was a day’s work missed and an inquiry to look forward to. In the day and age of social media where such news travels fast, I’d guess he’s rather embarrassed and if he could go back and not have a few glasses of his preferred tipple, he would in a heartbeat. Long gone are the days that jockeys could get away with turning up to the races after a night drinking – there’s many amusing stories from ‘behind the scenes’, perhaps we can share some another time…
Another lad wishing he could have another shot at the 1st January 2018 will be Adam Wedge, who bypassed the wrong fence in a Beginners’ chase at Exeter, aboard the 4-7 favourite, winning by 26 lengths before being disqualified. Several fences had been omitted due to water-logging and low sun and unfortunately Adam was found guilty of human error, a mistake that I am sure he is kicking himself for. Sickening as it is for connections, as the trainer Evan Williams said, ‘nobody has died’ – the same thing Mrs D said to me when I brought the horsebox home with a nice scratch down the side after navigating a very full lorry park at York racecourse. I sent Ann a photo along with an apology and crossed my fingers that she was in a good mood – luckily, she was!
Rosina heads to Newcastle this evening off the back of a good win at Chelmsford.
