The Shadow

HERE COMES THE FLASH

10 September 2007

For the last few weeks I have been turning over in my mind the changes which have been happening here in my weekly chat with you.

For twelve years I have chatted about this and that, mostly in the world of hoss racing but sometimes not.  

I have told you about my family and my life of rags to riches back to rags and back to riches again. Over that period of time we have got to know each other pretty well. I have deep affection for my loyal readers and I hope they spare the odd thought for me.  

However, since we started the Southwark News Racing Club we have been thrown out of our weekly routine and all my communications with my readers have been about our own hosses and there has been no time for general chit chat. Likewise our tipping line has been made over to news about our own hosses and their progress.

We had a very big day yesterday at Wolverhampton and after all the excitement I was finding it hard to get to sleep. I knew that once again my weekly column would be stuffed with a blow by blow account of the performance of our filly Southwark Newsflash. Shouldn’t I be getting back to basics and writing about the new Doncaster racecourse and one of my favourite races the St Leger I kept asking myself. When I woke this morning I knew what I had to do. My mind went back to the very earliest days when I was just setting out on the roller coaster ride which is my career as a racing journalist. I promised my loyal readers that  was going to try to get them the price of a slap up meal for two, or a new winter coat or a Christmas bicycle for child for a couple of quid staked at the bookies. I never wanted to become a big wheel telling you to have a couple of grand on an odds on shot. I am the working man and working woman’s tipster and I am proud of it.  

If owning and running our own hosses gives us the edge with the bookies that is the road I am going to follow.  
In these pages last week I told you Southwark Newsflash had to be backed each way at 66-1 for the Wolverhampton race, I said it three days on the trot on the tipping line. On Tuesday on the phone I said get on this 66-1 because she will never go off at that price ever again. I took my nephew with me to Wolverhampton with us and he had £20 each way at 100-1. I missed the 100-1 and had to take the  66-1. Our filly came third and my young nephew trousered £400. That is what I want to see. Bookies well and truly bashed.

As for the race itself Flash did not miss the break the way she did at Yarmouth but she took a while to settle on the all weather surface, never having seen anything like it in her life before. They rounded the turn for home and the race commentator said “Southwarknewsflash is well in the rear and making no impression”. Everybody in our party groaned but not me, I know that gal. No sooner were the words out of his mouth than our filly started a charge up the rails. She must have made up twenty lengths in two furlongs. If they had gone another fifty yards she would have won.

Only her second time off the farm in two years. She is as green as grass but what a turn of foot she has. I think it still has something to do with her breathing. It is almost as though when she can finally fill her lungs she presses the turbocharger. She just takes off. I gave the stable staff my winnings because they have worked wonders with her.

Footnote:  Will the following members of the Racing Club please let me have their full addresses so that I can send their newsletters. Mr Charles Begley, Mr Richard Johnson, Mr Murphy and Mr R Mace.     

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