Mac, deep into the 90th minute, told her where to go. As Basil Fawlty once said: "Enjoy your meal!". Then I thought betting was very easy; You just back the white one - its so very simple, I dont know why everybody else doesnt do that! And I was hooked from then - not on just the betting though; I used to sit on the arm of dads armchair - and dads are heroes to their sons and he was a man of infinite charm and kindness - he loved racing and in turn, I loved it in his wake I guess. In part two Alastair talks about not missing a Cheltenham Festival since he was 19. He asks me if I feel better on balance taking them. With a slightly sheepish smile, she reveals that she sold him on for 8,000. Alastair Down is the author of Cheltenham et Al (4.17 avg rating, 24 ratings, 3 reviews, published 2014), Cheltenham Et Al (4.83 avg rating, 6 ratings, 1. I love the atmosphere, I love the anticipation, I love the excitement and I love the test. Down commanded a platoon in the Battle of Sidi Barrani in December 1940 and lost his right eye in the engagement. Does he talk to Keir Starmer much? It's all about repaying that faith and I know I can. So don't run, just like the others always do. He will soon tell you if you f*** up but if you listen to him you'll learn and he wants to teach. "You're a funny guy, Sully. To be honest, we are talking five or six days ahead of the meeting, and I have learnt down the years that you get a flood of information from lots of people and you have to learn with people to separate the dreamers from the realists. Nicola Pagett, left, with Jean Marsh, in the ITV series Upstairs Downstairs. I went in at 9st and came out at 7st.". Then out of the blue the stewards called me in.". And she was absolutely passionate about what this can do and theyre talking about treatment which involves a single-dose plus therapy. "I can take pain now because it's nothing compared with what I felt then. "I had a 10hh pony called Rosie who would jump anything. A barefaced but brilliant touch looked likely to be landed until Robin Wonder came and did him on the Flat. Fat Al Down is a pretentious dullard who never uses one word where a whole essay (and one where banging on about Arkle is obligatory) would do. Alistar is an alternative form of Alistair, the Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Alasdair, ultimately from Ancient Greek , meaning "Defender . The opposition parties get that this is a really, really dangerous Government, and a dangerous time for the country, but whether then theyre prepared to take the necessary steps to come together to beat them where they cant beat them on their own is a debate theyve surely got to have. She was just 17 when she went to Rada in 1962. And years earlier setting off on the countryside march in London, where after about five minutes it became clear this most high-profile of footsloggers would be the focus of vitriolic abuse from those heckling from the pavement. My dad, who was a meek, mild and delightful man, was a five Shilling punter on a Saturday who worked in the City of London. When I first used to go, or watch it on telly even before that, before the drainage systems went in, about 24/25 years ago, the horses would come up that hill in bad ground, as an Irish friend of mine says, like snipe leaving the bog, weaving from side to side - but a bit slower than snipe! ", "Yes, indeed Miss Frost and thanks for that. Perhaps there is a touch of the roseate in my recollection of him, but excuse that please. Her behaviour became increasingly erratic and she developed an obsession with Alastair Campbell, Tony Blairs spokesperson, whom she bombarded with love letters. With the right planning and dedication, anyone can have a successful garden this summer. There are few mysteries as complex as other people's marriages, but should you require a textbook definition of devotion look no further than Mr and Mrs John McCririck. Ive grown to trust him, so Ill probably take them. Bye-bye clip-clop, hello hip-hop. The smoke drifted across all these tweedy folk in the box next to us and I think they were all out of their heads by the end of the day! The footballer turned respected pundit and businessman talks to Alastair Campbell about self-belief, sport and politics By Alastair Campbell Alastair Campbell Meets Eddie Jones Eddie Jones is. It was agony when I was surfing because my body couldn't process the saltwater I was swallowing. That takes backbone and bottle. Recall him a few years ago writing a heartfelt article in the RP about the damage a lifetimes over-indulgence had caused him and his nearest and dearest, culminating in the well-worn type-of-phrase its got to stop and it will. V sad to hear of Alastair Down's battle with Alcoholism after spending 28 days in US booze clinic, but what a true man to write such an open piece abo Alastair Down, beating the drink and the mark of a man - forum.sports-pro.co.uk Its mind-blowing that these people are way ahead in the polls. Grapevine also believes in supporting young people to get a strong start through internships and work placements. With Johnson I dont know if its deliberate or being strategic, but if you get away with small things, you can get away with bigger things the next time and he has got away with quite a few big things and thats made him realise I can get away with a lot., Prince Harry talks of shame families feel over failing to spot mental health problems in loved ones. And you can tell they mean it. Alastair L. Greene (born April 18, 1971) is an American blues rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Cheltenham has been made easier over the years and many, many more ways than it has been publicised - but rightly so, and we are still making innovations, like after last years four miler - which was a bit like the refute from Moscow but without Napoleon. This article was amended on 5 and 29 March 2021. Nikki Frost was on the front line during Bryony's illness, spending two months by her side in hospital trying to hold it together while undergoing the scarcely describable ordeal of watching her daughter fighting to survive before her very eyes. Hes very good at his job but excess will hurt both his performance and obviously his health. Theres a very good reason that that cheer goes up when the tapes go up; because people have been waiting for the start of the meeting or a particular race or the Gold Cup and they love it. She was delirious and hallucinating. In a wonderfully old-fashioned way he cared with unswerving passion for the little man. "The other day I said to him 'my family gave me the tools and you've taught me about the work to use them on'. Simon Nott is author of: Alastair Down talks to Willie Robinson 50 years on from Mill House's Gold Cup. We also help a number of charities including Heads Together and The Injured Jockeys Fund. In all three roles her beauty was tempered with a fascinating mixture of steeliness and reserve. She adds that at one stage it was a "throw-up" between racing and show jumping but we decide "toss-up" would be a better description. Big Mac with his co-stars, the Channel 4 Morning Line team, Watch: Racing Post chief Alan Byrne pays tribute to 'punting hero' Barney Curley, 'He was everything to me' - Frankie Dettori pays tribute to Barney Curley, Long list of winning gambles contributed to the popular legend of Barney Curley, 'Not only did he make the world more interesting, he made it a better place', 'Nobody will win as much on horseracing this century' - the very best of Barney, Community, Environment and Corporate Responsibility. Alastair's Ruby Plush - Quilt Cover Set - Bonus Euro Pillowcase or Cushion with Every Quilt Cover. More Joe Maplin than racing`s finest wordsmith IMHO. Ive sat and discussed over the years with my great chum Ruby Walsh, the complexity and detail of riding at Cheltenham; all of the things you need to be aware of whilst riding in the races - everyone thinks these jockeys go out there and rides just their race on their horse. News of his death came in a call from my one of my daughters, Clare. It was a good week, yeah I enjoyed it, he says. She says: "I'm very family orientated and was taught from an early age to respect money. Alastair had just been announced as being unwell, so I thought Id take over, As Alastair is unwell, I have pre-written his race report for the Supreme. Although she did say the changes are in ways you dont necessarily want it to change. In response, it has been made shorter and with a smaller field, so therefore it has removed some of the ferocity but it has made it safer, a bit like the Grand National being made safer; fallers are kind of a rarity in the National now, whereas they were literally all over the place before. In 1942 he was appointed a Member and in 1944 an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, and in 1945 was appointed a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau. Had a chat with him at the Tingle Creek meeting as was a throughly nice bloke, wish him all the best. 41.9K subscribers Sam Hanson meets up with Alastair Down to find out where his love for Cheltenham and in particular the Cheltenham Festival all stemmed from. I once had a very good win there on a horse called Taberna Lord who was also trained by Jim Wilson, who had the incalculable disadvantage of a claiming jockey on top by the name of Luke Harvey who wasnt even as bad then as he got later on! Irritating? UNEXPECTED WINNER 2009 FLAT 10 TO FOLLOW COMPETITION! You look at the world and think this lot are murderously incompetent. Campbell believes the Prime Minister has little time when it comes to mental health. Campbell was also able to challenge Health Secretary Matt Hancock over the Governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic and social care, while health minister Nadine Dorries was grilled over the lack of mental health support for children and adults over the last 15 months. Yet among the mass of cap-doffing drivel that has poured out in recent days has been the contributions of women who knew and worked with him. When she won her first 10,000 race she bought Mum a new Aga. Alastair Down pays tribute to his former colleague and friend John McCririck. That was an argument when we were in opposition [in the 1980s and 1990s], Campbell says. The problem is what it doesn't say, My mother has Alzheimer's - these are 10 foods we both eat to protect brain health, Isabel Oakeshotts betrayal of Matt Hancock is the final nail in the coffin for trust in media, Ed Davey: 'We are locked out of my learning disabled son's savings - the Government won't help', If 'disappearing' WhatsApp messages are embedded in Whitehall, scrutiny will vanish too, Boris Johnson still considering trying to bring down Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal, Do not sell or share my personal information. As a jockey I'm stronger than ever and my racing brain is sharper. Given the success of the Weetabix jockey in the TV ads, perhaps a sparkling media career awaits this horse? Alastair Down talks to the young jockey riding high after her Grade 1 success Bryony Frost: Paul Nicholls' conditional rider has been one of the stars of the jumps season Edward Whitaker 1 of 1 UPDATED 12:38PM, JAN 15 2018 Came the day when Bryony Frost was running a touch late getting to Taunton to ride one for dad Jimmy. Interesting comments but I still rate Alastairs journalistic skills and thought he was excellent on the RP chat the other night.Nobody uses War analogies to describe Horses racing round a field quite like Mr Down himself. 'He's slowing the whole bloody thing down!' It took ages. This year will be the 45th year I have been going to the Festival, without missing a single day. Sad really. When youre young, you go all day and all night and then have an hours kip and then go again, now that I work at the meeting, it is very different but I love the way also that it has transmitted itself to the next generation - it just has this, almost evangelical ability to get the group gospel across, I mean my three children, they couldnt name another race course, but they never miss a day at the Festival. On one occasion after a long day at the races, John had repaired to bed after his "tosh" bath to you and I in order to watch his beloved Newcastle on the box. Ive also seen the rise of Willie Mullins, who I have known for donkeys years and when I met him first, he was just an amateur with the idea that he might train a bit and look where he is now! I'd taken a teddy bear in with me a very old one with beans in his bottom, which had gone very saggy. It was the Queen Mothers fault; she came into the paddock and everyone started applauding so it went 3 feet up in the air and landed smack on its arse! It doesnt matter whether its the Champion Hurdle or one of the handicaps because the handicaps are contested with a ferocity and usually at a pace that is kind of frightening to watch - and they just go off like hell out of the night; so much so, that weve had changes in the field sizes in recent years. Copper has been known to kill tomato plants if placed directly into the stem or base, but placing copper wire around the wound may not have the same effect. The plays territory of power games in a sexually ambiguous, dream-like atmosphere was one she inhabited as of right. And so The Booby and a supporter will watch the slow and sonorous slide behind the curtains and the ashes will find their way to the furlong pole at Ally Pally where in John's youth the starter would solemnly intone: "Triers at the front, non-triers at the back.". This is interesting, because he hasn't appeared for awhile, and I do seem to remember him not looking at the top of his game before and the likes of McGrath and Francome taking the 'mick' live on CH4 telly - . After the Gold Cup I had about three people ring me up and tell me they had had the best days betting of their lives so they didnt know it was meant to run in the other race! But I don't see it as being about my career because at Ditcheat we're all in it together. All rights reserved. That's why I'm going to kill you last.". He invented it. Nicola Pagett, second left, with Michael Jayston, David Jason, Gwen Taylor and David Yelland in the television drama A Bit of a Do, 1989. Speaking of Jim Wilson, he used to ride a horse called Willie Wumpkins. I mean, it ran, but it ran about as quick as I could I nearly became a Republican that day I was so cross! And the signs are very, very encouraging. You only realize how good both he and Mac were when you see the viewing figs go down faster than a Thai brass! Additionally, modern pennies are only 2.5% copper, so older pennies should be used instead for better results. - Free Online Library She is simply uplifting and everything a 22-year-old should be with the world at her feet. Memories? For Jenny most of all. Willie found a new lease of life and health when radically altering his diet seven years ago, and says: "In two days I didn't know myself, I felt so much better. "It was a schooling accident and I was knocked out for ten minutes. In my inner heart I hope he understood how deeply he was valued by those privileged to be allowed past the public image. There is no atmosphere like it, you are there in this great democracy of people. After a stint as presenter on Good Morning Britain throughout Mental Health Awareness Week last month, Alastair Campbell is set for a comeback. And I think in his words, As I descended the stairs the mumps descended about 2 feet down too and he ended up with mumps where a man doesnt want mumps which I think is quite painful apparently and it was the only moment in his life where his love for me wavered! I messed up the start at Fakenham on a favourite and when I rang him on the way home he said 'there was no point in effing talking to you this morning as you weren't effing listening'. It's a great place with peacocks, poorly chicks staying warm on the Aga and lots of guinea fowl. "When it got to my lungs I was basically rotting. I dont really have major fancies for the big races, I tend to play in the handicaps, and every runner remember, has been planning to win these races for eight or nine months. Yes we argued on occasion we had an armed truce never to discuss his appearance on that scourge of our times, reality TV but he was magnificently honest and even-handed. Last month Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, said she had decided to take a step back from her work because she is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Nobody else can. "We went everywhere together. Bryony Frost's father Jimmy and brother Hadden cheer home Pacha Du Polder in the Foxhunter at Cheltenham, Bryony Frost: 'It's awesome to have a life where you can be so proud of your horses and the people you work with', Clifford Baker oversees work in the yard at Ditcheat. My depression scale, he called it. He only ran in that race and he became a sort of cult horse and quite rightly so! In his final months, Alastair struggled with severe mental illness; despite the very best efforts of his family and friends, he succumbed to his illness and chose not to go on. Having joined the show as a guest host alongside Susanna Reid, presenting on weekdays during Mental Health Awareness Week last month, he returns to the air on July 7. She says: "When she got septicemia she began to close down. Colonel Sir Alastair Frederick Down OBE MC TD was a Scottish army officer, accountant, and oilman. He's found me the right horses at the right time and had the backbone to put me up on horses and fought my corner, telling owners 'she'll show you what she can do'. "Now Fat Al, I am two glasses ahead of you but I am sure you will catch up.". Well, I think theres a good reason why people go to be honest, because you know that at some stage during the week, there will be pieces of magic woven that are beyond imagination and the stories will be compelling and unlike any other week, they will be genuinely moving and people go there in order to be spiritually uplifted. . But as things got worse which he loved of course I thought "grow a pair Down" and cleaved to his side. Some people (fools) said Katchit couldn't win the Champion Hurdle. There are some really interesting questions that arise from that, but I think it was very good that she felt able not just to say Im going off sick, but to say Im going off sick and heres why.. Now, Joanna Moncrieff [the UCL doctor Campbell met while filming his BBC documentary Depression and Me in 2019] would argue that might be because of better lifestyle choices Ive made. I have spanned golden years and I have lived through the matchless age of Champion Hurdles with Sea Pigeon, Night Nurse, Monks Field doing battle over the years and Ive seen the Kauto Star and Denman years; and the Best Mate years - Ive been very lucky. She says: "When she got septicemia she began to close down. Down joined the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1938 in London and was posted to Mandatory Palestine. In the subsequent 38 years I cannot recall a single occasion on which he let me down. After seeing how Naomi Osaka was treated, is it any wonder that we dont take mental health sick days? I was giggling for some reason and complaining that my trolley had a wonky willie, which is not much use. Alastair talks about owning legs in racehorses over the years, a gamble that went astray at Leicester Races. "Now Miss Frost, we need to talk to you about your use of the whip. I told them that Norton's Coin would win at Cheltenham in March - and I knew the race, it was in was a handicap called Mildmay of Fleet Chase and I remember sitting in the offices of Sporting Life the day the declaration closed for the race and I rang Cyril Griffiths out of the blue, having never spoken to him in my life, and I asked if everything was alright with Norton's Coin and he said Oh, it was market day this morning so I missed declaring him for the Mildmay & Fleet, so hes running in the Gold Cup!So I slammed the phone down and I cant repeat the rude word are used! Never been a Down fan, but then I wouldnt be I wasnt a fan of Jeffrey Bernard or that whole raffish, rakish, persona he seems to style himself upon. He would return in his bowler hat on a Friday night and I would go and get the racing paper on my bike on Saturday morning. I thought I was John Paul Getty - or the modern day Bill Gates! Who knows if that is true, but one could understand if Down isnt at his best every week. Alastair Campbell has struggled with depression since his 20s. I dont get the sense that Johnson sees this as a priority at all. News . I love being part of it and seeing the emotional bond everyone has with their horses. "You have to be a good sponge and soak it all up. As has been said the recent article on J T McNamara was excellent. People without a sense of humour need not, Moderators:Rowan, johne5knuckle, jennywales, V sad to hear of Alastair Down's battle with Alcoholism after spending 28 days in US booze clinic, but what a true man to write such an open piece about this his illness in his columnin the RP, i personally would like to wish this truly gifted racing journalist and presenter the very best of luck in the battle ahead and to say that takes a real man to own up to their demons and lets hope he comes back better than ever. Every day in the 10 days up to the meeting, lots of horses start dropping out due to injury and then all those months of planning and years of planning can easily go up in smoke it is not a window of opportunity, its an arrow slit, and everyone is wanting to all fire through that arrow slit all at once. She was a glacial, beautiful . When the famous Norton's Coin won the Gold Cup at any price you like, Id been telling people since November that there was a horse trained by someone nobody had ever heard of called Cyril Griffiths in Wales who was a dairy farmer. The great sort out of information happens on Sunday, which is spent entirely on the telephone. Patrick McCann. Not as often as I did to Ed, he chuckles. That it seemingly didnt and wont is no surprise, sadly, as the large majority of drying alcoholics relapse sooner or later, The distinctive verbose, wistful, moist-eyed, metaphor-laden prose peddled by Down was an enjoyable well-wrought diversion but is of the type likely to succumb to repetitive parody after too many reams, particularly if, as seems probable, hes now just going through the motions and producing no more than whats expected from him.
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