Sitting by the radio,
watching the rotating spools of a TDK 90 minute cassette as they consigned the
gig of my lifetime to a strip of magnetically coated plastic, I made myself a
promise: I would never miss out on anything ever again. A difficult pledge to adhere to, but one I
strive to uphold.
I have since seen
Oasis play at Finsbury Park, The City of Manchester and Wembley Stadia, and had
a whale of a time in the process. But that
1996 Knebworth Park performance was the peak of their power and the pinnacle of
a Britpop era that punctuated my puberty.
Everything after that, being brazenly and brutally honest, was watching
the group in decline.
I openly admit that I
enjoy the longevity of following horses that jump over fences and hurdles in
the National Hunt arena year after year, but sometimes their demise can also be
protracted. Whilst the flat may not
always lavish upon us the same depth of character that its winter/spring
counterpart delivers, it is difficult to argue against the pure, unabated
qualities of the Classic generation.
So, not to miss out, I
went to Doncaster a few weeks ago hoping to see history being rewritten before
my eyes as Camelot seized the triple-crown.
I wasn’t convinced though, and
layed the Coolmore colt to the tune of about £200 [I’m aware it should probably
be spelt “laid” but I prefer my way when it comes to betting]. Yes, I can say “I was there”, but this
experience didn’t fill the bon viveur
void that I’ve been searching for since 1996.
It mattered not. Seeing Frankel in the flesh at Ascot last
year was my Knebworth.
 |
| See if you can you spot me in the winner's enclosure with Frankel et al |
Most readers of this
blog will be familiar with most of
that already. So, with only four competitors
lining up alongside “The Freak”, discounting stable mate and pacemaker Bullet
Train, this is how I see the result panning out tomorrow:
1. Frankel – I can’t bear
the thought of him & Queally flopping.
He will win.
2. Nathaniel – I love
Buick and have fond memories of his King George win here, after which Gosden’s
words to the media in the wake of Rewilding’s death provided a particularly
poignant moment. I think Nathaniel can
bounce back from enforced absence at Longchamp and overturn the rivalry with
Cirrus des Aigles, with whom I expect him to be jousting for the runner-up spot.
3. Cirrus des Aigles – I
was hoping Christophe Soumillon would come over to exorcise his Prix de l’Arc
de Triomphe demons, but maybe he is still bitter about his huge fine in this
race last year... although probably not.
Olivier Peslier clearly knows how to guide “Cloud of the Eagles” to
victory but I’m sure he will settle for a win on board exciting sprinter Wizz
Kid instead.
4. Pastorius – Tipped up at 10-1 (without Frankel) in the Weekender
by Paul Kealy, he’s had three wins and a place in his last four outings back
home in Germany. 16 years ago his
jockey, Frankie Dettori, "did a Hughsie" at Ascot (1996 certainly was
an eventful year) and many will rightly see his partnership with this
course-specialist rider as a real positive. All my sentiment and emotion has already been
used up for this race though, so I’m sticking with the above Trifecta.
5. Master of Hounds –
Figures of 3181 coming into this and only catches the eye as he’s in the hands
of Ryan Moore.
6. Bullet Train – One of
the best pacemakers out there, but that’s it for now. Behind every great golfer is a clued-up
caddy, and Bullet Train pulls out the correct club for Frankel every time.
Even on testing, boggy
ground coming round Swinley Bottom, I expect Tom Queally to be
characteristically calm and composed on the back of Frankel, with whom he has
developed a beautifully harmonious rhythm. I’m looking forward to Queally opening up the
son of Galileo in front of the packed grandstands and winning by a decent
margin. Five lengths or more is trading
at 2.62 (about 13/8) on Betfair at the moment and I think that’s a fair price
for a 2pt+ stake.
But my main advice for
the race, clichéd as it may be, is to savour the final outing of a living
legend performing at the zenith of his abilities. Sing along when he holds the microphone in
your direction, hold your lighters aloft and say “I was there”. And if you were not actually there, don’t fret – my mum told me in 1996 that I’d get another
chance... I did, and you will. It might
just take a few years, so Roll With It.
