MORSE CODE
MORSE CODE
Insurance - Nothing to do with Fire or Flood
Business breakfast DO YOU WORK LOCALLY IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND WANT TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS?
O ver the last couple of weeks, I have dedicated quite a few evenings to reading about the intriguingly eccentric racehorse owner, Dorothy Paget. In fact, being honest, it’s become a bit of an obsession. I have a huge racing library at home having collected biographies of racing personalities since I fell in love with the sport many decades ago. My favourite era, 1930s to 1950s, aligns with the time Ms Paget was at her most active, and the vast majority of books published in that time are rarely without a paragraph or two dedicated to Dorothy’s horses or more likely, her quirky and unusual ways. She will be remembered, most appropriately at Cheltenham for owning the unrivalled Golden Miller, winner of five of our Gold Cups, however The Miller was far from the only horse to carry her peacock blue and yellow colours to victory at the Cheltenham Festival. Mont Tremblant and Roman Hackle were two more impressive Gold Cup winners, whilst Insurance, twice, and then Solford and Distel provided her with a tally of four Champion Hurdles. I have been asked on numerous occasions, as I am sure other office colleagues have too, why is the Members Bar called Insurance?
breakfast. The events are proving really popular with over 60 businesses represented at the most recent one staged in September in Mandarin. The next breakfast, a Christmas special, is being hosted at Fergal O’Brien’s racing yard, Ravenswell Farm. For further information contact Imogen.Garrard@thejockeyclub.co.uk Win a woolly hat competition!
You may not be aware yet that the racecourse is now hosting business breakfasts in partnership with Circle2Success, Cheltenham’s leading networking facilitator. The morning starts at 8.30am with a guest speaker from the world of business, usually with a link to horse racing, and is followed by a world class
It is fair to say, the exploits of the horse that lent his name to the room, have been somewhat forgotten. Hopefully now though that is all set to change. You will see when you visit the racecourse this upcoming season, “Insurance”, where many of our Members enjoy unparalleled views of the track, has enjoyed a makeover and the life and times of Dorothy Paget, and her horses, including her dual Champion, Insurance, has been adopted as the theme. I am very much hoping now that I won’t get asked the question too many more times in the future, as the answer is there for all to see on the walls and windows!
The naming of Insurance had nothing to do with a payout from fire or flood.
BEST WATCH Dream Horse Dream Horse is the perfect “feel good” film and has understandably intrigued hundreds of people to take their first step into racehorse ownership. It is a comedy drama,
Winter Warrior Playing Cards Following the success of last year’s GC100 Limited Edition playing cards that were sold to raise proceeds for the racecourse’s GC100 community fund, we have decided to produce a set that features heroes from the history of the Cheltenham Festival. These are our “Winter Warriors”. The high-quality deck includes some of the most popular horses of all time; Tiger Roll, Honeysuckle, Sea Pigeon, Master Minded and many more. Has your favourite made the pack? The cards are £10 and will be available from the gift shop and on-line and once again the profits from sales will be going to good causes.
BEST READ One Jump Ahead
The racecourse gift shop secured impressive sales last year by offering great value for money items that appealed. One of this year’s new product ranges are woolly hats created in colours to replicate famous silks. For your chance to win a woolly hat, name one horse that carried any of these colours to success at last year’s Festival. Simply email: cheltenham.membership@thejockeyclub .co.uk with your answer, name and phone number. All correct entries will go into a draw to win a very special woolly hat!
One book that should sit in every racing fan’s library, should be replaced every year. Reading it almost always contributes to a more fruitful season and if it doesn’t you are doing something wrong, as it provides gem after gem! Since 1993, Mark Howard has published the invaluable annual, One Jump Ahead, where he highlights his top 40 prospects for the season. My recommendation is that you buy it, put the full 40 in your “tracker” and use it as the foundation for the year of punting! It makes it all very easy.
featuring a first grade cast including Owen Teale, Toni Collette and Damien Lewis. The plot is based on the true story of Dream Alliance, winner of the 2009 Welsh Grand National. The horse, trained by Phillip Hobbs, was not just owned, but bred by a syndicate of villagers from Wales, who together purchased Dream Alliance’s dam, Rewbell, for just £300. It is the ultimate rags to riches tale, that we all love to celebrate in horse racing circles, that proves that on the level playing field of a racecourse, anything is possible with a racehorse!
Compiled by Andre Klein
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