Morse Code

DECEMBER 2023 MORSE CODE

MORSE CODE

Earlier this year a lady called Diana Wells contacted me to say that she had something that might be of interest. In her family’s possession was a silver statue of the 1938 Gold Cup winner, Morse Code. T he past few months have all been about gathering items of interest relating to our Festival’s feature race, as we look to celebrate the centenary of the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup in March next year. Let No Memoies Fde this Chistmas

A statue of Morse Code, the horse that lent its name to our Members’ newsletter was absolutely of interest and it was agreed that at the November meeting, Diana, family and friends would come to Cheltenham to present us with the statue, which would become a feature attraction of the GC100 Hall of Fame museum. The story goes that Diana’s grandmother’s husband, Sir Dealtry Part who owned Morse Code left it in his will when he passed away in 1961. Sir Dealtry enjoyed an illustrious military career and ended World War 1 as a Lieutenant-Colonel. In 1926 he became High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and in 1957 he was awarded a knighthood. Racing fans will know that Golden Miller won five consecutive Gold Cups from 1933 to 1936. He was robbed of a chance to win six when the track was deemed not fit for racing in 1937 due to waterlogging. However, he returned to his favourite hunting ground in 1938, where his colours were lowered by none other than Morse Code. The Miller, by then an 11-year-old still came home second, a position Morse Code would have to be content with the following year, when he was beaten by Brendan’s Cottage…. Morse Code was trained by Ivor Anthony, one of three brothers whose names will forever be remembered as an integral part of Gold Cup history. Welsh brothers, Ivor, Owen and Jack are etched alongside no fewer than seven Gold Cup winners, from Thrown In in 1927 to Poet Prince in 1941. Meanwhile Morse Code’s rider Danny Morgan was from racing stock, his father was one of eight brothers who were jockeys and his uncle Frank, trained Ballinode,

Join Martin Kelly and Aly Vance at the winners’ enclosure 45 minutes before the first race on every race day for the Preview Show. SHOW PREVIEW

winner of the second running of Gold Cup in 1925. Ballinode will be remembered as the first mare and the first Irish trained winner of the race. And this is what this year has been about for me. The more you read about the Gold Cup, the more you learn, the more you understand why the race is held in such high regard. Meeting people like Diana Wells, and working alongside author Chris Pitt on the development of the official history book; Let No Memories Fade has been an honour but I guess like all authors, no sooner has the book been published new storylines and new photographs emerge that are worthy of inclusion. Frustratingly, the statue doesn’t feature in the book; so thankfully we can relay any new stories worth telling in our member’s publication, Morse Code. I can recommend no finer Christmas gift than the Gold Cup book. There are few more pleasant thoughts than a glass of port, a crackling fire, a decent armchair and a good few hours of fascinating reading…… Andre Klein Assistant General Manager, Cheltenham Racecourse

They will be joined by racing greats and special guests, previewing the afternoon’s racing and providing exclusive information, insight and hopefully some winners!

THE RACING WELFARE AINTREE LUNCH

For more information and details of how to book head to the Racing Welfare website.

Taking place on Thursday 11th April 2024, the opening day of the Randox Grand National Festival, the Racing Welfare lunch offers a fantastic day’s racing with hospitality to match. For £200pp* you will be treated to early course access, a champagne reception and canapes, two course lunch with wine, light afternoon tea, car passes and your base for the entire day.

*This is an early bird rate until 31st January 2024, after which the price will increase to £2,500 per table of 10.

(The reduced rate applies to ROA and JC members regardless of time of booking.)

MORSE CODE

Tatterslls Jockey Club Sles grduates head mid-season pize-money list in Bitin and Ireland

GLENFARCLAS CELEBRATES 15 YEARS OF SPONSORING THE CROSS-COUNTRY RACE WITH A LIMITED EDITION 15 -YEAR-OLD BOTTLING.

glass. The label reflects the 3-litre bottle presented to the winning owner and trainer, so everyone purchasing this bottle can feel like a winner! Should you wish to get your hands on one of these exclusive bottles you can visit Glenfarclas 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Cheltenham Festival Limited Edition Pre - Order Only! - Glenfarclas - Speyside | Robbies Whisky Merchants or the Glenfarclas stand in the Shopping Village at Cheltenham Racecourse at The December Meeting and The Cheltenham Festival to purchase. To further mark the occasion, a share of the profits from the sale of the bottles will go directly to the Jockey Club’s charity partner, Racing Welfare.

This year Glenfarclas is celebrating it’s 15-year sponsorship of the Cross-Country Steeple Chase races at Cheltenham. To mark the occasion and celebrate the renewal of this sponsorship for a further three years Glenfarclas have created a limited-edition 15-Year-Old bottling. The bottle pays tribute to the 15 winners of the previous Cheltenham Festival Glenfarclas Cross- Country Steeple Chase Races, with each winning horse listed in order. This limited-edition release is comprised of only 3,000 bottles and is filled in clear glass, allowing the natural colour of Glenfarclas to shine through, making this an extra special bottling as Glenfarclas usually bottle the 15-Year-Old in dark

Now BHA rated 158 over fences, the eight-year-old has won over £121,000 this autumn and has taken his career earnings to £283,000. Boothill made this season’s debut in early November’s Byrne Group Premier Handicap Chase (previously a Grade 3 and now converted to a premier handicap) at Ascot, a race he won by four lengths from First Flow, and he returned to the Berkshire track just 21 days later to win the Hurst Park Handicap Chase worth £65,000. And although the Brian and Sandy Lambert-owned gelding benefited then from the last fence fall of Saint Segal, the Racing Post reported that Boothill is “a really progressive handicapper”. He has won three chases from three starts at Ascot taking his career-winning record to seven wins, and five placings from 15 starts under Rules. “The last fence fall last time was disappointing for connections of Saint Segal,” says Harry Fry magnanimously, “but, from our point of view, we were lucky enough to win the race last year and it's been a case of building on that, and he has really achieved a career-high this year winning such a competitive race carrying 12st.” (cont.)

People often say that jump racing is not about the money, but when the prize-money winnings are transferred to the Weatherbys account it can be a very satisfying addition to the bottom line of an owner’s training account. With winter closing in and as we head to the mid-point of the 2023-24 season, the leading horses in Ireland and in the UK by earnings won so far are both Tattersalls Jockey Club Sales graduates. In Ireland, the Gordon Elliott-trained Galway Plate and November Grade 2 chase winner Ash Tree Meadow has collected over £170,000 and is the current leading earner across both nations – he was bought at the Cheltenham April Sale 2021 from Monbeg Stable’s Donnacha Doyle for £135,000.

CELEBRATING RACING’S GREATEST AND 100 YEARS OF FESTIVAL FASHION

In partnership with our Fashion Partner Holland Cooper, we are hosting an exclusive event ahead of this year’s Cheltenham Festival. Whether you have a Festival ticket yet or not hear from some of racings greatest and celebrate 100 years of Festival Fashion with us. Friday 26 January 2024, 6pm – 8pm At Holland Cooper, Dowdeswell Park, London Rd, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham GL52 6UT

 An exclusive opportunity to browse and shop the Holland Cooper Boutique with the very best Holland Cooper personal stylists on hand all evening to help you get race ready  Chance to have your picture with the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup  Plus the chance to enter our Prize Draw to win a styling appointment in the Holland Cooper boutique, £250 goodie bag and two tickets to Style Wednesday, the second day of the Cheltenham Festival Style Day on 13th March 2024

In the UK, the country’s leading earner is Harry Fry’s exciting and progressive chaser Boothill.

The son of Presenting was purchased for £125,000 by Kevin Ross Bloodstock at the 2019 Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale from Colin McKeever’s Loughnanmore Stables, at that point the four-year-old gelding was a dual runner-up in Irish point-to-points.

The evening will include:

Ticket Information: Tickets are £30 per person and include:

A Q&A with racing legends:  Barry Geraghty, second most successful Jockey of all time at the Cheltenham Festival,  Richard Johnson OBE, multiple Champion and Festival winning Jockey  Ruby Walsh, ITV presenter and Cheltenham Festival leading Jockey of all time  Alice Plunkett, ITV presenter, former eventer and Jockey

 A glass of fizz on arrival  Exclusive preview with esteemed racing guests  Fashion focussed interview Rosie Taper with Jade Holland Cooper  Exclusive chance to shop the Boutique  Chance to have your picture with the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup  10% of the ticket proceeds will go to the Gold Cup Community Fund Limited tickets available, get yours now Holland Cooper Racing & Fashion Preview | Cheltenham Racecourse (thejockeyclub.co.uk)

Plus...

 An interview with Holland Cooper Founder & Managing Director, Jade Holland Cooper – all about racing fashion and top tips to get ready for the Cheltenham Festival

MORSE CODE

MEMBERS INFORMATION

RECIPROCALS All you will need is your badge and pass card to be able to access these courses.

stores, and this was trying to add another string to the bow for him – he had been a runner-up in two point-to- points. “He promised an awful lot right from the start and won his first start for us in a bumper. We then we had a bit of a frustrating run – we had to be patient with him as he had a few niggles and only ran twice for us in the first two seasons. We gave him time and, hopefully, we are reaping the rewards of that now.”

The two wins this autumn have really opened options for the Fry team and there are now plans afoot for Boothill to take on some of the country’s best two-mile chasers. “He was a Grade 2-winning novice chaser last year, but now we're looking forward to stepping him up to open graded company,” outlined the trainer. “The Tingle Creek might come too soon, but he is in the Clarence House in January, which will sort of feel like a home match given his record round Ascot, that race is probably the primary plan now.” The Noel James-bred gelding is out of the Accordion mare Oyster Pulpit and Fry recalls: “We bought him with Kevin Ross, who buys all our horses. Brian and Sandy had a few horses with us by that stage and we are always on the lookout for a horse of his calibre.

JANUARY

Saturday 6th January 2024 Thursday 11th January 2024

Sandown Park

Chelmsford

Saturday 13th January 2024 Warwick Wednesday 17th January 2024 Newbury Saturday 20th January 2024 Ascot Tuesday 23rd January 2024 Leicester

FEBRUARY Saturday 3rd February 2024

Wetherby

And although he was placed in points over 3m, the gelding has always looked more of a speedster.

Sunday 4th February 2024 Monday 5th February 2024

Musselburgh

Carlisle

Friday 16th February 2024 Kelso Thursday 22nd February 2024 Huntingdon Thursday 22nd February 2024 Lingfield Park Saturday 24th February 2024 Kempton Park Sunday 25th February 2024 Hereford

“We have run him once over 3m, but he has always shown us this sort of pace for two miles and a lot of class at home,” smiles Fry.

The next Tattersalls Cheltenham January Sale is after racing on Festival Trials Day – Saturday 27th January.

“We had bought a horse off the Flat for them, as well as

MARCH

Saturday 2nd March 2024 Wednesday 6th March 2024 Saturday 23rd March 2024 Monday 1st April 2024 Saturday 13th April 2024 Saturday 20th April 2024

Doncaster Catterick Newbury Fakenham Chelmsford

The official Gold Cup 100 book; “Let No Memories Fade” is still available for members to purchase at a discounted price of £15.00. Playing cards are also available for £10 and can be purchased from the members desk in The Hall of Fame or any Jockey Club information point. Great Christmas gifts for any racing fan.

APRIL

The Van Hargen Twins are a talented, dynamic duo of identical twins based locally in Cheltenham. Poppy and Sasha, 19, are accomplished artists who have developed a unique style called Digital Mosaic Art. They use digital tools to create artwork that has the appearance of traditional mosaic art. Their artwork has been featured in exhibitions and galleries internationally, earning them recognition for their creativity and technical expertise. Through the sales of their distinctive and often mesmerising pieces, they have set themselves a target to raise £100,000 for the Gold Cup 100 Community Grant Initiative; this will run until the financial target is achieved. However, as with all they set their minds to, they aim to achieve this within the 2023/24 season to coincide with the centennial running of the Boodles Gold Cup. The Vn Hargen Tins

Bangor-on-dee

Saturday 20th April 2024 - Eve Brighton Wednesday 24th April 2024 Taunton Wednesday 24th April 2024 Ludlow Sunday 28th April 2024 Bath Tuesday 30th April 2024

Punchestown

GUEST BADGES Remaining guest badge days this season: Wednesday 17 April Thursday 18 April Friday 3 May

MAY

Saturday 4th May 2024 Friday 10th May 2024 Sunday 12th May 2024 Saturday 18th May 2024 Sunday 19th May 2024 Friday 24th May 2024 Saturday 25th May 2024 Saturday 8th June 2024 Friday 14th June 2024 Friday 21st June 2024 Saturday 29th June 2024 Sunday 7th July 2024 Sunday 14th July 2024 Monday 15th July 2024 Monday 22nd July 2024

Yarmouth

Nottingham

Killarney

Newmarket Stratford Pontefract Goodwood

Guest badges now permit access to all members facilities. An admission ticket must also be purchased for access to the racecourse. GRANDSTAND SEATING Festival grandstand seating is still available to purchase, why not bring a guest to enjoy the spectacular views too?!

JUNE

Beverley

Newton Abbot

Hickstead

Curragh

JULY

Ayr

Cheltenham Racecourse are very keen that the centenary of the Cheltenham Gold Cup leaves a legacy in the local community and The Gold Cup 100 Community Fund has been set up to assist with neighbourhood projects. This will be run in conjunction with the Rotary Clubs of Cheltenham. https://vanhargen.square.site/zero-to-one-hundred https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/cheltenham- festival/gold-cup-100/community-grant-initiative/

Cowdray Polo Club

Royal Windsor

Cartmel

Your guest will need a club admission ticket to access the racecourse.

AUGUST

Saturday 3rd August 2024 - Eve Hamilton Friday 16th August 2024 Tramore BH Monday 26th August 2024 Epsom

TUESDAY – THURSDAY

£90 PER SEAT PER DAY

SEPTEMBER Sunday 8th September 2024

Fontwell Park

OCTOBER

Sunday 6th October 2024 Friday 18th October 2024

Killarney Uttoxeter

FRIDAY

£105 PER SEAT

ALL 4 DAYS

£340.00 PER SEAT

DECEMBER Sunday 29th December 2024

Leopardstown

CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE Cheltenham Racecourse, Evesham Road, Gloucestershire, GL50 4SH Telephone: 01242 513 014 Ticket hotline: 0344 579 3003 Email: cheltenham@thejockeyclub.co.uk THEJOCKEYCLUB.CO.UK/CHELTENHAM

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