Royal Ascot Diary
Fond farewell Godfrey Tabiner retired yesterday after 25 years as Ascot’s race-day presenter and, although Mike Cattermole hardly needs his hand holding, they shared the duties – announcing the trophy presentations, non-runners, overweights – on Tuesday and Wednesday before Cattermole takes over today.
The son of an apprentice jockey at Seven Barrows stable before the War, Tabiner, 67, was drawn to racing through his father’s tales of the weighing room and has worked in the sport since 1971. “It’s the greatest job in the world,” he said. “Whatever happens you end up in the winner’s enclosure.”
His best day was when Dettori rode his ‘Magnificent Seven’ at the course in 1996. He need not have worried about interviewing the jockey after the seventh. “I just said: ‘Frankie, you’re on fire’ and he spoke to the crowd for 10 minutes.”
His best Royal Ascot memory was Estimate’s Gold Cup success for the Queen in 2013. However, he was reminded about using too much flair in his announcement. “I say ‘May it please Your Majesty …” he explained. “And I asked if on that occasion I could add in ‘and I’m sure it will’. But it was suggested I just play it straight as usual.” In the bag
Earlier this year at Keeneland, Barbara Banke, owner-breeder of Lady Aurelia, was discussing last year’s Queen Mary, which the filly won, with Ascot’s Nick Smith. “The only problem with Royal Ascot,” she said, “is that you give huge trophies but nothing to carry them in.”
In anticipation of a follow up win in the King’s Stand, Smith had a hessian ‘bag for life’ made. On the side he had printed: “For the exclusive use of Barbara Banke”.
On the ball
The former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs might be a green two-year-old in his career as a football manager, but he is demonstrating a couple of vital skills for any wannabe general: listening to wise counsel, and being lucky.
“How’s my day going? It’s going well. I’ve just backed the winner of the first race, because Sir Alex Ferguson tipped him.”
Giggs related that he has been an owner himself, with a horse called Moscow Eight, named in celebration of United’s 2008 European Cup win in Russia.
Sadly, the horse was more Vauxhall Conference than Champions League, although he did score once in this 10-race career. The win, Giggs told Ascot TV, was a “feeling like no other”.