Galloping on Epsom (derby) Racecourse this morning!

RachelFerd

RachelFerd

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Just had to share this picture that one of our racing owners took this morning.

epsomgallop.jpg


I know its not in great detail but I thought it was a lovely atmospheric shot. I am in the second pair back, nearest the camera - not that you can tell - riding a horse known at home as Tiger!

Although I ride on the gallops on Epsom downs every day, this morning was very unusual as they had opened up the race track for racecourse gallops - and while they occasionally do this over the first 6 furlongs, but make you pull up before Tattenham Corner, today we actually jumped off at the mile start and galloped around Tattenham Corner and worked the horses upsides all the way to the finishing line - brilliant fun!

I've worked quite a few horses around Lingfield all weather track before, but this was my first time riding around Epsom, and it is a very unusual course, and a demanding one for the horses, as it is pretty steep downhill around the bend, and the straight has quite a severe camber - the 2yo I was riding had actually run around there twice before however, so he knew where he was going better than the pilot did ;)

Definitely a bit of a bucket list experience - one that money can't buy either!
 
Wow you lucky lucky thing -that is a memory you must treasure and lucky you to have a pic!
Many moons ago I did something similar around Haydock and York and Chester and still treasure those moments 25 years later !!

S x
 
Oh properly jealous, I've not had a proper racecourse gallop yet and I'm mad keen to have a go! Have worked on a P2P track the day after racing but it's not quite the same. Maybe this year...

Super fabby picture, definitely one for the album!xx
 
That looks fabulous. I ride round Epsom downs and have always wanted to do this - do you think they would notice a warmblood tucking in behind them as they go round? Mind you she thinks she is a race horse anyway so may not be able to keep at the back!
 
Alsxx - I work for an Epsom trainer, but we box down to lingfield occasionally to do a pre-race bit of work with our horses to help with fitness or give them a bit of experience.

Ferdy - I'd be v impressed if your warmblood could manage to overtake our little 5 furlong sprinters - I think you should definitely give it a try though ;)

Maesfen - where did the old course go? Was it signigicantly different to the current one then?
 
Lovely :)

I remember a couple of years back when you posted asking about riding work for trainers and whether you should go into it as a job. Am thrilled that you're enjoying it. I haven't been since last season and you're making me feel like going back!
 
RachelFerd said:
Maesfen - where did the old course go? Was it signigicantly different to the current one then?
Click to expand...

Not very but originally, IIRC, the track finished right by the hotel on the left as the road ran right past that hotel and dipped down to the left. Also the road ran immediately behind the old stands so the horses had to cross the road to get onto the track. Where the paddock is now used to be common land that anyone could walk on and the stables were behind a tall brick wall. I think when they finished the race back then, they carried straight over the sanded road they didn't go around to the left dead end like they do now. TBH, it's so long ago since I've been there it's changed so much but I have very happy memories of riding over ther most weeks and the Horsemen's Service held there each year, think it was early September, that was great fun, think I still have some of the old rosettes from them. I've looked for old pics but haven't found any, perhaps someone else can, would love to see them.

If you scroll down this page you can see the hotel I meant which is now right next to the course but before, a little cinder track led from the hotel back to the road and back the other way straight onto the downs; looks like it's all fenced off now. You can also see where a path goes across the track, that would be about where the end of the track was before.
 
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Thats very interesting Maesfen. You must remember an Epsom which had a lot more horses in it than it does now - as we speak there are only 11 trainers left training out of Epsom, none of these trainers have a huge amount of horses, between 10 and 30 each.

There are many yards lying completely empty and unused, with owners who do not want to have horses on site. The Limes is completely empty and derelict, The Cedars is well maintained but empty with no horses wanted on site, The Clocktower has been converted into flats now, there are no longer *any* yards in Langley Vale (i'm told there were once 15 seperate yards in the village) - we ride through langley vale every morning and get regular complaints about the noise of the horses shoes on the road!!

Priam Lodge and Woodruffe are now just livery yards, no racehorses in there. The stables in the middle of the downs just contain a few p2pers now, no training out of there. Very sad really - people who have been in the town a while say that it used to have a bigger horse population than Newmarket.. its hard to believe the way it is now.

Horsemans sunday is no more - that finished about 3 or 4 years ago I think.. people stopped turning up - probably scared of being out in an open space on horseback ;);)
 
Lovely photo, interesting about lack of active yards.. somehow, I am not surprised though!
My boss has a 2 year old filly in training, who happens to be called 'Tiger'! (her race name is a bit longer).
I am going to Newmarket for the first time on Saturday for a week of yearling sales, excited but nervous... I am bound to get lost!!
 
Such a shame, Epsom sounds a shadow of itself as I knew it and can't believe no more Horseman Sundays, there would always be upward of a 1000 horses there for the service up by Tattenham Corner, so sad. If we had a day out we would always stop in Epsom by the clock tower for a cup of tea at the mobile snack bar there, bet that's gone too!
 
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