Anyone who goes to Cheltenham will have seen the signs for Charlton Kings. I imagine some people live there who have no clue about racing, a strange notion which I constantly struggle with. What no one in Charlton Kings can be unaware of is Mr Dunkerton’s Cider Park, which I went to on Wednesday.
Dunkerton’s Cider is obviously flourishing because in the middle of Charlton Kings is a sort of venue, conference centre, restaurant hub, bar, and a host of other stuff, which I didn’t have the time to explore, as it was raining and Richard Phillips had summoned me. We were there for an evening in memory of Capt. Tim Forster, who had 1,346 winners, including 3 Grand Nationals. Phillips hosted the event and had gathered a panel of Fergal O’Brien and Luke Harvey, who both worked under Tim, alongside Hywel Davies and Graham Thorner, who rode some of his biggest winners. It was a jolly evening, full of racing stories, laughter, and good, bad and sad memories. It was an evening that highlighted changing work ethics, attitudes and workplace cultures, not necessarily for the good.
What became clear to the audience was that Tim was a renowned pessimist. When asked for advice on how to ride Ben Nevis in the 1980 Grand National, he famously told American amateur rider Charlie Fenwick Jnr. “Keep remounting”. Despite his misgivings, Ben Nevis was left clear by the fall of Delmoss at Becher’s Brook on the second circuit and made the best of his way home to win by 20 lengths at odds of 40/1.
Forster had already trained one National winner, Well To Do in 1972, and in so doing became the first owner-trainer to win the iconic steeplechase since World War II. His third, and final, win in the National came courtesy of 50/1 outsider Last Suspect, owned by Anne, Duchess of Westminster and ridden by Hywel Davies, who put up 3lb overweight. Hardly the most resolute steeplechaser in training, Last Suspect only lined up at all because Hywel had actually called Anne Westminster, interrupted her day and insisted she enter the horse. Despite fiercely swishing his tail – a tell-tale sign of irritation – he (Last Suspect not Hywel) came with a withering run to overhaul the leader, Mr. Snugfit, in the shadow of the post and win by 1½ lengths.
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