(originally posted 30.1.11)
Watching the FA Cup game between Southampton and Manchester United last night I saw an interview with Mick Channon
at half-time. It reminded me that I had spoken to the former England
international (21 goals in 46 games) so he might be a good place to
start in my 'meeting people' section.
It was not as a footballer but in his second career as racehorse
trainer that I met him. I'm sure it was at Bath races in the early-1990s
but I can't pin the date down* right now. He trained the short-priced favourite for
one of the races and I thought I'd speak to him before I placed my then
biggest ever bet (£10!)**.
I asked him if he was confident and he replied: "hopeful". He kindly
signed my racecard (which I subsequently lost) and I went to place my
bet.
The horse (again, I can't recall the name*) was narrowly beaten into
second place by a 33/1 shot. It was a controversial defeat as the two
sets of stalls opened nearly a second apart. The stewards enquired and
the result stood. Bah!
*I have found a race on 2 June 1995 where Channon had the short-priced
favourite called Fantasy Racing narrowly beaten in a race where the stalls didn't open at the
same time. The race being the Haymaking Claiming Stakes and the horse
being Fantasy Racing. I felt it was earlier than this though so could be
wrong.
** Fifteen plus years on, this is still a big bet for me!
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