A Flutter On The Nags

Well this was something I'd never done before! On Saturday we went to Haydock Racecourse to spend an afternoon at the horse races.

I had a spell of having a small daily flutter many many years ago, but somehow had never actually been to the races. Fran used to go with her Dad when she was little and has said every now and then that we should go.

Anyway Eddie persuaded us to trot along (whoops sorry!) so with Gill, the four of us braved the weather and saddled up (oops!) the old jalopey (which now has springs again after having to leave it with the menders whilst we were away on hols!) and once we'd had lunch we shook off the nose bags (I apologise!) and got into the car.

The going was good (eek!) on the motorway and we got there ok. People in jeans and casual stuff. People in very posh suits and their ladies in posh frocks short enough to show a shapely ankle or two and ...er... someone dressed as Fred Flintstone... Which, I have to say, wasn't as effective once he'd taken the wig off...

We watched the horses being led around before the race - totally meaningless to me as once I'd ascertained that they all had the correct number of legs it was beyond me to spot any advantage in one against the other.

Eddie said I should look at the form - so I watched the gals in the posh frocks for a while. Very edifying but it still wasn't helping me choose a winner...

Then we went to stand at the rail for the first race. I had the camera out all expectantly but then found that there were dirty great white rails right at my head height... So any photos from this position had white bars across them. No good...

Not to worry we'll move somewhere else for the next race Ed - er... what do you mean half an hour? Half an hour??? The race only lasted 2 minutes - why do we have to wait half an hour for the next one?!?

Agh! My ears are now being assaulted by both Fran and Gill telling me they have to get the horses ready for the next race. But they are different horses for Heaven's sake! They could have been getting them ready whilst the last lot were still running! I mean - where would the band be if we played one song and then made the audience stand around for half an hour...?

I'm not getting any sympathy here, so we'll go off and get a burger or something. Ohhh yes - fried onions, tomato sauce, none of that McGrotburger King stuff! Wonderful! It rained for the next race so we sat in the stands - too close to the front so we were still getting wet... I could take photos from there too and see all of the horse!

I had a flutter, but the girls in the posh frocks took no notice and Fran was looking at me in that way so I gave up and had a bet on the horses instead.

I was positive I'd come home rich... Ah well...