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T H E W O R L D ’ S F I N E S T B O O K M A K E R : TA K I N G B E T S S I N C E 1 8 8 2

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F I T Z D A R E S. C O M • T E N T H E D I T I O N, S U M M E R 2 0 1 9 • N O U N D E R 2 1 s

RWC DIARY How to gobble up Tokyo in a single day

SPLIT DECISION Racing is waking up to the data revolution

GOLDEN HELLOS Under the covers in the Olympic village

BLUE BLOOD Which Tory will upset the odds?

BY S. DRUMMOND

BY GEOFFREY RIDDLE

BY FRED SCARLETT

BY HARRY COLE

JUMPING FOR JOY A crazy 24 hours in Cheltenham racing history was steeped in pure sentiment. By Rory Fairfax OMETHING EXTRAORDINARY happened between 3:30pm on Wednesday 13 March and 3:35pm on Thursday 14 March. Sport has a habit of excelling itself, and the past six months have set stratospheric standards in suspense and impact. Sweep aside the astonishing Champions League comebacks in May or Ruby Walsh’s farewell wave at Punchestown, Tiger’s triumph at the Masters or Tyson Fury defying heavyweight precedent to get up from the canvas not once, but twice. These remarkable 24 hours at Cheltenham in March had everything. With plots and sub-plots, they captured all the beautiful elements of why we love racing. In a stretch of eight races, seven favourites won, joined by one well-backed second favourite. By the time it was over, the bookmakers, us included, were praying for divine intervention. This all came after a torrid few weeks in which equine ﬂu

had threatened the very existence of this year’s Festival. It is no exaggeration to say this was one of the ﬁnest days in Cheltenham punting history. Millions were won and, well, millions were lost. Our competitors, who shall not be named, were so badly winded that another merger or two is not out of the question. For our part, we survived and here we are to tell the story. To examine why this was such a special occasion, you must scratch beneath the surface. This wonderland has a far deeper rabbit hole than you could imagine. Among the wild euphoria stood three protagonists who have won racing fans’ hearts: Bryony Frost, Patricia Pugh and Andrew Gemmell. It is likely you may have only heard of Frost, the swashbuckling and hearty young jockey who has stamped her mark on jump racing. She has gradually ﬂoated into racing’s consciousness, highlighting what

hard work can achieve while exposing some home truths about gender inequality in the sport. Here stands a woman who rejects the injustices she faces through her passion and enthusiasm. She chews up the narrative and jumps all her obstacles with grit and

Frost chews up the narrative and jumps all her obstacles with grit and charisma. Her story is inspirational. charisma. Her story is inspirational, and yet she is so plainly unaware of her profound impact, that it is thus even more enhanced. There have been plenty of female jockeys before her, not least Lizzie Kelly and Rachael Blackmore, who both won at the Festival this year. To dismiss them would be unfair and yet, for some reason, Frost has

galvanised racing. On the Thursday of Cheltenham, astride the wings of Frodon, she took a flying leap forward for equality by becoming the first woman to win a Grade One. It was exemplary by every metric: this big win won’t be her last. Horse ownership, unlike jockeyship, does not suffer from the same inequalities. There are no social or physical barriers to buying a horse, except through currency, of course. Patricia Pugh first decided to buy a horse in the early 2000s, but sadly it went the way it does on most occasions. After that brief foray, it was a decade before she delved back into the market, picking Altior among a team of hopeful horses. When Pugh bought Altior, little did she know of the victories she would carry for dreamers and small owners. Although this is a horse that has just won a recordequalling 18th race on the trot, his wins have been hard-fought, his challengers →

While bookies paid out en masse, Bryony Frost (far left), Patricia Pugh (left) and Andrew Gemmell led the Cheltenham celebrations

→ aplenty, and with it all, Patricia’s passion and investment was rewarded. He is the ultimate champion. Flawed jumping in recent wins has heightened the suspense for each run: this is a beatable yet unbeaten horse over fences. The fact his challengers think they have a chance is what makes every victory ever more satisfying. Altior has united everyone in racing, and Patricia Pugh is a symbol of what is possible for fans. Her luck is racing’s luck. While Pugh and Frost’s stories lit up the Festival and stole the headlines, there was a third iconic moment that put everything else in the shade. Perspective, of course, shapes one’s view of events, both literally and metaphorically. So just close your eyes for one second. Try to visualise that moment Frodon was headed on the ﬁnal fence, battle-weary and exhausted. Frost gave him one last shake of the reins and he burst back into life, overtaking Aso before

Welcome to the 10th edition of the Fitzdares Times! It has been a watershed year for Fitzdares: our App has brought us deeper into the 21st century, while the Fitzdares Club during Cheltenham ensured we haven’t lost our personal touch. We are bringing the latter to Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and Wentworth and would be delighted if you can join us. This was the brainchild of Will Woodhams, who has just marked his first anniversary as Fitzdares’ CEO by being named one of Walpole’s top 50 people in British luxury. A first for a bookmaker. We are also in the middle of the ‘Fitzdares Season’ and have managed to give our members six figures back through our creative specials. Make sure you take advantage of these summer offers, and check out our online events page. We have so many things on for you to enjoy during this wonderful summer – don’t miss out!

revellers threw their hats and bet slips into the air. It was a sight to behold. Picture the colours of those cheering in the crowd. The tint in the grass, the intensity of the moment. The wide smile on Frost’s face as her eyes lit up, patting Frodon enthusiastically. His head bobbing back and forth, veins bulging, nostrils flared in the face of mass adulation. Now imagine not even being able to imagine that. In fact, imagine you don’t even know what a horse looks like, or even a human. Green is the colour of grass and yet you’ve never seen it. Your horse is chestnut brown, which you know is different from grey, but you’re not sure how. He won by three lengths. You know that is a long way because you know about racing. You’ve known your whole life. You don’t see it, but you do feel it. OR ANDREW GEMMELL, this is closer to the truth than any of our experiences of racing. He would dismiss his adversity because he knows no different. Blind from birth, it has been but a mere hurdle for him in his racing love story. On the Thursday of Cheltenham, at roughly 3:35pm, Paisley Park came from a seemingly impossible position in the field to absolutely romp home in the Stayers’ Hurdle. Gemmell’s richly lived life has been intrinsically sewn into the fabric of sport. Whereas he once used to enjoy Test cricket on the radio as a schoolboy, he now lives and breathes the sounds and whooshes of horses galloping past. His story supersedes anything we have seen at the Festival for years, if not decades. Interspersed between these three stories coming to fruition were other glorious moments. Tiger Roll, the diminutive hero of Aintree, won at his fourth Festival with aplomb. Envoi Allen, in the Cheveley Park colours that are rarely seen over jumps, continued his undefeated run. The JP silks were hoisted high twice on the Thursday, with Defi Du Seuil and Sire Du Berlais. This was such a rare set of results that as bookmakers we could only smile and take it; to form any other view would have tarnished the reason we are in this game. The soul of racing relies on moments like these. We are blessed to have witnessed such a momentous chapter in Festival history and no profits in the world could substitute what Patricia Pugh, Bryony Frost and Andrew Gemmell have given to racing. n

OUR TRIBUTE TO THE BEST BETS & WINNERS THURSDAY 14 MARCH INVESTED £5 TRIXIE SELECTION Deﬁ Du Seuil 11/4

FRIDAY 26 APRIL INVESTED £3 SUPER YANKEE SELECTION Count Simon 3/1

13:30 Cheltenham Sir Du Berlais 4/1 14:10 Cheltenham Eglantine Du Seuil 40/1 16:50 Cheltenham

RETURNED £5,731.25 THURSDAY 14 MARCH INVESTED £1 E/W HEINZ SELECTION Deﬁ Du Seuil 11/4

14:40 Perth Beat The Bank 9/4 15:35 Sandown Jatiluwih 5/4 17:20 Chepstow Grey Diamond 15/8 17:50 Chepstow Arctic Road 5/2 18:50 Bangor

RETURNED £3,762.17

13:30 Cheltenham Sire Du Berlais 5/1 14:10 Cheltenham Frodon 13/2 14:50 Cheltenham Paisley Park 13/8 15:30 Cheltenham Sire Du Lac 13/2 16:10 Cheltenham Sinoria 15/2 16:50 Cheltenham

FRIDAY 10 MAY INVESTED £500 TRIXIE SELECTION Louie De Palma 6/1 15:45 Ascot Coeur De Lion 7/2 17:15 Chester Agrapart 5/2 17:30 Ascot

RETURNED £84,875.00

RETURNED £9,409.04

SATURDAY 11 MAY INVESTED £200 TRIXIE SELECTION Anthony van Dyck 15/8

SUNDAY 14 APRIL INVESTED £100 E/W DOUBLE SELECTION Tiger Roll 5/1

14:30 Lingfield Pretty Baby 3/1 15:40 Lingfield War Glory 3/1 16:15 Lingfield

17:15 Aintree Tiger Woods 14/1 Masters golf

RETURNED £9,900

RETURNED £19,500

SUNDAY 14 APRIL INVESTED £100 SINGLE SELECTION Tiger Woods 18/1

WEDNESDAY 15 MAY INVESTED £50 TRIXIE SELECTION Shining 11/1

To win a 15th major Bet placed 13 June 2017

RETURNED £1,900 FRIDAY 19 APRIL INVESTED £2,000 REVERSE FORECAST SELECTION Chosen World 6/1 Global Warming 3/1 14:45 Newcastle

RETURNED £39,340.00

18:25 Bath Amaretto 8/1 19:25 Bath Poetic Motion 18/1 20:25 Bath

RETURNED £15,699 SATURDAY 25 MAY INVESTED £20 E/W DOUBLE SELECTION Beatboxer 20/1 14:50 Haydock Duke Of Firenze 16/1 15:45 York

RETURNED £7,740.00 Congratulations on some fantastic picks, you all know who you are.

Rory Fairfax is head of content at Fitzdares. EDITED, DESIGNED AND PRODUCED BY FITZDARES LTD

· © FITZDARES

2019

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04 SPEAKER’S CORNER Charlie Fellowes

STABLE INCOME?

ORKING IN HORSE RACING IS AN INCREDIBLY tough job. It’s actually not a job; it’s a lifestyle choice. Twenty years ago, it was socially acceptable to live and breathe your job, almost work until you dropped. However, with luxuries being more attainable (holidays, travel and your own time etc), working in a job that takes up all your time has become far less attractive. No matter how you change your routine, and more personally how a trainer runs their business, you need someone in your yard every day! I can’t just close my doors, pat the horses on the neck and wish them a great weekend – racing everywhere in the world does not work like this. Society has changed so much that the majority of people don’t want to work on a weekend. They don’t want to wake up at 6am on a Saturday; they want to go away for a full weekend with their friends and have a great time. Who can begrudge someone that? If you gave them a choice, do you think anyone would choose to work a Saturday and Sunday while having just one and a half days off every fortnight? It completely restricts what you can do on a social level. When we look at the employment of stable staff in the UK, especially when employing workers from within the UK, I’m seeing an exponential increase in staff wanting to work part-time. What I mean by part-time staff in racing is people who only want to ride out three or four lots every day, don’t work evening stables, don’t take horses racing, and don’t work Saturday afternoons. Personally, I have a very strict policy on this whereby if they haven’t had a professional ride, then they aren’t good enough to even be considered for part-time work. It sets a dangerous precedent, and as a result I only have three in my stable. I won’t bore you with the ins and outs of immigration law, but maybe far more important is the issue of Brexit and the damaging effect this is already having on the racing industry. A lot of the people who used to work in the industry were from abroad. The industry has always relied heavily on riders from India, Pakistan and Brazil – any country where they are naturally very good riders, as well as being small. This sounds very trivial, but remember you have to be light to ride a horse – generally you don’t want anyone over 10½ stone riding. Frankly, if you look at the British public nowadays we are quite a big nation, and there really aren’t that many people who can do that weight without struggling. Previously we would be able to get in loads of riders from the subcontinent and Brazil, and they were fantastic! They worked bloody hard, never complained about working weekends and, most of all, they were exceptional riders. We don’t have those people any more. They don’t exist. Racing used to have a tariff whereby we could bring employment from outside the EU because riding is such

a specialist skill. This has completely gone now. Suddenly the workforce has been halved and we have been forced to look within the UK – i.e. the British Racing School, which does a fantastic job but isn’t getting the people through the door. As a result, this has led to immense pressure being put on trainers. One: we are struggling to get our horses ridden out, especially in winter as riders are going abroad to warmer climates. Two: competing wages among stables. The only way to get riders in is to pay them more money. This is all well and good, but if you have a small stable you can’t compete ﬁnancially with the racing powerhouses. The John Gosdens and Charlie Applebys of the world can pay twice what I can pay, and then it becomes simple economics; you just can’t survive.

N ORDER TO COMPETE, I have changed my working hours to make the job more attractive. I’ve also moved to an “American system”, which I have been trialling for a few months and seems to be working pretty well. It entails everyone working mornings, but instead of everyone going home at midday we extend morning stables so all my full-time staff (about 25) brush the horses down at 12-1pm. This means I can split the workforce in two, so that one week half my yard work evening stables, while the other half have it off, and vice-versa. This doesn’t address the issue of Saturday mornings, but what it does do is give the staff extra time off, which hopefully means happier staff. There are other perks. For example, breakfast is free when our stable has a winner, food trucks are heavily subsidised, as well as lots of socials. Admittedly it’s a small drop in the ocean, but in any business the happier your staff, the more likely they are to love their job, and this percolates through from top to bottom. One thing I do want to make clear is that this issue has nothing to do with wages. There is a massive misconception that stable lads are paid a pittance. Across all racing in the UK, stable staff are paid very well compared to other industries. The crux of it comes down to this: work in a stable is an incredibly tough job, often with long hours and limited weekend time, and that can take its toll. What is glaringly obvious, however, is that nothing seems to happening. With politicians so focused on Brexit, a lot of issues have been put on the backburner. Whether it’s in or out of the EU, racing can survive that. What it can’t survive is the decimation of people working within the industry – an industry that millions of people love and one that I am lucky enough to make a living from. n

I What are these pressures? One: we are struggling to get our horses ridden out. Two: wage competition among stables.

Charlie Fellowes is a trainer based in Newmarket and hosts a weekly podcast,

George and Charlie: Off the Bridle (available on Apple podcasts and Soundcloud).

Finding stable staff who are willing to forgo weekends is getting harder for trainers

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THE Parson Albert Parkes lit up churches, sporting fields and racecourses with his derring-do. Paul Mathieu pays tribute

Albert Parkes was a parson, a racehorse trainer and a scrapper. He was one of the last – and certainly the most colourful – of the sporting parsons. He had degrees in divinity and theology from Trinity College Dublin and Durham, was ordained in 1889 and found a curacy in Bolsover in Derbyshire. He became a favourite with his parishioners, because he gave electrifying sermons, and played or followed every sport imaginable. He’d represented Durham on the rugby ﬁeld; he was asked to play for Leicester Tigers, and was close to international selection. In the summer, he captained Bolsover’s ﬁrst XI, and whenever there was coursing or whippet racing he was sure to be backing and laying. The possibility that his sporting life might inhibit his pastoral duties seems not to have occurred to his bishop, who offered him a parish in Leicestershire with a stipend equivalent to £34,000 a year. There Parkes indulged his other great passion – hunting – and in the season he could be found with the Quorn or the Belvoir hunts four days a week. Throw in two days’ rugby or cricket, and before long people puzzled over why he ever took holy orders. He pre-empted questions about

LORD’S PLAYER his suitability by resigning his post in 1894, telling his bishop he couldn’t afford to live on his salary. He attracted full houses to his sermons. One had him preach from the text, “So run that ye may obtain”. Parkes told his congregation: “Always run straight, but if you can’t do that, run as straight as you can.” His farewell was so eloquent that the pews were awash with tears, whereupon he leaned from the pulpit and cried: “I’ll take 6/4 you all go to hell.” One of the sidelines that Parkes took up was a small string of horses. He proved a dab hand at finding winning opportunities: in his last clerical year he won 12 races. He was asked to train privately in Sussex for Edward Bleackley, an investor in the Sporting Chronicle. In their first three seasons together, Parkes trained 29, 49 and 43 winners. He got Bleackley’s horses fit and kept them sound: targeting moderate National Hunt races, he had 13 wins and 10 seconds from one old chaser and another seven from a stablemate. But Bleackley was elderly and infirm, and before long Parkes found himself without a backer and with only four horses.

The next few years saw him attracting various owners, picking off a few winners each season, moving stables when times were tight, and eventually arriving in Epsom, where he trained from the Cottage before the first World War. He became a celebrity in the town for his dislike of “all forms of puritanism” and socialists. Epsom isn’t an obvious radical centre, but Parkes saw a Red under every bed and invaded the speaker’s platform at socialist meetings to share his own trenchantly conservative views. He was invariably cheered off the stage, even by sworn opponents. Various brawls followed, the most notorious when Parkes was in a room above the Spread Eagle pub. A couple of desperados were hired to give him a beating, but the access to the saloon was a narrow flight of stairs – and Parkes was waiting with a billiard queue. One of his assailants was knocked spark out; the other went through a plate glass window. Whatever else occupied him, Parkes retained his appetite for training and backing horses. Before the start of the 1911 flat season, a friend had a filly who was miles in front of his other horses. He sent her to Parkes, who was having a revival with a new owner, Tommy Edge, and she was tried with a reliable older horse called Hayden. The filly – called Forlorn Hope – worked so well that Hayden was unable to shake her off. Parkes sat down to plan a coup on the opening day at Lincoln. First, in went Edge’s Ogles Grove by three lengths at 9/2 in a seller. In the next race Hayden gave weight to 16 rivals and won at 11/2. An hour later, another of Parkes’s owners won with a two-year-old colt that started 3/1 favourite. Forlorn Hope waited to put the cherry on the icing in the last race. Her gallop with the earlier winner Hayden suggested that Forlorn Hope might have 21lb in hand in the Northern Welter Plate. Her owner said Parkes “betted as he had never bet before”, which made it remarkable that the filly only contracted from 16/1 to 8/1. She turned into the Lincoln straight 15 lengths in front; the owner was on his way down from the stand to lead her in when she put her foot in a hole and split a pastern. The Great War showed another side to Parkes’s restless talent. He suspended training (“unpatriotic”) and patented a machine which stamped horseshoes out of sheet metal. He won a contract to supply the army with shoes for remounts and mules. His automated process turned out shoes in their millions. After the war, with money to spend, Parkes assembled a string of 20 or so two-year-olds and found a new base at Tilshead on Salisbury Plain. He retained a keen eye for a gamble: he ran a two-year-old at the first Newmarket July meeting in 1920, after a promising third at Salisbury, and was among those who backed her from 10/1 to 11/2 in a big field. Alas, she got going a bit late and went down by a short head. He had stood to win, in today’s money, almost £700,000. The next week Parkes was at Salisbury races, caught a chill that led to pneumonia, and was dead a few days later. Among the legion of his irritants, few came close to being asked for tips. One thick-skinned fellow cleric was forever pestering him, however. The outcomes were so profitable that the man wrote asking what favour he could do for Parkes in return. “Dear Friend,” came the reply. “The one and only favour you can bestow upon your humble brother will be to read the burial service over the body which you will have

helped to hasten to the grave by the worry and anxiety you have caused me, trying to ﬁnd for you what I cannot ﬁnd for myself – daily winners.” n Paul Mathieu’s new book, Duel, published this autumn, covers

the rivalry between the Marquis of Hastings and Henry Chaplin.

DIVINE INTERVENTION Four stars who have done a ‘reverse Parkes’, embracing God full-time after the end of their sporting careers Eddie Donnally A jockey for 20 years, he rode in 10,000 races at 54 tracks across America, winning an estimated 1,200 races. He was once indicted for sports bribery and left the Los Angeles Twin Towers jail to begin his ministry career at the Los Angeles Dream Centre, where in less than five years he became a licensed Foursquare minister. George Foreman After a neardeath experience following his 1977 fight with Jimmy Young, Foreman became a born-again Christian, dedicating his life for the next decade to God. Although he did not formally retire from boxing, Foreman stopped fighting and became an ordained minister, initially preaching on street corners before becoming the reverend at the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston. Foreman continues to share his conversion experience on Christian TV broadcasts and has joked that Young knocked the devil out of him. Gavin Peacock The footballer started attending his local Methodist church at the age of 18. Near the end of his career, he began preaching in his local church, St Michael & All Angels near Dartford. Peacock

studied theology from 2006 at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, as well as fronting a feature on BBC1’s Football Focus about faith in the game in 2006 and presenting a 2008 episode of Songs of Praise. After completing his punditry duties at Euro 2008, he moved to Canada for a three-year master’s course in divinity at Ambrose Seminary with the intention of becoming a minister. He is currently an elder and pastor at Calvary Grace Church in Calgary. Taribo West Already a devout Christian as a player, Nigerian international West admitted to using charms before games during his professional career. He eventually became a pastor after his footballing days and in 2014 he founded a church called “Shelter in the Storm Miracle Ministries of All Nation” in Lagos.

DIARY Japan isn’t famous for rugby. There was, of course, that blatantly rigged encounter against the Springboks in the last World Cup to whet the appetite and set the tone for this autumn’s instalment. I jest, it can’t have been rigged – Japan is the most honourable nation in the world, as we know. They played an absolute blinder on the day, doing just enough to psych up a nation and not quite enough to irreparably damage the reputation of one of rugby’s powerhouses. History will remember that it was South Africa, not Japan, who qualiﬁed from that group alongside Scotland. The perfect scenario for all involved, really. In a couple of months, the Japanese will welcome the men in green and white to their home turf, along with every other qualiﬁed nation, for the Rugby World Cup. One thing we know, it won’t be Japan who win it. No, they can dream, but their real strength will be on show elsewhere – in their cuisine. I was lucky enough to study Japanese at university all those years ago, which makes me relatively well versed in the Japanese food market. As I spent a year living in Tokyo, it got to know me pretty well too. Now I am going to break the fourth wall and talk directly at you. Yes, you. Or maybe not you, depending on your answers. Are you visiting Japan this autumn for the Rugby World Cup? If that’s a yes, read on. Are you visiting Japan this year or next, or any year in future, for that matter? If yes, see above. Last question, do you fancy knowing what a perfect day in Tokyo looks like, punctuated by conveniently frequent gorging? If no, you can stop reading, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

by S. Drummond

The Aburi tuna is to die for. Not literally, although as you know, it can happen (NB fugu).

For the sake (pun intended) of this day’s diary we are heading to Sushi Yuu for “breakfast” in Meguro-ku. This certainly isn’t traditional behaviour – it doesn’t open before 5:30pm – but you’ll want to hear about it, so I’m telling you. It has one of the friendliest atmospheres of any top-end sushi restaurant in Tokyo, which can occasionally be austere affairs. Luckily for those without a black belt in the Japanese language, their small team speaks good English and can take you through proceedings in a familiar tongue. The food is exceptional, and the best part is you don’t have to order a thing. On arrival, choose beer or sake (or both), and from then on it becomes more of an artistic experience than a vehicle for your five a day. It’s more like going to the opera or ballet, except much less boring and with a large dose of umami. Daisuke, the incredibly genial host and chef, brings all the tastes of Edo (the historical name for Tokyo) to your senses. The witness box, aka the counter, reveals the true secrets of sushi making as all manner of sea and freshwater-based delights are conjured up in front of your eyes. “Aburi”, a seared morsel of fatty tuna on rice, is to die for. Not literally, although as you know, it can happen (NB “fugu”). There is only room for 12 people at the counter, so booking in advance is not just advised but necessary. In this journey through the day, you would now find yourself in NishiAzabu. This is a lively part of town, a stone’s throw from the mayhem of Roppongi, Tokyo’s now rather seedy night zone. It is not far from Daisuke’s hideaway to the marginally more accessible, but no less delicious, Torioka. Here you will find insanely delicious bits of chicken on a stick, commonly

known as yakitori. Set in the modern shopping and food complex of Roppongi Hills, the location is ideal. The chefs offer an Omakase deal, which isn’t really a deal at all. It roughly translates as “you eat what you’re given” – typically 10 or 11 sticks of claw-to-beak chickeny goodness. Even the fussiest of eaters will find pleasure in the more exotic parts of a chicken’s anatomy. Again, you should book, but you may find a lucky late cancellation if you are not so organised and attempt a “Uorrku-in” (walk-in). Let’s imagine it is indeed October and you have made your way to a rugby game and back. England have just beaten Argentina and you want a stroll to take the edge off all the excitement. There is no better place than Yoyogi Park, where you can soak up the tranquillity and peacefulness of the area. If timed correctly you’ll experience “kōyō”, the autumn equivalent of the cherry blossom season, when the leaves start to turn – the ginkgo tree forest is especially luminous at this time of year.

Back to the manic and busy city centre we go. Matsuya is one of the bigger department stores in the Ginza (think Knightsbridge on speed), where you can not only shop to your heart’s content but also eat like a king. Explore the basement food court, where you can buy a £200 muskmelon or £20 apple, before taking the lift to the top floor, where you will find Keitei. Tonkatsu is the order of the day here, and you will soon find yourself wondering how it is possible to deep-fry a pork cutlet so perfectly. This place doesn’t

Semi-finals . . 26-27 October

have quite the level of exclusivity as Torioka or Sushi Yuu and is in fact part of a chain. Don’t let that put you oﬀ – the service is impeccable (as it is everywhere you go in Japan) the atmosphere is calm, and you will be surprised by just how tasty department store food can be. You will probably want to end the day with a few cocktails or a cheeky night cap and a cigarette, so head to Maduro in the Grand Hyatt (a sister bar to Lost in Translation’s Park Hyatt vertigo-inducing watering hole). There is plenty of fun live jazz, although you do have to reach into your pockets for the experience. The vibe is very chilled and there is no better order than a mojito, which they have perfected beyond a wild Cuban’s wildest dreams. Speaking of Cubans, did I mention you can smoke inside? Japan remains one of the few remaining civilised nations in this sense. All in all, I have no doubt that this would deliver as a perfect day in Tokyo for someone with a bottomless pit of a stomach. Alternatively, you could spread it out over a few days and soak up each experience without haste. There is so much more to say about this city. A lifetime could be spent exploring merely what cuisine Tokyo has to oﬀer, and we haven’t even started on the rest of the country’s regional delicacies. For everything else, there’s always TripAdvisor or a good old-fashioned exploration. Here’s to a thrilling World Cup and a box of eel on rice. Kanpai! n

Final . . . . . . . . . . 2 November

S. Drummond has lived and travelled extensively in Japan.

FOOD, DRINK, CULTURE Sushi SUSHI YUU, Nishi-Azabu Yakitori TORIOKA, Roppongi Hills Culture YOYOGI National Park Tonkatsu KEITEI, Ginza Cocktails MADURO, Grand Hyatt Hotel

RUGBY WORLD CUP KEY DATES First match . . 20 September Quarter-finals 19-20 October

IT’S THE HOPE THAT THRILLS YOU Adam Fresco says he’ll risk the ‘walk of shame’ by going all in again at the World Series of Poker N A FEW DAYS, THOUSANDS of eager, hope-filled souls will descend on Las Vegas, every one of them believing they have a chance to make it big during the World Series of Poker (WSOP). For the uninitiated, the WSOP is an annual event that brings together the best players in the world and many that are not. Imagine the football World Cup, but you and your mates could enter a team. Men and women from around the world will all be carrying that ember of hope that this is their year. Some may have paid $10,000 to enter the main event, where a win will make you a multimillionaire; others will have won a satellite tournament to get to Vegas; others may be sponsored, selling off bits of themselves to their backers. And if it’s not the main event they’re entering, they’ll be there to play one of the hundreds of tournaments or cash games that will be running all day, every day at almost every casino. There will be the bluffers, the ‘rocks’ who only play premium hands, the groups of lads who are just having a good time, and those who are there to work – to play patiently and pick off the tourists. You could blame this degree of self-confidence, or self-delusion, on a guy who won his seat via a smaller satellite competition and went on to outplay, outflop and just get luckier than thousands of others. His ‘you couldn’t make it up’ name? Chris Moneymaker. His 2003 win started an avalanche of players taking up poker online and then in the real world. So now, people of every shape, nationality and ethnicity, with varying degrees of poker prowess, will be hoping, plotting and praying they can go to Vegas and win big, baby. But it’s not that simple. By the end of their stay, the majority will be lamenting that one bit of bad luck, that one statistical blip that cost them thousands, if not millions. Very few will blame the free alcoholic drinks delivered by cocktail waitresses (for they are all female) to their table, or the fact that they should never have been all in with 9 4 off suit. My relationship with Vegas and poker started when I was a reporter for The Times and PokerStars invited me out to report on the growing numbers of Brits using the internet to play poker. It was 2005, two years after Moneymaker had become a legend. I had been playing online for a few months when I sat down at a $200 tournament in a massive air-conditioned room filled with hundreds of confident Americans, some professional Europeans and me. The beauty of playing Texas no limit hold ’em online is that a button pings to tell you whether to call, raise or fold. In real life, there’s no such prompt, so I was folding when I should have bet and raising when I should have folded. With only a handful of players left, I was down to a few chips and was dealt J 9 – not a great hand, but I went all in against two other players and ended up with four of a kind. My first tournament, and I won a few hundred dollars –

the worst possible thing that could have happened to me. This game is easy, I told everyone. Everyone who knows will tell you it takes five minutes to learn, but a lifetime to master. Apart from two years, I have been back every year, with a mate, to play poker. We meet for breakfast at 9am, spend an hour by the pool, then go to work. I play cash games during the day, then, depending on how we’re doing, we’ll meet for dinner and then get back to work. I’m sure there are lovely sunsets or sunrises, but I have never seen them. The air-conditioned casinos have no windows or clocks, and I can often play for ten hours or more at a time without realising it. It can be a fantastic place. Walking up to the cashier with trays of chips that you’ve won to be exchanged for cold, hard cash is an amazing feeling. You walk out feeling 10ft tall, a Master of the Universe, walking past those other suckers. But the opposite is horrible. Patience can often be the key to poker – playing the wrong hand because you’re bored is a recipe for disaster. Looking at 10 8 off suit and thinking “I feel lucky” often ends with self-hatred. ast year I had won a few hundred dollars playing cash, so I used it to play a tournament – a bigger buy-in than I would usually play, but hey, I had cracked this game. I started playing tight, but as the blinds increased I started to make a few moves that were paying off. Soon we were down to two tables. Lots of hands were being thrown, no one wanting to miss out on the final table. As I was now so good, I thought I’d take advantage of their reluctance to play and started raising with nothing. It worked a couple of times, then I got reraised and folded, caught with my hand in the cookie jar. There were ten of us left and nine got paid, but to make it worthwhile I needed to finish in the top five. I got A 10 and raised. Looking back now, when a relatively tight player went all in, I should have folded. But I didn’t. I called to see K K. I didn’t get lucky and I was out. If only an ace had come on the flop, turn, or river. If only I’d waited one more hand. If only… I picked up my bottle of water, stood up, pretending I didn’t care, and made the lonely walk out. It was dispiriting and, for no real reason, feels slightly humiliating. A walk of shame, almost – but no one is watching. Those left are focusing on their cards and the prize money within their grasp. But when I walk into the poker room this year and hear the riffling of the chips, a noise like a thousand crickets on speed, all those bad hands will be forgotten and I will become one of those hope-filled souls praying, hoping, plotting that this is my time. n

Adam Fresco is a PR and crisis communications expert.

3 Piccadilly Arcade | 93 Lower Sloane St www.buddshirts.co.uk | @buddshirtmakers

ANTE ESTABLISHMENT Cigars all round! William Woodhams finds how antepost prices were thrashed out in a West End club Imagine a hushed, cigar-smokefilled room in a smart West End club with ten titans of the turf standing around a billiards table. A “silverhaired gent” called Arthur Cassani, as described by Jamie, 70 years old in 1961 but apparently “sharp as a whip”, would call out all the runners of the Derby. Each bookmaker (names such as William Hill, Max Parker, Joe Coral and Victor’s grandfather Bill Chandler) would then share their price and what they had in their personal books and create, fundamentally, an antepost market. Before exchanges, this was the elders of wagering putting their flag in the ground. Even Peter O’Sullevan would mention the Call Over in his commentary. S I DUG DEEPER (with the help of Ben Keith, the king of Greyhound bookies), I discovered that the location of this Call Over was as interesting as the character who called it. The Victoria Club has moved around a lot (it’s now a casino on the Edgware Road). It was once held as a badge of honour to bookmakers – it was their club, where sports and wagers lived in the open. Unlike at Boodles and White’s, all gambling debts were settled at speed and with grace. The Victoria Club began life in 1860 on Chatham Place in Blackfriars. By 1872 it had moved to Wellington Street in Covent Garden and had 500 members. This was the centre of British bookmaking, and with that came a fair degree of honour and prestige – anyone admitted to the Victoria Club was good for £100,000 at any other sporting club in the world. Professional bookmaking had never before had such a platform and validation as this. On the night of the Derby Club dinner, this earnest institution was resurrected, this time in the private room of Balthazar, four doors down from the location of the Victoria Club on Wellington Street. Rather than even out the book, we drank good champagne and ate lobster and the UK’s remaining private bookmakers caught up with each other. No one could stay long, as the turf bookies trundled off to the Derby Club dinner and the footie bookies went to watch the Europa League final, but all agreed it was well worth reviving and was a great toast to the world’s second oldest profession. n

A THE FITZDARES SEASON ’M A RELATIVE NEWCOMER to bookmaking and for anyone joining the industry it’s always a baptism of fire: mastering to a near encyclopaedic knowledge at least five sports, watching hours of Cheltenham videos to prepare for four days, reading a ton of biographies of trainers, jockeys and writers, and most importantly brushing up on my maths. For that last one, I can only thank National Numeracy and their amazing charity. The one searing omission from all this research, however, is the most important bit of all: the history of bookmaking. Perhaps I was a bit of a snob? My family was in racing and they were gamblers, but they had always referred to bookies as rather vulgar men with Jaguars. Think, the wonderful George Cole in the St Trinian’s films. A few months back, I was forwarded an email from Jamie Reid, the esteemed historian of racing and bookmaking (currently finishing his Victor Chandler biography). In the email he described a near mythical gathering of the ancient kings of bookmaking. It was called the Call Over, and I was hooked.

The tradition of the Call Over began at the Victoria Club on Wellington Street in the 1920s

JUNE 18th – 22nd ROYAL ASCOT Tuesday 11th Breakfast at 5 Hertford Street with trainer Gai Waterhouse & presenter Francesca Cumani Wednesday 12th Oliver Brown ‘Tip of the Hat’ drinks – we offer tips as you sort your top hat for Ascot Thursday 13th Live podcast with Charlie Fellowes, George Scott and special guests at Annabel’s Monday 17th Ascot Preview Drinks on the terrace at 5 Hertford Street

Imagine a smokefilled room with ten titans of the turf standing around a billiards table.

18th – 21st OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP Portrush Saturday 6th Play 18 holes with golf legend Jack Nicklaus at Wentworth 30th – 3rd Aug GLORIOUS GOODWOOD Wednesday 31st The Fitzdares Club comes to Goodwood – taking the entire top floor of the Charlton Stand

AUGUST 21st – 24th EBOR FESTIVAL York

Tuesday to Friday The Fitzdares Club opens at 5 Hertford Street, for the most luxurious off-course experience

Date TBA Private box for our Members at the Ebor Festival

Tuesday to Friday Lobster lunch at J. Sheekey’s in the Royal Enclosure

SEPTEMBER

Thursday & Friday of Ascot Summer picnic in Car Park One before the racing starts

JULY

19th – 22nd BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP Wentworth Friday 20th The Fitzdares Club opens its doors at the Surrey course for the prestigious European Tour event

1st – 14th THE CHAMPIONSHIPS Wimbledon

OCTOBER

Sunday 23rd June Clare Balding previews Wimbledon with Boris Becker at Annabel’s

6th PRIX DE L’ARC DE TRIOMPHE Paris Longchamp

Thursday 27th June Jamie Murray Preview at Wentworth

We go overseas in search of the perfect racing experience, with a members’ lunch during racing

William Woodhams is the CEO of

Fitzdares. His Great-grandfather trained Gladiateur to the 1865 Triple Crown.

IN THE ROYAL ENCLOSURE AT ROYAL ASCOT For the 昀rst time ever J. Sheekey will be at Royal Ascot serving a menu 昀lled with Sheekey classics and seasonal 昀sh & seafood dishes. No reservations, walk ins only. Tuesday, 18 to Saturday, 22 June, from 11.30am to 5.30pm. www.j-sheekey.co.uk | Instagram: JSheekeyLdn

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5 PARK WALK

The data revolution has transformed a whole host of sports, with every kick, putt and volley analysed to death – but many racing punters have to get by without this help. It’s time to change, says Geoffrey Riddle N A RECENT RADIO 4 PROGRAMME looking at the numbers of women working in cyber security, Charlotte Webb, the Bletchley Park veteran, was interviewed and said something that you rarely hear these days. Webb worked in the famous Second World War code cracker hub, where the ratio between men and women was surprisingly around 50:50. When pressed about her views on the diﬀerences in abilities between men and women in terms of application to the task in hand, she ﬁrmly sided with women, but added: “I don’t think I was asked to form an opinion at that time.” How distant that idea seems now. We are constantly reminded, more than ever, and often by the high street bookmakers’ PRs, that everybody has an opinion. “WHAT’S YOURS WORTH?” screeched one advertisement that was investigated by the authorities in 2007. Opinions are freely expressed on social media, spewed out at a rate of 500 million tweets a day, with 500,000 new people signing up to Facebook every 24 hours to have their say and 3.5 billion “likes”

sloshing through Instagram during the same period. Opinion is big business. Yet, with Royal Ascot now fast approaching, it is questionable whether average punters have access to the facts required to form their own informed opinions on who might end up in the winners’ enclosure. The world is looking on at possibly the best five days of flat racing in the world. Although the international challenge is disappointing this year, the fact remains that the five-day meeting will be broadcast in America on NBC. Hong Kong, through the newly launched World Pool, will be betting on the Berkshire action. Film crews have been dispatched from Japan, which will collectively hold its breath as Deirdre bids to become the first horse from the Land of the Rising Sun to strike in front of the Queen. Australia will also be staying up through the night to catch a glimpse of Godolphin’s Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter take on the mighty Stradivarius in the Gold Cup on the Thursday. The list goes on.

And when those people from around the world decide to bet on the action, how will they form their opinions on each of the 30 races? Over the past few years there has been a minor ripple in how people use form and data to formulate their conviction that one thoroughbred will beat those alongside them in the starting gate. It is probably time for a revolution. If you were starting from scratch, “the form”, as we know it as racing fans, would look very diﬀerent, wouldn’t it? Starting from the bottom, the national papers rarely run articles that get stuck into racing data as they would for football or rugby. Open any national daily and you’re swamped by detailed analysis of the “bigger” sports. It’s not the same with racing, and although every national newspaper editor will tell you that if they drop race cards they get legions of angry phone calls from readers, recent surveys do not back up those claims. There is a new world order. Last year the Horseracing Bettors Forum’s annual survey illustrated that

The national papers rarely run articles that get stuck into racing data as they would for football or rugby.

93 per cent of serious punters shun the national press and use bespoke websites. The Racing Post has transformed its form guides for the better in recent times but, essentially, the key aspects to their form are still largely functional information. Names, draw, weight and age dominate, but punters can do a deeper dive into race histories, pedigrees and, more recently, video form from the two main broadcasters, Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing, which will show Royal Ascot alongside ITV. If you’re more of an aﬁcionado, then Timeform and the At The Races website have stepped up remarkably well. Both have done a lot of work with regards to race positioning, sectional timings, the stride lengths of horses, and how quickly those four legs rotate, which is called cadence. There were many who poo-pooed these daring and welcome innovations when they were ushered in some years ago, but those critics remain in the dark ages. And then there is the real stuﬀ, which, frustratingly, the mainstream

RUNNING media feel has no market or purpose. The capability of Proform, Raceform Interactive and websites such as Geegeez.co.uk are like manna from heaven for those who take data seriously, and who love data-rich sports such as football, cricket and baseball. When you consider that the iPhone has a health app that tells all users how many steps they have taken, it is clear that data is mainstream like it never has been before. I did 23,025 steps, or 17km, when working on Dubai World Cup night at Meydan in March, for instance. That information may seem totally irrelevant but in China, insurance companies now oﬀer cheaper premiums for those with a demonstrably more active lifestyle. When you have data, new possibilities open up, even if some are chilling and possibly dystopian. Go to the gym and almost any machine there will tell you how much ﬂuid you lose during exercise. Fitness apps such as Nike+, Strava and Endomondo have generated millions

of downloads by keeping their users up to date with their own personal average speeds, maximum speeds, split times per mile and calories burned. Legions of people on diets know how many Kcals they have eaten on a daily basis. Data is all around us like never before – just not quite in British racing. Yet. “The problem sometimes is that you don’t know what you don’t know,” Matt Bisogno, chairman of the Horseracing Bettors Forum, told Fitzdares. “It wasn’t until I went to the Breeders’ Cup many years ago that my eyes were opened to the idea of pace being material in races. Until then, I just thought collateral form was all of it. After that, I was looking for all kinds of meaningful information: things like how a trainer performs with horses going up in trip, or with sprinters, of ﬁrst/second time in a handicap, and so on. “The future of pretty much all sport is how it engages its audience through data to inform and explain the drama unfolding on the ﬁeld of play. Racing is a sport which is so

beautifully data-rich, regardless of whether you want to bet or not. I don’t see very much innovation in the data visualisation space in Britain. For the future, this sport must change.” You can only form a strong opinion, and be willing to back that opinion, with the right tools, and British racing is ﬁnally waking up to the possibilities. Total Performance Data has worked very hard to install sectional timing at racecourses that are aligned with Sky Sports Racing. Racecourse Media Group, which owns Racing TV, has spent a small fortune on getting sectional timing data up and running on its courses. And during the Royal meeting, Ascot sponsor Longines will be providing the breakdowns of furlong-by-furlong times with new equipment that was trialled towards the end of 2018. There is a danger that this bright new dawn may be a false one. British racing is not well known for collaboration, and if this data is not made available in similar formats, the ability for oﬃcial, and licensed, media

TA K I N G A F L I E R The question of whether all four hooves leave the ground at the same time when a horse is running prompted Californian industrialist Leland Stanford (who was convinced they did) to make a bet with friends. In 1872, he offered photographer Eadweard Muybridge $25,000 to find the answer. After six years, during which Muybridge invented a fast shutter mechanism, he finally proved that all four hooves were off the ground and collected the $25,000.

organisations to successfully collate this information will be compromised. What’s more, there is a phalanx of millennial and Generation Z coders and programmers out there who would love nothing more than to access this information through open source and run it through their bespoke algorithms. Currently, their attentions are directed towards other sports that have made this possible. So when you are trying to unearth a winner at Ascot, just remember there is a wealth of information out there. Maybe not as much as in Hong Kong, where a horse can barely fart without race fans knowing about it, but an edge is possible if you look hard enough. Royal Ascot is all about the world stage and attracting international competition. Wouldn’t it be great if we learned a thing or two from our visitors? That’s my opinion, anyway. n Geoffrey Riddle is director of World

Horse Racing, the new international media company that covers elite thoroughbred racing around the globe.

When you have data, new possibilities open up, even if some are chilling and possibly dystopian.

18 After years of training, dedication and sacrifice, the Olympics represent a dramatic climax for elite

HE TRAUMATIC build-up to any world championships, regardless of sport or discipline, takes life-consuming self-obsession beyond almost any other quest for recognition or personal glory. To compete for your country, and beyond that to have the good fortune to bring honour on your family and friends, is almost too “Disney”. For the few who make it to the Olympics, and then the tiny fraction who end up with an Olympic medal, life for a time verges on an out-of-body experience. Almost 20 years have passed since my personal dalliance with Olympic glory, yet it still doesn’t quite seem real. On the rare occasion that I watch our race – the men’s eights in the rowing at Sydney 2000 – I still get palpable anxiety on the last 200 metres to the line, the dulcet tones of Garry Herbert prattling on about nothing in particular. By this stage he was talking about how his “great mate”, our two-man Ben Hunt-Davis, was getting married that October. A little disappointing for the other eight men (or technically seven and a half men), who had spent 15 years of their

lives training six to eight hours a day, seven days a week for this one life-deﬁning moment. Great Britain hadn’t won the blue riband men’s heavyweight eights since 1912, and we had just collectively rowed an immaculate, dangerously aggressive and frankly suicidally fast race from the start. After a lot of pain and anguish, we somehow managed to cross the line before anyone else did. It now transpires that so many of our families, friends and acquaintances watched this peculiar event from all around the world in an air of screams, expletives and rude profanities. This resulted in raucous yelling, spilt bottles of red wine and illexplained euphoric ex-teachers erupting in various dive bars throughout Cambodia. Tales of wonder amount. However, a 2,000m rowing race can only be so interesting. Concentration wanes, even among the most loving and dedicated friends. The tactical nuances we spend hours perfecting tend not to trouble the minds of those outside the boat. The endless references to “rate” and “split times” are largely lost on anyone other than an ardent professional. The camera angle is always completely misleading, too. Fortunately, we were just there to race, and on 24 September 2000, our race took exactly 5min 33.08sec. As an abstract number, it means nothing to most people. Fortunately for us, it proved to be faster than anyone else. Our celebration took numerous guises. A number of my gang managed to summon the energy to stand up, arms aloft like Lycra-clad messiahs. Our cox decided to do a front ﬂip out of the boat, forgetting to remove his microphone. While I reeled in lactate-fuelled delirium, throwing up out of both sides of the boat and creating a rather unattractive froth beard, I thought I was having some kind of seizure, for all I could hear was gurgling water. Ten minutes later, we found ourselves standing in our sweaty “fruit suits”, chatting to the utterly charming HRH Princess Anne.

in the prime of their lives. Each one trained to spectacular physiological condition, with laser-like focus and dedication to their sport and, frankly, themselves. Combine said group in a secure gated community away from friends, family and coaches, and you have just created the atomic sex bomb. The organisers of the Sydney Games had allegedly supplied the Olympic village with 150,000 condoms. By the ﬁrst Tuesday, they had all run out. Aside from the fact that this would mean 15 condoms each if shared equally, I can personally vouch that they were not “distributed” at all. For days, while friends and family members waited nervously for the performance of a lifetime, inside the Olympic village it was “Shagmageddon”.

She had apparently paid enormous attention in ﬁnishing school to the module entitled “How to address eight very large, sweaty men in skin-tight Lycra”. So, at 11am with the race completed, medals presented and a week of the Olympics remaining, what should we do? There is that urban myth that the Great Wall of China can be seen from space. However, if a satellite could see high concentrations of hormones from space, a summer Olympic village would be visible from Mars – and that’s just naturally occurring hormones. In 2000, some 199 nations sent 10,651 athletes to Sydney to compete in the pinnacle of international sport – 6,582 men and 4,069 women, to be exact, all

OLYMPICRINGS Roger Federer & Mirka Vavrinec Slovakian tennis player Vavrinec, 22, spent much of the 2000 Sydney Games in the company of Federer, who was not yet 19. They married in 2009 and have four children. Word has it that hubby’s career went quite well after Sydney... Sharron Davies & Derek Redmond Swimmer Davies met 400m runner Redmond in the Olympic Village in

At what stage did rampant carnal sex come into the metrics of elite sport? Did I miss a vital team meeting? Was there a memo on the intranet (quite the modern concept at the turn of the millennium)? What really staggers me is the colossal scale of the bonkfest. The reasons are, however, apparent. Good-looking, ﬁt, sexually starved young athletes in a closed community with free condoms – it doesn’t take the wit of man to work it out. What an astonishing volume, though. We shared apartment 666 (no joke) with 20 of us from the men’s team. Apparently, rowers are historically low performers in the Olympic bonkathon. True to form, almost all of us were in relationships. A few singletons had some light sexual endeavours, but nothing that could cause such huge numbers. On reﬂection, just shy of 20

years on, it is impossible to really evaluate the full impact of winning Olympic gold and nothing would have ever distracted me from that. That said, all things considered, it might have been quite fun to go to an Olympics as a single person with zero chance and thoroughly indulge in the spirit of the modern shag games. n Fred Scarlett won gold in the

men’s eights at Sydney 2000 and now works in super-prime property.

Couples who wed after getting together at the Games 1992, during the Barcelona Games at which an injured Redmond was famously helped over the line by his father. The British pair married in 1994 and had two children, but they divorced in 2000. Olga Fikotová & Harold Connolly American hammer gold medallist Connolly was sent into a spin by Fikotová, a Czech discus thrower, at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Cold War

politics meant their requests to marry were denied several times before they got the nod from the Czech president. Kristi Yamaguchi & Bret Hedican The day after Yamaguchi won her figure skating gold for the USA at the 1992 Albertville Games, she met Hedican, a US ice hockey player – but they didn’t start dating until 1995. They married in 2000 and have two daughters.

19 sportsmen and women â€“ in more ways than one, says Fred Scarlett

20 Who will inherit Mrs Mayâ€™s poisoned chalice? Previous Tory leadership contests didnâ€™t work out well for the favourites. Will Boris be left feeling blue? Harry Cole assesses the main contendersâ€™ chances

BLUE

T WOULD PROBABLY BE QUICKER to list who is not running to be the leader of the Conservative Party and become our next Prime Minister. But with more than a dozen candidates at the time of writing preparing tilts for Number Ten, there is still a chance to make some money on what is often the most brutal political show on earth. There are some rules of thumb that you should always follow in a Tory leadership election: 1) The initial favourite rarely wins; 2) Someone always implodes in a sex scandal; 3) Often 1) and 2) are linked. Although it might not have looked like it lately, the Tory Party is the oldest and most ruthless survival machine in the game. In the wake of the Brexit mess and their wipe-out at the European elections, they will be looking for a winner â€“ and that probably means you should save your cash on an unknown this time. Tory MPs are a particularly craven breed of shapeshifters who might have been slagging oďŹ€ their internal enemies for years, but then tuck in neatly behind them when it becomes clear that they will save their seat or job or both. While there are potential newgeneration David Cameron-wannabes lurking on the backbenches, nine years into government it is hard to see how the Tory survivalists will back someone who has not served in the Cabinet. And given the only front-runners totting up big numbers of supporters in the wood-panelled corridors of power in Westminster are blokes, I would not be betting on the Tories presenting the country with their third female prime minister. So who IS worth a tilt? Harry Cole is a political journalist

based in Westminster.

JEREMY HUNT BORIS JOHNSON

DOMINIC RAAB

Itâ€™s BoJoâ€™s to lose, but the last place anyone wants to be is out ahead of the pack as the race begins, because youâ€™re going to have all the knives behind you pointing into one back. Heâ€™s been way ahead in the polls and is picking up solid support among MPs, despite a rocky relationship with the parliamentary party over the past few years. As Nigel Farage soars ahead with his Brexit Party, will the Tories dare martyr their biggest beast just at the time they are in a ďŹ ght for survival? Many donâ€™t think so.

Baby-faced karate black belt Raab is the Brexit purist in the race, having quit the government as Brexit secretary after being hamstrung by Theresa May in negotiations. Heâ€™s built a very strong team of Vote Leave alumni around him who know what they are doing. There is a slight nervousness that this very combative pretty boy, once described as a â€œbaseball bat in a sharp suitâ€?, could yet explode. He could give Boris a run for his money among the hard Brexit brigade in the Tory grassroots.

An early favourite who is struggling with the numbers â€“ unfortunately for Hunt, heâ€™s just a bit too boring to keep momentum. Cruelly nicknamed â€œTitâ€? (Theresa in Trousers), the foreign secretary is seen as the continuity candidate. However, thatâ€™s not very helpful with the governmentâ€™s poll rating down the swanny; the last thing the party and country are crying out for is more of the same. His support among the â€œpayrollâ€? vote might be enough to get him into the ďŹ nal two, but few expect this one-time Remainer to cut the mustard with the membership.

Age 54

Age 45

Age 52

Brexit hardness 7/10

Brexit hardness 9/10

Brexit hardness 4/10

Sporting moment Rugby tackled an opponent during a charity football match at Wembley

Sporting prowess Blackbelt third dan in karate

Sporting prowess Refereed a Tory MPs v journalists football match in 2012

Racing friendly?

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BLOOD

MICHAEL GOVE After what happened in 2016, it would take a brave campaign to go and ask the environment secretary for his support. Luckily, heâ€™s thrown his hat in the ring himself, thus avoiding those awkward chats. Loved by MPs and respected for his work in reforming and blowing up every single department he has worked in, Goveâ€™s big pitch is to give him the levers of government so that he may do the same from the centre. He is, however, hated by most of the public sector. Will his comprehensive despatch box demolition of Jeremy Corbyn be enough for Tory MPs to forgive â€œMGâ€? his terrible polling numbers and lingering mistrust? The smart money says he makes the ďŹ nal two, so Iâ€™ve got ÂŁ20 on him â€“ anything can happen on the campaign trail!

SAJID JAVID

Hancock is the tiggerish health secretary who is picking up a lot of support among current ministers and former Cameroons. Heâ€™s a nice bloke, energetic, and has some very big guns backing him behind the scenes. These include former chancellor George Osborne, who runs a WhatsApp group called â€œMake Matt Hancock Great Againâ€?. Even if he doesnâ€™t win, we will be hearing the name Matt Hancock for years to come. Well worth a ďŹ‚utter if heâ€™s still a big price when you read this.

At the time of writing, the home secretary is a bloody good price (25/1) and deďŹ nitely worth a tenner. Heâ€™s occasionally a bit wooden and his speeches can be a bit â€œout thereâ€?, but this Muslim son of a bus driver has the best back story in the race. He rose from living above his familyâ€™s business in Rochdale to becoming a vicepresident of JP Morgan in his mid-twenties. Donâ€™t forget the Tories love a rags-to-riches tale. That said, there is concern among MPs that â€œThe Sajâ€? is just not up to it yet. Thereâ€™s a path to the ďŹ nal two, but would the members forgive this self-proclaimed lifelong Eurosceptic for not backing Brexit in 2016? Unlikely...

Age 51

Age 40

Age 49

Age 46

Brexit hardness 5/10

Brexit hardness 4/10

Brexit hardness 6/10

Brexit hardness 3/10

Sporting prowess A fan of QPR â€“ he has even been spotted jogging in a retro QPR shirt

Sporting prowess Won a charity race at Newmarket as a jockey in 2012

Sporting prowess Was Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in 2014-15

Sporting prowess Walked across Afghanistan in 2002

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MATT HANCOCK

Racing friendly?

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Racing friendly?

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RORY STEWART Emerging as the measured assassin of the Tory benches, Stewart is in a tricky spot, having been in the Cabinet for about ďŹ ve minutes. He sucked up to Theresa May for months to get his job, so heâ€™s going to struggle to oďŹ€er anything new on Brexit. Many see this thoughtful former diplomat running just to get his name out there a bit more. MPs can easily see him falling in behind Michael Gove. DeďŹ nitely one to watch in the future, but I would save your cash this time around.

Racing friendly?

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THE SPORTS QUIZ YOU CAN’T GOOGLE Earlier this year we ran our Instagram & Twitter Quiz, with 16 subjective sports questions. In case you missed it, here they are, with our 50 experts’ answers below. Feel free to disagree! 1. Who would win a 600m race between Mo Farah and Usain Bolt? 2. Rory McIlroy can only use a sand wedge and Jordan Spieth a 5 wood over 18 holes of stroke play at St Andrews. Who wins? 3. Would Serena Williams win Junior Wimbledon with a 1970s wooden racket? 4. At the elite level, who makes more of a difference to performance: an F1 driver in a car or a jockey on a horse? 5. Who would win a football match between a team of Messis and a team of Ronaldos? 6. You can send in one man to secure a Test match win: Virat Kohli or Sachin Tendulkar? 7. Who would win a race through a 200m field of wheat: Theresa May or Donald Trump? 8. Who would win in a standard triathlon: Rebecca Adlington and Laura Kenny? 9. Who would win a 10m platform diving competition: Neymar or Ashley Young? 10. Who would win a rugby match between a team of Martin Johnsons and a team of Jason Robinsons? 11. What is a greater achievement, to win the SAME Grand Slam 8 times or ALL 4 just once? 12. Who would win over a straight 7 furlongs on hard ground: Black Caviar or Frankel? 13. Who would win an MMA fight between Ben Stokes and Danny Cipriani? 14. Over the course of an F1 season, with the same car, engineers and no team instructions, who would win between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso? 15. Two of the fittest athletes in the world, both with incredible lung capacity in Chris Froome and Mo Farah – BUT who could hold their breath under water for longer? 16. Roger Federer has one overarm serve to hit an apple off someone’s head from 5 metres. Does he hit or miss?

ANSWERS 1. Mo Farah wins, 58.8%. 2. Rory McIlroy wins, 52%. 3. Serena Williams wins, 54%. 4. F1 driver wins; 76%. 5. Messis win, 60%. 6. Sachin Tendulkar wins, 62%. 7. Theresa May wins, 72.9%. 8. Laura Kenny wins, 55.1%. 9. Neymar wins, 73.5%. 10. Robinsons win, 61.2%. 11. All four once wins, 79.6%. 12. Frankel wins, 71.4%. 13. Ben Stokes wins, 59.2%. 14. Lewis Hamilton wins, 59.2%. 15. Chris Froome wins, 75.5%. 16. Miss wins, 57.1%.

CEREBRALGYM EVENINGS

Email cerebralgym@fitzdares.com to register your interest, or visit fitzdares.com/cerebral-gym for more upcoming events and information

MONDAY 10 JUNE

WEDNESDAY 24 JULY

MONDAY 30 SEPTEMBER

SECOND MONDAY EVERY MONTH

Cerebral Gym for Addiction Awareness

Cerebral Gym for Bobby Seagull

Chess Club

Bridge Club

DE BRUYNE HOUSE

GROUCHO CLUB

We’ll talk fractions, decimals, percentages and odds with maths evangelist Bobby Seagull, the BBC presenter, FT columnist, Maths Appeal podcast, University Challenge supremo!

Join us for an evening of good company, conversation and chess, and an opening moves masterclass from Stefan Batalka.

Never played but keen to fast-track? Abbey Smith will teach us the ropes. Once we’ve passed probation we’ll join Amanda Brandler’s well-established group to hone our new-found skills.

WORKING TITLE FILMS Graham Beech, CEO of Action on Addiction, in conversation with Balthazar Fabricius, founder & chairman of Fitzdares. 18:30 drinks, talk 19:00-20:00 sharp Places limited to 30 spots.

18:30 drinks, talk 19:00-20:00 sharp Signed books on the night. Places limited to 50 seats.

£45 a night, which includes Abbey’s lesson, dinner and a glass of wine or alternative.

the fitzdares club at glorious goodwood

The Fitzdares Club has found its most spectacular home yet. Join us on the top floor of the Charlton stand on 31st July, Sussex Stakes day.

YOUR TICKET includes entrance to the exclusive Richmond enclosure with a star-studded racing preview, delicious food all day, a post-racing DJ, and a complimentary £50 wager. The day is worth more than £250 per person – but here’s all you need pay: £100 for Private Office members £125 for digital-only members £150 if you join after Royal Ascot Unlimited drinks wristbands can also be purchased. Please call Louisa on 020 7851 5407 or email club@fitzdares.com to book. If you refer four friends to buy tickets, yours will come free.

We hosted a private box for THE VICTORIA CUP at ASCOT in May, which proved to be a hit with the ladies, as they posed for snaps in front of the flat course. More boxes, please! Below, two members cheer on the success of their friend in the middle, who is doing his very best impression of a Peaky Blinder. It wasn’t a fancy dress day, either.

Model and racing enthusiast Rosie Tapner, below, is having her hair adjusted at the launch of Sarah Kate Byrne’s MAISON DE SAISON pop-up at Huntsman on Savile Row. As Francesca Cumani’s stylist, Sarah knows all about dressing for the Season. There was no shortage of special guests keen to try on their outfits before Royal Ascot.

Our sports trivia evening, hosted by Richard Osman, celebrated the final hurrah of the SPORTS QUIZ YOU CAN’T GOOGLE (see page 22). With 50 experts to determine the answers to some of the questions, there was more than a little lively debate. Will Woodhams, above, is seen here celebrating like he’s won the Derby. His team came 11th.

From left: Kevin Pietersen talked all things cricket and rhinos with us at WENTWORTH, where Chris Robshaw previewed the Rugby World Cup, pictured here with ex-schoolfriend and Fitzdares’ Clive Harris. Monty Panesar grins with Fred Morley about England’s World Cup chances at GYMKHANA.

On Boxing Day we hosted the inaugural NATIONAL HUNTINGDON DAY with homemade pies for prizes, race names like The Bread Sauce Handicap and at least one or two winners backed. It was a memorable first foray for Fitzdares into the world of race-day sponsorship.

During the busiest and best week of the racing year, we hosted a pop-up club in the heart of Mayfair – at Mark’s Club. A delicious three-course lunch preceded the racing, while one of our brokers introduced all the action before handing over a crisp Fitzdares Fifty. Upstairs we had a packed room with two giant TVs and a bar menu that would make the Ritz seem modest. It was a rip-roaring success, we are glad to say. And so, without any hesitation, we will be contiunung with the Fitzdares Club for Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and Wentworth – all at very special locations. You will be informed in due course. Ciao.

Fitzdares moved to one of Mayfair’s most exclusive clubs for the Cheltenham Festival.

SUMMERREADS The arrival of summer means it’s time to indulge in a guilty pleasure: reading anything you want while on holiday. Here five of the Fitzdares Team suggest some books to take to the beach or read at your leisure at home

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead This isn’t your classic by the pool feelgood book that has you laughing from cover to cover. However, after a slightly confusing start I was gripped. It tells the story of a black slave Cora, in 19thcentury America, escaping from her master and going on the run. Like the protagonist of Gulliver’s Travels, Cora encounters different worlds at each stage of her journey – hers is an odyssey through time as well as space. She is aided by the ‘Underground Railroad’, an imagined version of a real concept, where a secret web of railways dug and operated by abolitionist sympathiser’s ferries escaped slaves to the free states, all the while pursued by a slave catcher. The allegorical story gives a fascinating insight into this time in history and intertwines a great story along the way by deviating from truth to folklore.. Freddie Pelly, COO

London Theatres

Shoe Dog

by Michael Coveney and Peter Dazeley Slightly off piste and one for the culture lover in you, but it’s hard to ignore this beautiful coffee table book. London is the undisputed theatre capital of the world. From world-famous musicals to West End shows, from cutting-edge plays to Shakespeare in its original staging, from outdoor performance to intimate fringe theatre, the range and quality are unsurpassed. Leading theatre critic Michael Coveney invites you on a tour of 45 theatres that make the London stage what it is. With stories of the architecture, people and productions which have defined each one, alongside sumptuous photographs by Peter Dazeley of the public areas, auditorium and backstage, this illustrated overview of London’s Theatres is a book like no other. A must for fans of the stage. Peter Adams, Broker

by Phil Knight If you’re a sucker for a biography, look no further than this gem from the founder of Nike. In this candid and riveting memoir, Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing and profitable brands. We follow Knight around the world after he borrowed $50 and created a company with a simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the boot of his car, Knight grossed $8,000 in his first year. A memoir rich with insight and humour, it is also studded with lessons – about building something from scratch, overcoming adversity, and leaving your mark on the world. I challenge anyone to read this book and not buy Nike shoes off the back of it. Harry Light, Broker

CHINOCCHIO DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS FOR CHINS

Something in finance n. Not knowing what your husband does. Trystander n. Leaving a July 2014 Tatler on top of the drawing room pouffe for guests to discover, because of the fascinating article in that issue on efforts to save the last Sumatran rhino, not because you’re in Bystander. Archie/Harrison n. When someone else’s baby name is your ideal Labrador name. Leaving drinks n. Drinks hosted in a London pub by a chin leaving for Hong Kong, Singapore or New York, starting a job in shipping, insurance or shipping insurance. Convened because otherwise no one will notive they’ve left. Other popular destinations are Afghanistan, The Priory, and south of the river. Comes back one week later for Christmas.

Find Chinocchio on Instagram @chinocchios.chin.dictionary

This Is Going to Hurt Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay Welcome to 97-hour weeks. Welcome to life-and-death decisions. Welcome to a constant tsunami of bodily fluids. Welcome to earning less than the hospital parking meter. Wave goodbye to your friends and relationships… Welcome to the life of a junior doctor. Hilarious, horrifying and heartbreaking, these diaries are everything you wanted to know – and more than a few things you didn’t – about life on and off the hospital ward. And yes, it may leave a scar. Scribbled in secret after endless days, sleepless nights and missed weekends, comedian and former junior doctor Adam Kay provides an essential, brutally frank account of what life is like for the beleaguered vanguard of the NHS. It’s an unmissable window into Britain’s ailing health system. Simply essential summer reading. Clive Harris, Head of Sports Betting

THE CROSSWORD

Meet Me in the Bathroom Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011 by Lizzy Goodman Told through the voices of those who lived it, Lizzy Goodman’s oral history of the New York City rock scene at the turn of the millennium is the perfect bit of summer escapism, allowing the reader to delve into and live vicariously through the lives of (among others) the Strokes, Kings of Leon, the White Stripes, LCD Soundystem, the Killers and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, mapping out their journeys with an endless stream of incredible anecdotes and gossip. It covers the early partying, the later addictions, the many ways the internet revolutionised the music industry, plus the emergence of Brooklyn as a cultural centre. Goodman pieces together first-hand accounts of a unique period and opens a window into the lives of what many consider will be the last generation of rock stars. Will Priest, Broker

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ACROSS 1. Racecourse (5,5) 6. UEFA club trophy (6) 8. Tywin Lannister’s youngest child (6) 10.Slang for twenty (5) 12.Fillies’ Classic (4) 14.Russian emperor (4) 15.Jockey’s allowance (5) 18.UK’s first female black MP (6) 20.Racing currency (6) 21.2018 Open Championship course (10)

DOWN 1. Democratic vote (8) 2. 2018/19 Chelsea manager (5) 3. Boat based sport (5,6) 4. Title (3) 5. 2018 World Cup top scorer (4) 7. Type of bet (11) 9. Golf clubs (5) 11.Olympic equine sport (8) 13.Middle Eastern food (5) 16.Burgundy grape (5) 17.Spanish golfer (4) 19.J R R Tolkein’s evil creation (3) £100 free bet for the first correct submission to rory@fitzdares.com

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