THE REVISED GRIP (1987 MODEL)
INSTRUCTIONS TO AGENTS 1. Select the race with the most prize money at stake at the principal meeting of the day on Mondays,Wednesdays and Fridays (BASILISK) and Tuesdays,Thursdays and Saturdays (BRIDESHEAD). 2. List the first five in the betting forecast for each race selected (first six if there are 15 runners or more).
3. Discard any horse among the first five (or six) in the betting forecast never to have won a race or been placed second. 4.Award points to the remaining horses on the following basis: (a) if trained by Cecil, Harwood, Hindley, Stoute or Cumani (one point)
(b) if ridden by Pat Eddery, Starkey, Swinburn, Carson or Ives (one point)
(c) if the horse won on its last outing or last but one outing (one point) (d) if its winning margin was a length or more (5 or 6 furlongs or 2 lengths or more (longer distances) - (one point)
(e) if it won on a left (right) hand track and is now running on a similar track (one point)
(f) if the going on the day is about the same as when it last won or was placed second (one point) (g) if a horse is penalised in the weights for a previous win (deduct one point).
5. Maximum points is six. List the horses in the order of their ‘score’ in accordance with paragraph 4. Back the one with most points. If two or more horses are equal in the points listing, back the one at the longest odds in the betting forecast. 6.All wagers are £5 to win. Results of the wagers with names of selected horses to be sent to me once a week for verification
that has not previously won or placed second is disregarded, and of the remainder points are awarded to horses with notable trainers or jockeys. (Henry Cecil, Guy Harwood, Jeremy Hindley, Michael Stoute and Luca Cumani were all very successful trainers in the 1980s, while Pat Eddery, Greville Starkey, Walter Swinburn, Willie Carson and Tony Ives were top jockeys in their day). Additional points are earned through various other factors as identified in the original GRIP exercise. So how did Basilisk and Brideshead fare when they set to work to put the Revised GRIP through its paces in 1987? Al-
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though most of the records have been lost over time, we are pleased to report that a single tantalising report for 22nd May 1987 has survived in the extensive Goldsmith archives. During April and May of that year, Basilisk backed eight horses (four winners) and won £19.94. His colleague Brideshead was even more successful: he backed three horses (two winners) and reported winnings of £31.50. It may be that present-day Old Almondburians will be inspired to put the revised GRIP to the test, updating it with their own choice of jockeys and trainers. If so, we will have great pleasure in reporting their results in a future issue.