Jack's Blog

  • Sep
  • 29
  • 2011

The changing of the guard

This summer has not been a vintage one in many respects. The weather has been abysmal, the front-page news has been gloomy throughout with stories of imminent financial armageddon and the Middle-East has looked more fragile than ever.   However,...

  • Sep
  • 26
  • 2011

Royer-Dupre a Reliable Man for the Arc

Winning one of the major championship races doesn’t happen by chance. As the connections of Carlton House discovered in the Derby, to the nation’s despair and the bookies' delight, everything has to go to plan.  This is not just...

  • Sep
  • 19
  • 2011

Mr Aintree

The Grand National is a race like no other. It is the one time in the racing calendar when tens of millions show an interest in the sport and as such it is a chance for racing to promote itself...

  • Sep
  • 09
  • 2011

St Leger the odd one out as Gosden looks to strike with Masked Marvel

The St Leger is an anomaly in more ways than one. For starters, it is the longest of the five Classics, at 1m6f 132 yards. It is staged at Doncaster while the 1000 and 2000 Guineas, Oaks and Derby are...

  • Aug
  • 26
  • 2011

The Fallon Factor

Kieren Fallon’s 2005 and 2007 Arc de Triomphe victories were among two of the best rides I have seen, but for very different reasons.  His ’05 win on the Andre Fabre trained Hurricane Run was a textbook Fallon performance....

  • Aug
  • 23
  • 2011

Keeping it in the family

Congratulations to the Hills family. Barry, the legendary father of this racing dynasty that includes bloodstock agents and jockeys as well as trainers, had a brace of winners on his last day in charge of Faringdon Place stables before he...

  • Aug
  • 05
  • 2011

Supermare strikes again

Goldikova just bagged herself a 14thwin at the top level. That is a remarkable achievement. In fact, it is so impressive that I want to compare her to some other recent heroes and heroines of the turf in order...

  • Jul
  • 24
  • 2011

The highs and lows of racing

Nathaniel proved himself to be a champion when beating a high-quality King George field but the race will always be remembered for the tragic fatality of Rewilding who was himself well on the way to achieving star status.  Before...

  • Jun
  • 24
  • 2011

Royal Ascot - something for everyone

Now Royal Ascot has been and gone for another year and the dust has settled on one of the highlights of the British sporting summer I think it is time for me to write about my debut at the meeting.&...

  • Jun
  • 15
  • 2011

Getting the racing bug

‘Go on my son. GO on my son. GO ON MY SON!’ These are the familiar words of my dear grandfather when screaming a winner home. We have all been there, unfortunately some more than others, cheering your nag home,...

  • Jun
  • 13
  • 2011

The Cheltenham Rollercoaster

I experienced two extremes of emotion whilst watching events unfold from Cheltenham on Gold Cup day. Emptiness and elation. On the one hand I was Jack the gambler - a fool of the greatest magnitude who had been sent on...

About Jack

I’m 23 and I work for a journalism training centre called News Associates in Manchester. We train students to become NCTJ qualified journos and help them on their way to taking their first steps into the often crazy world of journalism.

I entered this competition as I love to write about racing, more so than any other sport. There are so many levels to the 'Sport of Kings' which just makes writing about it so enjoyable. It is also very unpredictable in my opinion, especially if you are as bad a gambler as I am! This makes it even more fun to write about as there is so much material.

My interest in racing originated from my grandfather. He still says it doesn't matter if it is Cheltenham or Wolverhampton - you should go anywhere for a winner! He showed me the light in 2003 and I had my first taste when I lost a three-way photo finish backing Falbrav in the Breeder's Cup Turf at Santa Anita in my first bet. It was a classic race and I was hooked from then on. I had watched Grand Nationals before then of course but this was the real beginning for me.

I love going to the races and seeing the action from the rails. Some sports are better on tv but racing is certainly not one of them in my opinion. The roar of the crowd is what makes it so special.

I enjoy blogging about aspects of the sport that might not get quite as much attention as others. I will not be blogging too much on who is the greater animal, Kauto or Denman (although I am a Denman fan!). I prefer writing about my own experiences as a genuine racing fan and I like to try to convey the trials and tribulations of the regular punter.

I am however as obsessed with stats and form as the next racing lover so cannot help but get caught up in hype surrounding some of the stars of the sport, equine or human.