My Race Days

Tickity Bleue and Glorious Twelfth in the winner's enclosure Cheltenham

One of Eliza's friends Peter Gordon is co owner in a small syndicate of 'Tickity Bleue' an exciting prospect for next season trained by Alan King . She was beaten on this ocassion by Glorious Twelfth from the Nicky Henderson yard; but had beaten it on her sole run previously at Newbury. The big tests is always Cheltenham to see if a horse copes with the hill; and also they were unsure about the soft going but she handled it well. The race was a 'bumper' - an introduction to racecourse action for future jumpers but on the flat; also known as a 'National Hunt flat race'. Tickity Bleue was giving weight to Glorious Twelfth (and the rest of the runners) because of the fact she'd won before; but the latter is a 5 year old. The last race of the day on a filthy afternoon; many racegoers had departed and as a result have probably missed two of the new stars of next season...

About Eliza Cook

Hi! I'm Eliza. I am a Geographer by profession, and am currently studying for a PhD in Geography at Swansea University. I will be investigating ice core records from Greenland pretty soon. But you don't want to hear about those.

On top of this, during a year out, I fell into working as an in-house model for Agent Provocateur. Strange but true! This experience heightened my appreciation of fashion - especially the eclectic and eccentric fashions of the races.

I've been a racing fan for two years. I love all racing, but a day at the jumps is where I really feel the most excitement. Having grown up in Gloucestershire, with two great racecourses on the doorstep - Cheltenham and Chepstow - it is a wonder that I didn't find racing sooner.

I've been privileged to be a part of some of the 'behind the scenes' elements of racing, from photographing frosty morning breeze-ups to attending the post Cheltenham Festival jockeys' celebration in the Weighing Room!

I am thrilled to be a 'Voice of the Races'. To me, the most striking feature of racing is the accessibility of participants - and the fact that everybody attending has a part to play. A day at the races has it all; wonderful horses, spectacle and fashion, in an adrenaline soaked atmosphere where people from all walks of life come together in mutual appreciation of the sport.

I can't wait to tell you all about my experiences at the races, the people I meet and the adventures I have, as well as the fashions I encounter and the stories I uncover.

I hope you enjoy it!