Marten Julian - Strictly Classified: Insights into the Trainers Mind

Copyright Marten Julian 2015

The right of Marten Julian to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Published in 2015
by Racing Post Books
27 Kingfisher Court, Hambridge Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5SJ

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-909471-53-5
ePub ISBN 978-1-910498-79-8
Mobi ISBN 978-1-910498-78-1

Cover designed by Jay Vincent

Typeset by J Schwartz & Co

Printed and bound in the UK by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY

Every effort has been made to fulfil requirements with regard to copyright material. The author and publisher will be glad to rectify any omissions at the earliest opportunity.

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To Declan Murphy

The inspiration for this book

Contents

Acknowledgements

Writing this book has been an interesting, illuminating, demanding and satisfying project. It brought new people into my life, and re-affirmed the value and importance of those already there.

Their brief mention here is regretfully inadequate in relation to the size of their contribution.

The inspiration for this book came from ex-jockey Declan Murphy, a man of great insight and perception, who ignited the flame with those few words many years ago at the Newmarket Sales the spirit of this horse has been broken. We must never forget our teachers, and nobody has taught me more about the mind of the racehorse than Declan.

The book would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of James de Wesselow, who believed in this project from my first pitch and duly commissioned it during his time as Managing Director of Racing Post Books and Raceform Ltd. Since his departure Julian Brown and James Norris have guided us all through to the production stage.

I am immensely grateful to the two Ians Preece and Greensill who have painstakingly proofread my copy, spotting more than a few howlers along the way. Any errors that remain are of my own making.

Jodie Standing, my racing assistant, has driven me many miles to racecourses and proved an inspiration in her enthusiasm and extraordinary insights into this fascinating game of ours.

I must pass on a special debt of gratitude to Paul Day, who has been a constant source of encouragement and support to me ever since we first met, and Enn Reitel who, like the best of friends, has had the courage to tell me the things I sometimes didnt want to hear!

I probably would not be working in the racing industry had it not been for Brough Scott, who showed such kindness when finding the time to meet me as a student and then when inviting me to join him on The Sunday Times.

Racing can be hugely intrusive and over the years my wife Alex and our family have probably not seen enough of me. I thank them for keeping the home fires burning and for their individual contributions to the project along the way.

I would also like to thank the friends I made during my time at the Priory in Roehampton. Every day spent there was a struggle, but without that experience I would not have acquired the perspective on life which has guided me through this project.

This book would not exist without the contribution of the trainers, jockeys and horse people who have so kindly given their time to speaking with me and responding to my sometimes rather unconventional line of questioning.

Finally I am especially indebted to Rebecca, my eldest daughter. She has devoted all her working life to administering my business, protecting my interests and insulating me from so many of lifes intrusions. She has loyally put in unsociable hours alongside her role as a mother and wife. Without her I would not have been able to devote the time to this and other enterprises.

Thanks everybody, for everything.

Marten Julian

The odd couple

Introduction

Its not a lot of fun being stood up. Mind you, back in the late 1950s, they didnt call it that.

But, as a nine-year-old waiting with my friend Raymond (see opposite) outside the Shaftesbury Cinema off the York Road in Leeds, the initial euphoria at the prospect of going to the matinee with Jess and her friend Sally steadily turned into a sense of quiet resignation that what we were about to save, in the price of two extra tickets, was never going to compensate for the loss of face.

As we trudged back up Osmondthorpe Lane to our homes long after the movie had started few words were said. We made excuses perhaps they had forgotten us, or something had happened but in our hearts we knew the truth.

I blame Raymond. As short as I was tall, he was a scrawny little brat an urchin, straight out of central casting and in truth neither of us were great catches. That experience, in the modern vernacular, would now be recognised as an early encounter with rejection. It was, of course, a very mild dose but I remember, even now, mulling it over for many days afterwards. Who knows how that affected my confidence, and for how long, but my perspective was all to change one sun-baked afternoon in 1969.

In stark contrast to the bleakness of Osmondthorpe, I was by then boarding at a school in the affluent south at Leatherhead in Surrey. One day a friends father offered to take the two of us down the road to Epsom for an afternoons racing. We found a spot on the inside of the track about a furlong from home, close up to the rails.

Derby Day where it all began

Those were the days when many thousands would gather on the Downs for the Derby, held then on the Wednesday. Although this was the Thursday of the meeting, there was still a buzz about the place. The fairgrounds were doing great business and my friends father gave each of us five shillings (25p) for bets.

The highlight of the day was the Coronation Cup for which Lord Devonshires five-year-old mare Park Top, ridden by Lester Piggott, was favourite. I did not know much about form at that time, but I was aware of Lester Piggott. Park Top paraded for a few moments in front of us before turning back to take the path across the Downs to the 1m 4f start.

I decided to place my entire bank on Park Top.

It was hard to see the early stages of the race from our pitch, but as the small field appeared in view descending Tattenham Corner it became apparent that I was about to double my betting funds. Piggott effortlessly moved the mare to the outside of the field, took a look over both shoulders, and eased to the front to win with any amount in hand. The confidence indeed arrogance which Piggott displayed as he looked back with disdain at his toiling rivals left me in a state of awe.