New TRF writer

[Posts: 10789Joined: 10 Feb 2003, 15:43Location: Scotland]

I'm delighted to let you know that we have another young racing writer joining the TRF ranks.

Emma-Louise Kerwin is going to do a weekly blog-style feature for us. A fully fledged accredited racing photographer, Emma is only 20 but has been into racing since she was young and pestered her dad into taking her along to a race meeting.

She's posted on the forum as Emmy-K for a while now and we're delighted to have her on board in a little bit of a more formal capacity.

These will normally appear in the Features section but here's Emma's first piece and I look forward to many more.

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With all eyes on the Olympic opening ceremony and all of us praying that Boris Johnson doesn’t do anything too stupid, you’d almost be forgiven for forgetting about the racing. Almost, but not quite, it’s simply just too good to be forgotten about.

Most of us are looking eagerly ahead to Glorious Goodwood next week, the site of the next start of Frankel. Unsurprisingly, the lovingly nicknamed ‘freak’ is short, short, short! While I think Farhh is a decent beast, there are probably much better things that the Godolphin team could have spend £19,500 on (me, for instance). However, lest we forget, there are a grand total of 13 group races there next week and, last time I checked, Frankel won’t be running in all of them, so we can look forward to a great week of highly competitive racing and some great horses.

In the unlikely event you missed it, Famous Name managed to win his 18th race last night over in Ireland, when an odds on favourite. Hardly remarkable, especially when no favourite failed to place on the night, but everyone quite likes the 7 year old. Though there is that pesky matter of that group 1 win he doesn’t seem to manage. He once went down by a head in the Prix Du Jockey Club, but that is the closest he’s ever come. Wouldn’t it be just an all-around great story if he could just manage to notch up at least one win at the top level?

At the same Leopardstown meeting, another odds on shot won. This time it was third time lucky for a son of Henrythenavigator, Alfonso De Sousa. Entered for half the races on the two year old calendar, there is hope that he will be able to make one of the top races he’s entered for, which include the Gimcrack and the Royal Lodge, although he might presumably now have to scrap next week’s engagement in a Galway maiden.

Looking back slightly further in the past, the big meeting last weekend was at Ascot. Although there is a slightly relaxed dress code in comparison to the Royal meeting (i.e. no hats) you cannot afford to be totally off your guard. Denim, for example, should only be worn if you are prepared to accept the (considerable) risk of being told off by a four foot tall lady in a bowler hat.

Danedream won the King George, so it would be marvelous if those people who said she fluked the Arc would kindly JOG ON. For some strange reason Sea Moon, yet to register at the elite level, went off favourite and duly finished unplaced with the three podium slots occupied by those horses that came into the race with solid Group 1 credentials.

Other goings on at Ascot generally revolved around the norms. King of the two year olds, Richard Hannon, won the Winkfield with Toronado (the Guineas is apparently the long term target for that one) and Ryan Moore had a scowl on his fizzer, this time with good reason as the odds-on and worryingly disappointing Carlton House failed to place in the Summer Mile.

Group 1 action this weekend is all US based I’m afraid, but York and Ascot have a group race each, so all is not completely lost, and with 6 UK meetings I’m sure there will be plenty to be facetious about if the Olympics isn’t providing enough comedic satisfaction. Although, with the aforementioned Johnson likely to have himself somewhere in the limelight, I’m sure the world’s second greatest sporting event (after Cheltenham) won’t disappoint in that regard.

Emma-Louise Kerwin

[Posts: 1861Joined: 25 Jul 2011, 05:04]

Welcome aboard and good luck

[Posts: 572Joined: 27 Jul 2011, 18:11]

Well done Emma. A very informative write-up and an extremely engaging writing style. I'll look forward to reading future contributions.

[Posts: 445Joined: 13 Aug 2010, 23:05]

Nice piece Emma, look forward to reading more, good luck.

[Posts: 1505Joined: 30 Oct 2007, 14:08]

The fact a 20 year old is so 'worldly' alarm this 32yo.

Good luck Emma.

[Posts: 751Joined: 27 Jul 2010, 01:42]

Deleted

[Posts: 372Joined: 26 Feb 2011, 00:03Location: Stroud]

how rude and unnecessary boooooo and hisss to you

[Posts: 751Joined: 27 Jul 2010, 01:42]

I remember when one could have a bit of fun on this forum. Seems so long ago now, sadly.

[Posts: 257Joined: 09 Jun 2012, 14:35]

I too found this comment rather insulting and hope TRF does not endorse this sort of behavior from its members.

[Posts: 6670Joined: 25 Feb 2001, 19:39Location: Surrey]

I have deleted the offending post.

Not very gracious of you Mr. Pilsen.

Regards

[Posts: 10789Joined: 10 Feb 2003, 15:43Location: Scotland]

Very much depends on what your idea of fun is Mr Pilsen.

[Posts: 1505Joined: 30 Oct 2007, 14:08]

It wasn't out of order was it? Then again, all about personal opinions as Cormack says.

[Posts: 751Joined: 27 Jul 2010, 01:42]

I have deleted the offending post.

Not very gracious of you Mr. Pilsen.

Regards

You've had it in for me since I pulled you up about not knowing the difference between the two Alan Potts.

Sad!