[Ann Drysdale]

Jeffrey Bernard was at Ascot, of course. Lots. It was there in 1971 that he threw up on the Queen Mum's shoes. Not sure if that was Ladies Day, though...

[John Whitworth]

Yes you can, Ann or Adrian. When did the Queen Mother's nag win either the Derby or the National sometime in the fifties at a good price. My mum had ten bob each way on it (her first and only bet) and made a killing. I once went into a Betting Shop in Shepherd's Bush which led me to believe that all punters were either Irish or West Indians wearing hats. I think I won fifteen shillings in the School Prefects sweepstake (yes I WAS a school prefect, could you ever have doubted it?) and also ran a book on the School Captain Stakes - made plenty since it was won by a rank outsider (a genial four-eyed Professor of Politics as he is now) and the favourite (Robin Cook, our erstwhile Foreign Secretary) was nowhere. Nobody bet on me. Not even me.

[basil ransome-davies]

And Robin Cook earned some extra cash as a racing tipster (however, rumours that his catch-phrase was 'I got an ethical horse!' are baseless).

[John Whitworth]

I believe Robin was a very good tipster and also that he had a fine seat on a horse. I've never sat on a horse myself. They bite, don't you know.

[Adrian Fry]

Ann's mention of Jeffrey Bernard pleases me; I started reading The Speccie because it carried his brilliant Low Life column. My proudest boast as a competitiion entrant in The Speccie is that I once won a comp with an entry in which Jeffrey Bernard took on the role of agony uncle.

[Brian Allgar]

Originally Posted by John Whitworth

Adrian, I expect you are right. But I've never been to the races in my life though I think I once went to the dogs in Edinburgh. I think I did. So my poem is an essay in pure fiction. Incidentally, do they still quote odds like 100 to 8?

I've never been to the races either. But I've spent the last 30 years going to the dogs in Paris.