Beamers and punters!

By A.C. de Silva

CRICKET AND RACING ...Cricket and Racing seem to be inter-related and this can be seen by the fact that some cricketers and keen racing fans too. Wesley Hall, one time manager of the West Indies cricket team would ever remember the reception he received at the Guindy racecourse. At the racecourse, the genial giant was easily spotted and autograph hunters converged on him. He obliged them all.

Wes Hall accompanied his son, Sean Hall, who exercised horses so well that trainers were ready to give mounts to the youngster at the races. Sean won his very first mount. Young Diana in such a neat fashion that a local owner expressed a desire to engage him for the following winter; Sean might have won his second mount too. But the horse Roman Smile reared up in the stall and it was with some difficulty that the filly was steered into second place - a good effort indeed by her jockey, who had sprained a muscle, when he hit the backdate of the starting stall in that race.

Dadda impressed

Wes Hall was all praise for the facilities at Guindy. "The course is most enviable." he said referring to the ideal way in which it had been laid. It gave the jockey ample scope to settle his mount and set it for the final acceleration in the straight. In that statement Wesley Hall was only echoing what world-famous jockeys have said about the course. Hall's knowledge of racing is astonishing and he has an eye for picking good looking ones too.The charm of racing lies in his uncertainty. "Sometimes you just throw away the luck that bekons you." Hall said. It happened to him once at a race in Adelaide way back in 1962.Sobers had picked a horse, Young Pedro to be backed. He was available at long odds. As Wes was going to the ring to place the bet as Australian cricketer dissuaded him, saying that the favourite would not get beaten. Hall changed his mind and backed the favourite. Young Pedro won by a street. An embarrassed Hall didn't find words to explain to Sobers. Twenty years later when Hall was in Adelaide this Australian cricketer did not call him by his name, but hailed him with, "Hey, Young Pedro."

Close link

Racing and cricket are closely connected. Most cricketers are racing enthusiasts, which made someone remark "It's the same language at Chepauk and Guindy." Michael Holding, for instance, owned two horses at a certain time, Undercover and Precocious.

Holding meticulously studied the form of the horses when he came to Guindy. Whether the visiting cricketers made money at all was not probed, but from their faces it was obvious they had enjoyed their visit.

Most unfortunately the Christmas Day turned out to be rather wet and the programme had to be cancelled. The Madras Race Club had made elaborate arrangements to entertain the Test cricketers. Two special cups had been instituted. Of course, the Christmas Day's programme was gone through at a later date. But there were only a few West Indian cricketers present. It was understandable, for the team had to leave for Australia the next day. The Christmas Day's programme included the West Indies Cup which was given away by Wes Hall. The India Cup was given away by Mrs. Michael Hodling. She had a big laugh when someone remarked, "Now that you have given away our cup we have adopted you as a daughter of India and will not allow you to leave for the West Indies."

Mike was not present at Guindy on that day. He was bowling beamers at Chepauk. His reaction could not be had therefore!