Kempton Park is not for the faint hearted
Kempton Park right now is not for the faint hearted. I went racing there between Christmas and New Year, when, after the festive Boxing Day showcase fixture, it was business-like and to the point. Even with the heavy snow that followed the holidays, the track remained open for trade while Carling Cup football semi finals were postponed 24 hours ahead of kick off. In such conditions, racing is only for the most committed. There is a grittiness to proceedings.
I was reminded of this on my own visit, on overhearing a conversation between jockey and trainer after a race. The language was, how can we say this, industrial, with the latter disagreeing with the former over tactics. The jockey advised the trainer: "Just *£@%ing wait until I am out the saddle." He was odds-on in my book to give the trainer a few telling "reminders", as strokes with a whip are often referred among horsefolk.
I cannot complain about the hard edged lexicon of the racecourse, nor that Kempton's two-for-one offer about lunch in The Bistro restaurant makes the joint sound like a supermarket. Those in attendance are only human - thank goodness. Marcus Armytage in his excellent book, Turn me in, Guv (published by Highdown) illustrates how brimming racing is with personalities and individuals who speak with candour and are unmoved by efforts to censor even the most eccentric observation. This is one of horseracing's greatest strengths and why those who follow the sport are usually such good company. The sort of grit that the trainer and jockey at odds with each other showed is all part of the game. On hearing such exchanges, remember that, without grit, there would be no pearl in your oyster.