Best Dressed Racegoer, Rupi Rai, 2nd row far right
RAYDEN SOLICITORS booked Solario Racing to host a “Cheltenham Gold Cup at Home” for their friends and staff on the final day of the Festival and the day was a huge success, although the Racing Manager’s tipping could have been better!
Katherine Rayden heads up one of the country’s leading family law firms, based in Hertfordshire and having enjoyed Solario Racing’s Owners Royal Ascot preview via zoom last June, wanted to have an exclusive event for Rayden Solicitors.
Over 30 professionals, comprising Heads of Chambers, Clerks and solicitors joined Solario Racing on zoom at 11am and Colin Brown, former jockey, best known for riding Desert Orchid (17 wins) and I went through the card to give a few pointers for the Solario Racing Tipster Competition.
Colin, who rode over 400 winners including two at the Festival, was as ever, informative, entertaining and sartorially dressed for the part! Not only did he give some winners but he judged the Best Dressed Armchair Racegoer Competition with the bottle of Champagne going to one of Rayden’s own, Legal Director, Rupi Rai.
Trainer, Amy Murphy, whose Kalashnikov ran so well to be fourth in the previous day’s Ryanair Chase, also joined us to give us her expert thoughts on the Gold Cup and she gave us a live video snap shot of Really Super in the horsebox.
The tipster competition attracted 32 entries and it was always going to be tough to pick winners on the Friday, which featured a 25-runner County Hurdle (won by 33/1 Belfast Banter), a wide open Albert Bartlett (14/1 winner, Vanillier) and a fascinating Gold Cup won by 9/1 shot, Minella Indo.
We reconvened after racing to announce the tipster winner and Howard Rayner, Senior Clerk at QEB, who snuck up the rails with maximum points in the last two races, won by two points. Howard had clearly done his research and ignored the Racing Manager’s selections!
In my defence, m’lord, I did give Porlock Bay a big mention, a 16/1 winner, backed from 33/1!
