In 1985, John Smith's Magnet Cup Day fell on the 13th July. The fixture shared the UK racing day with Chester, Salisbury, Ayr and Lingfield. In the wider sporting world it was also the third day of the Trent Bridge Ashes Test Match, and out of the cocoon of everything sport, this was the day of the Live Aid benefit concert.
Two days earlier, the July Cup owned the stage with no rival attractions, Never So Bold producing his lethal turn of foot under Steve Cauthen to beat Committed comfortably. Other highlights of the Newmarket July meeting had been Al Bahatri winning the Group 3 Child Stakes, beating a similar quality field to what Alpha Centauri did in the modern version of the same race, the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes.
The Princess of Wales was won by Petoski who would shortly turn over Oh So Sharp in the King George V1 Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, while Green Desert, who has left his mark on the breed, took the July Stakes under Walter Swinburn by a head from the Martin Pipe trained Atall Atall.
In the modern free for all fixture list, we had seven meetings in the UK yesterday. Ascot was in on the act, with a card fitting nicely with the modern Saturday racing TV agenda. The meetings did not complement each other in any way, the July Cup and John Smith's Cup detracting from one another, and over at Chester, a racing fan waking up from a long coma that had been induced in the late 1970's would note that what was the highlight of the then sole Summer meeting card, the Chester Summer Handicap, is long gone.
The Chester race would typically attract a small but quality field and throw up some popular winners such as the Peter Robinson trained Mr Bigmore who won it in 1976 before winning the Goodwood Cup. Mr Bigmore's Chester success took place on the day Dick Hern's Bold Pirate won the York race. You would link one with the other.
In 1977, the winners of both races were two of the most likeable animals in training, both genuine and regularly raced. Bill Watt's immensely popular Mountain Cross winning the Chester race, Bill Wightman's Air Trooper taking the York event.
Many racegoers on the way home from both venues would have been tuned into Radio 2, engrossed by the commentary of the last few holes of the Open Championship at Turnberry ( it finished on a Saturday back then ), as a long fought duel played out with Watson eventually beating Nicklaus.
It was a day that won over many new fans to Golf, but little would anyone be able to predict the level that sport would grow in the conscience of punters, who would come to bet on it week in, week out.
Try telling someone back then that people would exist who would have gambling problems induced by Golf ! It sounds as daft as when Paul Merson revealed that the substance at the centre of his drinking problem was lager top.
In the eighties, they restricted the ratings band of the Chester race. This increased the number of runners but the quality suffered. It was the beginning of the end. It's bookmaker friendly but it's the sort of move that's killed off some fascinating small field contests. In the jumping sphere, the Mandarin Chase would be a primes example of this.
If you were at Chester you'd watch the big York race on a TV in the bar. If having the choice you'd probably choose York, though the Roodeye was a long way off being turned into a remunerative carnival. Except where the jockey's board and Tote building stood, you enjoyed an unobstructed view all around the circuit at ground level as they did not facilitate for corporate tents.
Back in 1985, those cynical over the reasons for so many giving their free time to Live Aid and who were destined for York would also have been keeping their eye on the cricket. It was the third test. The score was one apiece in a series that England would go on and win 3-1.
By the start of Live Aid day. the situation at Trent Bridge already exuded a stalemate feeling with England batting first and reaching 456 all out, David Gower making 166. The Aussies were batting on Live Aid day and would go on to reach 539 with opener Graeme Wood reaching 172.
The John Smith's Magnet Cup started at 3.02 and was won by the Robert William's trained Tony Ives ridden Chaumiere. At that point in Live Aid the uninspiring Sade had the stage at Wembley, while over in Philadelphia it had just gone 8 pm and the revered Led Zeppelin (in picture) were stepping on to do three numbers, a performance that rightly received wide ridicule. Bob Plant unable to find his true singing voice, the overrated and out of place in the band Phil Collins on drums, and a combined performance by the band that is for them unfortunately on You Tube for all to scoff at.
As the dust settled on the racing day, Live Aid was reaching its high. Just after 6.30 pm, Queen appeared on stage to perform six numbers, highlighted with a still applauded to this day stirring rendition of Radio Ga Ga. Bowie followed on from Queen. The Who came next.
Yesterday, ITV race times were structured so that the July Cup did not clash with the dead wood Football match, but the John Smith's Cup was not afforded the same respect on a day which it should still own. Both races are worthy of being given a day when they top the bill.
It does not sit comfortably that the so called home of racing cannot rise above commercial greed and retain its values and dignity. It is now portrayed as being less quaint and more akin to the other Saturday cult courses, packed with too many non-racing fans who have zilch chance of being won over to the sport, some high on a cocktail of alcohol and recreational drugs, and a deterrent for those who would like to come along and enjoy the sport.
image author 'Squelle' - creative commons attribution
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