Why is the Rowley Mile at Newmarket so-called?

Compared to other countries and sports like NFL in the US, there is so much history to our sport. Much like how online roulette real money now plays a firm place in society, but its roots go back much further. Newmarket has two racecourses, the Rowley Mile, which is the older of the two, and the July Course. ‘Old Rowley’ was a stallion belonging to King Charles II, who was a passionate horse racing enthusiast and spent much of his time – too much, in the eyes of Parliament – in Newmarket. Indeed, the ‘Merry Monarch’, as he was popularly known, was largely responsible for the development of the town as a national centre for horse racing.

Away from the racecourse, Charles II was a notorious womaniser, with a string of mistresses, of which Eleanor ‘Nell’ Gwyn was probably the most famous. All told, he fathered 14 illegitimate children and his scandalous liaisons were seized upon by wits of the day, who ridiculed the King by nicknaming him ‘Old Rowley’ or simply ‘Rowley’, in reference to the aforementioned stallion. Much like a big win online casino fan, he just couldn’t get enough! Old Rowley, the stallion, was ‘renowned for the number and beauty of its offspring’, so the joke was that, in terms of his own prowess, the King was not unlike his nicknamesake. Nevertheless, Charles II was a popular monarch in his day and, in 2017, a statue of him was unveiled at Newmarket Racecourse to celebrate 350 years of racing at his favourite venue.

Why was Royal Ascot postponed in 1955?

On May 28, 1955, the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) called a national rail strike, which would not be called off until June 14, when pay rises were awarded. On May 31, following a meeting of the Privy Council at Balmoral Castle, the Queen declared a state of emergency, with emergency regulations coming into force the following day.

As a result of the unrest, Trooping the Colour – which celebrates the ‘official’ birthday of the Sovereign, on the second Saturday in June – was cancelled altogether and, for the first time in living memory, Royal Ascot was postponed until mid-July. The meeting was scheduled for Tuesday to Friday, as usual, but with a different running order, to allow horses that ran in the King Edward VII Stakes or Hardwicke Stakes on the Tuesday to also run in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on the following Saturday, if so desired.

Unfortunately, one of the consequences of moving the Royal Meeting from its traditional slot in the calendar was that the opening day, July 12, was the hottest day of the year. After two days of extreme heat, described by racegoers as ‘insufferable’, on July 14 Ascot Racecourse was struck by a violent thunderstorm, bringing lightning and torrential local rainfall. Tragedy struck when lightning went to ground through metal rails close to a refreshment tent opposite the Royal Enclosure. Dozens of people were injured, two fatally, and racing was abandoned after the fourth race.

Who is Darryl Holland?

Most recently, Darryl Holland hit the headlines when, in March, 2021, he embarked on a second career as a trainer, based at Harraton Court in Exning, near Newmarket, which he has owned since 2008. However, Holland, 48, remains best known as globetrotting jockey, who rode winners in jurisdictions as far afield as Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Mauritius, South Korea and the United States, as well as in Britain, during a long, illustrious career.

Born in Manchester in June, 1972, Holland began his riding career as apprentice to Barry Hills, riding his first winner, Sinclair Boy, at Warwick in 1990 and becoming Champion Apprentice, with a post-war record 85 winners, the following season. In Britain, he was associated with trainers such as Luca Cumani, Geoffrey Wragg, Mark Johnston and, later in his career, Charles Hills, son of Barry.

Indeed, around the turn of the century, Holland was one of the leading jockeys in the country and enjoyed his most successful season, numerically, in 2004; he rode 157 winners, eventually finishing runner-up to Frankie Dettori in the jockeys’ championship. On home soil, Holland is best known for his association with Falbrav, trained by Luca Cumani, on whom he won the Coral-Eclipse, Juddmonte International and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 2003.

How many winners did Hollie Doyle ride in 2021?

In terms of column inches, Hollie Doyle may have been upstaged by the historic achievements of her National Hunt counterpart Rachael Blackmore in recent seasons, but the ‘Pocket Rocket’, as she’s affectionately known, has continued to break records in her own right. Prior to 2019, the record for the most wins in a calendar year for a British female jockey was 106, set by Josephine Gordon in 2017. However, in 2019, Doyle rode 116 winners and, in 2020, broke her own record with 151 winners.

Lo and behold, on October 22, 2021, Doyle surpassed her previous seasonal best on Mustazeed, trained by Chris Wall, at Doncaster and went on to ride 172 winners in the year as a whole, setting yet another new record. In the Flat Jockeys’ Championship, which was decided on winners between May 1, 2021 and October 16, 2021, Doyle rode 87 winners from 592 rides, at a strike rate of 15%, which was good enough for fifth place.

Highlights of 2021 included a 2,521-1 five-timer at Kempton Park on March 3, a first Classic ride on Sherbert Lemon, trained by Archie Watson, in the Oaks at Epsom on June 4 and the second Group 1 win of her career, on Trueshan, trained by Alan King, in the Goodwood Cup on July 27. Doyle also rode Interpretation, trained by Aidan O’Brien, into fourth place in the St. Leger at Doncaster on September 11, making her the first female jockey to finish in the money in a British Classic.

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