There’s a familiar football chant “who are ya?!” well I’m Eric and over the next weeks, months and hopefully longer I shall be contributing to this and other blogs run by Jason who runs a number of websites High-Class Equine, Horse Trainer Directory and Eric Winner as you can see there is already someone called Eric (Winner). I, therefore, propose to use a Pseudonym Bejabez.
“Now that’s a strange name, where did it come from?” I hear you say.
Many years ago in my local rag, there was a cartoon strip and the character was called Jabez. It was during this time I was looking for a pen-name. I knew I couldn’t use that but I did like it so I said to myself I’ll Be Jabez and that was that! I started signing off with Bejabez.
So here goes Bejabez first blog.
Brief Life history and interests in horse racing.
For this introduction, I don’t see any reason to go back to my childhood and bore you and me. However, I would like to mention my Uncle Bill who I point the finger at for introducing me to Horse Racing in my teens. Later in life it was whilst working in a repair shop, surrounded by what I can only describe as gamblers, that I came across my first Nap competition. You know the format pick a nap a day pay a small fee and at the end of each month, the winner takes the money. If there are quite a few in the competition they may pay 2nd and 3rd. It was during the first Nap comp I made myself look a right plonker,''You know what I mean Del Boy.''
It was during the races at Ascot and one of the group told me the nap today was for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, well I just said to him does that mean we got pick two today!
It just goes to show how little I knew.
So it began, or as Sherlock Holmes would say “The games afoot”, my long apprenticeship started and continues. I don’t think you ever stop learning at this game, as your always looking for the next big thing (win).
Over the past five years, I have been more interested in the pedigree as a means to find clues to race outcomes. I shall be writing more on this topic nearer to the start of the flat season and in particular the new 2yo races.
I was told many years ago to win at horse racing you don’t have to beat the bookies, you just have to beat all the other players. In other words, find an edge before someone else to get the best price. See a trend spot a new up and coming Jockey or Trainer. I look at First Season Sires (FSS). There’s a lot of speculation from the mainstream papers. Just to give you food for thought in 2017 everyone was talking about Frankel's progeny I decided to keep note of Nathanie (pictured)l both out of Galileo.
In 2017 Frankel 2yo progeny wins were 19 and Nathaniel 6. In 2018 Frankel 2yo progeny wins were 10 and Nathaniel 11. I don’t know what happened in 2017! However, 2018 was what I would have expected.
Well, the journey has begun and I must take a pit stop and recharge my little grey cells (Hercule Poirot) more to come.
I would like to thank Eric A. for taking the time to write this blog. Great story and looking forward to more. [Jason]