Some you win

My story centres around the mid 70's as well.

After successfully punting the Goodman horse Sind at 7/1 to win the Cape Guineas I was salivating to wade into the NZ colt Gigantic (who had finished a close up fourth) in the Derby - which in those days was still run over 2400 metres.

Sind opened 2/1 for the Derby with Gigantic at 3/1. I toddled off to the course planning to take 1000/330 - effectively a full month's salary as I was only earning R300 pm in those days.

To my horror they waded into Gigantic and backed him to 16/10 with Sind drifting to 7/2. I sat on my hands and watched Gigantic canter in by four. Vomit.

I moped around the racecourse until the last where the recent Computaform Sprint winner Pyrmont was due to take on the rising Durban star (yes, they had top horses in those days) Abbey Boy.

Abbey Boy was ridden by Garth Puller, carried nothing and was a 4-6 on chance. And they were lumping on.

( What would you have done, Scotia?)

Pyrmont was a 6/1 chance largely because he was shouldering 60kg+ but he did have the services of top heavyweight jockey Bert Abercrombie.

In a rush of blood I wandered over to 'King' Louis Miller - the doyen of Cape bookmakers - who serviced the Millard stable, the late Abe Bloomberg (the Ringer's grandfather ) amongst others. He cut an intimidating figure in his camel coat, lofty manner and booming voice.

I waved R100 at him and called : 'R600 - R100 Pyrmont' - which I pronounced Purrmont; something which subsequently saved my bacon. Trust me - there were no such things as 'stretches' back then.

Louis looked down his nose at me and retorted : "It's Pyrrrrmont and not Purrmont" and wrote the ticket.

The race itself was sensational. Bert took Pyrmont to the front. Abbey Boy tracked him. At the 300 metre mark Garth Puller glided to the front hard on the steel. At the 150 he let him go and pretty much nothing happened except that he ran on. Bert got busy and forced Pyrmont up on the line under a powerful ride to prevail by a narrow margin.

It was then that I discovered that I had lost my ticket.

I raced down to Louis Miller in a complete panic. He looked at me blankly. Then his clerk reminded him that I was the pipsqueak who had called the horse Purrmont. He snorted at me and told me to wait 30 days. If the ticket had not been claimed by then he would pay me. Which, a month later, he did.

some great stories guys....(tu)....Garrick...I also pronounced it Purmont...still do.......What I'm especially enamoured by, is the...wait 30 days bit....they were hard and did not take cr@p....but they were fair....(tu)(tu)

Garrick I am sure I posted before how I got the money to marry Sue ( for African posters u did not have to buy cows ) just needed enough money to buy drinks at the reception.
I took a bet called a union jack 9 horses, for shillings in theses days
It's basically just trebles in the shape of the union jack and a roll up or ATC with the 9
It came up and the last horse was Waite ( should have been wait)
It was the middle pipper ( in the centre of the flag ) and essential to make the bet pay
We were walking about princess st and rose street and the bookies were closed and had to listen to the blower via a closed door
It took the local bookie in Loanhead about 2 days to work out my bet and when settling he say " na mare of yir fancy city bets here laddie"
Ps he over paid me

It was a night and marriage to remember

scotia Wrote:

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> Garrick I am sure I posted before how I got the
> money to marry Sue ( for African posters u did not
> have to buy cows ) just needed enough money to buy
> drinks at the reception.
> I took a bet called a union jack 9 horses, for
> shillings in theses days
> It's basically just trebles in the shape of the
> union jack and a roll up or ATC with the 9
> It came up and the last horse was Waite ( should
> have been wait)
> It was the middle pipper ( in the centre of the
> flag ) and essential to make the bet pay
> We were walking about princess st and rose street
> and the bookies were closed and had to listen to
> the blower via a closed door
> It took the local bookie in Loanhead about 2 days
> to work out my bet and when settling he say " na
> mare of yir fancy city bets here laddie"
> Ps he over paid me
>
> It was a night and marriage to remember

I think your marriage was the better bet........(tu)

i have many stories...with all the losses i've incurred and the amount of bets i've taken ,,,i ought to have...anyway....and this might have been the worst story to cometrue..because this may have been the seed where i can only see the glamour of punting..anyway...here goes

this story is about my dad...and he is no punter...but he was that old school dad...who like many worked very hard to provide for his family..he used to take a train from isipingo into durban at 4 am in the morning with his basket of flowers and go hawking door to door....but this saturday morning he decided to sell his flowers in st georges st outside the spar...as it was pouring with rain...as it is on rainy days business not so good...he sits on a milk crate but as he puts the milk crate to sit...he sees a note in the crate with the nos....4358...he fold the paper and keeps it..at 1 pm..he passes a tote and decides to take the jp....50c...takes it and goes his merry way....now in those days at 7:30pm after the news radio port natal gave the jpot dividends and payouts,,,,,and my dad ,just as an after thougth asks his brother what was the jpot nos...and he replied ...yess u guessed it...4 3 5 8...but he didnt hear what is paid....so we all get into the car...and in those days u could buy the sunday tribune early edition from certain street corners..so we all get in to go buy the paper...sure enough the nos..are correct....dividend...27 000 rands...i remember...2 of the horses names were JOY FOR THE BOYS..the other was CONCORDE.....my dad was the clever 1 though...that started his life and to a degree our lives as well...and he didnt take another bet...thats the amazing thing...he went back to college finished his food science degree...and retired a wealthy man....

RACING GURU Wrote:

---

> i have many stories...with all the losses i've
> incurred and the amount of bets i've taken ,,,i
> ought to have...anyway....and this might have been
> the worst story to cometrue..because this may have
> been the seed where i can only see the glamour of
> punting..anyway...here goes
>
> this story is about my dad...and he is no
> punter...but he was that old school dad...who like
> many worked very hard to provide for his
> family..he used to take a train from isipingo into
> durban at 4 am in the morning with his basket of
> flowers and go hawking door to door....but this
> saturday morning he decided to sell his flowers in
> st georges st outside the spar...as it was pouring
> with rain...as it is on rainy days business not so
> good...he sits on a milk crate but as he puts the
> milk crate to sit...he sees a note in the crate
> with the nos....4358...he fold the paper and keeps
> it..at 1 pm..he passes a tote and decides to take
> the jp....50c...takes it and goes his merry
> way....now in those days at 7:30pm after the news
> radio port natal gave the jpot dividends and
> payouts,,,,,and my dad ,just as an after thougth
> asks his brother what was the jpot nos...and he
> replied ...yess u guessed it...4 3 5 8...but he
> didnt hear what is paid....so we all get into the
> car...and in those days u could buy the sunday
> tribune early edition from certain street
> corners..so we all get in to go buy the
> paper...sure enough the nos..are
> correct....dividend...27 000 rands...i
> remember...2 of the horses names were JOY FOR THE
> BOYS..the other was CONCORDE.....my dad was the
> clever 1 though...that started his life and to a
> degree our lives as well...and he didnt take
> another bet...thats the amazing thing...he went
> back to college finished his food science
> degree...and retired a wealthy man....

brilliant RG...(tu)Concorde rings a bell....

I remember going to our local tearoom after 8 on a Saturday evening to get the Sunday Tribune Early edition...to get the results for the old man....

@racing guru nice story mate also brought up in isipingo hills(tu)

dashing Wrote:

---

> agraa if my cal are correct i take you are give or
> take 56 not to bad(tu)

on the head

Reading all this stories make me cry, I must be a big mug-not 1 good luck story.
@ RG ur dad is a legend, only a real real real intelligent bloke would do what he did after the win, big thumbs ups and I say this with HUGE admiration.

Element, u must take a JP 4 me.lol. Even if I win R18000 in this day n age I would be jumping 4 Joy.

Scotia, that poorr bookie must be still trying to work out the tax on that bet.lol.

Bad company, best back da favourite.lol, even if wrong horse.

@ Neven n Agra, we all know whose the real laaitjie on the forum.lol.
Pls do some ritual to keep the rain away, coz after 2mro I will be posting my lucky win story here

This happened about 1974.
I had worked out a jackpot, but had to take a banker in the last leg to afford it.
I eventually decided on a horse that had been “good” to me before – I had brassed him when he was favorite to make a perm affordable, and that jackpot won.
The horse was Kidmenot, a 20/1 shot trained by Owen Sims.
Come the last leg and the jackpot was paying “bombs”. Kidmenot was not mentioned once throughout the race, but it was a blanket finish.
I was in the tatts at the time, and told my mates that I was sure Kidmenot was involved. Result – a dead heat between the favorite and Kidmenot.
The amazing thing was that the race caller was Peter Duffield, and I met him the next day at Maccauvlei golf club – he was there with the Nomads for a round of golf.
After ragging him a bit about his commentary, he admitted that he never saw the horse getting up against the inside rail.

Some amazing stories here! Thanks to all youse ous for brightening up a cold drizzly day.

I refuse to divulge where I was in 1974.

My story is simple, it involves a horse called Sloop. I heard it win on the blower at Wits Tatts one day and liked the name. Followed it and preached it to everyone that listened that it would win the Guineas at Greyville....those days i was at school and worked at solly kramers for a ole called Joe Toweel. I even convinced Joe to bad it (he was a leg that never played horses) 20/1 we all got .....y pay for the weekend at the bottle store was R50 rand friday and R65 for saturday......i won R5000 that day on sloop.