I was saddened to read in the Racing Post yesterday, that one of my favourite horses has had his racing career cut short due to an injury. Sadly Gloria de Campeao has suffered a tendon injury and will race no more. This sad day though, brings back much happier memories of the horse and a nice couple of touches.
It was back in January earlier this year when I first came across this brave old warrior. The wife and I were going to a fancy restaraunt in West Byfleet, booked up by some friends who are well in with the owners at Trevi's.
The main attraction on that particular night was that celebrity chef and I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here, winner Gino D'Acampo was the guest chef and was putting in an appearance. All the women were falling over themselves to be there and I even had to bring the Number 1 Gino groupie, my mother-in-law.
It was a Thursday night and clashed with the grand opening of the new ultra modern, state of the art Meydan racetrack in Dubai. I wasn't planning a bet, as I knew I'd be in the restaurant with all the women agog with jungle camp winner Gino and wouldn't get to see it.
But this all changed though when a colleague from work rang me up and that he knew someone, who knew someone, who knew someone, who knew connections of English raider Without A Prayer, who was due to run in the main event. It was well fancied and was worth a bet.
I dived into the bookies, on the way home to place a bet and as I looked up the form, something strange came over me. Catching my eye on the very next line to my supposed bet was;
GLORIA DE CAMPEAO; Jockey TJ Perreira.
I can't say I'd paid much attention to this horse before, but I certainly was now.
De Campeao sounds awfully like D'Acampo and Perreira was some sort of relations name, as my mum being a Rosario, I'd heard this name mentioned before in our ancient past's Portuguese links.
Now faced with a dilemma that does a punter's head in, is, do I go with the supposed inside info or the coincidence bet. After a few minutes thinking about it, I steamed into the coincidence bet, what's the chances of seeing a horse called De Campeao on the night I'm meeting D'Acampo, not the same spelling, but say it quickly. I thieved 14-1 and went on my way. I even sent a text to my Without A Prayer tipper to tell him, get on De Campeao.
At home, I was getting the verbal from the women, we're late, where have you been, got to meet Gino....blah, blah,blah. I stalled getting ready for as long as I could, knowing the race was due off soon. The stalling worked, long enough to get to watch the race, the wife and mother-in-law getting more irate.
The race blasted off and Gloria de Campeao took up a fairly prominent position being rousted along quite vigourosly by jockey Perreira. Always up with the pace and still in about third turning for home, to my eye he looked beat as the leaders quickened, but somehow he switched inside and rallied.
Close home he hit the front and in the end won quite well. I was over the moon, I only won £195, but for some reason it felt like a lot more, maybe because of the coincidence factor. I couldn't stop laughing all the way to West Byfleet.
At the restaurant we had a good laugh with good company and a nice meal. The mother in law was like a giggly sixteen year old all around Gino, even the Mrs was getting a bit flighty! But me I couldn't stop laughing. Our friends Mike & Elaine, loved the story, but thought I was too spooky for words.
Gino was brilliant and came and spent time at our table, posing for photos and chatting. I even showed him my betting slip for a laugh.
"Why you notta tella me?" He enquired in his broad Italian accent.
"Might just about cover the dinner tonight," was my response.
After a great evening It came to the bill and for the wife, mother-in-law and myself food & drinks was paid for by the brave Gloria De Campeao.
Coincidence, fate, luck I don't know, but all I know is sometime later we were invited to dinner at Mike and Elaine's house.
Just my luck, this night clashed with the running of the world's richest ever race, The Dubai World Cup, again at Meydan. Now this time I knew Gloria De Campeao was running and lumped on at 16-1. Again stalling tactics were employed so I could watch the race before we headed off to Mike & Elaine's, who I hadn't seen since the night at Trevi's, two months earlier.
Again the wife was onto me, we're late, how long's it going to take to watch the race....blah,blah,blah.
Eventually the race was on, the horses blasted out of the stalls, Gloria de Campeao pings out and takes up the early running. After a while he still leads, after another couple of furlongs he's still leading. Turning for home he kicks on again, still in the lead. Close home he's still in the lead, now though South African horse Lizard's Desire is weaving through the field and finishing like a train.
Yards from the line, Gloria De Campeao is still in front with the South African flying, they flash past the post together in a desperate finish. To my eye the Lizard has won by a tongue!
Now the next five minutes were agonising. This time I had quite a sizeable bet on, the horse owed me nothing, in fact I owed him a meal.
The longest wait for a photo finish to be called that I can remember, the wife nagging, we've got to leave, left me even more twitchy. It seemed to take for ever, I was sure the horse was beaten, but at least I knew I'd landed the place money. This though, was smallfry compared to the real riches that awaited if we'd won. It's funny how your horse you've backed and you become a team, we as a team waited.
Then suddenly Channel 4 cut their coverage before announcing the result. Thank God for atthteraces. I switched channels, still no result. I waited & waited, wife waited & waited, still no result. Eventually the news broke, Gloria De Campeao had won by a nose! The feeling I had was utter elation, the brave Gloria de Campeao had led all the way and held on by the narrowest of margins.
Some of the so-called experts poo-pooed the form saying it was a travesty that this horse, who wasn't in the same league as previous winners had nicked the world's richest race. To me though this horse was one of the bravest I had ever seen.
I couldn't stop laughing all the way to Mike & Elaine's house. They now know I am definitely spooky!
Trying to explain the above, I can't. Luck, fate or coincidence I don't know, but all I can say is, as soon as I read about poor old Gloria's(we even nickname our favourite's as if we know them)sad injury, it brought back all of the happy memories flooding back. Without him, I would not have the above laughs.
I'm still laughing now.
A long and happy retirement, Gloria.
Yours
Randy.
