Tattenham Corner

Flag of convenience at Wolverhampton? It took two and a half hours for the Wolverhampton stewards to confirm that no jockeys would be banned despite farcical scenes in the second race on Friday night when the riders eased their mounts to a virtual halt thinking the race had been stopped, before realising that no yellow flag had been shown – only the chequered one to notify an obstruction on the course (a horse injured on the first circuit receiving veterinary treatment). Some of the runners eventually completed the course and the result was allowed to stand with the details of the stewards' inquiry referred confidentially to the British Horseracing Authority. But was the decision not to ban any of the jockeys who stopped riding altogether a goodwill gesture or an attempt to draw a line under the mess as quickly as possible? Surely the first argument in any rider's appeal would have been that the race should simply never have been allowed to continue with an injured horse stood on the main racing line. The affair is made all the more absurd by the fact that it was after a similar situation at Wolverhampton in December 2007 that the "stop race" procedures were harmonised by the BHA, who will now surely have to make another rule change giving stewards the option of voiding the result of a race which should not have been allowed to continue. Folly has happy ending Merrick Francis, the racehorse transport boss, former trainer and elder son of the late Dick Francis, has finally found a purchaser for his Folly House yard on the edge of Lambourn village. Having been on the market for well over three years, a deal was done recently which will see Jamie Snowden move from his current base on Salisbury Plain at the end of June. "With the investment from Jockey Club Estates in the area, Folly House is close to some of the best gallops facilities around, and I'm delighted that all of our owners have agreed to support us with the move," Snowden said. Pie in the Sky Bookmakers Sky Bet tried to drum up some interest in a dreary evening all-weather card at Wolverhampton last week by offering a special price on both lady riders being successful on the card. Unfortunately, although Hayley Turner's name might be well known, the layers could have done a little more homework with the bet – the Italian Andrea Atzeni is most definitely a young man who has struck up an impressive partnership with compatriot trainer Marco Botti since relocating to this country. Ready cash in Cornwall Announcing that they had laid a £10,000 cash bet in a Cornwall betting shop on the Grand National outsider Ballytrim at 40-1, William Hill's spokeswoman Kate Miller said: "It's not very often you walk into £10,000 for 40-1 chances, and even rarer to see them in a race like the Grand National." But Tattenham Corner can end the mystery about the backer's identity. Racing and Football Outlook tipster Nick Watts, who has selected three of the last six winners of the big race in his ante-post preview, was contacted by a particularly grateful punter after he had recommended Don't Push It in the paper last February. The punter warned that he planned to increase his stakes on Watts' selection this year. Donald McCain's grand slam The normally placid Donald McCain was unusually vocal following his stable jockey Jason Maguire's whip ban when riding Cool Mission at Doncaster a couple of weeks ago. And the Cheshire trainer was delighted that Maguire's appeal proved successful on Thursday, enabling him to ride Peddlers Cross in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday week. "I have apologised to Doncaster's weighing room doors. As I remember, I slightly mistreated them (by slamming them shut in a bit of a moment) on the day when Jason actually rode Cool Mission. Luckily, they were not damaged and so I have got away with it. Sorry," writes McCain in his blog on Bangor racecourse's website. Trebles all round in new Cheltenham bar Cheltenham have decided to name a bar in the Best Mate enclosure after the triple Gold Cup winner's charismatic owner Jim Lewis. Cheltenham's managing director, Edward Gillespie, said: "When you tell someone that you are off to the 'Jim', they will know exactly what they are talking about." What's in a name? Thomas Crapper made his debut at Towcester last Sunday, finishing only fourth of five despite being well backed. Crapper, who was a plumber by trade in the 19th century, is often incorrectly credited for the invention of the flushing toilet, but put his name to a variety of lavatorial inventions, such as the ballcock. The horse's name was not lost on the course commentator John Hunt, who noted: "The gamble on Thomas Crapper looks like it's going down the pan."