Our racing correspondent Winterborne Longjohns is spooked by the knowledge that Wincanton is an anagram for Cannot win. Moreover, he has gone down with a severe bout of food poisoning. Nevertheless, he has summoned up the strength to write for us from his sickbed. But he seems to be wandering off his usual subject.
Sausages or Samphire ? Probably we shall never know. But whatever the food poisoning was, it certainly laid poor Winterborne low ! Today having seen TRIP TO PARIS, Ed Dunlop’s fast fininshing colt fourth in Tuesdays Melbourne Cup, supported for this race since September and at least returning something more than just the stake, we should now be focusing on the jump season ahead and Wincanton’s Badger Ales meeting on Saturday.
However with winners emerging from the HARRY FRY stable as infrequently as reliable information we may well have to cast our net more widely and quite possibly less frequently in order not to disappoint our readers, if they can be identified.
So for want of something better with Cannotwin’s big day coming up on Saturday, Winterborne has instead decided to publish his list of outstanding wines currently available in the Wincanton area. Here it should perhaps be mentioned that in an earlier and quite possibly more distinguished life Winterborne was better known for serving a ten year stretch* as Tasting Secretary of the Circle of Wine Writers and, as he would be the first to admit, old habits do die hard.
Majestic Wines are a source of inspiration, well supported , indeed directly favoured by the sainted one** whose bi annual shopping forays to France do so much to relieve his domestic budget , representing as they do, a prodigious saving to his annual accounts. Since their merger with Virgin Wines earlier this year Majestic (Yeovil and Calais) have come up with a selection of twelve own label wines which they call the DEFINITION range:
Pinot Grigio,
Sancerre,
Provence Rose ,
New Zealand Pinot Noir,
Cotes du Rhone (All from the outstanding 2014 vintage)
2010 Montagne St Emilion Claret,
2009 Rioja Riserva
non vintage Prosecco
can all be confidently recommended particularly if included in a mixed case of twelve at £120.00.
-Among the fifty four different wines tasted at the end of October others that stood out from Majestic were:
- Sicilian Regaleali Bianco 2014-at£7.49
- Peloponese Troupis Moscofilero 2014 at £8.49
- The Romanian Incanta Pinot Noir 2014 at £5.99
- The Portuguese Ramos Riserva 2013 from the Alentejo at £6.66
From 54 wines tasted, sixteen were recommended, giving a strike rate of thirty per cent, that being the figure that Winterborne aims to achieve with his racing selections.
Perhaps PAUL NICHOLLS will provide our followers with a winner this Saturday?
We shall see.
Your editor will be investing in The Ould Lad (Nicholls) and Monkerty Tunkerty (e/w), a nag with an irresistible name which has provided profitable returns in the past.
Wincanton Races starts at 12.20 on Saturday, the big Race -the Badger Hadicap Chase – on Channel 4 Racing. Better to be there!
*We did not realise that prisons provide this recreational option. Very progressive!
**Believed to be an ironical reference to the Editor of the Horsington Blog
