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Monday, February 15, 2010 Issue No. 7,885 £1.70

TODAY’S CARDS !!Plumpton 34 !!Catterick 20 !!Wolverhampton 28 Win a VIP holiday to the Dubai World Cup, page 24

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‘Cancer killedmy father insix weeks– I wasn’tgoing to letthat happento me’Popular formertrainer DavidBarker tells TomO’Ryan how he’sstaying positive ashe fights illness,page 11

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By Jessica Lamb

FRIENDS and family of DickFrancis yesterday celebratedthe life of “an extraordinaryman” after the legendary jockeyand best-selling novelist died atthe age of 89.

Crowned champion in 1954,Francis was one of the mostsuccessful post-war jumpjockeys, with a tally of over 350triumphs to his name and wasfamously aboard the QueenMother’s Devon Loch in the1956 Grand National when hecollapsed yards from the linewhen well clear of the field.

Sir Peter O’Sullevan wascommentating for the BBC atAintree that day and recalled theworld-famous incident.

“I saw his cap go downand the shouting told methat something dramatic had

happened,” O’Sullevan recalledyesterday.

“He took it very hard, muchharder than the owner. She wasvery philosophical about thewhole thing and said simply,‘That’s racing’.

“Dick blamed himself for anincident with a horse he rodefor me, too. It was August 1951and he fell at the fifth. The horsehit the fence three inches fromthe bottom and bulldozed hisway through it, there was noway the partnership could haveremained intact. I think it waspurely because of his impeccablemanners that Dick said it washis fault.

“We’ve been friends eversince and, put simply, he wasa kind, gentle person with aconsiderable gift for riding andwriting.”!!Continues, page 2

An extraordinary manwith a considerable giftfor riding and writingTributes pour in after deathat 89 of novelist and DevonLoch jockey Dick Francis

A dejectedFrancis walksfrom theinfamous DevonLoch incident– “he took itvery hard” saidhis great friendSir PeterO’Sullevanyesterday

Hard graftin store forDenman

Nicholls says the Tankwill need to shape

up for GoldCup clash

withKauto

Page 6

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2 Monday, February 15, 2010 racingpost.com Racing Post M

2.00 Plumpton ATR P34

2.10 Wolverhampton (AW) ATR P28

2.20 Catterick RUK P20



















TODAY’S TV RACE BY RACE

DICK FRANCIS 1920-2010

!!From front pageUpon retiring from the saddle in

1957, Francis took up his new vocationas a novelist beginning with hisautobiography entitled The Sport ofQueens and going on to become theauthor of 42 novels and a volume ofshort stories.

He was acclaimed as one of thegreatest thriller writers in the world,with his books selling more than 60million copies.

His most recent novel, Even Money,written with his younger son, Felix,was published in September 2009.

Based in the Cayman Islands tohelp his late wife Mary’s breathingproblems, Francis reportedly diedfrom old age at his home and issurvived by five grandsons, one greatgrandson as well as his two sons,Felix and Merrick, who describedthemselves as “devastated”.

“My brother, Merrick, and I are, ofcourse devastated by the loss of ourfather, but we rejoice in having beenthe sons of such an extraordinaryman,” said Felix.

“We share in the joy that he broughtto so many over such a long life. It isan honour for me to be able to continuehis remarkable legacy through thenew novels.”

Before becoming a jockey, Francishad a distinguished military careerjoining the RAF in 1940, where he wasinitially stationed in the Egyptiandesert before being commissioned asa pilot in 1943, flying Spitfires,Wellingtons and then Lancasters.

This regimented life never leftFrancis, according to Stan Mellor,who rode alongside him.

“He wasn’t like other jockeys,” hesaid. “He was very polished, youknow he always came into the weigh-room wearing an airforce jacket andshined boots.

“In those days it was important tobe a real horseman as the fences weresometimes a lot stiffer and he was agreat horseman.

incident with Devon Loch.“You couldn’t make it up and it

could only be described as a character-building episode.

“The Queen Mother was alwaysvery pleased to see him and he usedto come to the royal box at Ascotevery year to bring her a copy of his

book, which she loved.“He was a kind, warm person and

he’ll be greatly missed by all, notleast Felix and Merrick as they werepart of his very close-knit family.”

There will be a small funeral at hishome in Grand Cayman, followed bya memorial service in London.

“He was a very correct rider –probably because of his familiesexperience in high-class dressage.”

Sir Michael Oswald, who acted asracing manager for the Queen Mother,said: “He was an absolutely top-classhorseman and I know he will alwaysbe remembered for that extraordinary

1Champion jockey title,season 1953-54

8Rides in the Grand National

16Years with the Sunday Expressas racing correspondent

35Languages novels weretranslated into

42Novels published

345Winners ridden

1957The year his publishing careerbegan

60mbooks sold

DICK FRANCISIN NUMBERS‘He was a real

horseman and akind person’

A devastated Dick Francis walks past the winning post afterDevon Loch’s collapse on the run-in at Aintree

TODAYCARDSPlumpton 2.00 34

INSPECT 8amJumps 7 races £42k SIS ATR

Catterick 2.20 20Jumps 6 races £38k TURFTV RUK

Wolverhampton 2.10 28Flat 8 races £27k SIS ATR

!!Tote Jackpot Catterick: rollover £4,105

!!Tote Super7 see page 7: gtd £100,000

RPTIPPING 7-9Mark Winstanley ................................................7Longshot..............................................................7Trading Post ........................................................8Today’s Action ....................................................9Training Centres..................................................9Naps Competition & Press Challenge ..............17

FEATURESInterview: David Barker ..................................11Bloodstock World..............................................14My Week............................................................16Jim Austin..........................................................53

RESULTS 56Afternoon reports ............................................12Late Saturday....................................................54

ENTRIESTomorrow..........................................................45Wednesday’s Flat (declare today) ....................47Friday ................................................................47

GENERALBirthdays & Chatroom ......................................12Classifieds ........................................................18Going & weather ..............................................17Horse Play ........................................................16How to read the Form ......................................38How to read Postdata ......................................38Index to today’s runners ..................................42Index to entries ................................................44International ....................................................15Jockey notices etc ............................................17Markets ............................................................10Question of the Day..........................................15Signposts ..........................................................42Statistics: Jumps ..............................................62Statistics: All-Weather ......................................55Statistics: Ireland..............................................62Today’s Jockeys ................................................42Today’s Trainers ................................................42Trainerspot ........................................................43

RPGREYHOUNDS 49

RPSPORT back: 10 pages Sport on TV ......................................................63

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