Timeform Debate / Jamie Lynch / 04 January 2012 / Leave a Comment

Timeform's Chief Correspondent completes his look back on the year just passed...

July

Backdrop The end of several eras. Out of the following institutions that all came to an end in July 2011, which one was Steve Coogan was referring to when he said: 'As far as I'm concerned, it always has been misogynistic, xenophobic, single parent-hating and asylum seeker-hating. It's gone to the wall, and I'm delighted'?

A) The NASA space shuttle programme.
B) The Harry Potter films.
C) Focus (DIY superstores).
D) The News of the World.

Racing The heavyweight title fight in boxing in July proved to be one-sided as Haye could barely lay a glove on Klitschko, prompting his immediate retirement, and it was exactly the same story in the heavyweight title fight in racing as Frankel added the mighty Canford Cliffs to his 'horses I have broken' list.

In the super-heavyweight division, Hoof It stood out as he put up one of the weight-carrying performances of all time in the Stewards' Cup, achieving a higher rating in that handicap than Dream Ahead had earlier in the month in the July Cup or did later in the season in the Sprint Cup. In another supposed championship bout of the month, in the Eclipse, what we thought at the time might be Ali versus Frazier turned out in hindsight to be a white elephant beating a has-been. Okay, so that's harsh on both counts, but you know what I mean.

August

Backdrop When the footage of civilian uprisings in Egypt and Greece was delivered in newsreels earlier in the year we could all tut tut and make other mildly patronising noises because it's Egypt or Greece or wherever, and this sort of thing would never happen in Blighty. Only it did kick off in Blighty in August, and in a big way.

Maybe the riots in Britain would have lasted only one night rather than five if Duncan Bannatyne had been Chief of Police, as, despite his hedging, wait-for-others style on Dragons' Den, Bannatyne is a man who doesn't mess about, proved this month on Twitter no less. Following a threat to his daughter, Bannatyne tweeted: 'I offer £25,000 for the capture of the coward...Double if his arms are broken first.'
#Begbie

Racing Two high-profile trainers announce their retirement; Barry Hills went out with honour and distinction, Howard Johnson didn't.

I remember an episode of Hustle (or was it every single episode of Hustle) when the team of con artists duped businessmen into thinking they had control and a chance when in fact the hustlers had other aces to play. Just as Bannatyne must have seen the film Ransom, Khalid Abdulla must have seen this episode of Hustle, as that's the stroke he pulled at York, lulling trainers in by keeping back Frankel then proceeding to win two of the biggest races of the week, with a one-two in effectively his own race (the Juddmonte) and unveiling another would-be monster in Sea Moon.

September

Backdrop Farmageddon. It was 5/6 each of two between the travellers and the police on Dale Farm, but the riot police had a recent outing behind them and it showed as they soon completed a Taser-assisted eviction. It was probably 5/6 each of two between Martin Johnson and Zara Phillips for who most wanted to taser Mike Tindall after his indecent behaviour while literally representing Queen and country at the Rugby World Cup.

Racing 'God bless America, God save The Queen, God defend New Zealand, and thank Christ for Australia.' It wasn't even a native Aussie who said that, as Russell Crowe was born in New Zealand, but the idea that Australians can save the day was clearly bought into by the BHA, who appointed Paul Bittar as chief executive in September. This is the point where I'm supposed to say what a difficult job he's got and what a bad state racing finds itself in, but I don't think either is particularly true.

October

Backdrop The discontented youth had their go in August, the travellers made their protest in September, and in October it was the turn of the hemp-smoking, fornicating hippies - not my words; the words of Boris Johnson. To demonstrate against the banks and bankers is thoroughly principled, but to pick on a Cathedral just seems cowardly. I'd send in Begbie Bannatyne astride an industrial water cannon.

Racing The busiest month of the year with a lot happening on and off the track. In reverse order, let's run down the five most significant events in racing for October:

5) New whip rules come in, to widespread approval.

4) Richard Hughes quits (for a bit) due to new whip rules, then Ruby Walsh threatens to quit (for a bit) due to new whip rules.

3) The revamped Future Champions Day at Newmarket, featuring the Cesarewitch, doesn't really take off, but the revamped Champions Day at Ascot really does take off.

2) Frankel struts his stuff again, recording an epic Timeform rating of 143 in the QEII. What can possibly challenge him in 2012?

1) Camelot can possibly challenge him in 2012. As if the fact he was odds on for a Group 1 on the back of a win in a lowly maiden didn't say enough, Camelot did at Doncaster what he'd clearly been showing in private at Ballydoyle. Frightening potential. The sort of potential that would have even Frankel looking over his shoulder.

November

Backdrop Trials and titillations. Guilty verdicts against the Pakistan cricketers and the King of Pop's doctor, and even less surprising was that the most un-minister like prime minister of all Silvio Berlusconi's peccadillos finally caught up with him, forcing his resignation.

Racing Yes, we had the O'Brien family fairytale at Churchill, and yes we had the Kauto Star comeback fairytale at Haydock, and yes we had the Henry Cecil knighthood fairytale at Buckingham Palace, but the best racing story of November came courtesy of Richard Hannon jnr at the Breeders' Cup, reacting to the track being closed for exercise: 'It is an absolute disgrace, and I now know why my dad won't come to America. He has always been a good judge and he won't have the Yanks at any price - and he is dead right.'

December

Backdrop You can imagine why Jeremy Clarkson might have thought that Hannon jnr was encroaching on his territory a bit, and, in typical style, he reminded everyone who really is the king of the public sideswipes as he said what he said on The One Show, though it was a television highlight of 2011 to see poor Matt Baker and Alex Jones wince and squirm. Their professionalism soon kicked in, however, and the presenters seamlessly moved on from executing civil servants in front of their families to ideal Christmas presents for dogs and a feature on the pandas coming to Scotland, because that's the type of show The One Show is.

Racing Good news: even cynics like me had a lump in the throat and a tingle down the spine when Kauto Star won another King George. Bad news: four Flat jockeys banned for race-fixing. Good news: Wayne Rooney comes into racing, which is better for increasing the profile of our sport than any initiative anyone could have come up with. Bad news: you're only as good as your last mistake, they say, and Betfair got their bot smacked. Good/Bad news: Denman is retired. Good news: we're in for another rollercoaster ride in 2012.

Click here to read Part 1.

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