I THINK I may have found a new calling as a racing tipster.
Our new events and travel business, COPA, held its first event yesterday, Ascot in the City, at The Foundry restaurant in Leeds.
The premise was simple – bring the high quality horse racing, high fashions and fine food and wine of Royal Ascot to Yorkshire without the four hour journey home.
We had great support for the event and given it went on until well after the final race at 5.30pm, I think our guests enjoyed themselves.
As part of the event I interviewed Colin Stirling, formerly of private equity house Spirit Capital and now the owner of Yorkshire racing stables Foulrice Park Racing near Middleham, close to the home of our new Yorkshire knight Sir Gary Verity (more of him later).
Colin literally did a sterling job taking our guests through the runners and riders of each race.
I pointed out that if you weren’t a racing expert then perhaps Waterloo Bridge in the first race might be worth a punt at 12/1 as yesterday was of course the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo.
Several guests surprisingly heeded my words and bet on the horse with the on-course bookie we had at the event.
They later returned beaming to their tables clutching handfuls of crisp £20 notes but refused to reward me for my foresight.
Among the guests was Andy Needham, an entrepreneur who appeared on Dragons’ Den earlier this year.
I mentioned him in this column a couple of weeks ago as his business is involved in the national Pitch to Rich competition.
This week it was confirmed that the business is in the final of the competition, where a handful of firms get the chance to pitch themselves to entrepreneur Richard Branson for a £1m investment.
Just by getting to this point, the company are guaranteed £100,000 of support from Virgin Business and its partners, but they could win £250,000.
Good luck Andy and the Approved Foods team, we wish you well in the final on June 26.
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ARISE Sir Big V.
It was widely predicted that Welcome to Yorkshire chief Gary Verity would get a gong in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Those who know about such things tell me that being awarded a knighthood without having received another honour first is unusual but not unprecedented.
Despite being a natural journalistic cynic, I think it’s great news.
When Gary came up with his audacious idea of brining the Tour de France Grand Depart to Yorkshire, he wasn’t just doing his job.
He created an event that inspired millions and projected Yorkshire across the globe.
When I called into the Welcome to Yorkshire HQ in Leeds on Monday I bumped into its chair, Clare Morrow.
“Should I be entering the building on bended knee?” I asked.
“You might have to tug your forelock,” said one of her colleagues.
“If I had a forelock to tug, I’d be doing it,” I replied.
Then up in the mezzanine of the building, appeared Sir Gary, yellow braces gleaming in the sunlight.
He bounded down the stairs and we popped out to catch up over a coffee.
After offering hearty congratulations to the main man, I asked what the reaction had been like.
Always ebullient, he appeared a little overwhelmed by the messages of goodwill he’d received.
“Do you know some marketing company had a trailer with a big picture of me on driving around Leeds this morning? I walked out of our office to be confronted by that!”
It sounded like when he visited York Races last Saturday, the day the news broke on his honour, Gary received a better reaction than Frankel did when he won his 13th race in a row in 2012.
This honour is something I think Gary will use for the good of Yorkshire and if it helps his profile, then that is a good thing as the North looks to raise its game against what has often felt like the all conquering South.
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ONE thing arising from this year’s Birthday Honours that was disappointing was that several of the honours were reported well beforehand, such as comedian and actor Lenny Henry getting a knighthood.
Those informed by letter that they are getting an honour are sworn to secrecy – Gary Verity told me he didn’t even tell his wife and mother the news – but it seems some people struggle to do that.
Is it because we are now living in a Twitter generation where you say what you want when you want and damn the consequences?
The media, who understand how royal protocols work, reported a number of the honours well ahead of the embargo.
Perhaps media that indulge in such lazy journalism should not receive news of the next set of honours as a punishment.
Tradition has its place in our society and it just seems pretty sad to me that with something as historic as the honours system, we can’t stick to it.
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Au revoir La Grillade.
A text arrived earlier this week from Guy Martin-Laval, renowned French restaurateur of this parish.
“News, I have sold La Grillade, as from today!”
I texted back asking what were his plans.
“To get an OBE! Or a good holiday.” Which I’m sure was a lighthearted nod to his friends Gary Verity and Leeds LEP chairman Roger Marsh getting gongs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
The second coming of Yorkshire’s best steak restaurant lasted barely 12 months in Ripon – after its previous incarnation became a Leeds institution over 33 years.
It seems Guy, who has had a few health issues recently, decided that an offer from an Italian restaurant chain was worth taking so he can take life a bit easier after three-and-a-half decades running restaurants.
He admits that Ripon doesn’t appear to have a big dining scene and was grateful to his many regulars from the old La Grillade who used to regularly make the trip north to see him at his new home.
While he has a home in France, I don’t think Yorkshire will lose this larger than life character and his undoubted knowledge and skills could be tapped into for consultancy in the hospitality trade.
And Guy’s mention of honours does beg a question. When civil servants get honours for literally doing their jobs why shouldn’t someone who has come to another country and contributed so much, receive recognition too?
The only question now is where serves the best steak in Yorkshire?
Have a great weekend.
End of an era as La Grillade has now closed . Always the best place for Rib Eye steaks and a decent bottle of red. So many great memories over the years . Ripon was a brave choice to reopen last year but whenever I was there it was filled with diners having fun. Always enjoyable to see Guy at work and I shall miss his memorable comments and his Gallic charm.