Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
2 appearances
A former champion jockey turned novelist, best known for his bestselling horse racing mysteries and the famous Devon Loch collapse in the 1956 Grand National.
On the island
Eight records
Russian Hero
The first month I had. was Russian hero, funnily enough. He finished fourth in the novice chase at war, war hunt. And uh funnily enough Two and a half years later, my first Grand National mount, Reuman, finished second, and what should beat me but Russian hero. Rather rubbing it in, I thought.
Devon LochFavourite
Well, a lot of things have been put forward why he collapsed fifty yards from the winning post. ... The horse that did eventually win it, ESB, was only one or two seconds outside the record and I was about ten lines in front of him at that time. ... The reason why he collapsed was because it was a royal winner. ... the crescendo of sound hit him. And just for a split second, his hind leg refused to work.
Joanna MacGregor & London Symphony Orchestra
When I was a child It came out in the early twenties and I loved it. I loved the tune and it was so popular it was played on the radio quite there was no television in those days, but it was played on the radio and I listened to it a lot and I I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Chattanooga Choo ChooFavourite
I love Glenn Miller's version of this. It's always been my favourite and whenever we go somewhere they say to me, what would you like to play? I say the Chattanooga Choo-Choo.
my grandson, who is only twelve, William. He loves playing the trumpet and unfortunately he's not uh competent enough to play it for the radio th this time. But uh you know Whenever I hear it, I'll think of William.
I'd love to see Peter O'Toole riding across the horizon on his horse, then he's coming towards you. And it's it's uh opening music to the Lawrence of Arabia.
My father-in-law took us all, Mary and me and the rest of his family, to see this show. O Oklahoma, the week before we got married. I was there with my arm in a sling, very uncomfortable, but I remember hard keels singing this Oh, what a beautiful morning It's terrific.
I Left My Heart in San Francisco
There's so much of my life as a jockey goes into all the books. And also, you know, my research, you know, I've traveled the world quite a lot. I went to Russia, did some research there for trial run and I've been lots of places and I wanted to see San Francisco. It was beautiful, really, lovely place and I left my heart there.
we go down to Devon every year for our holiday. All the family come, children, grandchildren. And this last year we were there and a young fellow used to come in and play instruments he had for music and he sang and our granddaughter Bianca, she she sings quite a lot, and we tried to persuade her to sing, get this fellow to play a tune and sing. And it was absolutely beautiful.
Kathleen Battle & Orchestra of St. Luke's
a tune which is a beautiful tune, uh Summertime. Uh Kathleen Battle singing it, and it's the Orchestra of St. Luke's conducted by Andre Preven. It's it's a lovely tune.
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:18You come from a horse-loving family, don't you?
Yes, both my father and grandfather rode for years before me. Yes, as a boy when I was at school and I was more or less born in the saddle really.
Presenter asks
0:32What was your father's occupation?
He had a hunting stables at Wokingham, Berkshire, just before the war.
Presenter asks
2:39When did you turn professional?
I turned professional in March 1948. ... the stewards thought I was taking too much of the bread and butter out of the professionals' mouths and they had me in at the National Hunt Meeting at Cheltenham. ... They said, Francis, look, you're having too many rides as an amateur, we think you ought to turn professional. ... I couldn't put up any objections, so I said no.
Presenter asks
5:03How many Grand Nationals have you ridden in?
The keepsakes
The book
George Lambton
My book is an old book, but it's it means a lot to me because I I read it some years ago. It was written by George Lambton. Men and Horses I Have Known.
Presenter asks
5:13Do you agree that the Grand National is a cruel race?
No, I don't. Uh uh the sort of horses that are entered for it. Ah, build good horses. It's a wonderful track to ride on, I think. The the National gets one a little bit excited on the day and everything works up to it. But the other races they hold around the course, they're a great thrill to ride in.
Presenter asks
5:34Will you tell us the story of Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National?
Well, a lot of things have been put forward why he collapsed fifty yards from the winning post. ... I think the reason why he collapsed was because it was a royal winner. Everyone was cheering their hearts out, their heads off, really, and This horse jumped the last fence as well as he jumped any all the way. I had a wonderful ride. And then about fifty yards from the winning post, you pass the water jump, which is on the inside. And I've looked at the film many times since, and I see the horse just prick his ears, saying, Ah, I've been here before. And I think as he did that, the crescendo hit him in the ears. The crescendo of sound. The crescendo of sound hit him. And just for a split second, his hind leg refused to work. With his hind leg refusing to work his front ones went up to try and save himself and down he went and we sprawled out on the ground. Funnily enough we didn't part company, but he got up and he couldn't move because he'd pulled all his muscles by going down.
Presenter asks
7:16When did you decide to retire from racing?
Well, it was rather forced upon me and uh ten months after that Grand National episode in 1956, I had a number of falls and Each fall was taking longer to get over than they had done a few years previously.
Presenter asks
8:30How long do you take to write a novel?
Well, I think about it from the time the last manuscript goes in about Easter until the boys go back to school and the autumn and then it takes me until probably the Easter to finish it.
Presenter asks
1:32Why has writing never given you the same pleasure as being a jockey?
Yes, I suppose I have [had much greater success as a writer]… I rode racing for ten years. And I I did become champion jockey… Writing, to me, is hard work. It's hard mental work. I think I've been more of a physical character all my life rather than a mental character.
Presenter asks
4:46Take me through [the Devon Loch incident in the 1956 Grand National].
Devenlock pricked his ears to have a look at the water, which was on the left. We were galloping past it… And he pricked his ears to sort of have another look at it. As he pricked his ears, the crescendo hit him, this crescendo of cheering hit him, God and it frightened him to such an extent that his hind quarters refused to act for a split second, and he slid along the ground with his forefeet out in front of him and his hind feet out behind… during the the fall, He'd pulled all the muscles in his hind quarters and he more or less collapsed again and his hind quarters gave way and I had to get off him and walk away in disgust.
Presenter asks
11:19What was it that appealed to you [about the Grand National]?
I think it was the competitiveness of the Grand National because… I got a very competitive spirit. I I hate being beaten.
Presenter asks
25:03Were you in your time ever asked to pull up a horse?
I was once I was riding one for my brother at Bangorondee where I had a lot of success and uh someone telephoned my brother the night before the races and he they put a proposition to him that I should stop the horse the next day and my brother said to them, Go to hell. Whenever I went out to ride, I went out to win.
Presenter asks
28:36How much of you is there in [your character Sid Halley]?
I'm afraid it is… I'm very tidy minded… I suppose I am [an outsider], yes. it it suited the character of Sid Halley anyhow. So I I I think I wrote that into it. Most of my characters in the books. Oh A lot of them are are based on myself. They're very autobiographical.
“I was more or less born in the saddle really.”
“I think steeplechasing is oh there's much more thrill out of jumping the obstacles than there is galloping on the flat. And uh the people who go steeplechasing, they're much nicer. I shouldn't say that, but I think they do it more for fun than business.”
“I think the reason why he collapsed was because it was a royal winner. Everyone was cheering their hearts out, their heads off, really, and this horse jumped the last fence as well as he jumped any all the way. I had a wonderful ride. And then about fifty yards from the winning post, you pass the water jump, which is on the inside. And I've looked at the film many times since, and I see the horse just prick his ears, saying, Ah, I've been here before. And I think as he did that, the crescendo hit him in the ears. The crescendo of sound. The crescendo of sound hit him. And just for a split second, his hind leg refused to work.”
“The greatest disappointment.”
“They've been a lot harder work than riding was, but uh I've got a lot of satisfaction out of them.”
“Writing, to me, is hard work. It's hard mental work. I think I've been more of a physical character all my life rather than a mental character.”
“Well it was heartbreaking, really. I I I was in a daze.”
“I got a very competitive spirit. I I hate being beaten.”
“Whenever I went out to ride, I went out to win.”
“Most of my characters in the books. Oh A lot of them are are based on myself. They're very autobiographical.”