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Thursday 27 February 2020

Backing Horses With a Grasshopper Mind

I love the old TV series. 

Today, I watched an old episode of Minder, starring the late George Cole and Dennis Waterman. Men (and women) of a certain age will remember Arthur Daley & Terry McCann, down the Winchester pub, with Dave, behind the bar. 

Arthur used to ask for his favourite tipple vodka and coke. As a somewhat shady businessman, he asked for a VAT. 

Anyway, one of the episodes showed this unlikely pair at a point-to-point race meeting. 

Arthur said about a horse he fancied, and Terry changed his bet only to see his original fancy trot up. 

He said: ''You've got a grasshopper mind!''

The Oxford reference defines this phrase as: ''One unable to concentrate on any single subject for long. The grasshopper is quick to leap from one resting place ...''

Now, I don't know about you, but have you been at the races with someone who has a grasshopper mind?

The chances are you have.

I'm pretty sure we have all changed our minds about which horse to back. And the sad part of that action is it's often we go from fancying a 33/1 shot but end up backing the 6/4 favourite. 

When the rag hoses up you're left contemplating what happened. 

Don't jump from one horse to the next with a grasshopper mind.