News

Selby pays tribute at Gingell’s farewell

  • Posted: Friday, 11th June 2021

Terry Selby has paid tribute to Michael Gingell following his announcement that Cottenham racecourse in Cambridgeshire is to close.

Selby, whose publication of the annual ‘Mackenzie & Selby’ form guide through some of the sport’s boom years from 1984 to 2005, said Gingell’s contribution to the sport went beyond being landowner and clerk of the course at Cottenham, one of Britain’s best-known point-to-point venues.

Selby said: “The announcement of Michael Gingell’s imminent retirement and the consequent loss of Cottenham racecourse will not only rob point-to-pointing of one of its premier courses but also one its most innovative administrators.

“Cottenham had been an official jumps course, staging the NH Chase in 1870 and 1877, before becoming a point-to-point course in 1931. Michael was active on the course for his parents for many decades before he inherited it around 30 years ago. Never one to seek public recognition, Michael was very progressive behind the scenes.

“He was the prime mover of several of the biggest changes in the sport in recent years. He championed per capita admission (still against the Regulations at the time) and was always keen to run meetings as early as possible as the opening of the season moved earlier and earlier. This led to a unique happening at a January meeting in the new millennium.

“Close of entries fell in the old year and all the youngest horses entered for the 5,6&7yo Maiden faced disqualification. Nobody at Portman Square had thought to update the Rule that required all horses had to be at least five years old to be entered, and their Christmas break was interrupted for an emergency rule change.

“Michael was also the main driving force behind the introduction of telephone and on-line entries.”

In a post placed on the Jumping For Fun website, Gingell said: “To Friends and Supporters of Cottenham Racecourse. I have today made the very difficult decision to call a halt to racing at Cottenham. The reasons behind this decision are numerous and varied. It was a decision I hoped I would never have to make.

“To all those people who have helped me in any way at Cottenham over the last 25years, since parents died - Thank you.”

Cottenham, well-known as a flat, right-handed track that drained well and one of the few point-to-point courses with a grandstand (pictured above), was scheduled to stage two meetings during the current season, but Gingell opted not to proceed as doubts about spectator participation lingered due to Covid. He said he would assist any committee that would take on the role of preparing the course, and added: “The fences are up and the course is looking good, but it’s high risk putting on a meeting in the current circumstances.

“Bear in mind two of three meetings at Cottenham are club meetings. A meeting in Devon run by a hunt will have plenty of support from within the hunt, but we don’t have that. We couldn’t make it viable.

“I’m 76 now and I’ve done 56 years of work at Cottenham since retiring from race riding at the age of 20. If a committee wants to come to me and take on the job of running the course in the future I would be very happy, but it requires someone at the helm.”