Showbiz National
How did you do in the Grand National on Saturday? Did you have a flutter on the greatest steeple chase race in the world? There were not many showbiz connections that I could make out before the start, but one stood out: Sam Waley-Cohen, nephew of theatre-owner Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen, was riding a 33-1 outsider Liberthine, French owned and British trained, the only mare in the race and — something I always like — listed at number 29, a prime number. Liberthine came home fifth out of just thirteen horses to finish (40 started) after giving a really superb display of short and long jumping and elegant footwork, marred by only one tiny slip from which she easily recovered. Sam is an amateur jockey but looked completely professional to me. He led the field over the fearsome Becher’s Brook second time round and came to the last fence well placed with Silver Birch, the eventual winner, and Slim Pickings. But she tired on the final run-in.
Still, I had good value for my £5 to win bet and trust Sir Stephen will hand me a free programme at his next
opening night to make up the defecit.
Stephen, of course, has just acquired the New Ambassadors Theatre from the Ambassador Theatre Group and plans to restore its original name of the Ambassadors. Good for him. But won’t this cause untold confusion with ATG and people searching for info on a theatre as opposed to a company? Still, rumours persist that Stephen is going to move The Mousetrap (which he owns) back to its original home from the St Martin’s next door, so that should keep the confusion at bay for another fifty years.