Regular followers of this blog will doubtless be aware that one of my main ambitions in life is to be in some part responsible for the first ever Israeli racehorse to win a race in Great Britain. Regular followers might also be somewhat 'lighter of pocket' as a result of following my Israeli-based racing tips.

Tipping horses is like so many other things in life; it seemed so much easier to do when you were younger and did it by instinct!

When I hatched the cunning plan to send the sweet chestnut three-year-old filly Vanilla Bally to England to land a massive international betting coup, it all seemed spookily possible. Take a horse who had won just about everything in its backwater racing state, slip under the radar of those who might otherwise take its chance seriously, have one or two runs to get her acquainted with the completely different conditions, then bang, let her go, like an arrow from a crossbow, and hit the target (and the bookies) where it hurts.

Racehorse trainer George Baker, based at Moreton Morrell in Warwickshire, proved a tremendous sport in being prepared to take a chance that I might be on to something. (I would not be in the least surprised if now, looking back, he thought it more likely that I was 'on something' when I came up with the ruse), and his sporting friends James, Dean & Partners footed the bill and sponsored Israel's first serious challenger for British honours and should be rightly commended for their support. 

The Israeli TV documentary that I made about the bid proved a very happy experience, working alongside Muli and Tslil Landesman, and of course sharing the experience with Vanilla Bally's owner, Oren Sada. Lovely TV piece though it was, (though I say it myself), 'Vanilla' never really adapted to the British weather and eventually found the whole experience a little too much for her and returned home. She was introduced to a nicely bred horse who did the dirty deed and is now pregnant, due in March.

Vanilla's bid to grab the limelight came at a time of demonstrations against Israeli sporting competitors; Shahar Peer was forced off court in her tennis match in New Zealand, and the Israeli basketball team also had to leave the arena in an international match in Europe. Believe it or not, there was a hint that even Vanilla Bally's debut run at Wolverhampton might be jeopardised by protesters. All credit to George who quite rightly refused to let politics impact on a thoroughbred horse trying to win a race and would not be distracted from giving her a chance to show what she could do.

Prior to Vanilla Bally crossing continents to join George's team, I had helped Israeli owner/breeder Arik Rayzner and his wife Betty send a couple of home bred horses to George, and whilst Royal Tiger is a slow maturing, potential hurdler or steeplechaser and has yet to race (he may run soon though – watch this space), his year younger half-brother Royal Torbo was soon shaping up well alongside the more blue-blooded members of the Baker string.

My dream of providing Israel with its first ever winning racehorse in Britain had been compared in the media both here and in the UK, to that of the Jamaican bobsleigh team who competed at the Winter Olympics some years ago, or that of the Lebanese team in the Rugby World Cup. But sport and competition is all about dreams and sometimes they do come true. This year, Snow Fairy, a filly who cost her owners just 1800 euros, (absolute bargain basement for a British racehorse), won two Classic races – the Epsom Oaks and the Irish Oaks – and is now worth a rather large fortune.

Back to Royal Torbo. Having shown promise in training, Arik's horse, (by his stallion Tabari), made his debut at Wolverhampton last December, finishing 8th of 10 runners and clearly looking as if the experience would be good for him. He then finished sixth in his next race before very nearly pulling off a major surprise. Leading from the start in a Wolverhampton maiden race in January, he was still in front and galloping on strongly inside the last 200 yards, only for the favourite to come with a powerful late run and catch him on the line and win in a photo finish. We were so close to having achieved the dream.

After that effort confidence was high that Royal Torbo would be able to win races, but in his next four outings he was generally disappointing before running third of eight in a fair handicap race back at Wolverhampton.

It was decided that he could do with a break having been in action throughout the very hard winter, and it was also decided that as he was never going to be good enough to be a horse of choice for breeders, he should be gelded (have his balls cut off!), to allow him to concentrate more fully on his racing career and not on the opposite sex. This eventuality happens to probably 99% of male racehorses, with only the cream of the crop remaining 'entire' to go on to breed the next generations.

After the 'unkindest cut of all', Royal Torbo quickly recovered and was training enthusiastically. On his comeback run at Wolverhampton he ran very well when not fully wound up to be beaten just three lengths in a blanket finish. Up to this point he had only raced on sand tracks, but George and I felt the time was right to run him on turf and over a longer distance of two miles, as he had been finishing well over a mile-and-a-half the time before.

I was on holiday in England at the time, so headed off to Nottingham in my capacity as racing manager to the Rayzners, and the horse looked tremendous in the parade ring before the race. He went to post nicely, and although an outsider in the betting (40/1), we expected him to run with credit. He didn't. He ran an absolute shocker, seemingly hating the firm ground and never striding out. With more than half a mile to run he was well behind and his jockey quite sensibly decided to just let him trot home in his own time. It was terribly disappointing. We figured he had hated the turf and probably the distance was too far for him.

Back to Wolverhampton and to the sand he went, only to run in just the same way, having worked very well indeed in training a few days before.

It's terribly frustrating when you have a horse with some ability that suddenly decides he'd rather be standing in a field munching grass at your expense than working for a living trying to win races. There are two schools of though; the first being the Robert Redford approach of being a horse whisperer and trying to get inside the mind of the beast, the second is that of dear Audrey Hepburn's character Eliza Dolittle in 'My Fair Lady'.

We're taking the second approach. Royal Torbo will where blinkers to concentrate his mind on the job when next he runs, and if these have no effect we may give him a go over hurdles to see if that challenge is more to his liking. After that, if there is no improvement, he'll probably be sold on to further his career elsewhere, and at someone else's expense.

Torbo, if you are listening, we know you can win races, (and win them for Israel). You've got the ability and you have an excellent trainer. So, my four-legged friend, do us all a favour and, as Audrey so eruditely put it, "move your bloomin' arse!"  

  

  

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Two very different stories for this week's blog, differing experiences of the final few days of my summer holiday in England.

Last Saturday, whilst Paz and the girls were meeting friends and doing 'girlie' things over on Ilkley Moor, I took the opportunity to nip into town and bag a bargain in what are somewhat laughingly referred to as the 'End of Summer Sales'; not that we saw very much summer sun during our three week visit! T-shirts and shorts are not really in demand now that people are looking a shade morosely ahead at stocking up on winter woollies.

Leeds ' main street is a pedestrian area called Briggate and on what actually turned out to be a fine afternoon the place was packed with shoppers and day trippers. Bang opposite the House of Fraser store and right outside Marks & Spencer, a stall had been erected that immediately caught my eye as it had a two metre banner featuring captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit strewn across it. 

I ambled over, under the assumption that the stall was manned by members of the Leeds Jewish community supporting the campaign to persuade Hamas to release Shalit from Gaza, and was quickly pounced upon by a smartly dressed, well spoken young guy in his early 20's who asked me if I knew who Gilad Shalit was. I told him that I am Israeli and am very familiar with the Shalit case, and his eyes lit up.

"Hey guys, this fella's Israeli" he called out to his fellow volunteers, who spontaneously burst into a cringeworthy round of applause. I'm sure it won't come as any great surprise to learn that being identified as an Israeli citizen in Britain is rarely greeted with such a positive response.

"We all love Israel" he told me earnestly, "and would love to visit some day". He went on to explain that his friends are Christian supporters of Israel and seek to encourage Christians to see Israel's side of the Middle East conflict and forge a closer alliance with the Jewish people. He said he wanted to ask me "loads of questions" but I felt a shade uncomfortable at the attention caused by the applause that had attracted a number of onlookers, so told him that I was in a bit of a hurry, but was delighted that they were raising awareness and supporting such a worthy cause. 

My departure elicited another ripple of applause, to which I responded with a rather embarrassed presidential-style wave and headed of up the street, slightly bemused at being popular for a change, but happy to have met them.

My reverie didn't last very long as 100 metres further on was a stall manned by supporters of the Socialist Worker newspaper who were quite commendably collecting donations for an anti-Nazi rally due to take place very soon in Bradford, a city with many hundreds of thousands of Muslim residents. Less commendably however, they had taken the opportunity to make the perverse comparison between the treatment of Israeli Arabs (no, not Palestinians) by Israel, and the annihilation of the Jews of Europe by the Nazis in World War II. I thought about pointing out the ludicrousy of their banners, but after taking a look at the people involved realized I'd only be wasting my breath.  

Now, as Monty Python would say, something completely different, and utterly English; the Thorner Village Show. This is a contest between residents of a beautiful but sleepy Yorkshire village at which, in time honoured fashion, prizes are given for the most beautiful home grown vegetables, best Victoria sponge cake and most delicious jams, amongst other things. The locals take it all very seriously, and I was briefed by my close friends and village residents Emma and Adam Glazer, not to snigger or make any untoward comments.

It turned out that last year, (according to the Glazers), there was a major incident at the show when the perennial winner of first prize for the 'Best Homemade Jam' found himself having to settle for the second place medal! Such was his disgust at the decision, which he insisted was based on a friendship between the winner and the judge, that he threatened to bring his shotgun and shoot the winner, (who's jam, he insisted, hadn't even set!) if the placings weren't reversed. They weren't, and the vicar had to intervene to avoid any bloodshed and avert Thorner making national headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Staring at over-sized cucumbers, cabbages, carrots and peas wouldn't normally be my idea of a good afternoon out, but the comical side of proceedings, highlighted by the seriousness with which all contestants appeared to have entered into the competition, made it all worthwhile. The tart comments on the floral display section being almost priceless; 'Mrs Shuttleworth's summer bouquet would have been better received if she had sought to balance her carnations with the hyacinths on the left hand side. Rose in right- hand corner noted to have one slightly wilted petal'.

The competition for the best egg yolk caused me to almost fall down laughing, as both Emma and I realized the unintended chuckle factor of my somewhat sarcastic appraisal of the winning egg – "looks like a cracker to me".

On leaving the hubbub an elderly lady in front of me was overheard receiving commiserations from another on only finishing second in the "Best Onion" category. Noting that the winner's onion had not been purchased at the subsequent charity auction, the defeated 'onioner' (is there such a word?), declared with some pride, that the lady that bought her winning specimen last year had managed "to get 15 meals out of it"!

And who said that standards of British cuisine aren't up to much.

Over such things do some Britons still take considerable pride.   

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

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I've been away on holiday in England for the past few weeks and have only occasionally been tapping into the wealth of news coverage that focuses on the Middle East, and on Israel, in particular.

In my case however, out of sight has certainly not been out of mind, and following the death of the Israeli soldiers close to the northern border with Lebanon from Hizbollah shelling, and the missiles fired out of Gaza to Ashkelon, (not to mention those that appear to have emanated from Sinai and landed both close to Eilat and in Aqaba in Jordan), I've been toying with the idea that something radical needs to be done to change the state of play at the moment.

It seems to me that there is no doubt that an increase in the marginalization of the Hamas regime in Gaza can only help to serve Israel's interest. Looking back to 2005 when the decision to unilaterally withdraw from the territory was taken by the government of Ariel Sharon, I was amongst the many people who were enthusiastic at the prospect of the Palestinian people in Gaza being given the chance to prove that they really just wanted to live a life of peace, earn enough to keep a roof over their head and food on the table, and go about life in much the same manner as the rest of the people of the region, and indeed across the world.

How demoralizing then it was when, given 'relatively' free elections, they voted in the one party who placed the destruction of the State of Israel and the driving out of Jews from the region as their top priority. When Hamas came to power they moved swiftly to eliminate as many supporters of their secular rival Fatah from the Strip as possible,  human rights groups confirming mass executions, widespread maiming, and the intimidation of anyone who didn't share their radical, violent agenda. Fatah were all but eliminated from the territory and the free elections the international community had encouraged only served to usher in a tyrannical and destabilizing presence in the region, a group funded and supported in many ways by Iran.

The Gaza War that inevitably followed as a result of the thousands of missiles launched by Hamas into southern Israel following their ascent to power, highlighted the danger that Hamas poses, not only Israel, but to Egypt as well. Interestingly, whilst Israel sought neutralize the threat posed by the Hamas missiles, Fatah, the party that governs the West Bank, remained conspicuously silent. For them, (although not prepared to admit it publicly for fear of incurring the wrath of the Arab world), Israel was doing their dirty work, weakening their Palestinian opposition. I would not be in the least bit surprised to learn one day that Fatah's internal security services had offered some support to Israel's effort to diminish Hamas' effectiveness in Gaza.

The fact is that whilst the people of Gaza have been driven into poverty by the actions of their own terrorist government, the Palestinians in the West Bank have seen a marked change in their fortunes over the last few years. With security and commercial agreements with Israel appearing to be holding up well on the whole, the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, (despite widespread allegations of corruption), has overseen a significant improvement in the standard of living and quality of life of its citizens. Businesses are flourishing in Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem and Jericho, average wages have soared and their economy is growing at a reported 10% per year at a time when much of the world is still teetering on the brink of recession.

Although in public the peace process appears to be gaining little ground, there have been a number of indications that suggest that behind the scenes some progress is being made as both Israel and the PA grudgingly realize that they are going to have to work with one another, like it or not.

Surely, the average Palestinian living in Gaza, talking regularly by phone to his cousins in Ramallah and hearing about the flourishing economy and much improved standard of living, would be bound to wonder to himself how much better life might be for him if Hamas were no longer in a position to rule his life. He shouldn’t have voted for them, he should distance himself from their ideals and seek to find a way to support Fatah and undermine those in power.

Such is Hamas' grip on Gaza though that any dissent is very dangerous. Aside of Israel returning to the territory, (a military option that would cost many lives on both sides, enrage much of the Arab word – though not all - and return the Jewish state to a status quo they were happy to rid themselves of five years ago), a popular uprising seems the only logical way that Hamas might be removed from power.

By way of encouraging such a happening, I suggest that serious consideration should be given to Israel making peace with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, a scenario that is not very far from the current situation on the ground. Israel would receive significant positive reaction from around the world, the PA would gain more credibility, Hamas would become further marginalized and Israel would be shown to be genuine in wanting to secure a deal with a real partner for peace.

None of this would be easy, but nothing in our part of the world is easy. The situation in Gaza poses a massive threat to Israel's security and to the stability of the region. Hamas must be removed from power, and it might just be that following the old adage of 'divide and rule', by genuinely forging a peace deal with Fatah, Israel can retake the intiative and set a positive agenda in the region.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.
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