Blind West Ham fan Andrew Gemmel enjoyed the Cheltenham celebration of a lifetime yesterday as his horse Paisley Park stormed to victory in the Mares Hurdle race at the world’s most famous jumps track.
It was a totally astonishing victory after the mare had found herself in all sorts of traffic problems as the field turned turned at the top of the hill and then she rattled the last fence before landing the spoils.
The 11/8 winner made amends for his second placed Discorama who has ran a stormer earlier in the week but was edged out on the post by Le Breul.
Season ticket holder Andrew was the toast of the Gloucestershire race course yesterday and a man who rarely appears to have a smile off his face.
He cites Billy Bonds as his favourite Iron and shares his racing passion with Tom Friel, Irish landlord of Plaistow pub, the Black Lion, which is about a 20-minute walk from West Ham’s former Boleyn Ground home.
He started supporting West Ham when he went along with workmates after moving to London from Shropshire.