The Leveson inquiry, Hackgate and/or Horsegate are becoming more and more humorous by the day. Just when you thought it was quietening down along comes another “moment” that makes those of us who are not involved titter.
Are the Met Police just getting nasty or do they have a real dark sense of humour?
We heard that Rebekah Brooks and her racehorse trainer husband were arrested on Tuesday morning by detectives from Operation Weeting, the inquiry into illegal hacking of voicemail messages. This is the second time Rebekah Brooks has been arrested in relation to phone-hacking. However, this time it was not by appointment but in a “dawn raid” on the couple’s Oxfordshire home.
How ironic that the arrests coincided with the first day of the Cheltenham Festival. On Monday in his Daily Telegraph column, Charlie Brooks told readers – “the happiest moment of my year is about three hours before the first race”. Unsuspectingly three hours before the first race he was being held by the police.
On Wednesday I was at Cheltenham and Charlie made it for a Guinness at last. However, the irony doesn’t stop there… In the RSA Chase, a grade one event, top Irish trainer Willie Mullins saddled a 20-1 shot named Call The Police. Unfortunately the horse’s jockey, Paul Townend, is sponsored by The Irish Sun and the logo is prominent on his riding breeches.
The irony was not lost on some of our party who had an each way wager on the horse, who duly ran better than the odds forecast into third place.
And when your luck’s out, it really is out… Brooks hasn’t trained a winner all season!