First Minister Puts Judges on Trial

Jack McConnell, the Scottish First Minister, giving a keynote speech at the historic Signet Library in Edinburgh this week, called on judges to make the "punishment fit the crime". While recognising the independence of the judiciary, he said that he could no longer ignore rising public concern at seemingly lenient sentences. He warned an audience made up of judges, chief police officers, prosecutors and others in the justice system that the courts would only enjoy the respect of the public if they got sentencing right. He added that the government could not abdicate responsibility to reflect the concerns of the public. His remarks come after a series of highly publicised decisions by judges to hand down what appeared to be excessively lenient sentences for serious crimes. He also pointed out that trials were often delayed and police and others involved in the legal system often have to waste time as a result of inefficient procedures. But the legal profession hit back at the First Minister, saying that reforms had to be backed up by adequate resources, paid for by tax payers.

Council Denies U-Turn on Road Charging

The Edinburgh Evening News featured a picture of the Edinburgh City Council transport leader dressed as the Iraqi information minister, calling him "Comical Andy". He had denied that there had been a U-turn this week on charging citizens living in suburban areas to drive to work in the proposed road charging scheme. There had been a barrage of criticism from people living in the Dalmeny, Kirkliston, South Queensferry, Currie and Balerno areas of the city when they were told that they faced a £2 charge for crossing the outer boundary at peak times. Now the plan has been ditched - with the council blaming the change on original bad drafting by council officials. Fearful of the impact on their business, the John Lewis Partnership, with one of the largest retail outlets in the centre of the capital, has pledged that it will fight the "congestion charges". They have commissioned a traffic study and said that if, as they expect, business dipped following the introduction of such a charge, they would demand a reduction in the level of local taxes to compensate. The store has completed a £25 million refurbishment and says that it would not have invested as much had they known the charges to enter Edinburgh might be introduced.

More Funding to Help Scots Stop Smoking

Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm announced this week that the Scottish Executive is to invest an additional £1 million per annum through National Health Service Boards to further expand smoking cessation services, particularly in Scotland's most disadvantaged communities. Services such as nicotine replacement therapy and counselling will be targeted at expectant mothers, young people and low income groups in these areas. The illustration here is of a "smoking area" set up outside a "no smoking" shopping mall. Premature deaths from coronary heart disease and mortality rates from cancer in Scotland are continuing to decline. The simple fact, however, is that the country's health is not improving fast enough.

Scotland to Pioneer Postal-Only Voting

If government plans to reform the voting system for the European Parliament are implemented, Scotland could have the first-ever national UK election conducted solely by post - although some voters may be able to use the Internet instead. The sweeping away of polling booths next year is being considered as a way of increasing the poor turnout in Euro-elections which slumped to below 25% in 1999. The move comes as it looks likely that the number of Scottish seats in the European Parliament will be cut from eight to seven or even six because of limitations being imposed following the enlargement of the European Union. The number of member countries is set to rise to 25 over the next few years.

Flagship Railway Station Hits the Buffers

It is being reported in the press that the £800 million redevelopment of Edinburgh's main railway station is certain to be postponed indefinitely because the Strategic Rail Authority, which is responsible for rail infrastructure improvements, has run out of finance. It is expected that £100 million will be spent over the next three years at Waverley Station to patch up the present building - and this cash will be provided by the Scottish Executive. Additional platforms, considered essential to allow services to expand, are likely to be restricted to one or two at the most. This would allow the re-introduction of a rail service to the Scottish Borders, planned for 2008.

Unemployment Total Continues to Fall

The current growth in consumer confidence and retail sales is no doubt helped by the continued fall in the number of people unemployed and by record numbers of people in employment. The July statistics showed that in Scotland the number unemployed and entitled to benefit amounted to 3.7%, 0.1% down on a year ago and the lowest figures for 28 years. The equivalent UK figure was 3.1%. Some analysts have been concerned that the employment market was being kept high because of increased public service jobs - in the UK out of a net total of 276,000 jobs created in the year to July , 197,000 were indeed in the public sector. But there has also been a big increase in employment in financial services companies. Meantime, manufacturers in the UK shed 133,000 jobs over the last year.

Postal Workers Reject Strike

In a postal ballot, workers in the Royal Mail have rejected a union call for strike action in support of a pay claim - much to the surprise of the union, the media and to the relief of employers and government. Everyone had expected a vote in favour of a series of one-day strikes but members voted by a narrow majority (48,038 to 46,391) to reject the strategy put forward by militant union leaders. Staff may have listened to management claims that strike action in the loss-making company would have been commercial suicide. Of course, many low-paid workers (some earn less than £300 a week and have to take second jobs to make ends meet) just could not afford to lose their weekly earnings.

Ups and Downs of Sean Connery

When the elevators in the new Scottish Parliament at Holyrood go up and down, the passengers are likely to be shaken and stirred by the voice of Sean Connery announcing which floor has been reached and stating that the "doors are closing". Sir Sean has agreed to help to promote the new building which, apart from being the home of Scotland's legislature, will also be a big tourist attraction. However, the more cynical Members of the Scottish Parliament, especially those who do not share his support for the Scottish National Party, are not impressed by Connery becoming the country's most famous lift attendant.

The "Myth" of All Day Alcohol Sales

In August, the Nicholson Report, produced after two years of investigation and consultation, proposed the widest reform of Scotland's laws governing the sale of alcohol for nearly 30 years. Media reports on the report spotlighted a recommended that the present restrictions on opening hours should be largely swept away, apparently allowing bars, off-licences and supermarkets to sell alcohol 24 hours a day, mirroring the more relaxed regime in continental Europe. Since then, there has been a lot of public reaction against the proposal and this week Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said that she thought that no case could be made for licensed premises to routinely to provide alcohol 24 hours a day. She suggested that the "free-for-all" opening of bars and the sale of alcohol was actually a "media myth" and that the report only recommended moving to a tailored 'premises by premise' approach founded on the investigation group's core principles of public order, health, and protection of children.
The illustration here is of Scotts Bar in Rose Street, in the heart of Edinburgh.

Paisley Department Store to Close

One of Paisley's largest department stores is to close. The Arnotts store in Gauze Street is part of the House of Fraser Group and has a been a flagship retail outlet in the town for generations. The closure in January will result in 160 job losses and staff only found out about the developments when the sale of the site for £2.1 million to an unspecified "non retail" purchaser was leaked. Many shops in the centre of Paisley have lost business since the opening of the out-of-town Braehead Shopping Centre a few miles away.

Train Services More Punctual

Scotrail, the main train service operator in Scotland, managed to get 87.2% of its trains arriving within five minutes of schedule in the period April to June this year. However, this is well short of the 90% target and Scotrail does not expect to achieve this level until 2005. Most of the delays are caused by track and signal failures which are not directly controlled by the company. Scotrail used to be the most punctual rail company in mainland Britain. In 1999, nearly 98% of their trains arrived within five minutes of schedule, despite operating 2,000 trains a day, more than any other train operator in the UK.

The Best Place to Live - Orkney and Shetland

Experian, a "consumer information company", has compiled a league table on the quality of life to be found in various parts of Scotland and they have concluded that the northern isles of Orkney and Shetland are the best places to live. Of course, as with all these assessments, it depends on the criteria used - cost of living in a remote island economy does not come cheap and access to other parts of the country involves more than catching a bus or a train. If remoteness and tranquillity is what you are after, then the northern isles have plenty to offer; less so if it's the bright lights and Premier League football. But Orkney and Shetland are at the top of this survey because of low crime, good health and education. At the opposite end of the scale was Renfrewshire (which includes Paisley) though neighbouring East Renfrewshire came in 4th top place.

Scotland's Top University

High teaching standards and excellent research at Scotland's oldest seat of learning has placed St Andrews at the top of the Scottish university league table for the second year running. Even so, eight English universities have been ranked higher. And some of Scotland's newest universities have the highest student dropout rates in the UK. Paisley and Glasgow Caledonian have around 30% of students who start at these institutions failing to gain a degree. Part of the reason is that they put a special emphasis on taking disadvantaged students - over 40% of Paisley undergraduates are "working class" and 98% of its students were educated in the public sector. St Andrews, with a drop-out rate of 3%, has only 57.8% of students from the public sector - the remainder were educated in fee-paying, private schools. The government has been pushing hard to get more young people to attempt a university course but too many find that they are underqualified for higher education.

Towns Blooming

Pitlochry in Perthshire won the overall title in this year's "Beautiful Scotland in Bloom" competition with Perth, a past champion, taking the runner-up position and also winning the Small City Award. The Fife village of Falkland won the Best Village title and Aberdeen won the City Class Award and the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Trophy for Seaton Park. Nearby Dyce won the Urban Community Award - for the fourth time.

TV Advertising for Loch Lomond

A major TV advertising campaign is being launched to encourage more tourists to visit Loch Lomond, in particular the Loch Lomond Shores development where shopping facilities, catering facilities and the National Park Gateway Centre are located. The advert is part of a campaign to attract more day visitors from central Scotland and the north of England, outwith the main tourist season. As a frequent visitor to Loch Lomond Shores (the combination of the classy Jenner's of Edinburgh restaurant and the view of the loch is unbeatable) I would suggest that tourists will need to get there early - Drumkinnon Tower closes at 4pm from October to March! Fortunately, those Jenners cream cakes are available for longer... The illustration of Loch Lomond was taken from Drumkinnon Tower at Loch Lomond Shores.

UK's Worst Driver

A man from Blairgowrie, in Perthshire, has been described as the UK's worst driver. He has been disqualified from driving for life following convictions on drink driving offences. But although John Williamson claims that he "only drives when I am drunk" he has been disqualified "for life" no less than EIGHT TIMES. He has also had other bans totalling a further 79 years. But, despite his appalling record, the court can only jail him for a maximum of one year. His latest conviction at Perth Sheriff Court arose when traffic police - who know him well - spotted him driving near Kirriemuir. Despite the police car sirens and flashing lights he continued to drive at speed - and only stopped when he reached his own front door, where he was arrested! Despite Williamson's lengthy record, the Sheriff then reduced his sentence from the maximum of twelve months to ten months - as he had pleaded guilty. But with automatic remission, Williamson will be back on the streets in November. He claims "I don't feel that I am dangerous. Other people are worse drivers than me."

500 People Jump from Forth Rail Bridge

Nearly 500 people abseiled down from the Forth rail bridge at South Queensferry near Edinburgh to raise money for charity last weekend. They raised £70,000 and many of the volunteers taking part wore fancy dress for the occasion. One Batman lookalike got stuck halfway down after his ropes became tangled. He had to be pulled back up a bit before they could be straightened out and he continued his descent to the ground below. The oldest person taking part was a 72-year-old great-grandfather who said he abseiled regularly as he is a "Munro-bagger" - someone who climbs Scottish mountains higher than 3,000 feet.

Weather in Scotland This Week

Temperatures for much of the week were again above the norm for the time of year, ranging mainly between 19C and 22C (66F to 72F). September maximum temperatures are usually around 16C (61F). The mild weather was certainly not due to lots of sunshine, however, as this was in short supply, though Glasgow did get over nine hours on Wednesday. Rainfall was mainly in the form of light showers but heavier rain in Shetland on Friday caused a number of landslips, cutting roads and isolating the southern part of the main island for a time.

This week's illustrations of current flowers in Scotland show first of all a lovely Schizostylis Coccinea, "Viscountess Byng" variety (above). It was photographed earlier this week growing in the Botanic Gardens at St Andrews in Fife. The picture below, on the other hand, looks like an experimental genetically modified strawberry which went badly wrong! In fact, it is the fruit of a variety of the Cornus shrub, seen growing in the walled garden at Finlaystone House in Inverclyde on Friday.

Kibble Palace Closing for £8 Million Facelift

Glasgow's Kibble Palace - a Victorian glasshouse in the city's Botanic Gardens - is to close at the end of September to allow a start to be made on a £8 million renovation programme. The thousands of plants it houses are being moved to storage at Bellahouston Park. But major work on the refurbishment will not begin until next spring and Glasgow City Council is looking at ways in which the building can be used while it lies empty - jazz and folk concerts have been suggested. The west wing of the neighbouring glasshouse at the Kibble (closed to the public for the last ten years) is also being refurbished and will house the city's internationally recognised begonia collection, which has more than 400 varieties. Finance is being provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland. 400,000 people a year visit the Victorian greenhouses in the Botanic Gardens.
The illustration shows a giant Spear Lily (Doryanthes palmeri to the botanists) which flowered at the Kibble Palace for the first time in forty years in 1999.

Scotland Loses Out in Restoration Programme

Two Scottish buildings were among the ten finalists in a BBC TV Restoration programme in which viewers were invited to vote for which derelict historic building should be awarded funds to save it. But Kinloch Castle on the island of Rum and Mavisbank House, a Palladian mansion in Midlothian were beaten by an Edwardian swimming pool complex in Manchester. Victoria Baths will receive £386,000 raised from the telephone charges paid by callers who voted for their choice of winner. Of course, losing the competition does not mean that the other buildings will be demolished. Indeed, the publicity and interest created by the programme has raised awareness of not just these buildings but many others which are currently at risk. Mavisbank, which has become a shell, needs an estimated £6.2 million to restore it to its former glory and create a country park in its grounds.

100-Year-Old Theatre Gets Makeover

The King's Theatre in Glasgow is to get a £100,000 revamp to restore it to its Victorian grandeur. The theatre was taken over from the City Council by the Ambassador Theatre Group and the chief executive says the original sketches for the building will be used as the blueprint for the restoration. The work will be completed in time for the theatre's 100th birthday in September 2004. External canopies, added in the 1950s, will be removed and new external lighting will illuminate the building at night, highlighting the architectural detail.

This Week in History

• September 21 1513 - King James V crowned at Stirling Castle.
• September 21 1722 - Minister, historian, playwright and tutor to the Prince of Wales, John Home born. After the first performance of his play "Douglas", people asked, perhaps rather optimistically, "Whaur's yer Wully Shakespeare noo?"
• September 21 1745 - Charles Edward Stuart victorious at Battle of Prestonpans.
• September 21 1756 - Road builder John McAdam born.
• September 21 1832 - Novelist (notably "Ivanhoe" and "Talisman") and poet Sir Walter Scott died aged 61.
• September 22 1931 - Birth of politician, Secretary of State for Scotland, Minister for Defence, Viscount Younger of Leckie (George Younger). Later became Chairman of The Royal Bank of Scotland plc.
• September 23 704 - Death of St Adamnan, biographer of St Columba.
• September 23 1678 - The Earl of Mar was commissioned to raise a regiment nicknamed "Earl of Mar's Gray Breeks" which later became the Royal Scots Fusiliers.
• September 23 1779 - Battle of Flamborough Head in which Scots-born John Paul Jones fought an engagement against the British navy. His ship, the USS Bonhomme Richard sank but he boarded and captured HMS Serapis.
• September 24 1332 - Edward Balliol, son of John Balliol, crowned at Scone. He was deposed by supporters of David II in December 1332, restored in 1333, deposed again in 1334, restored in 1335 and finally deposed in 1341.
• September 24 1962 - Birth of Scotland international footballer and later TV personality Ally McCoist.
• September 26 1290 - Queen Margaret, Maid of Norway ("Eiriksdotter") died, en route from Norway to Scotland.
• September 26 1860 - First Open Golf Championship held at Prestwick. There were eight entrants and the championship was won by Willie Park of Musselburgh.
• September 26 1934 - Liner Queen Mary launched at John Brown's shipyard, Clydebank. She went on to break the Atlantic record (the "Blue Riband") four times.
• September 27 1831 - Scotland's first passenger railway opened (between Glasgow and Garnkirk).
• September 27 1938 - Liner Queen Elizabeth, then the largest passenger ship ever built, launched at John Brown's shipyard, Clydebank.

Edinburgh's Hogmanay

The Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) celebrations in Edinburgh for 2003/2004 will be the eleventh year in which these massive festivities will have been organised. The full programme of events will be available from mid-November 2003, but if you want to get free passes for the Royal Bank of Scotland sponsored festivities on Princes Street, overlooked by Edinburgh Castle, 50,000 will be made available through a postal ballot. Applications for the postal ballot will be accepted between the 1 and 17 October 2003 ONLY. Applicants should send an A4 size, stamped addressed envelope to Edinburgh's Hogmanay, PO Box 23586, Edinburgh EH1 2YL. Applications are limited to two passes per person. The Official website for Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations went live at 2pm on Friday 19 September 2003 at www.edinburghshogmanay.org giving the most accurate and up to date details of the 2003/04 event as they are announced. There are details there of other methods of obtaining tickets for the street party and other New Year's Eve events.

Controversial Plan for New Ballet HQ

Scottish Ballet has been searching for a new home for many years as the premises they currently occupy in West Princes Street in Glasgow's west end are dilapidated and unsuitable for a modern dance company. But when it was announced this week that their preferred option was to move to the Tramway Theatre in Pollokshaws, Glasgow, it aroused a storm of criticism. The move would mean that although the theatre would continue, the Tramway would close as an internationally-renowned venue for displaying new art. Three years ago £3.5 million of public money was spent on a major refurbishment there and Scottish Ballet are looking for National Lottery funding to transform the exhibition space into rehearsal rooms and office facilities. But the Scottish Arts Council who control the allocation of such funds insists that a deal has not yet been agreed. The Tramway building started life as a garage for the electric tram cars which once ran in Glasgow's streets. Like all arts organisations, Scottish Ballet is short of cash and the sale of their existing premises could raise £500,000.

European Bagpipe Championships

Only eight bands competed in the European Bagpipe Championships held in Belgium last Saturday. Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia came out on top, with Field Marshal Montgomery (Northern Ireland) in second place and this year's World Champions, House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead, in third place. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band gained the most aggregate points across the five RSPBA majors to claim the 2003 "Champion of Champions" title.
The illustration shows members of the Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow last month.

Weir's Way a Hit

Tom Weir's enthusiastic and informative televised jaunts around Scotland were highly popular when they were first shown over 20 years ago. Now "Weir's Way" is capturing a 30% audience share once again. Admittedly, it's in the midnight to 3am slot, but it is trouncing the other night-time programmes and developing a cult following. His old-fashioned enthusiasm and polite charm has apparently spread to Internet chatrooms where friends are told to "check out the wee guy with the munchkin face and funny, woolen, bobble hat." Tom Weir, brother of the veteran actress Molly Weir, is now approaching his 90th birthday, but still tramps around Loch Lomond, walking for at least an hour each day.

Mid-Week Football Results

Rangers 2 Stuttgart 1 (European Champions League)
Bayern Munich 2 Celtic 1 (European Champions League)
Brechin City 1 Airdrie United 2 (Bell's Cup, semi-final, after extra time)

Bank of Scotland Premier League Results - 20 September 2003

Celtic 3 Motherwell 0
Dundee 2 Aberdeen 0
Dunfermline 0 Hibernian 0
Livingston 1 Kilmarnock 2
Partick Thistle 0 Dundee United 2
Hearts v Rangers will be played on Sunday.

Scottish First Division Results - 20 September 2003

Brechin 0 Inverness 2
Clyde 1 Falkirk 2
Ross County 2 Ayr United 2
St Johnstone 0 Raith Rovers 1
St Mirren 1 Queen of the South 2

BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 20 September 2003

Boroughmuir 10 Heriot's 14
Currie 35 Ayr 10
GHA 24 Melrose 31
Hawick 20 Aberdeen 35
Peebles 13 Glasgow Hawks 16
Stirling County 21 Watsonians 32

League Tables

With Rangers still to play on Sunday, Celtic are at the top of the Scottish Premier League with 16 points (from six games) with Rangers on a total of 15 points (from 5 games). Hearts have 12 points from 5 games - even a defeat on Sunday would still leave them two points clear of 4th position Dundee. Partick Thistle now trail in the SPL with two points, while Dundee United have now risen to second from the foot, two points ahead of Thistle.
In the First Division, Ross County lead the table but only on goal difference as Raith Rovers, Inverness and Falkirk all have the same number of points.
In the BT Scotland Rugby Division 1, the leaders are Glasgow Hawks and Aberdeen, both with 18 points, followed by Heriot's on 17. Ayr have yet to earn any points and lie at the foot of Division 1.

Perfect Start for Rangers

Despite losing a goal near the close of the first half, from a 30-yard free kick, Rangers fought back in their European Champions League group match at Ibrox against German side Stuttgart and eventually won through 2-1, thanks to goals by Nerlinger and Lovenkrands.

Bad Start for Celtic

Celtic pushed their German opponents hard and scored first from a brilliant header by Alan Thompson. But in the end Celtic lost this opening match in the Group stage of the European Champions League. Bayern Munich came back with two goals late in the second half. Goalkeeper Magnus Hedman was blamed by the media for conceding the second goal.

Celtic Fans Queue Overnight

Hundreds of Celtic fans queued overnight in the rain on Sunday to make sure they got tickets for Celtic's home matches in the European Champion's League. 500 fans were waiting when the ticket office opened at 9am on Monday. Unlike Rangers' fans, many of whom were unable to get tickets, Celtic limited each person to four tickets to ensure that as many supporters as possible got the chance of buying tickets. Celtic season ticket holders had already been given priority and it was the remaining tickets which were being sold. But Celtic had to return 10,000 unsold tickets for the match against Bayern Munich because many of their fans say that they spent too much money attending the UEFA Cup Final in Seville last season and cannot afford to travel again so soon. Only 5,000 fans were expected to travel to Germany.

Playing on Plastic

Dunfermline have become the first soccer club in Scotland to instal a pitch made from artificial material - the first competitive match was played on Saturday. Some English clubs have installed imitation grass surfaces but they have never been popular - the English Football Association does not allow FA Cup matches to be played on synthetic surfaces as it believes it gives the home side an unfair advantage from being used to the different speed and high bounce of the ball. Dunfermline has been given a £130,000 grant from UEFA, the sports European governing body, to be one of four clubs in Europe to try out a new plastic surface from XL Turf. With Scotland's cold and wet winters, some of the grass surfaces become threadbare and treacherous and are compared to ploughed fields. But some purists believe that "real" football can only be played on real grass (or mud).

Football at Home of Rugby?

It is understood that Heart of Midlothian Football Club have been in talks with the Scottish Rugby Union about using Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh for their home matches. It now appears very unlikely that Hibernian, the other Edinburgh-based Premier League club, will join Hearts in the proposed joint stadium at Straiton on the outskirts of the capital. So Hearts have been looking at other options to try to cut their costs and still have a high class stadium - their present ground does not comply with new European size regulations. One problem with Murrayfield (apart from rugby purists who would be horrified at the ground being used for a sport they disdain) is that it has a seating capacity of 67,000 and Hearts are hard pushed to fill their 18,000-seat stadium for normal games.

Scots to the Fore in Solheim Cup

Two Scottish lady golfers played a major part in helping Europe defeat the USA team and regain the Solheim Cup last weekend. Janice Moodie beat Kelli Kuehne 3 & 2 and Catriona Matthew had the honour and delight of clinching a 17½ to 10½ victory by defeating Rosie Jones by 3 & 1. Mhairi McKay also made her contribution to Europe's third win in the last eight years. The last win was at the Loch Lomond course in 2000.

Champion Curler Takes Coaching Job

Millions watched Rhona Martin, the Scottish captain, win gold in the final of the curling contest at the last Winter Olympics. Now she is to help the team win gold again - as one of Scotland's most senior coaches in the sport. She will work with other professionals, sports scientists and nutritionists to ensure that the next generation of Scottish curlers stay one step ahead of the competition.
The illustration is of a banner featuring Rhona Martin which is currently on display in George Square, Glasgow.

Prince Drives Himself Into Golfing History

Prince Andrew became the sixth member of the royal family to become captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews. It was the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII who first became captain in 1922. He was the first member of the royal family to send a ball from the first tee at the Old Course which is then followed by a mad scramble as the official caddies fight to recover the ball and bring it back to the new captain, exchanging it for a gold sovereign.

Ayr Gold Cup

The £105,000 Tote Ayr Gold Cup (Showcase Handicap) was run on Saturday, September 20, 2003 at Ayr Racecourse (pictured here). This was the 85th running of this great six-furlong handicap for three-year-olds and upwards horses. The Ayr Gold Cup was first run in 1804 as a two-mile race for three-year-olds and upwards bred and trained in Scotland. Since 1908, the Ayr Gold Cup has been run as a six-furlong sprint. The winner of the first race was Lord Cassillis' 5 year-old "Chancellor" and the winner this year was "Quito", an unfancied horse in the betting.