Triumph of a Darlington syndicate who bought a racing horse

A group of men from a Darlington council estate paid eight grand for a racehorse in 2020. Showtime Mahomes won at York two years later. It would have been a great documentary subject, but even Nostradamus could not have predicted that such a cheap nag would cover itself in glory like this improbable triumph at the Ascot of the north.

Time for the show! The next best thing is (ITV1), which tells the story of what transpired after. Could they win at York again, after winning there? There is no question in your mind that this is the story. One man says, "We won at York," followed by another, and so on until they are all singing from the same hymn sheet. Did anyone mention that they won at York?

Like all these films where there's no guarantee of a happy ending, ITV has taken a chance. But not by much. Should they lose at York once more, would it matter? There's a good chance that this was the worst sequel. The reason that it isn’t is the sheer joy of their company.

The horse is not the star at all. This group of earthy brothers are all-natural television personalities. Their currency is lashings of laughter and beer and banter. They act differently than a typical syndicate. Unusually, their trainer Grant joins the group chat as they talk about their plans for refuelling on race day. He exclaims, "Oh my gosh, they'll be upside down before five o'clock!"

Among them are a couple of accountants, a taxi driver, a finance manager, a civil servant, and a spray painter. They go by the name Muffed Punt Partnership. The movie's cast could be chosen without much thought. You would fill it with ugly mugs and toby jugs, that kind of thing, gnarly northern character actors.

When they are unsuccessful at Thirsk, one of them asks, "It's not about the racing, is it?" "It concerns the day out." This sounds like the kind of reassuring speech men say to themselves when they lose. However, that bromide gradually reveals a deeper meaning.