Come and gone

It’s safe to say that I won’t be sorry to see the back of 2013. Part of life in a racing stable is that horses come and horses go, but this year we’ve had to say goodbye to a few more than usual.

Only one was lost completely, and that was dear Alcalde, during a hurdle race at Warwick in March. He didn’t fall – he was too good a jumper for that – but he broke a hind leg on the flat and Will Kennedy pulled him up immediately, enabling the vet to take the only option left to him after such a devastating injury. Having lost Kadouchski the previous August in a similar way it was particularly hard to bear for us and for the members of the Alhambra Partnership who owned him and are passionate racing folk. Both horses were real old friends who meant an awful lot to the team here and it’s impossible, even now, to think of either of them without shedding a tear.

Anthony and Ex Con, left, with John and Alcalde

One of my favourite photos accompanies this passage, of John on Alcalde alongside Anthony on another old favourite Ex Con. The latter retired in May with five wins to his credit and joined the British Racing School, where he has quickly become a much-loved member of the team there. Also on the BRS team is Brief Goodbye, a former seven-time winner for this yard, who turns 14 tomorrow and retains every ounce of enthusiasm. I’m told he regularly bucks students off at the school – bucking was a particular favourite pastime of his – but he too is loved and valued by the team at BRS who do a fantastic job, along with the apprentices, of looking after the 50-odd horses in their care.

Brief ran 50 times for his seven wins and eight places, remained in training until he was eight and has been active ever since his ‘retirement’. The fact that he is still sound and loving life speaks volumes for the care given to him by his trainer during his many seasons here and subsequently by his first rider in retirement, Clare Malcolm, then the BRS.

Jack Dawson with Steve Smith Eccles

There was news recently of another grand old servant of Beverley House Stables, Jack Dawson, who was awarded the RoR/SEIB Elite Endurance Performance Award for having completed 1500km since his retirement from racing. Jack, a nine-time winner on the Flat and dual scorer and black-type performer over hurdles, left here as a 10-year-old having run 71 times. His part-owners Margaret Donnelly and Paul Wright teamed him up with the excellent endurance rider Lorna Kidson, who also now has his younger sister Jenny Dawson, and they have formed a very successful partnership. Jack celebrates his 17th birthday tomorrow and we couldn’t be more delighted to hear that he’s still thriving.

Jack’s other small claim to fame is that he was one of AP McCoy’s 4,000 winners (and counting), that victory coming at Southwell on 13 September 2002 when he won a novice hurdle by 22 lengths. Other jockeys to have partnered Jack to glory are Stevie Donohoe, Franny Norton (x2), Graham Lee, Ted Durcan (x3), Steve Drowne, Richard Hills and George Baker.

It’s fair to say that I am John’s staunchest supporter but I know from the nice emails we receive through this website, along with messages on Twitter and Facebook, that there are plenty of people who follow this yard and for that we are ever grateful. John’s way of training is perhaps no longer so

Brief Goodbye leads Our Vic at the British Racing School

fashionable in that he’s always been one to bring horses on steadily, letting them tell him when they are ready, mentally and physically. Some owners are less prepared to take a long-term view these days and that is understandable considering the cost of having a horse in training when prize-money, despite some recent advances, remains too low. However, horses like Jack Dawson, Brief Goodbye, Extreme Conviction and Kadouchski – all but one chuck-outs from bigger yards who went on to win 30 races between them – show what John can do with the right horse who is given a bit of time to come to himself.

It happens to plenty of trainers, and we've benefited at times from other people's losses, but it’s been pretty gut-wrenching to lose some horses to other stables this year, particularly recently a three-time winner for this yard. As she’s a mare we had here from her yearling days we’re naturally very fond of her and hope that she continues to show the good form she did when racing for this stable. She’s game and straightforward and deserves plenty more success for her owners. I guess the best way to look at these situations is to consider ourselves fortunate to have had the horses here in the first place and to continue to hope that in time they will be replaced by some new recruits, as some of them have been already.

In racing, as in life, it’s never wise to look back too often, even though it’s hard to avoid doing so on the final day of the year. So we’ll look ahead, to tomorrow, and to 2014.

Prospective young hurdler Wasabi

I’m particularly looking forward to seeing Indira back in action for the Severn Crossing Partnership in the coming week after her promising runner-up finish on debut a few weeks ago. Wasabi has been schooling away and will do more of that over the next month ahead of her first hurdles outing for Tony and Rebecca Fordham. The Vicarage family’s much-loved Zarosa will return from her holiday at Colton Farm in a week or so, bringing with her my soon-to-be two-year-old Delatite. They will be replaced at the farm by Delatite’s brother Oscar, who is on an enforced three-month break following a minor injury (if ever a horse has taught me about patience it is Oscar), and Russian Link, who will be aimed at hurdles next year and will need to show an attitude to match the ability we know she possesses.

Roy Rocket, owned by John with long-time supporters Larry and Iris McCarthy, is back in work, and his little sister So Much Water has recently been broken in. We’ll also be welcoming the three sales yearlings back as two-year-olds in the spring. They have all been broken in and ridden for a short time and are now enjoying a deserved break at the respective owners' farms.

Ethics Girl, the complete all-rounder, with Will Kennedy

Some favourite old faces are still with us, including the irrepressible Ethics Girl, who is about to turn eight. She’s been here since she was a yearling and though we know she’s no star in the wider world of racing, she is to us. She’s raced 52 times, for six wins and 16 places, with victories in the Brighton Cup and Hambleton Cup. Above her obvious willingness to compete, however, is the fact that she is simply such an adorable creature in every respect. She’s kind, enthusiastic, tough, tiny and straightforward. Quite simply, we all love her. We’re very glad she’s still around and we’re immensely grateful to her owners Lawrence Wadey, Bill Benter and Gerry Grimstone for their loyalty and support over many years with a number of different horses.

Happy New Year from Gus and from us

This week there have been several high-profile reminders of how fragile thoroughbreds are, with the loss of Black Caviar’s two-year-old half-brother ‘Jimmy’ to that cruel disease laminitis, and Silver Train and Piping Rock to the equally cruel colic. These are just the ones we know about and they are a reminder that every day you turn in and there has been no equine drama is a good day.

The biggest hope when working with animals is that they all remain safe, well and sound throughout the season. I hope that not just for our own horses, but for them all. I’d like to say a special thank you to everyone who has supported this yard in myriad ways over the last twelve months, and to wish you all a happy and peaceful new year.

And most importantly, happy birthday to all northern hemisphere thoroughbreds, and thank you for the unending joy you bring all fans of racing.