Brave horse, good jockey - just enough!

I'm delighted to say that the score-board ticked over another notch on Friday thanks to one very brave horse and one top-class jockey. For nearly a year we've been in the happy position of, while not having many runners, having the odd winner come along often enough for it to feel as if we're an in-form stable, even if to the outside world we are not really making any waves at all on the overall pond at large. June's results hadn't been spectacular, notwithstanding Kadouchski's two very creditable placings, but happily that was put right on Friday (24th) thanks to Nigel (Must You Go) and William (Kennedy). I'd mentioned before that Must You Go has one impeccable credential (namely that he is a son of Hernando, a stallion who is in a class of his own as regards siring tough, genuine racehorses) and the Hernando in him shone through as he ground his way to a thrilling last-gasp triumph. He was never really going to win at any stage of the race, notwithstanding the fact that William subsequently said that he was happy enough throughout the race because the horse was racing so gamely that he knew that he'd stay on all the way to the line; but as the race developed Nigel showed that he has that special quality which separates good stayers from lesser horses: the ability to keep producing more and more still as the pressure continues to be applied. I was standing just after the line, and during the closing stages it suddenly came apparent, even from head-on, that the chestnut bearing down the outside was the one with the most momentum. As the three principals flashed past the post just in front of me, it seemed clear to me that Nigel had won - only for this conviction to be brought into question by the fact that it took over a minute for the outcome of the photo finish to be announced: first number six, margins a head by a head. So that was ever so exciting, and I hope that the before, during and after pictures of this genuine horse tell the tale.

The strange thing about Nigel's victory was that there was just me (and Gus) to greet him and William afterwards. His owner John Halley was at home in Ireland and his regular rider Aisling was not able to attend, which meant that the contingent who headed to Market Rasen consisted solely of Nigel, Gus and myself. And obviously Gus didn't come into the winner's enclosure, meaning that William was left to collect the prize and thank the sponsors single-handedly as I led Nigel away afterwards. But there is no harm in that: William is definitely one of the team, so I am delighted to have him represent the stable in any role on any occasion - particularly if it involves riding the horses. If you haven't seen the race, please try to dig it out on the internet somewhere. If you do, you will understand why I keep going over and over about what a good jockey William is: it was a genuinely first-class ride, on a horse who would not have won without a genuine 10 out of 10 effort from the man on board. William, as we know, doesn't get many rides, but I'd like to think that if we keep banging the drum, we might be able to make some small difference in that respect. He genuinely does deserve considerably more patronge than he receives. And as for Gus, he had a good day too. While Market Rasen is no longer the place to go in the summer if you're looking for a bit of cut in the ground, as it was when Nick Patton was in charge, it is still a very well-run track which takes good care of its racing surface. Gus gave the course the paws-up before, tired after his exertions, sleeping all the way home. He's now got to keep himself fresh for Stratford on Tuesday, where our lucky mascot will be required again to assist Frankie (Douchkirk).