We are into the ‘top five moments’ from our trio of training columnists – and there are plenty of surprises still to come including a ‘top five WORST moments’ which are at least as interesting. .
GRAHAM HOLLAND: In terms of big race successes, the highlight was probably finishing first and second in the Irish Oaks with Ballydoyle Honey and Hovex Princess. I was away at the English Derby and arrived home just before the final. Nicki paraded Honey and my daughter, Rachel, led Princess, who was practically her pet. Both bitches ran well throughout the event and were amazing on the night. Although I am including the race as among my ten special moments, in our house Nicki gets all the credit.
Julie McCombe with Talktothehand – pic Steve Nash
PAT ROSNEY: It would have been early in 2001 and I was trying to buy a bitch pup from Ian Greaves. My very good friend, the late Seamus Graham, had offered to pick a pup out for me but they were all sold. Seamus bred a few litters himself and gave the bitches away to the lads who worked in the kennel, who would sell them on later as a bit of a bonus.
Anyway, Seamus suggested that one of the lads had a nice blue bitch pup who was unraced, was I interested at £2,500. He needed a decision straight away as she was due to have her first hand-slip the same day.
I said I would take her and Seamus phoned me back after the hand-slip and said I think your money is well spent. The bitch turned out to be Talktothehand, who went unbeaten through the 2001 Oaks. She was in Jimmy Gibson’s name but we trained her and she then went on to breed a number of good dogs, most notably Micky Robbie who won the Swindon Produce for us. Talktothehand did us proud as a racer and a mum and stayed with us for the rest of her life.
MARK WALLIS: How could we possibly leave Adageo Bob’s last race out of our top 10! Bob one of the most popular dogs in training over the last few years had a race record to die for 44 wins in 84 races leading up to this years Essex Vase including 25 around Romford over 575m.
He had broken the magical 35.00 barrier on no fewer than 15 occasions but that elusive big title had eluded him. A first round exit in 2013 when known as Blonde Bobby never gave an indication as what was to come. But his emerging talent shone when a brilliant second in the Essex Vase to kennel mate Reel Trickyone in 2013. Not entered for the Coronation Cup In 2014 he looked invincible in the 2014 Champion Stakes having won 11 on the spin over the course and distance going in to the event, sadly a missed break and a bad bump out the traps in the semi final put paid to his winning aspirations.
But he was arguably even better in the Essex Vase in December that year, after a first round demolition he was made an odds on favourite at the semi final stage to lift the title but a well documented traffic and weather delay turned our 90 minute hour journey into a four hour one and we missed his kennelling in time by around 5 minutes. To say we was gutted is as bigger understatement than you could imagine. Bob came back on finals night to equal Airport Captains track record 34.67 to show people what he could have done in the final had he have got there
I vowed to his loyal owners Dick and Ann Barfoot we would come back in 2015 and win one of the big three events and early in January he set about winning the Coronation Cup. But he was thwarted by an inspired Soviet Kenny in the final going down by three quarters of a length in a very good time, though one we knew Bob could and might have bettered, 34.90.
Still in great form including winning a heat of the Derby much to the delight of everyone watching on RPGTV he came into the Champion Stakes again as ante post favourite. He came into the events following a veterans race over four bends at one of Towcester’s big meetings and looked in great form but for some reason it wasn’t happening. They are flesh and blood, not machines.
When the competition got underway a missed break in the heats and semi finals had the commentator and crowd in gasps of awe as he came from last to first to win. But that wasn’t Bob’s style, and although much better in the final, he got no sort of run and looked a shade below his best despite our valiant efforts. He would finish third to one of his kennel mates again! Patchys Kerry.
That left us with one chance which would be his last one the Essex Vase, after the tragic death of popular owner Mitch Millward the race name was rightly named the Mitch Millward Essex Vase. Bob was laid out for the event, but many dog followers thought his chance had long since gone as he was now 4 1/2 years old. Two defeats at Towcester in preparation for the event had me kidding people all was well. To be honest it wasn’t. Bob was starting to look his age and I announced that whatever his fete this competition was going to be his last one ever.
With that decision already made, three days before the first round we were hit with a massive bout of kennel sickness. We came into the kennel to find Bob looking very sorry for himself and very off-colour. The only option is 24 hours starvation is the standard procedure. But much to our frustration, Bob still didn’t look 100% with just 24 hours to go before the first round. On ‘decision day’ he seemed better and I was surprised to see his weight was nearly normal. I waited until after we fed and about 10 minutes before we should have left for Romford I gave him a good massage and ultrasound and he seemed well so we decided to put him on the van.
Trainers live or die by their decisions, and that turned out to be a good day. Although not at his very best he comfortably won his heat. But if we were getting cocky, that was knocked out of us with the semi final draw, which was a good a semi as you would ever see with three heat winners. But we had Adageo Bob. Okay a slightly greying Bob, but he put his field to the sword winning in a magnificent 34.78 just 11 spots outside his track record.
On the Friday the Sky cameras came to the kennel and though he was a bit tired he looked in good form. On Monday the day before the race panic stations as my physio Ron Mills was unable to come to the kennel. This was to be his last bit of preparation for the final, I myself had to do the physio work but because of an extraordinary day where a couple of things cropped up, it was around 7 o clock at night before I got to lay a finger on him – and the other four runners on the card.
I think I’d gone greyer than Bob in those days leading up to the race, on the big night, Bob seemed in magnificent order. He was bouncing and you could sense many of the crowd had turned up just to see Bob run his final race. I got a text from Sarah saying the Sky show was really building him up and the kennel shoot they had done looked really good.
The night started well as our first three runners all bolted up but it was a magnificent final and his chief rival was the brilliant Fivestar Clipper. He had won seven on the bounce and was on fire. Could poor old Bob possibly beat such a great adversary?
Yes he bloody could!
Flying from the boxes his old zest was there and throwing himself into the first bend he took no prisoners and came out the second bend two lengths in front. Majestically striding out he drew clear of his rivals and the clapping and shouts of ‘easy easy’ from his adoring fans on the terraces as he came home over eight lengths in front was a memory I will take to the grave with me.
The emotion in me come out and yes I am human! What a celebration at the podium with his loving owners Dick and Ann Barfoot as well as their family and all my staff that came down to watch him, the standing ovation from the crowd and the trophy being presented by ours and everybody in the sports friend Mitch Millward’s partner Nicola and his family was something only dreams are made of.
I know Mitch would have been the first one to shake my hand, possibly the best training performance of my 12 years in charge at Imperial Kennels.
