It’s funny the races that stick in your mind for no reason. One of those races was an extremely average maiden at Camperdown in January last year.
And yes, I had a bet in the race. Why? None of your business.
Suffice to say the horse I backed got poleaxed at the furlong and tipped off the hoop, Maddie Lloyd.
She was OK and, in fact, rode the runner up in the Launceston Guineas a week later. The horse that won the race was a Paddy Payne trained gelding called Stand By Me Ned, the runner up, who laid in most of the straight was St. Jean gelding, a 10/1 shot called Half Yours.
And the rest is history. It’s always remarkable how so many stars of the turf got beaten by horses who, it’s fair to say, didn’t go on with it.
Stand By Me Ned, now with Marita Lawson at Kyneton, is still going around and won his second race at Wodonga in April. Half Yours has won his past two.
You never know who you’re going to run into. A few years back I had a small share with my mate David Price in a good filly trained by Robert Smerdon called Ungrateful Ellen.
She ran a couple of nice races in the 2015 Adelaide Carnival and, as she could stay, Robert decided to send her to Queensland for the Oaks. She ran well, she ran very well, but we just ran into one a bit better.
A Chris Waller filly who had won the Sunshine Coast Guineas the start before. Her Oaks win made it two in a row. She ended up winning 33 in a row. We ran into Winx.
When Mr Brightside came over after just the one run in New Zealand $18,823,500 ago, he made his Australian debut as a $2.90 favourite in a maiden at Bendigo and was beaten a schnozz after having every possible chance.
The winner Toomuchtobear was, at least, a more than handy horse for Chris Waller and won over $380,000.
Even champion mare Via Sistina, who has won 15 from 28, got beaten on debut. She first appeared on a racetrack at Thirsk in North Yorkshire and was beaten by Elvrika. Despite being bought at a breeze up for 110,000 Guineas, Elvrika only won two races and $27,000 in prize money before an early retirement.
$17,000,000 later, Via Sistina who whacked away for a 2 ½ length 3rd on debut in a Thirsk maiden, lines up for Group 1 win number 13 on Saturdfay
A useful front running mare called Pride of Jenni began her extraordinary career in a Monday 1100m maiden at Wangaratta. She went a bit wide on the home turn but really did have every chance. The third horse is another 8yo mare, the speedy Redneck Princess who is still going around for Ben Brisbourne and actually got the chocolates at Gundagai last winter.
The runner up, the useful galloper Crystal Chief, is also still going around but is struggling a bit but did manage 2nd in a field of four at Atherton in Far North Queensland a couple of weeks ago.
Giving up never won a race is an age old cliché but it’s so true. Your horse might get beaten at Balnarring today but greatness may still await.
