Bicester with Whaddon Chase Silver Spur, Warks
WILLIAM FOX GRANT'S faith in his "quirky" retrained racehorse Iona Lad was rewarded as his dream of Silver Spur glory finally came true.
"It was like being in a Jaguar - every time I put my foot down, he went quicker," said William, who also won the prize for first veteran. "I nicknamed him McLaren when I bought him, but I didn't think he'd be good enough. I was going to sell him at the start of the season, but he's going nowhere now!" The nine-year-old is by St Leger winner Scorpion,
whose other progeny include the mercurial talent Might Bite. Iona Lad didn't trouble the judge on his six starts under Rules his best finish was second, but his record that day notes he was "never any threat" to the winner.
He has found his strengths in his second career. William and his team have persevered, with a combination of increased fitness work for both horse and jockey and positive riding being the driving force behind their victory here.
"At the far end of the course, where we turned to come back, I quickened and that's where I won it," said William. "He's very quick across the ground and I don't think the others could catch him.
"Three from home, I looked to my left and I could see Roddy Stanning coming on Lostintranslation and I thought, 'He's going to get me.' "I pinged the second-last, put the accelerator down, and he just blew them away." The wet spring made for holding ground on this beautifully presented course, built by Ant McKenzie MFH, Jaisn Kruger, Marcus ThorpeCodman and Richard Beecroft.
Esta historia es de la edición May 02, 2024 de Horse & Hound.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 02, 2024 de Horse & Hound.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Jappeloup
A small horse who looked like two halves put together’, Jappeloup nonetheless proved to have a big heart and a huge talent”.
Collett takes two
A bumper fixture hosts 12 intermediate and open intermediate sections, as Paris contenders blow away the cobwebs
Capitalise on buyers' remorse
Equestrian properties might be in short supply, but prices are back to normal after the Covid frenzy as the capital lures buyers again
Games making
Equestrianism will be in the thick of the action in Paris, but the logistics of hosting Olympics in the heart of an iconic city are a challenge. Kate Johnson asks organisers, riders and grooms for their memories of urban Olympic sites
On the bench
Being picked as the \"fourth man\" to support a three-man Olympic team, ready to step in at any moment in the competition, requires a resilient and unflinchingly sportsmanlike mindset.
A brush with the Games
Want to know what really goes into preparing an Olympic campaign? Bethany Stone speaks to top industry grooms with star-studded CVs for the scoop
One moment in time
The Olympics is the zenith of an athlete's career but precious few scale those giddy heights. Sue Polley asks four British Olympians about their most memorable experiences
'Pride? I just felt relief
Blyth Tait on jumping barn roofs, \"freezing\" in the Atlanta heat and the day his eight-year-old prodigy won Olympic gold
Mental health advocate
Harry Dunlop retired from training in 2022, having held his licence for 16 years. He founded the Trainer Support Network in 2023
Hugo Simon
The six-time Olympian tells Bernard Bale about his \"extraterrestrial\" string of horses, changing nationality and his success at the boycotted Games