The Turf | 31 January 2009

Racing isn’t just about speed and style. Sometimes it is all about sheer guts. On trials day at Cheltenham, with the tacky ground sucking the life out of every leg, with every extra pound on a horse’s back feeling double on the lung-busting uphill drive to the post, courage mattered.

It was one of those heartening occasions too, so much more likely in jump racing, when smaller yards shared the spoils with the big boys. Not many in the Cheltenham crowd, I suspect, would vote left of centre. But racing crowds thrill nonetheless to a bit of redistribution of income and the victories of Joe Lively in the big race, the Letheby and Christopher Chase, and of The Sawyer in the Grade Three betchronicle.com Trophy were cheered to the echo.

Bob Buckler, whose Crewkerne yard has just 28 inhabitants, produced The Sawyer in perfect condition to take advantage of his light weight on heavy ground. He went into the lead after the seventh fence and though rider William Kennedy was working hard from three out he stayed on well, seeing off any who came to challenge with sheer tenacity. His beaming trainer declared, ‘I wouldn’t have dared to run him on good ground against this lot but he’s a happier horse if he’s out there in front doing his thing. He’ll fight anything that comes to him.’

And why is the horse still improving at nine? ‘Our horses are given time. They’re not abused early on.’ The advantage of a smaller yard is that the horses are treated as individuals. Of The Sawyer Bob Buckler says, ‘He’d be a lager lout. He enjoys life. But he’s a lovely character.’ As they say, any fool can get a horse fit, but it’s happy horses that win races.