Big Yards - Can They Get Too Big?

I was lucky enough to do my school work experience at a racing yard. Edges racing stables in Longton, Preston. It was about 10 years ago this and I remember they had, for them, a real good horse. Compared to the rest, this horse was given sublime treatment. It was actually quite astonishing, even as a 15 year old with no idea how things worked.

In terms of the big guns. I'd imagine the 'better horses' of the yard are given far more attention than the ones that aren't as good. Probably correctly so, but if you was the owner of a lesser known horse maybe not.

If I was ever lucky enough to own a horse, I'd maybe send it to a smaller lesser known yard where it can get more attention. It's all a matter of opinion though.

Trainers like Oliver Sherwood won't have anywhere near the facilities or money to find such an operation like a Mullins or Nicholls.
 
LUKE said:
Sporazene was the beneficiary.
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Thanks Luke, that was the one. Carried 10st 13lb's as top weight. Nicholls kept Rigmarole in off top weight after running in the Champion Hurdle, and withdrew him on the morning of the race.
 
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This all happened in 2004, when Paul Nicholls declared the 164-rated Rigmarole. The horse had run in the Champion Hurdle two days earlier, so he was withdraw on the morning, the reason was given as "not having recovered from his exertions." The second highest-rated horse in the County Hurdle was Sporazene, also trained by Nicholls, who would have carried 11st 12lb if Rigmarole had not been declared or if there had been provision for an alternative handicap. As it was, there was no adjustment, and Sporazene carried top weight of 10st 13lb. Eighteen of the twenty three runners had to race from out of the handicap, while others, including the Jessica Harrington-trained Macs Joy, were not declared because they would have been so far wrong at the weights. Nicholls did nothing wrong, he acted within the rules, but it was a farcical situation and not surprisingly, Sporazene won.
 
I think there was another promising 5 year old off 10st called Harchibald running in the same county hurdle. 12 months before that infamous champion hurdle.
"Joined winner on the bit after last, shaken up final 50 yards, lacked response"

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A trivial observation. I once owned 25% of a horse trained by WPM and although I am not exactly homeless, it was a significant financial investment for me at the time. (10 years ago+). One of the things that intrigued me was the scatter gun entry policy. [As a novice chaser our yoke was once entered in the GN and a 2 mile handicap hurdle on the same day.]

As well as his genius, another differentiator for Willie is that he has owners with bottomless pockets and entering horses in multiple races is never a cost consideration. I often wondered would he be better off if he gave himself less options, or had owners that cried 'stop' a little more.
 
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