What an amazing horse Suprise Package is; a fantastic run which opens up loads of opportunities going forward. Despite Peter’s bullish comments, it was still asking a lot for him to come back from a hip fracture in 2022 and a leg fracture in 2023.
It was close though: Peter was convinced we had been beaten, the guy next to me was sure we had won, and I was certain I had no clue. We have been here before and there must be something about him carrying number 6 that guarantees drama. The other four times he has worn that number cloth he won, finished a just beaten 2nd, unseated at the start and had a heart arrythmia.
He came out as fresh as paint this morning and ready for his next assignment, which is likely to be the race he won at Cork in two weeks’ time. He will be carrying a 10-pound penalty this year which is a bit of a penalty kick in the teeth (for those who are following from the last blog) but should still go well. We had decided on this tried and tested route before last night’s race so no need to second-guess ourselves now. We will sit down tomorrow and plan a schedule which is likely to balance flat and hurdles for the next few months.
In case you’re wondering, Peter retained his confidence all the way to the race, telling everyone who would listen that he was going to win. One guy, having recognized Peter, casually asked if he had a chance and based on the response went and had €500 on at 8/1.
Peter swore that he didn’t know the guy, but I am pretty convinced this gentlemen follows Peter from course to course, always asks the same question and this was the first time he had ever received a positive reply. He probably started with a fiver, has added a fiver every time since and end up with a €500 bank at Ballinrobe; he’ll be back to a fiver when he sees Peter at Wexford tomorrow. Which is just as well as, after that subtle segway, let’s talk about Peter’s only runner at Wexford: Freedom to Dream.
Because I can’t seem to shake it, let’s start with something positive: he’s a brilliant swimmer. This was Suprise Package taken yesterday morning, but Freedom to Dream is even more accomplished. This has created a totally new retirement option: an Equine Triathlon consisting of Running, Swimming and either Speed Eating or Dressage. I am considering suggesting this novel concept to Treo Eile who rehome and retrain racehorses and who, by an amazing and ironic coincidence, are sponsoring the last race on tomorrow’s card at Wexford.
I think we will hold off literally “passing the reins” over tomorrow, but they could be an option going forward.
Of course, Freedom to Dream looks a million dollars; he always does. We are throwing everything at him tomorrow, pulling out all of the stops, exhausting every idiom, to leave no stone unturned. We wanted a jockey who has never ridden him and is looking to prove that they can find the key; Jordan Gainford has been charged with this gigantic task and we are very happy to have him. We are fitting blinkers and we will ride him very differently to how we have previously. He is also back over fences because I am finding it difficult to accept the concept that he isn’t a better chaser than hurdler; a task he has made easier for himself by seeing his hurdle rating come down from 135 to 112 in two years.
He is running as if he doesn’t want to race; doesn’t want to be around other horses. A maximum field (14 runners) at Wexford isn’t what the idiomatic doctor ordered, but we can’t have our cake and eat it, so we went with our gut and didn’t overthink it!
Ber and I are convinced the downward spiral began after he banged his nose when he made a mistake in a beginner’s chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting in 2022. He was pulled up soon after and just hasn’t seemed the same horse on the course since. He works well at home and schooled well this past week, but tomorrow it is likely that will count for nothing. It’s particularly frustrating as when you look at his debut over fences, when he was by no means fully fit, he finished not beaten far behind horses like Gerri Colombe and Bronn who are rated 170 and 150 respectively. Freedom to Dream’s chase rating is 115 and has come down from 125 despite not having run in a chase for 10 months. Very frustrating for me and Peter, but also unfair on the horse to keep subjecting him to something he clearly/apparently doesn’t enjoy any longer. We may see a miracle tomorrow and, if we do, we will have all of the evidence to make sense of it. However, I suspect not, and our attention will turn to a post-racing career and/or happy retirement. If it is the latter, we can only hope he loves life as much as Bay of Freedom and, if it’s the former, it will be fascinating to see what transpires. One thing is for certain; we will do the right thing for him.
Keep your fingers crossed for a miracle!