Ruby Walsh searching for the opposition when riding Un De Sceaux© Photo Healy Racing
With the return of the enigmatic Mad Moose just a few hours away I noticed the horse had remarkably done more tweeting than running in the last 12 months since his ban by the BHA.The talented, but shall we perhaps say intelligent dual purpose performer, will hit the racetrack again on Saturday and his loyal fan base are right behind him. It might help if that was a literal statement and preferably if they could wave a few items at him to encourage him along once the tapes are released. Just a suggestion…
I do love Mad Moose and actually managed to back him a few times with confidence before his brain kicked in and he decided when and what he wanted to do when faced with stalls, tapes or flags and a few other horses for company. When he puts it in he has ability and his rogue tendencies have, perhaps surprisingly, endeared him to many racegoers.
His twitter account @madmoosentd has over 4,500 followers keen to keep tabs on the Moose and his antics. He will run against a mate of his from the yard tomorrow in The New One which might help him to consent at the start but anything can happen. I wouldn’t rule out him running a big race and surprising a few as he did when second to the mighty Sprinter Sacre a couple of years ago. It’s great, in my view, to have him add a bit of colour to the track although hopefully not blue to the air come 3.10pm
Often the personality of the horse is disregarded but I am learning all the time that it matters a lot with racehorses. Mad Moose might be an extreme case but all race horses have little personality traits and kinks that their trainers, jockeys and stable staff are familiar with. Many months of work goes into preparing horses before they ever see a track - breaking them, schooling them and teaching them whilst trying not to lose their basic instinct to run as fast as they can under race conditions.
Speaking to Jim Culloty this week on RacingFM about his possible Grand National candidate Spring Heeled was an eye-opener. I suggested that he wasn’t the easiest to keep right having previously spoken to his Cheltenham Festival winning jockey Robbie McNamara and also crack flat pilot Oisin Murphy on RacingFM.
Robbie recalled the day at Cheltenham and his want to stop on the way down to the start and having to have a little help in the prelims whilst Oisin, who has of course spent much time at his uncle’s yard, spoke about the horses “feminine” qualities.
Jim Culloty was keen to stress it’s not an un-genuine characteristic but the best description was that he was a “bit of a worrier”. When faced with such a type it is then that a trainer and jockey's skill come into their own. Spring Heeled once off and racing and in a comfort zone under a good jockey was very happy, happy enough to land one of the most competitive races of the year but when you know what personality the horse has it is an even greater tip of the cap to those that put the work in to get him there.
Un De Sceaux is another fascinating type and often described by Ruby Walsh as “wearing his heart on his sleeve” which is obvious to those that watch him race. He has one way of running and perhaps only one way of thinking - let me go and let me go as fast as I can until the gas runs out. I reckon there is a lot of equine petrol in his engine and lot of personality in his make up. Characters like him make the sport that little bit more interesting to me.
The potential chasing star of 2015 is also on the twitter machine @UnDeSceaux but he might want to update his profile from “Champion Hurdler in waiting…” to include the word Arkle?
Have a great weekend
