Thank you to a Legend

We are excited to be opening the yard on Friday afternoon as part of National Racehorse Week, it is a fantastic opportunity to see behind the scenes and meet the team behind the racehorse! We will have our annual Horses In Training book available to purchase with proceeds being raised for The Injured Jockeys Fund. Golden Ace will be posing for selfies and a delicious cream tea will be available if you get peckish! We look forward to welcoming you all!

Dashel Drasher & The Long Distance Hurdle Trophy with Laura and Tanisha

One horse who we are saying thank you and wish him the absolute best in his retirement is Dashel Drasher who will be here to see his fans. He has given us, and his owners Bridget Tully and Richard Lock some fabulous days at Ascot, Newbury and Cheltenham to name a few! We have always been fortunate enough to have a flag-bearer for the yard, From the days of County Derry to Gone To lunch and Southwestern, through to Melodic Rendezvous. All displayed toughness and resilience and have allowed us to enjoy some great days racing, dining at the top table. Dashel Drasher kept us on that top table and thrived on the determination of maintaining his place. ‘Bugsy’ as he is known at home is a homebred out of a mare who won 5 point to points by a stallion who raced around the world. It was a pedigree Camilla knew well, having inherited it from her Stepfather. He was born and raised at Holworthy, along with his early friend Bonza Girl.

Broken in as a three-year-old, he ran as a 5-year-old at Wincanton winning his bumper by over 4 lengths and we entered him up in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham where he finished creditably mid-field. The following season he made his hurdling debut, placed on his first three starts before winning on his next four starts at Chepstow, Ascot, Newbury and Cheltenham.

The 2019/20 season was his novice chasing season, finishing second first time over fences at Newbury to Champ, having lost his front two shoes! He then managed to remove his jockey on his second start over fences at the very first fence so was quickly turned out at Haydock, winning easily however a minor injury curtailed his season.

The following season, post-covid, with no crowds at the racecourse, he won three out of his four starts, all three at Ascot, maintaining his unbeaten course record and included the 2021 Grade 1 Ascot Chase. When you watch it back, and listen to the commentary, all you hear are the shouting from the girls cheering him home above the commentary!

2021/22 started off with a 3rd in the 1965 Grade 2 Chase before winning over hurdles at Newbury and a career best run over fences to finish 2nd in the Fleur De Lys Chase to Two For Gold at Lingfield. 2022/23 kicked off with a win over hurdles at Aintree before filling the runner up spot in 3 Grade 2 races, the Many Clouds Chase, the Relkeel and the Cleeve Hurdle. We then headed to Cheltenham to take our chance in the Stayers Hurdle, finishing second having run a blinder, before being demoted to third on the day. We appealed the Stewards decision and thankfully won, and he rightfully got restored to second!

He returned to winning ways on his second start the following season, winning the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle, beating the ever-tough Paisley Park in a battle for the finish line. The rivalry was renewed at Ascot where he finished third behind Paisley and Crambo in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle, fourth in the Cleeve Hurdle before leading home the English challenge in the 2024 Stayers Hurdle.

s past season, he has kept his place at the top table, finishing third again in the 1965 Chase at Ascot, 4th and 3rd in Veteran Chases behind horses carrying over a stone less than him and ran a creditable race at Cheltenham on his final start.

He ran 37 times, won 12, 4 Chases, 7 hurdles and 1 bumper, earnt £452,043 in prize money, and peaked at 162 official rating over fence and 159 over hurdles. His tough, front running style earnt him a huge fan club of followers and he will be hugely missed from the yard here at Holworthy. He has retired sound and still in love with racing. We look forward to following his next career with interest whatever that may be.

THANK YOU BUGSY!