Not a massive surprise this one, but four-year-old miler Dick Turpin was retired to stud last week following a fairly disappointing third racing year that included 'only' two Group 2 triumphs and one Group 1 success. The reason I use the word disappointing is more down to the colt being outclassed in his four big race outings (won by Canford Cliffs, Goldikova, Immortal Verse and Frankel).
Although not the best horse of his generation, Dick Turpin was incredibly successful, winning nine of his 20 outings across four countries and accumulating almost £1,000,000 in prize money. His best spell came during the first four months of last season when he beat Candford Cliffs in the Greenham Stakes, finished second in the English and French 2000 Guineas and the St James's Palace Stakes, before winning the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly.
I first came across the Richard Hannon-trained runner at Newbury last April. Having failed in an attempt to get to Jersey for a wedding (ash cloud from hell) four of us hit the road for Greenham Stakes day.
It was only the second race meeting I'd ever been to, and my knowledge of the sport back then was limited to understanding that the first horse past the winning post was usually declared the winner.
With limited funds at my disposal, I sat out a number of races, including the Greenham, but I picked Dick Turpin out before hand (as a sort of pin-drops-here type choice). An 8/1 victor that day, my allegiance to the colt had begun. But it wasn't until Newmarket two weeks later that I began following in earnest.
It was my stag do, and there was Dick Turpin lining up as a 25/1 shot in the 2000 Guineas. Ludicrous, I thought.
Advising all around me to back him each-way at the price, I was delighted when he put in another strong performance to finish just behind Makfi in second, and once again ahead of stablemate Canford Cliffs (a horse, despite his performances since, I've never taken to).
That was the last time I saw Dick Turpin in the flesh, but after two more good performances, myself and two mates backed him to great success in the Prix Jean Prat, a run that cemented his place as my favourite horse to date.
Following that French success, a move up to 10 furlongs at York for the Juddmonte didn't work out, neither did a crack at Goldikova in the Prix De La Foret, which finished off his three-year-old campaign.
Thrown back into the fray this April for the Sandown Mile, he made short work of his Group 2 opponents, setting up another clash with Canford Cliffs in the Lockinge at Newbury. Bumped when he was about to make a challenge, Dick Turpin finished an unlucky fourth (although he wouldn't haven't beaten Canford Cliffs anyway). A heavy defeat over a longer trip in France soon after led to my second best bet of the year, at Ascot in July. Entered in another Group 2 contest (the Summer Mile), the four-year-old was second favourite behind Side Glance. Not for the first time, I used the word ludicrous to anybody that would listen. Dick Turpin was 9/4, and once again he duly obliged, beating an out-of-his-depth Side Glance by three lengths.
Another crack at competing in France ended in failure, before the final victory of his career was chalked up in the Group 1 Premio Vittorio Di Capua in Italy. His season finished with British Champions Day, which unfortunately, was one too far again, thus signalling an end to a racing career that brought with it a number of memorable displays. None more so than me and my friends celebrating, either at the track, in the pub, or via text message.
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