by Colin Leslie, The Scotsman
Diamond sparkles for charity owners
DEC 2004
BLUE-blooded filly Attraction was cheered to the rafters when she visited Kelso on Sunday, but the Classic winner left the track as the second-most famous horse in the Borders after the heroics of a humble hurdler, who until just before 2pm that day had never won a race.
As Diamond Mick galloped to victory up Kelso's notoriously long run-in, he sparked scenes of emotion rarely witnessed at the venue, and in the words of his trainer, Rhona Elliot, completed "a fairy story".
The four-year-old gelding, whose prize-money this season will go to the Scottish Multiple Sclerosis Society, was the first horse to run in the orange, black and white silks of the MS Borders Racing Club, with the majority of its 35 members at the course to cheer him home.
Elliot, who has suffered from the debilitating illness MS for 16 years, had sent out her recently-acquired charge - without a win in 15 previous runs and off the course for eight months - more in hope than expectation, so when he ran his 12 rivals ragged at odds of 9-1 she was overcome.
"I am not usually emotional, but this is a real fairy story and I am very emotional," admitted Elliot in the winner's enclosure. "All thanks to Andrew Hollis, who bred the horse and leases him to the society, it has been a great day for us."
Officials at Kelso, where her husband Peter is a steward, had kindly laid on hospitality and a room for the club next to the paddock, bedecked with balloons and streamers, a fitting location for the celebrations which followed Diamond Mick's triumph and which have shown little sign of subsiding this week.
"It has been thrilling," said Elliot at her Hownam yard, ten miles from Kelso. "I have been getting phone calls and e-mails all week, and it's been wonderful to speak to people about something so positive.
"There were people there who had never been to the races before, and I could not have imagined how the experience could give so many people so much pleasure."
The MS Borders Racing Club have been avid followers of Diamond Mick since Elliot's head stable girl, Lorna Wood, gave a talk at one of their regular meetings and they now have horseracing inked at the top of their agenda. As the trainer explained: "It's a lovely way to meet people and chat about something good, rather than doom and gloom."
So great were her nerves on the big day, Elliot revealed how she had feared Diamond Mick might "fall at the first", but her impressive young jockey Rose Davidson (another club devotee) gave him a dream ride to record a three-quarters of a length win and ensure the £3,570 first prize would be going to a worthy cause.
"It was a brilliant ride by my jockey. I have a great team and they all played a part in the success," added Elliot, who took out her training licence last year after 25 years on the point-to-point and eventing circuits.
So what now for the hero-of-the-hour? "I've just been looking to see if I can find him a suitable race. It all depends on how sprightly he is," said Elliot. "I'm under even more pressure after he won first time out. Now the members who all won money on him at 10-1 think it is easy."
Win or lose, the members of the club - which runs in tandem with a well-subscribed racing syndicate - have been given fresh purpose to their activities, with Diamond Mick the perfect vehicle to raise awareness of MS and the need for improved facilities in the area, where there is no MS nurse or physiotherapy available.
Another two unraced horses have been recruited to race under the club's banner, and this unique venture is sure to bring a lot more fun to the lives of MS sufferers in and around the Borders.
As Diamond Mick galloped to victory up Kelso's notoriously long run-in, he sparked scenes of emotion rarely witnessed at the venue, and in the words of his trainer, Rhona Elliot, completed "a fairy story".
The four-year-old gelding, whose prize-money this season will go to the Scottish Multiple Sclerosis Society, was the first horse to run in the orange, black and white silks of the MS Borders Racing Club, with the majority of its 35 members at the course to cheer him home.
Elliot, who has suffered from the debilitating illness MS for 16 years, had sent out her recently-acquired charge - without a win in 15 previous runs and off the course for eight months - more in hope than expectation, so when he ran his 12 rivals ragged at odds of 9-1 she was overcome.
"I am not usually emotional, but this is a real fairy story and I am very emotional," admitted Elliot in the winner's enclosure. "All thanks to Andrew Hollis, who bred the horse and leases him to the society, it has been a great day for us."
Officials at Kelso, where her husband Peter is a steward, had kindly laid on hospitality and a room for the club next to the paddock, bedecked with balloons and streamers, a fitting location for the celebrations which followed Diamond Mick's triumph and which have shown little sign of subsiding this week.
"It has been thrilling," said Elliot at her Hownam yard, ten miles from Kelso. "I have been getting phone calls and e-mails all week, and it's been wonderful to speak to people about something so positive.
"There were people there who had never been to the races before, and I could not have imagined how the experience could give so many people so much pleasure."
The MS Borders Racing Club have been avid followers of Diamond Mick since Elliot's head stable girl, Lorna Wood, gave a talk at one of their regular meetings and they now have horseracing inked at the top of their agenda. As the trainer explained: "It's a lovely way to meet people and chat about something good, rather than doom and gloom."
So great were her nerves on the big day, Elliot revealed how she had feared Diamond Mick might "fall at the first", but her impressive young jockey Rose Davidson (another club devotee) gave him a dream ride to record a three-quarters of a length win and ensure the £3,570 first prize would be going to a worthy cause.
"It was a brilliant ride by my jockey. I have a great team and they all played a part in the success," added Elliot, who took out her training licence last year after 25 years on the point-to-point and eventing circuits.
So what now for the hero-of-the-hour? "I've just been looking to see if I can find him a suitable race. It all depends on how sprightly he is," said Elliot. "I'm under even more pressure after he won first time out. Now the members who all won money on him at 10-1 think it is easy."
Win or lose, the members of the club - which runs in tandem with a well-subscribed racing syndicate - have been given fresh purpose to their activities, with Diamond Mick the perfect vehicle to raise awareness of MS and the need for improved facilities in the area, where there is no MS nurse or physiotherapy available.
Another two unraced horses have been recruited to race under the club's banner, and this unique venture is sure to bring a lot more fun to the lives of MS sufferers in and around the Borders.
|