Tag Archive for: Buzz

Hugely popular Buzz heads for long and happy retirement

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Cesearwitch and Ascot Hurdle winner Buzz has been retired by Nicky Henderson and owners Thurloe Thoroughbreds.

The popular grey captured the public’s imagination with a string of tough staying performances on the Flat and over hurdles for the Seven Barrows yard.

As a seven-year-old in October 2021 he captured the Cesarewitch under Oisin Murphy and the following month took the Grade Two Ascot Hurdle in the hands of Nico de Boinville.

However, he suffered a fractured pelvis on the eve of the Long Walk Hurdle and while he subsequently recovered to make a comeback after 508 days off in the Further Flight Stakes at Nottingham earlier this month, he finished last of five to Rajinsky.

In a statement, Thurloe Thoroughbreds said: “Our Cesarewitch and Ascot Hurdle star Buzz, who recovered so remarkably from a pelvis fracture last year, has been retired.

“It was a massive achievement getting Buzz back on the racecourse last week after a year and a half off. He was eased down after getting tired in heavy ground and although he was fine after the run he was lame and sore after the next day.

“It was a muscular lameness which flared up as a result of reusing muscles he hasn’t used for such a long time.

“We have discussed with Buzz’s vet Dave Matheson and have agreed that persevering with Buzz in training would be very tough on him as even though he is fit, well and enjoying his training, he does put so much into his work and his racing that he may always be a bit lame and sore afterwards.

“Therefore we have made the bittersweet decision to retire Buzz from racing.

“Buzz brought Thurloe on the most unbelievable journey from day one, throwing his all into every race he competed in.

Buzz and Nico de Boinville (left) took the Ascot Hurdle
Buzz and Nico de Boinville (left) took the Ascot Hurdle (Nigel French/PA)

“It was always going to be a huge achievement to get him back onto the track and we are so grateful for all of those who have been part of the process from Nicky Henderson and everyone at Seven Barrows, Dave Matheson, Charlie and Tracy Vigors at Hillwood Stud, Greta Mason and Matt Buckland and, of course, Reggie Pallas who has been devoted to him as his work rider and loyal partner from day one.

“Buzz’s character has made him a horse to follow but the fact that he has contributed to raising upwards of £150,000 for our charity endeavours, The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, has made it even more special.

“We are delighted that Buzz will retire with a happy and long life ahead of him with Reggie, who will be able to have him himself.

“He will have a summer off now and hopefully there will be plenty of wonderful adventures for him and Reggie to discover in their next chapter together. He has been a joy for us in every way to own and we are so happy he can have a long and healthy retirement.

“Thank you for the memories Buzz, you are, and always will be, a horse of a lifetime.”

Rajinksy registers surprise Listed success for Harry Davies

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Harry Davies notched up the first Listed success of his career as Rajinsky pulled off a shock to down Trueshan in Nottingham’s Barry Hills Further Flight Stakes.

Winner of the Cesarewitch Trial last season in the hands of Davies, Hugo Palmer’s seven-year-old made every yard in the testing rain-softened ground at Colwick Park and showed great resilience to pull out extra when pressed by Alan King’s star stayer inside the final three furlongs – knuckling down to hold off Trueshan by half a length at the line.

Although well held in Group One company at ParisLongchamp on his final outing of 2022, his victory at odds of 16-1 now puts him in the frame for some big assignments this term.

“We thought he would be fit enough today,” said the winning jockey.

“The competition was probably the best he’s ever faced really and he’s just improving as he gets older.

“Last year we learnt an awful lot about him and it is a very exciting year ahead.

“I know the horse will always get further and will always hit the line strong – he will never let you down and he will always try hard. When Trueshan came to me, he never let me down.

“I’m just so thankful to Hugo and the owners for keeping me on the horse.”

Rajinsky and Harry Davies (orange) coming home to win the Barry Hills Further Flight Stakes at Nottingham racecourse
Rajinsky and Harry Davies (orange) coming home to win the Barry Hills Further Flight Stakes at Nottingham racecourse (Joe Giddens/PA)

Palmer may now have to reassess Rajinsky’s targets, saying: “Plan A was to go for the Chester Cup. I thought if he could run between six to eight lengths behind Trueshan and have a blow, that would put him spot on for Chester, but I might have to re-think that plan now.

“He was entered in the Chester Cup this week and the weights come out next week, in which time he will be re-assessed.

“I think it is a bit of a leap of faith to say that was the best version of Trueshan, but he is still a dual Group One winner and that is a hell of a scalp for our horse to take.

“Like Trueshan, he is a ground-dependent horse and we need to find ground where there is cut in it. I can’t believe there is a huge amount of improvement in him at the age of seven, but he will still be very entertaining for us.

“We took him to France for a Group One last year but that came at the end of a long season and he probably left his effort on the Rowley Mile in the Cesarewitch Trial.

“I think there could be a lot of options for him back in France and it is definitely something we will keep an eye on.”

Brian Ellison’s Tashkhan plugged on gamely to take third spot, but there was no trainer happier than Nicky Henderson after Buzz returned from a 508-day injury absence.

The nine-year-old finished last of the five runners, beaten just shy of 27 lengths, but the Seven Barrows handler could not hide his delight about seeing the popular dual-purpose performer back on track.

He said: “We ummed and ahhed a bit this morning about whether to even run him because when it went heavy this morning, I got nervous. He got tired in it, of course he has, but if he’s all right in the morning, on we go.

Trainer Nicky Henderson speaks to jockey Rossa Ryan before the Barry Hills Further Flight Stakes at Nottingham racecourse
Trainer Nicky Henderson speaks to jockey Rossa Ryan before the Barry Hills Further Flight Stakes at Nottingham racecourse (Joe Giddens/PA)

“He enjoyed himself and Rossa (Ryan) said he came onto the bridle turning into the straight following Trueshan and I thought ‘oh good’ but not surprisingly he got tired.

“We’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve got him back on a racecourse. We decided we weren’t going to hurdle him this time around and we would stick to the Flat which takes the pressure off a little bit, but if he’s all right in the morning we will be very happy.

“It was lovely to see him back, he’s enjoyed himself and Rossa was great – he’s looked after him. He had a nice time.”

Buzz to be aimed at Flat return, as Henderson rules Aintree out

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Nicky Henderson’s strong team of hurdlers for Aintree will not include Buzz or Steal A March.

The Seven Barrows handler, who took his Cheltenham Festival winners tally to 73 when Constitution Hill gave him a record ninth Champion Hurdle, has ruled both out of running at the Grand National Festival.

Dual-purpose star Buzz won the Cesarewitch at Newmarket and Ascot Hurdle in quick succession in the autumn of 2021, but has been off the track since fracturing his pelvis the day before an intended outing in the Long Walk Hurdle.

Henderson felt a tilt at the Stayers’ Hurdle would have been a bridge too far and similarly feels bypassing the Liverpool Hurdle allows the nine-year-old grey more time to return to peak fitness.

“We are working away with Buzz, I think really concentrating on a Flat campaign,” said Henderson. “That would be the most likely scenario.

“He is not quite going to be ready for Aintree, anyway. It would be tough to throw him straight into a Grade One.

“So I think we will be looking, as long as the weather holds on for a bit in the summer, at the Flat.

“But he is in good form and it is great to have him back in action. He’s enjoying himself, anyway.”

Steal A March was well-fancied by the yard to land what would have been a popular victory in the Pertemps Final.

The eight-year-old, who gave Henderson huge satisfaction by winning a lowly Worcester handicap hurdle on June 4, providing the Queen with a winner during her Platinum Jubilee weekend celebrations, will similarly not make the team for Aintree.

Now carrying the famous purple, scarlet and gold silks of the King, Steal A March was a narrow runner-up on his seasonal bow in a decent Newbury handicap and then scored at Wincanton on Boxing Day.

However, he did not line up at Cheltenham and Henderson revealed he has met with a setback.

“Unfortunately we had a problem with him before Cheltenham and he is going to have to take a bit of time out, which is frustrating, because I was very, very keen to run him in the Pertemps Final,” he said.

“He’d qualified, he won his qualifier and everything was going really well, but we have bumped into an issue, which is very frustrating and that was literally the week before.

“He won’t go to Aintree or Punchestown, sadly.”

Buzz given Cheltenham entry as he continues on comeback trail

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Buzz has been handed a tentative entry for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival as he continues his recovery from a pelvis injury.

Nicky Henderson’s dual-purpose star has won five times for owners Thurloe Thoroughbreds since being bought out of Hughie Morrison’s yard, capturing the racing public’s attention when landing both the Cesarewitch and Ascot Hurdle in quick succession in 2021.

That set up the Motivator gelding for a tilt at the Long Walk Hurdle, but he suffered a fractured pelvis a day before the race and has been on the comeback trail ever since.

Although still in the very early stages of his training at Henderson’s Seven Barrows base, he has been given the option of competing in the Thursday feature at the Festival and James Stafford of owners Thurloe Thoroughbreds says it is a race they will think about if the nine-year-old gives the right signals.

He said: “He’s going through his very early paces. The entry stage was this morning so we had to make the entry for Cheltenham.

“It doesn’t mean Buzz is back, we hope he’s back, but if you are not in today you have no chance of running.

“It’s an entry, which if he tells us in the next two to three weeks he’s getting better, then we will think about it.”

Buzz will have been off the track for over 450 days if returning at Prestbury Park and Stafford believes the horse deserves that opportunity having been the model patient during his recovery.

“It would be fantastic to see him back as he has been the most marvellous patient and has done everything asked along the way,” he continued.

Buzz ridden by jockey Nico de Boinville (left) clear a fence on their way to winning the Coral Hurdle (Registered As The Ascot Hurdle) in 2021
Buzz ridden by jockey Nico de Boinville (left) clear a fence on their way to winning the Coral Hurdle (Registered As The Ascot Hurdle) in 2021 (Nigel French/PA)

“He deserves to come back for the effort, he as a horse, has put into his own well-being. There has been masses of loving people around him who have done a marvellous job helping, but he has been a massive help to himself, which is three-quarters of the battle.”

A percentage of the prize-money earned by Buzz has been donated to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, a factor Stafford thinks is another reason for his popularity.

He added: “The cancer charity link has captured the imagination, he has won a Cesarewitch and a Grade Two and he’s grey. So there’s lots to love about him and he’s a trier – he will never give up for you.”