In the midst of all the dramas and the not so good news in racing, I would like to share the lifelong story of my personal bond with one of the many of thousands of Thoroughbred foals born every year. Certain individuals can leave a lasting impact on you as this filly did for me.
Whilst in the midst of my training career I went to the Inglis sale in Melbourne with friend and owner Frank Growbowski. I had already purchased a number of yearlings, but one caught my eye. A Cape Cross filly from Cambridge Stud. I went down to see her and really liked what I saw. Unfortunately I didn’t have the funds to purchase her. Whilst down at the same stable, another filly by Keeper, as we walked past kept following us. Each and every time I glanced at her, she was watching us. I thought this was a bit strange but shrugged that feeling off.
I went home that night but couldn’t stop thinking about the Keeper filly, or shake the feeling of dread. Did I make a mistake? I contacted Inglis and found out that she had been purchased by Cliff Brown for 50K. I couldn’t get her out of my head so I contacted Cliff and offered him more money for the filly. He said that he had been given the filly to train but he would speak with Cambridge and if we paid the reserve we could have her.
We did and we had secured her. My relationship with Sonia from the beginning was special. I can’t explain it other than, we just loved each other! She never showed too much at all in track work. In fact she could hardly break even time. She trialled a number of times over the shorter distances but showed nothing. I thought she just didn’t have it. As a last ditch attempt I tried her over more ground and she came from last, flew home and ran second. I now knew that I at least had a filly that could win races!
At three she won a 2000 metre maiden, raced in the Tasmanian Oaks and the West Austraiian Oaks, sandwiching in between a second to Vigor at Mooney Valley over 2000 metres.
Her racing pattern was quite amazing. Rather stressful to watch! She would sit last most of the time, round the field and finish off with a devastating sprint. An amazing turn of foot which you could not have foreseen in her track work. Sonia loved her job and no matter the outcome, as her trainer, one of the things I loved most about her is she ALWAYS gave her best, without fail.
I have never experienced a bond so strong with another horse in my life and I am sure the feeling was mutual. My wife Michelle and Sonia’s work rider, Farrah used to ask why I didn’t strap Sonia myself at the races. They would laugh and say she was never interested in them leading her around. Instead, whilst in the mounting yard, she was always scouting the crowd for me.
Her best win came at Mooney Valley as a four year old when she swept down the outside to defeat a mare who won the Geelong Cup at her next start and the third place getter being placed in an Oaks as a three year old.
As it comes to all who race, retirement loomed. I didn’t have enough funds to buy everyone out and fortunately, along came Mike O’Donnell from Fairhill Farm. We negotiated a price and she left to be added to his broodmare band.
I drove Sonia to the spelling farm she went to myself and truth be told, I cried the whole way. Our stable never felt the same to me after she left. There was a hole that quite honestly stayed there. If you ask anyone else, she wasn’t the best bred, fastest or prettiest horse, but to me she was. She was “ The Best Horse In The World”. Over my 45 years in racing, never has one horse made an impact on me like Sonia. I would shush anyone who said otherwise!
Since Sonia left to go live at Fairhill Farm, I have kept in contact with Mike and he his wife Debbie who have been wonderful stewards of her.
Sonia has been a good servant for them also, producing a very talented Group 3 winner Master Fay and her subsequent foals selling well.
Mike contacted me in the early hours of this to give me the devastating news that Sonia had passed away a short time earlier. She leaves behind a beautiful Acrobat filly who according to Mike, has the emerging spunk and huge personality of her Mother. It is an end of an era for us, but the memories of her remain vivid as I so clearly remember that little filly who picked me.
On reflection, sad as we all are of her passing, can a horse in this industry have had a better life? I don’t believe so. Bought as a yearling staying with the one trainer. Then onto Mike and Deb for the remainder of her loved and well appreciated life? I don’t think so. For that, I am eternally blessed and grateful.
Vale Keeping Score , you are always in my heart and my memories of you will never fade.
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ELITE RACEHORSE PEDIGREE ANALYSIS 