I got this email from 'friend of the blog' professional punter Alan Potts.
'Hi Simon,
Newton Abbot tomorrow has an unusual event, a horse running in a race named after that horse. Clearance, trained of course by Michael Blake, has won six races at the Abbot between Jun 2022 and Jun 2024, hence the race named in his honour tomorrow. And all after being claimed for six grand out of a Market Rasen selling hurdle.
But is it that rare - well Arkle never ran in the Arkle Chase, Bula never ran in the Bula Hurdle etc. Because those races didn't exist until after the horse had retired.
I can think of a couple that did get to run in their 'own' race. There was a hurdler called Manhattan Boy, trained by John Ffitch-Heyes that won 14 races round Plumpton and he contested a 1993 selling handicap
hurdle named in his honour about a year before he was finally retired.
And going further back to when I was a Windsor regular, a mare called Quortina won five consecutive races at Windsor evening meetings in 1970 and she returned to win the Quortina Challenge Cup in 1972.
And the most famous example, Desert Orchid featured in the first running of his race at Wincanton in his final season, but could only manage second to Sabin Du Loir.
So can your followers come up with any more examples?
Alan'
Well, can anyone? Please reply on my social media.
SERIOUS PUNTER?
If you have enjoyed this feature, aren't just a carpet bagger and don't already have an account with AK Bets, you might want to consider signing up, there's an introductory offer OF UP TO £100 via our link below. Mounty and I will get some commission if you sign up and lose, but he stands them so if you win, AK hurts! Please click below to add to his pain by bagging AK's BIG LIMITS AND BIG PRICES!
https://www.simonnott.co.uk/blog-racing/it-worked-in-the-80s-7-making-those-nurseries-pay