Meet the “well-known for being quirky” racehorse Harper’s Brook

Nationwide Hunt coach Ben Pauling describes eight-year-old gelding Harper’s Brook as one thing of an “enigma”, having dramatically pulled himself as much as a near-walk in his earlier three races – normally with victory in his sights.

Actually, he hadn’t gained a race since November 2022 and so they’ve tried each tactic within the racing guide.

However on Saturday (3 February), with some sympathetic cajoling from new jockey Ben Jones, the quirky gelding survived a drama-packed race and maintained his ahead momentum simply lengthy sufficient to win Sandown Park’s Virgin Guess Each Saturday Cash Again Handicap Chase, a lot to the delight – and reduction – of the staff.

Groom Shannon Parker, who has sorted Harper’s Brook for the previous two seasons, tells H&H she ended up in floods of tears after he lastly crossed the road in entrance.

“Typically it’s laborious to maintain the religion with him, however he’s lastly completed it,” she says. “I couldn’t assist myself however I truly cried – I feel it was reduction actually since you nonetheless love him, however there’s all of the frustration when he retains coming second.”

Coach Ben Pauling: “Harper’s Brook simply says ‘I’m completed!’”

The coach says The Megsons’ son of Ask has at all times been one of the gifted horses on the yard.

“He confirmed that in his early profession, however he’s turning into well-known for being fairly quirky,” says Ben Pauling.

“Getting his head in entrance throughout the road hasn’t essentially been simple, however at Sandown issues got here in our favour. It’s not from lack of capacity or tiredness that he stops, he simply decides he’s completed sufficient and says, ‘I’m completed’. As a coach, it’s a unprecedented feeling as a result of you may’t do a lot about it. As a jockey, you might be only a passenger.

Harper’s Brook (Ben Jones) jumps the final en path to his first victory since November 2022.

“He has a simple means of going about life, he’s a superb jumper, he has an enormous stride and at house he’s an outstanding workhorse,” continues the coach, who additionally gained the Sandown bumper with Sixmilebridge that day.

“You don’t desire a messy race, however paradoxically it might need saved him – the unfastened horse almost knocked him for six on the Pond Fence, then he almost fell on the second-last, however he travelled so nicely.

“Shannon will get a little bit of stick on the yard for him, however she at all times sticks up for him. Hopefully he’ll win a lot extra races when it falls proper. Simply don’t rely your chickens earlier than he’s crossed the road.”

“He’s a monkey and everybody provides me stick, however he’s a dream to journey”

Shannon says Harper’s Brook retains everybody on their toes.

“He’s so massive and exquisite however everybody is aware of when he’s round at house!” she says. “He jumps everywhere in the store after we’re driving out and units everybody else off – it’s nice enjoyable for me! He’s a monkey and everybody provides me stick for him. However he’s a dream to journey, particularly to canter, and he works so nicely, he doesn’t even have to attempt to I by no means carry a stick on him.

“However as quickly as you push him, he goes backwards and jockey Ben Jones mentioned he needed to inform himself to not push him – which is so laborious when the horse beneath you is popping inside out to cease!”

In his post-race evaluation, Ben mentioned, “I’ve by no means crossed the road so slowly in my life!

“We went a superb previous gallop and that strung us out, which in all probability did me a favour as a result of I didn’t have anybody respiratory down my neck and I bought in a stunning rhythm,” he says. “I believed we have been a goner when the unfastened horse got here throughout us. It was a little bit of a crawl up the house straight – I simply wished to carry on so long as I might.”

Shannon sums up: “He’s simply such a personality and you’ll’t not love him.”

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H&H showjumping editor

Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her function as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her all over the world reporting from reveals and interviewing riders, connections and people concerned behind the scenes. Since becoming a member of H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on each topic throughout the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to steady administration — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She additionally has first-hand expertise of working within the equestrian trade as a driving teacher and yard supervisor.