ACTION REPLAY

Graham Buddry recalls the exploits of legendary hurdler Large Action

- Graham Buddry

We all know about the legendary "Golden Age of Hurdling" when the likes of Comedy Of Errors, Lanzarote, Monksfield, Night Nurse and Sea Pigeon enthralled the racing world.

We're also aware of the others who never quite reached these extraordinary heights during this era, such as Decent Fellow, Beacon Light, Dramatist, Ekbalco, Broadsword and the irrepressible Birds Nest.

For every glut of champions there have to be other brilliant performers to measure them against who could never quite scale those dizzying heights. One such, and certainly worth remembering, is the brilliant Large Action.

Foaled in 1988 the bay gelding started his career with two wins from three starts in bumpers in the early months on 1993. Spending his whole career with Lambourn trainer Oliver Sherwood, Large Action was first sent hurdling that autumn at Ascot where inexperience cost him the race behind the favourite with a 201 chasm back to the third home.

A quick learner, Large Action then went to Newbury and brushed aside 18 other novices to open his account over timber. A Grade 2 event at Cheltenham was next on the cards where his improvement was clearly evident.

Fatack had been second to him at Newbury and here he had an 8lb pull at the weights yet Large Action easily beat him into second place again by double the distance of their first encounter.

Another victory at Newbury proved his liking for the course so Sherwood entered his charge into the Tote Gold Trophy a month later. The 6yo was allotted a weight of 10.6 and started second in the betting at 9/2 behind the mare, Flakey Dove, on 5/2 and carrying 11.1 while the top weight on 12.0 was Oh So Risky.