There comes a time in life when you’ve done enough, had enough and retirement is both the sensible and pleasant option. Even in racehorses the ability and desire to compete wanes with the passing of the years but one horse continued well after his contempories had hung up their racing plates. Not only that, in his golden years he found form that was nothing short of astounding. Enter Mac Vidi.
A bay gelding foaled in 1965 (his own sire was foaled way back in 1947) Mac Vidi was seen as being nothing more than just a bit of fun for his West Country owner-trainer-breeder, Pam Neal.
Mac Vidi took to racing like many before him and many afterwards, in a modest way. He won his share of small races, he was placed enough times to keep everyone happy and occasionally he had a bad day and finished down the field. And so it continued year after year.
Mac Vidi was far more effective at three miles, and in his last five years he never ran in anything shorter than that, having faced less distance only a handful of times in the preceding years. In fact, so effective was he at exactly three miles, Mac Vidi raced beyond that distance on only three occasions, all in his best ever season, which we will come to shortly.
Back in the day racing was far different with handicaps being far more prominent with fewer conditions and graded races about. This suited Mac Vidi as did his indifference to any ground conditions, being able to run, and win, on any surface from heavy to firm. Also, with the exception of a few trips to Cheltenham, Mac Vidi ran almost exclusively at Lingfield, Ascot, Kempton and Sandown with just the odd trip elsewhere.
Esta historia es de la edición March 2021 de Racing Ahead.
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Esta historia es de la edición March 2021 de Racing Ahead.
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JANGO GOES SAILING BAIE
John Anthony keeps pace with the quickies in the race against the clock
HOPING FOR CLAR SKIES
Andy Newton crunches the numbers ahead of the Clarence House Chase
ROCKING THE COTS
Andy Newton reviews the betting and trends ahead of the Cotswold Chase
ODDS-ON TO TOP THEIR CLASS
Racing to School charity on the march to reach its 250,000th participant
FIBRE'S FIRST FOR FITNESS
Flbre-Beet from British Horse Feeds is the ideal support for horses suffering or recovering from gastric ulcers
COMMAND PAD
Ben Hastie talks to jockey Paddy Brennan about his brilliant career in the saddle and what lies ahead
TAKE HIGH FIVE
Helen Edwards was in Tokyo to see Do Deuce and Yutaka Take nick thriller
JUMPBACK TO FUTURE
reports on jumps return at Windsor after almost two decades
LUMP ON STORMIN' GORMAN
Graham Buddry looks back on twomile ace with no fear of handicapper
PAROL HEADS UP BEN'S TEN
Ben Morgan casts a shrewd eye over his key punting hopes for the month