Homer Run

It is with great sadness we report that we lost Homer Run when he got brought down at Towcester on 1^st May.  Firstly I would like to thank everybody for your kind messages and my condolences to everyone involved with EPDS Racing.  Two horses fell in front of him and he had nowhere to go and was brought down heavily.  He had a small haematoma just in front of his girth when he came back to be unsaddled, so we took him straight to the stables for the vet to have a look at him.  The vet gave him a painkiller and advised us to take him home.  The haematoma soon got larger and it was clear to us that even with the painkiller he was still uncomfortable so rather than take him home, we took him immediately from the racecourse to O’Gormans (the equine hospital at Newbury) as soon as possible.  He was in great care and I always thought he would pull through as he is such a fighter but sadly he didn’t make it and it was a real shock to hear the news the following evening.

All the horses in our yard are stars in my mind and it doesn’t matter to me if they win or not or if they do win whether it is The Gold Cup or a selling hurdle.  Homer, I felt was just at the start of his career after having won his previous two races and coming a respectable 3^rd at Kempton, recording his highest Racing Post rating and we all felt that he would make a much better chaser in the coming season.  He was such a tough horse who would put his head down, grit his teeth and try his damndest for you.  He was a great jumper and in all his runs for us I can’t remember him making one mistake.

All the horses have their own individual characters.  Homer was very territorial in his stable and thought that it was his own private space, hence he might take a chunk out of you if you weren’t looking and got too near!  He loved being out in the field with the other horses and I never saw him having an argument with them, he was cheeky out there and was seen many times rolling, bucking and kicking.  In fact the very morning on the day he last ran he was turned out and I saw both him and Headly’s Bridge on their hind legs playing with each other.  He was happy here and he did everything we asked of him and often more.  Homer was a star and will never be forgotten and I can assure you he was having fun right up until he was brought down.

This is only the second time in 15 years of training that I have not brought a horse back from the races.  We have to prepare ourselves for that eventuality but it doesn’t make it any easier seeing the empty box.  I bet if you look at the percentages of horses that run over jumps that don’t make it home, it is very small.

I am sure Homer is happy now jumping clouds in the sky, I bet no one is jumping them better with his ears constantly pricked looking for the next one!

Homer Run in the evening sunlight

With connections after winning at Uttoxeter

Enjoying a roll

With Money Maid (Rosie)