- Make A Stand (horse)
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Make A Stand Sire Master Willie Dam Make A Signal Damsire Royal Gunner Sex Gelding Foaled 21 March 1991 Country Great Britain Colour Chestnut Breeder R M West Owner Robert Barnett
Henry Candy
Kingstone Warren Partners
Peter Deal (from September 1995)Trainer Henry Candy
Martin PipeRecord 30: 12-3-1 Earnings £290,026 Major wins William Hill Handicap Hurdle (1996)
Kennel Gate Novices' Hurdle (1996)
Lanzarote Hurdle (1997)
Tote Gold Trophy (1997)
Champion Hurdle (1997)Horse (Equus ferus caballus) Make A Stand is a retired British Thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the 1997 Champion Hurdle.
Contents
Background
Make A Stand, a chestnut with a broad white blaze, was bred by R M West in 1991. His sire was the Derby runner-up Master Willie[1] Originally sent into training with Henry Candy in Oxfordshire, his best performances came after he was bought out of a claimer in 1995 and joined the stable of Martin Pipe.
Racing career
1993-1995: Flat racing
Making his debut in 1993, Make A Stand raced on the flat for three seasons, showing very modest ability. His only wins in twelve starts came in a maiden race at Newmarket in 1993, and a low-grade claiming event at Leicester two years later.[2] Bought for £8,000[3] he was transferred to the Nicholashayne stable of Martin Pipe in September 1995.
1995/6 National Hunt season
His career as a jumper began with a remote ninth in a Novices' Hurdle at Exeter in October, although the fact that he was sent off 15/8 second favourite[4] suggested than he had shown some potential. He was not seen on the course again for almost six months.
1996/7 National Hunt season
Beginning in May 1996, Make A Stand put together a sequence which saw him racing fifteen times in ten months, winning ten races and improving by some fifty pounds on the way to the Championship. The tactics were predictable; he took the lead from the start, and generally stayed there. He began with a hat-trick of wins in the space of twenty-four days, by an aggregate margin of thirty-six lengths. Because the wins took place after 1st May, his novice status for the following season was not affected. Returning to the flat in the summer of 1997, he recorded a win and two places from four starts.[5]
When the jumps season began in earnest in autumn, Make A Stand's career resumed where it had left off in May, with the gelding carrying top weight to an easy victory in a Stratford handicap, but was then well-beaten in his next two starts. His real potential became evident next time out, as he led all the way to beat a high-quality field of experienced hurdlers in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle at Sandown.[6] Two weeks later he won the Grade II Kennel Gate Novices' Hurdle[7] at Ascot by five lengths and in January he led from the start to win unchalleged in the Lanzarote Hurdle.[8] A large rise in the weights made no difference as he then produced his best performance yet under 11-5 in the Tote Gold Trophy. His run was described as an "astonishing display" as he "obliterated" the other runners to win by nine lengths. Pipe described him after the race as "a very good, tough horse, a real athlete".[9] Tony Stafford, writing in the Sunday Telegraph called it "the most remarkable handicap performance in any hurdle race of my experience".[10]
At Cheltenham, he was sent off at 7-1 for the Champion Hurdle, against a field that, as usual, brought together the best hurdlers in Britain and Ireland. None of them was able to provide Make A Stand with any challenge. Adopting his usual front-running tactics he ran right away from the field, coming home a five-length winner from Theatreworld. Alastair Down, writing in the Sporting Life, described the performance as "a remorseless display of speed and precision hurdling", while Theatreworld's jockey, Norman Williamson said of the winner, "He is a true champion - he just annihilates you with his speed".[11]
Later career
It seemed likely that Make A Stand was at the beginning of a long career as a top hurdler: in fact he never won again. Three weeks later, he attempted to make all the running in the Aintree Hurdle, but tired into third in the straight and finished lame. Injury problems then interrupted his career,[12] and he was not seen on the racecourse for almost three years. On his next and final start, he took the early lead in the 2000 Champion Hurdle, but soon tired and finished tailed-off behind Istabraq.[13] His retirement was finally announced in February 2001. Pipe said, "he looks wonderful...he just seems to have lost his enthusiasm".[3]
Retirement
After his retirement Make A Stand was retrained by the charity "Retraining of Racehorses" and became a hunter.[14] He took part in a parade of former champions at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival.[15]
Tabulated pedigree
Pedigree of Make A Stand (GB), chestnut gelding, 1991 Sire
Master Willie (GB)
1977High Line
1966High Hat Hyperion Madonna Time Call Chanteur Aleria Fair Winter
1964Set Fair Denturius Ria Geno Winter Gleam Aureole Red Winter Dam
Make A Signal (GB)
1973Royal Gunner
1962Royal Charger Nearco Sun Princess Levee Hill Prince Bourtai Look Out
1961Vimy Wild Risk Mimi Visor Combat Eyewash (Family: 6-e) References
- ^ "Make A Stand". Racing Post. http://www.racingpost.com/horses/horse_home_popup.sd?horse_id=84436#topHorseTabs=horse_pedigree&bottomHorseTabs=horse_form. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
- ^ "Sotheby's Claiming Stakes". Racing Post. http://www.racingpost.com/horses/result_home.sd?race_id=127059&r_date=1995-08-23&popup=yes#results_top_tabs=re_&results_bottom_tabs=ANALYSIS. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
- ^ a b "End of road for Champion Hurdle hero Make A Stand". Thefreelibrary.com. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/End+of+road+for+Champion+Hurdle+hero+Make+A+Stand%3B+Pipe+star+who+took...-a070482893. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
- ^ "Dean & Dyball Novice Hurdle". Racing Post. http://www.racingpost.com/horses/result_home.sd?race_id=65533&r_date=1995-10-11&popup=yes#results_top_tabs=re_&results_bottom_tabs=ANALYSIS. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
- ^ "Queen Mother's Cup Lady Amateur Riders' Handicap". Racing Post. http://www.racingpost.com/horses/result_home.sd?race_id=203973&r_date=1996-06-15&popup=yes#results_top_tabs=re_&results_bottom_tabs=ANALYSIS. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
- ^ "Hilliam Hill Handicap Hurdle". Racing Post. http://www.racingpost.com/horses/result_home.sd?race_id=232234&r_date=1996-12-07&popup=yes#results_top_tabs=re_&results_bottom_tabs=ANALYSIS. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
- ^ "Kennel Gate Hurdle". Racing Post. http://www.racingpost.com/horses/result_home.sd?race_id=232701&r_date=1996-12-21&popup=yes#results_top_tabs=re_&results_bottom_tabs=ANALYSIS. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
- ^ "Lanzarote Hurdle". Racing Post. http://www.racingpost.com/horses/result_home.sd?race_id=233405&r_date=1997-01-18&popup=yes#results_top_tabs=re_&results_bottom_tabs=ANALYSIS. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
- ^ "Racing: Grand Stand finish for Pipe - Sport". The Independent. 1997-02-09. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing-grand-stand-finish-for-pipe-1277756.html. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
- ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19136406.html
- ^ "Make A Stand profile". Famousracehorses.co.uk. http://www.famousracehorses.co.uk/stanley.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
- ^ "No early comeback for Make A Stand". Thefreelibrary.com. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/No+early+comeback+for+Make+A+Stand%3B+December+decision+likely+over...-a060708591. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
- ^ "Champion Hurdle 2000". Racing Post. http://www.racingpost.com/horses/result_home.sd?race_id=275989&r_date=2000-03-14&popup=yes#results_top_tabs=re_&results_bottom_tabs=ANALYSIS. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
- ^ "Hall of Fame". Ror.org.uk. http://www.ror.org.uk/hall.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
- ^ "Festival Heroes on Parade". Cheltenhamfestival.net. 2010-03-08. http://www.cheltenhamfestival.net/Festival-heroes-on-parade.php. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
Categories:- 1991 racehorse births
- National Hunt racehorses
- Cheltenham Festival winners
- Champion Hurdle winners
- Thoroughbred racehorses
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