Farm Boy back in the limelight
There was enough in his two trials to convince connections he deserved another crack at racing
When a multitude of issues forced Farm Boy’s retirement in April last year, the grey was a natural choice as a clerk of the course horse.
He went from accompanying the clerk of the course back to scale after wins such as his group two Avondale Cup triumph at Ellerslie in February 2015 to the horse escorting winners back to scale at Waikato race meetings.
But it transpired that the role wasn’t really the right fit for the horse.
Sent back to breeder-owner Allan Hayward’s dairy farm at Rotorangi, south of Cambridge, it seemed the pizzazz of raceday was behind him and he would live out his days as his name suggested he might.
It wasn’t the way Hayward or Farm Boy’s trainers Tim and Margaret Carter had wanted him to go out.
“We retired him because he had ongoing issues. He had that horrible cut to his leg but that wasn’t the main reason. He’s a horse that has got low immunity and he kept picking up viruses that he found hard to shake,” Margaret Carter recalled this week.
“Terry Wenn wanted him as a clerk of the course horse and he did that for a while but that didn’t work out so Allan went and picked him up and took him back to the farm.”
What happened next wasn’t planned.
Confined to a small paddock by the tanker track, Farm Boy’s whole demeanour began to change. His attitude perked up and within a matter of weeks Hayward was forced to move the horse to a bigger paddock to avoid hurting himself.
“We brought him home to retire. Just let him chill out, let him unload. Next thing he starts hooning around like an idiot. I would just close my eyes,” Hayward said.
“I said to Marg ‘we are going to have to do something’.”
Carter went and saw Farm Boy’s antics for herself and agreed.
“Allan said ‘if he can hoon around a paddock, he can hoon around a racetrack’. We’re just taking it day to day really, even from his first trial back,” she said.
It was a decision that Farm Boy himself seemed to welcome.
“When Marg drove the truck to come and get him, he knew the truck was coming even before he could see it and he went freaking mad. He was getting on that truck no matter what. It wasn’t going to be leaving without him,” Hayward said.
There was enough in Farm Boy’s two trials, at Te Aroha in October and at Cambridge earlier last month, to convince the Carters and Hayward that the eight-year-old deserved another crack at racing.
So he tackled the 1400m open handicap at Tauranga on November 17, his connections not prepared for his dashing late burst that saw him finish third and ensure his shot at today’s group three Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie.
“All we wanted him to do was drop out and run home nicely. He did that but he came home so well. I rode him all the way myself too,” Hayward said.
“So far, so good. If he could run in the top five again on Saturday, it would be great. Marg asked me to be strapper at Tauranga. Me and the horse have always been great mates. And I could hear people saying things like ‘look — Farm Boy is back’ and that was cool.”
Carter isn’t getting carried away, wary that Farm Boy’s low immunity is always going to leave him vulnerable to picking up another virus, but she is pleased with his condition going into today’s race. “Going into it, we are happy with him. We’re hoping he can weigh in and go another good race,” Carter said.
“He’s really enjoying being back. He’s working so well. I’m so happy with him. We had high hopes for him before and we haven’t given up our dreams yet. I’m just so stoked for Allan. He’s so proud of this horse.
“If we can keep him sound and well, we’ll just pick and choose our races. We didn’t enter him for the Auckland Cup but we can always put in a late nomination if his form gets a bit fancy.”
In his prime, Farm Boy’s form was fancy. He ran home from last to finish third to Kawi in the 2016 Makfi Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Hastings, his second group one placing after he finished third in the NZ Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie the start after his Avondale Cup win, going down a nose and a long head to Sakhee’s Soldier and Rising Romance. He also only missed winning a Counties Cup by a head, beaten by Vavasour.
TAB bookmakers rate him a $13 chance of pulling off a fairytale win in today’s Eagle Technology Stakes in a market headed by Love Affair at $2.80 with her luxury weight of 53kg.
If it’s not today, Hayward is prepared to be patient and wait for a sure-to-be emotional Farm Boy return to the winner’s stall.
“I’ve love to see him do it, for Marg’s sake as much as mine, for all the work she has put into him. But no matter what, I’m extremely proud of him.”