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It is the David-versus-Goliath- challenge that seems a throwback to past Cheltenham Festivals but if Tommy’s Oscar can win Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle for Ann and Ian Hamilton it will be a ready-made script for an award-winning movie.
The gelding, who has won his last four races with ever increasing authority, is one of only four horses being trained by the Hamiltons, who also have 1,000 sheep and 300 cattle on their 500-acre Northumberland farm where Ann was born, 15 miles from Hadrian’s Wall.
On Monday, 74-year-old Ian will drive the horsebox on the 300-mile journey to the Cotswolds so Tommy’s Oscar can line up against unbeaten reigning champion Honeysuckle, owned by Kenny Alexander, who made his millions in the bookmaking business, and 2019 winner Epatante, owned by the even richer JP McManus.
Ann (left) and Ian Hamilton (right) will seek to cause an upset with Tommy’s Oscar (centre)
Ann and Ian will be joined by the two stable girls, Laura Fenwick and Steph Bowey, who ride out the quartet of horses each day.
They are doing a good job. The Hamiltons have had 12 winners from only 28 runners — a strike rate of 43 per cent — to follow last season’s 12 wins from 37 runners.
Tommy’s Oscar and three stablemates — Bavington Bob, Pay The Piper and Nuts Well — have all won at least twice this season, with the Nuts Well’s win in the Premier Chase at Kelso last Saturday taking the Hamilton’s prize-money haul to almost £225,000.
Key to their success, Ian believes, is the best feed, water from their own spring and the TLC of the small team. Ian said: ‘It’s sheer dedication and two super girls who help Ann. A happy family looking after them makes happy horses.’
The story has echoes of Nortons Coin, who sprung a 100-1 surprise to win the 1990 Cheltenham Gold Cup for Welsh dairy farmer Sirrell Griffths and occasionally the Hamilton’s horses are used to help round up reluctant cattle.
The Hamiltons on their wedding day 42 years ago with the horse Ann had much…
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Source : dailymail
