What, writes Tony Stafford, does a small money syndicate do when the horse that has won it nine races (seven flat and two hurdles) in 18 months is incapacitated after sustaining an injury during a race at Royal Ascot? Well, the Think Big Syndicate did just that – they thought big and simply got another!

I’ve mentioned the exploits of Carlton in these musings a time or two, having marvelled at the way he moved from a rating of 48 to 82, initially exploiting the frequent handicaps for lower-grade animals that the 1m6f trip at Chelmsford used to afford it.

As his mark rose, the opportunities were less plentiful, but still the magician that is James Owen – himself a shareholder in Carlton – contrived to winkle out three more on the level after an initial four-timer all over that track and trip.

Carlton, a son of Frankel (stud fee £350k), was sourced for the boys in a private deal for £6,000 brokered by bloodstock agent and former jockey Freddy Tylicki, out of the Tracy Waggott yard.

The genes, then, are from possibly the greatest racehorse of all time – I still have Sea Bird II challenging him from my early years writing about racing all those decades ago, as the alternative. None of Sir Henry Cecil’s star performer’s 14 unbeaten runs – all at ten furlongs or shorter – needed a performance to match Sea Bird’s 1965 Arc when he obliterated a line-up of world-class animals and future stallions. But enough of that, Think Big were happy enough to settle for a Frankel! [There aren’t many Sea Bird’s about these days – Ed.]

At one stage over the winter period, Carlton’s hurdles rating – earned at the time of his previous incarnation – wasn’t far short of his flat mark. Two wins, the second a landslide of Andy Burnham’s leadership non-election proportions, brought it to a still manageable 105, but alas Ascot stopped all thoughts of that.

He had finished with great and possibly surprising vigour to be fourth in the Chester Plate, consolation race for the Chester Cup in early May. Maybe you would have thought a run in the second phase of the Northumberland Plate would have been a good idea, but Mick Godderidge, Philip Simmonds, Edmund O’Connor and Leroy Oxley much preferred the prospect of togging up for Royal Ascot.

Even at the elevated mark of 82, Carlton would never have got into the Ascot Stakes, so the Queen Alexandra, final race of the meeting and over 2m5f, was the only possibility.

The boys must have arrived at the track with hopes of a bit of a show for their money, and just before the home turn, Cieren Fallon still had him in the first three, admittedly rowing way. Then, Ryan Moore on favourite and eventual winner Illinois, one of several rated around two stone Carlton’s superior, tightened him up and it appeared to cause Carlton to stumble and instantly lose several positions.

To that end, it was a valiant effort to beat three horses home including the well-backed Willie Mullins runner Columbus (rated 109), but on pulling up it was clear that the race had brought its downside.

Meanwhile, Owen had been to Doncaster sales a month earlier and picked up a dual-purpose performer from the Harry Fry yard, the seven-year-old gelding High Fibre, winner at that stage of two hurdle races (from 15 starts and a rating of 122) and one on the flat (rating 79) from ten appearances.

The price was £15k and James, after Carlton’s Ascot mishap, suggested to Carlton’s co-partners that High Fibre might make a suitable replacement.

I was in the owners’ room after the end of proceedings on the second day of the July meeting at Newmarket, even managing to blag a food ticket for Philip, when they said a horse that they would probably be taking over ownership was running over 1m4f in a late race at York.

We watched closely and the way he stayed on into third place without being asked an over-serious question impressed me. I reckoned that they should have been delighted, not realising only a portion of the tale had been available to me.

A few days later High Fibre was on the much underestimated and underused schooling grounds by Newmarket golf club. Owen, who has done miracles equally with jumpers as with flat horses, had four to school and one was High Fibre with Alex Chadwick doing the honours. The school was to determine High Fibre’s readiness for a challenge for last Saturday’s fifty grand Summer Hurdle. He passed that test and when it became known that champion jockey Sean Bowen would be available, the die as they say was cast.

Thirteen horses were declared on Thursday morning, with High Fibre propping them all up on bottom-weight of 10st7lb. When the first prices came out, Mick was amazed to see his “not yet” horse was available at 20/1. Mick’s business acumen had sealed a deal whereby the quartet would agree to buy the horse from the trainer, paying all the training fees before paying for the horse itself in the near future.

Mick followed up his original bet with one more at 16’s and a third at 12/1. When I saw him resplendent in full Hawaii mode, floppy tea shirt and shorts at Newmarket last Friday, his attire contrasted starkly with Philip’s. Old-school to the core, Phil wore smart jacket and tie, befitting the paddock of the 2,000 Guineas over on the other course, rather than for yet another after-racing concert from evergrey Madness on a Friday night.

Philip said he hadn’t supported him yet but intended having “A nice each-way bet in the morning”. I hope he wasn’t too dismayed to see that by 7 a.m. he was around 7/1 and, by 9 a.m., a strong second favourite at 4/1!

Philip and Leroy attended the meeting, but Mick and Ed could not. Mick said, “Sometimes life, and selling used cars, can get in the way!”

In the race, Bowen soon had him nicely placed behind the leaders who were setting a strong pace. He didn’t hold his position down the back straight second time around the sharp Market Rasen circuit, but Sean held on to him, and kept him wide in the home straight, guaranteeing him an uninterrupted run home.

It wasn’t until going to two out that High Fibre could be seen to be moving up fast. By the last flight, he had got into a share of second place, but the leader, Indemnity, despite conceding 21lb, was five lengths clear and apparently impossible to catch. A mistake there though interrupted his momentum, and High Fibre made mincemeat of him, turning that deficit into a near three-length winning margin.

Later Mick said, “No doubt I will have my account closed. Bookmakers don’t like it when you back any winner, but when it’s 20/1 about a 7/2 shot, they appreciate it even less.”

After the race, Sean Bowen reported that while they were going round, he was thinking High Fibre needed another half mile, but the way he finished off, maybe they could keep the horse to two miles for now.

Having watched Owen’s style in the few seasons he has been training, I reckon High Fibre could well be one for longer-distance handicaps on the flat. Seeing how he handles fast ground, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to imagine his winning a race or two and earning a place in the Cesarewitch field.

One thing I can be sure of, though. Nobody will be getting 20/1 about him next time, be it on the flat or over the jumps.

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Irish Oaks Day on The Curragh on Saturday started with the unwelcome news that Joseph O’Brien’s Epsom Oaks winner Thundering On would not be risked on the fast ground. Joseph and Irish champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle had a more than adequate deputy as Johanna Walsh romped to a four-length success. This Sea The Stars filly is improving fast, overturning a narrow defeat by Earth Shot in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot to the tune of almost 12 lengths.

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There’s one event from Friday night that I cannot get out of my head. Long-term friend Steve Howard had a table of pals in the Newmarket owners’ room and Michelle, one of his group and only recently a convert to racing, had a speculative £5 single line on the Tote Placepot.

When the ticket came back, her selection in the fourth leg was a non-runner and the Tote substituted it as is normal, with the favourite. Unfortunately, the non-runner made it a seven-runner and therefore two places only race.

Subsequently, she did find the winner of that race, Tom Clover’s Rocking Ends, and backed it singly, but it was second favourite rather than the expected favourite at the off.  The favourite finished third! Sod’s Law.

Imagine the frustration, all the other five selections won, respectively at 10/11, 15/8, Evens, 3/1 and can you believe it, 25/1! The Placepot that night paid £50.90 to a £1 stake, so she should if life was fair, have collected £254.00 for her fiver. Imagine though had she linked the six in a £5 win accumulator, she would have been more than £16,000 better off! I’ve never seen the like of that before in all my years of racing and punting!

- TS