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A TRIBUTE TO JUST CAMERON.

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The passing of Just Cameron is another reminder that these wonderful athletes are with us for such a short amount of time. All the horses that race for us provide their own special memories, but Just Cameron gave more than his fair share to his owners Mr and Mrs Paul Chapman when he was racing, and then during his second career after racing as a competitive sports horse in dressage and jumping with George Browne.


Just Cameron who was the winner of nine of his 37 starts, and winning well in excess of £100,000 in prize money, first won on his third start in a bumper in November 2012 when trained by Kate Walton. The following May he won on his hurdles debut when in the care of Phil Kirby, who also added a handicap hurdle off 113 the following season. Just Cameron was moved to Micky Hammond in the autumn of 2014, and on his second start for the yard in January 2015 was a winner at Sedgefield from a mark of 121.


It was when sent chasing the following month that Just Cameron showed that he was something out of the ordinary, when winning on his debut over fences, beating the classy Nicky Richards' trained Duke of Navan (BHA 140) by a neck. To prove the run was no fluke, the pair met again the following month, when this time on 7lb worse terms, once again Just Cameron came out on top, this time by one and a quarter lengths. Just Cameron completed a hat-trick at Haydock in April, taking his mark to 148. His owners had a very memorable day when the horse contested the prestigious 'Ryanair Novice Chase' (Grade 1) at the Punchestown festival 26 days later, he finished second to the high class Un De Sceaux, rubber stamping himself as a high quality performer.


At the age of nine and 10, Just Cameron was at the peak of his career, as he finished runner up at Doncaster in January 2016 in a handicap off 148, and then finished a very respectable sixth in the 'Queen Mother Champion Chase' (Grade 1) at the Cheltenham Festival to Sprinter Sacre. Two more solid efforts in handicaps were followed by one of his most notable efforts when finishing third in the 2016 'Castleford Chase' over Christmas at Wetherby, where he gave his former stablemate Yorkist 17lb, going down fighting by two and a half lengths. He backed that up at the same track three weeks later, when winning for the eighth time.


Just Cameron would only race on three occasions between February to December 2017, and then from a reduced mark of 143 he showed the fire was still in his belly when winning that years Castleford Chase from his old adversary Duke Of Navan, giving 3lb. Just Cameron was runner up off 145 at Ludlow in 2018, and third at Wetherby in December 2018 off 142. His final racecourse appearance was in that years Castleford Chase, where at the age of 11 his racing career came to a close. He was a very lucky horse, having had a wonderful working retirement, where he was loved and cared for right up until the end by George Browne.


With a peak BHA rating of 150, Just Cameron was one of the highest rated two miles chasers in the North of England in the last 20 years, and definitely right up there with the very best horses Micky has been lucky enough to train. As I said at the start, these athletes are only here with us for a fleeting moment, so make the most of them.


To keep up to date with all the latest happenings at Oakwood Stables, Sharp Hill, and Curlew, click on 'NEWS' at www.mickyhammondracing.


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