ONLYFOOLSOWNHORSES. 18 May 2011. Presenting-Lizzy Langtry Owner-The Cheltenham Trail & Proform Racing.
Onlyfoolsownhorses is a very well bred gelding, being by Presenting, the prolific sire of jumpers, out of an unraced King's Theatre mare. He was named after his illustrious former stable mate, Onlyorsenfoolies.
To say Onlyfoolsownhorses was a difficult horse to train in his early days is an understatement, and he didn't make his racecourse debut until he was five. Unfortunately he disgraced himself on his first start at Doncaster in January 2016, playing up badly when down at the start, and detaching himself from the rest of the field, once the race had started, leaving jockey Craig Nicol with no choice but to pull him up. His next start in March didn't offer a lot more hope, once again looking reluctant, but at least completing in his own time, on that occasion. He was turned away for the Summer, and did not return until January 2017, where he trailed in sixth of the nine beaten 68 lengths.At Newcastle two weeks later, he once again failed to complete, but at Carlisle in February on his fifth start, he was passing beaten horses, staying on into a 25 lengths third placing, maybe all the patience he had been shown, may well yet pay off.
It was his very next start in May,and his handicap debut off a mark of 98, at Carlisle, under Finn O'Toole where the penny finally dropped. Having to be coaxed along, but keeping on gamely he won by seven lengths, over the extended two miles and three furlongs.Just one week later over the same course and distance, he doubled up off the same mark, as his previous win had been in a conditionals race, he was once again ridden by Finn.In July from his new mark of 105, he and Finn completed the treble at Perth over two miles and four furlongs.His final run of 2017 was in August at Hexham, with Brian Hughes in the saddle, Onlyfoolsownhorses stayed on to be second over a trip just short of three miles, but the handicapper thought it was his best effort yet, as he raised him to a mark of 115.
The horse was beset with injury, and didn't appear again until the following April 2018, at Carlisle, when finishing last of four on his chase debut. It would be a further 14 months until we saw him again at Hexham where he pulled up, as he did again at Uttoxeter a month later.His final start to date was at Hexham in September 2019, when completing in his own time.
Onlyfoolsownhorses remains a very lightly raced horse for his age, he is well handicapped again, and if the team can sweeten him up once more, a repeat of 2017 could well be on the cards.