History

Back in 2002, when Suzy Smith was starting her own racing yard at County Stables in Lewes she needed clients. She adopted the strategy of buying in horses and training them with a view to selling on shares in those horses to prospective owners.

Material World was found by chance by trainer Suzy Smith when on a trip to Temple Farming near Marlborough. Suzy went there to view a horse advertised for sale (which she declined) and was then shown around the yard to view other possibilities. Although some horses appeared to be adequate, nothing caught her eye as special.

When Suzy was told she had seen all the horses, she asked what was kept in a separate barn away from the main yard. There stood Material World but Suzy was told she was not for sale privately as the plan was to enter her for the Derby Sale in Ireland.   A sale price was however, suggested. Material World was officially un-named at that time although she had a stable name of ‘Daisy’ as that was the name written on a lucky dollar note found inside the horse’s passport.

Suzy’s enthusiasm for this horse convinced her doubtful but supportive father (Robin) that Daisy would make a great racehorse despite the asking price being over budget. Terms were agreed and the necessary finance was arranged.

Daisy was moved to a farm in Sussex. Although she was four years old, she needed more time to mature before being trained. Robin set up a racing partnership called ‘Southern Bloodstock’ with four joint owners which included at that time Christian Derben, Colin Peel, Robin Smith and Suzy Smith. The long slow process of breaking in the mare and bringing her up to racing fitness began.

All was going along fine, until one day! Suzy was galloping Daisy up the private all weather sand gallops and there coming towards them was a jogger bounding the other way down the gallops. Racehorses travelling at speed cover the ground deceptively fast and the jogger seemed unaware of his potentially imminent death.

To avoid a head on collision Daisy jumped sideways off the all weather gallops but in the process slipped on wet grass and rolled over squashing Suzy in the process. Suzy was concussed but came to enough to give the jogger a piece of her mind (in her very best French!). The jogger ran off and luckily for him has not been seen since.

The vet was immediately called and at first Daisy just seemed to be bruised but then some days later a fleck appeared in her left eye. This in turn led to the pupil disappearing. The vets prescribed drops which had to be applied to the eye every two hours – night and day for day after day after day but the pupil kept disappearing. Suzy became totally exhausted with lack of sleep and broken nights plus other horses had to be trained. The vets did what tests they could but alas could find no remedy and the reluctant decision was made to remove the eye.

Gloom fell over the understanding partnership - a racehorse bred for jumping was now visually impaired. Subsequent analysis of the eye in America identified a fungal infection.

A few weeks later the one–eyed Daisy went back into work. After a much delayed training programme she eventually ran her first race. This was the last National Hunt flat race of the 2003 season at Market Rasen. 14 runners lined up – the one eyed Daisy started at odds of 25:1 having touched 33:1 and even 40:1 at the track. ‘That was a pleasant surprise!’ quoted Suzy as Daisy cruised home described by the commentator as ‘in splendid isolation’. The jockey, Colin Bolger, reported ‘she never got out of second gear’.

Daisy has won prize money in every race bar two totalling over £90,000 and beaten many well respected horses. Daisy has acquired quite a following due to her bravery in jump racing with only one eye and has already been receiving fan mail. Her website has been set up in response to this interest. The racing commentators have also become fond of this very game and genuine staying mare. ‘Spot the yellow headgear’ they say. She has become a ‘horse of the people’ - representative of the smaller owner and relatively small racing yard competing against the racing heavyweights.

After her run in the Cheltenham Festival in March 2007 the jockey reported she was hanging right and this was later found to be due to a stress fracture of the pelvis. Were it not for the fracture commentators think she would have won. The stress fracture was reported as fully healed but jockey Ruby Walsh said she was hanging right in places during the race at Ascot in January 2008 when just losing out in a close finish for the places with Refinement and Gaspara at Ascot in January 2008. The Equine Veterinary Hospital at Arundel did their normal thorough research and found no fault. They recommended lots of physiotherapy which was duly given.

All seemed fine in preparation work at home but  jockey Colin Bolger reported she started hanging right again during the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival so he could not fully release her. In the circumstances he did the sensible thing and brought her home safe in mid division – but still in front of dual Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace and Lough Derg.  Jockey and trainer both commented that if she had run to the top of her form she should have finished at least in the top 6.

Whether the hanging right was due to a genuine undiscovered soreness, or was psychological, or was due to a trait she developed towards the end of her racing career when under racing pressure as a result of only having one eye, we shall probably never know. Daisy has entered a new phase of her life as broodmare with her first sire selected  to be triple European Champion Stayer and Ascot Gold Cup winner, Kayf Tara.

Watch this space as regards Daisy’s future or see elsewhere on this website for ‘Latest News’.

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