Mike Vince reflects on the career of Not So Sleepy following his swansong success at Newbury this weekend.
A foul afternoon at Newbury was on Saturday lit up by the smiles on the faces of Lady Blyth, Hughie Morrison and Tom Marquand as the grand old warrior Not So Sleepy ended his career as he started it - in the winners' enclosure.
Racing won’t be the same without him.
It was in October 2014 when jockey George Baker booted the newcomer home at Nottingham over a mile on soft ground, and he began his three-year-old career landing the Dee Stakes at Chester by a short head.
This weekend Not So Sleepy ploughed through the mud for just the sixth Flat win of his career, having taken the Autumn Cup also a year ago, and his exploits on the level, including a second in the November Handicap and a fourth in the Cesarewitch, were more than respectable on their own.
But Not So Sleepy will be best remembered for his exploits over jumps.
Epatante and Not So Sleepy dead-heat at Newcastle
He always seemed to be best at the end of the day; as darkness fell as the race was last on the card for TV he dead-heated with Epatante in the 2021 Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, a race he also won (outright this time) only last year when it was run at Sandown, being sent off the 9/1 outsider on his beloved heavy ground.
But it was in that race in 2020 he memorably got rid of jockey Paddy Brennan at the first flight and then, riderless, carried out Silver Streak at the second!
His achievement at Ascot though will stand the test of time, winning the track’s big pre-Christmas hurdle, the Betfair Exchange Trophy, in 2019 and making fools of everyone a year later when serving up an encore in the gathering gloom at insulting odds of 20/1 (unless you were on of course!).
He has earned connections more than half a million pounds, been called a few names along the way, but has been a huge credit to connections who have looked after him so well.
He’s been a great fun horse and now is the time for him to have the fun in a richly-deserved retirement.
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Fast Results
Scores
