A treasure of a story

IRISH Field editorial policy may have binned history, but ‘Times Past’ happily survives.

It contains the odd treasure, such as this.

‘Still chasing at 21: How old is the oldest chaser in Ireland?

I wonder is there, or has there ever been, a horse who could equal the feat of 21-year-old Creggmore Boy, who finished second to Mr Traddles in a two-mile steeplechase at Ludlow last week?

In case anyone thinks that it was cruel to run so old a horse it was particularly noted that he looked the perfect picture of health and happiness, both before and after his race.

‘Creggmore Boy, who was having his 194th outing, is owned by Mrs Edith Cousins, of Lancaster, and is trained by her husband. Said Mr John Cousins, the owner’s son: “This will be his last season. Naturally we don’t expect him to win races at this age. We enter him because he loves to race. He loves the atmosphere of the course and would sulk if we retired him.”

‘Although Creggmore Boy ran his first race over 18 years ago he is still very frisky and it takes about half an hour to catch him.

He has been a winner 29 times and has failed to finish in only three races.’

This extraordinary story, retrieved from an October 1961 issue, demanded further delving. Creggmore Boy was bred by C O’Connor, a brown colt by Totaig out of Little Goose.

His name suggests he saw the first light of day in either Meath or Galway.

At all events he had been gelded prior to making his debut as a three-year-old, trained by George Robinson for D McGranaghan, unplaced on his two outings. Creggmore Boy took a while to break his duck, three years in fact.

He raced for Jas McGranaghan when George Robinson sent him out to win a six-furlong maiden at Navan, ridden by Jimmy Eddery, in June 1946.

Nicky Brennan took over to win a five-furlong apprentices’ race at the Phoenix Park in July, keeping the ride when Creggmore Boy dead-heated for a Curragh Scurries three days later.

The post-war boom in racing in Britain saw Creggmore Boy cross the Irish Sea, now the property of Edith Cousins of Lancaster and trained by her husband Horace.

His name was changed to G.I.C. Three unplaced efforts in 1947 persuaded connections to revert to their horse’s original name.

His form improved, even if it was to be two years before he clicked again, successful in two-mile chases at Wetherby and Sedgefield, ridden by Mr John Cousins.

As a 10-year-old Creggmore Boy really began to come into his own, a chasing win at Southwell followed by three apprentice races on the flat at Ripon and Catterick. 1951 was fruitless, but 1952 yielded four chases on the bounce, ridden each time by future trainer Eric Cousins, the man who brought Robert Sangster into the racing game.

Eric rode him to a further three chasing wins in 1953, while R. Wenton went to scale at 6st 2lb to ride Creggmore Boy a winner in a two-horse apprentice race at Birmingham.

The 13-year-old had now scored at distances ranging from five furlongs to three miles.

Over the following four years Creggmore Boy bagged a further seven chases, five of those in the hands of Mr P Cousins.

His final success was achieved in the Furness Selling Chase at Cartmel in June 1957, now aged 17.

Quite properly none had the temerity to bid for the Cousins’ family pet.

Though the same was not the case on previous occasions, when the family were obliged to buy him in, at sixteen and again at seventeen.

Three years later the Cartmel executive must have had a few nasty moments when Creggmore Boy came within a neck of repeating that selling chase success.

Country courses rely on their cut from selling races to supplement their income.

Contrary to John Cousins’ pronouncement that 1961 would be Creggmore Boy’s final campaign, the old-timer clearly felt otherwise.

John Cousins rode when his 22-year-old mount contested the same Furness Selling Chase at Cartmel on Saturday, 9 June 1962.

They fi nished a respectable fourth, to the 9-year-old Waver Lad ridden by 3lb claimer John Leech.

Young and old were separated by 15-year-old Minden, ridden by Jimmy FitzGerald.

That proved to be Creggmore Boy’s swansong, after 19 seasons and 19 wins from 194 starts.

The oldest horse to race did not remain the oldest winner.

Sonny Somers succeeded at Lingfield in 1980, aged eighteen.