'The horse can't jump and is a brute to ride' - the Buywise story BY JON LEES 11:32AM 8 JAN 2018 First published on Sunday, December 6, 2015 Of the numerous horses called plenty of names as a result of frustrating results on the racecourse, Buywise must feature in any top ten. In four of his visits to Cheltenham he has been the horse running on at the death without quite getting his head in front where it counts, including twice in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, the latest last month when he lost out by half a length to Annacotty. His ability to jump is significantly handicapped by a metal-pinned hind leg, but despite this Buywise has won more than £110,000 in prize-money to far exceed the expectations of Evan Williams when he bought him for £21,000. EARLY DAYS Evan Williams, trainer of Buywise I always take a punt on a few horses at the Doncaster sales. He was a nice type of horse who had a bit of point-to-point form, but for a long time we couldn't find a customer for him. Hywel Jones, owner of Buywise Evan had a horse called On Tour which all his owners wanted to buy. I told Evan I would love to own him too. He said everyone did but he had this horse nobody wanted so I said I would buy them both. I bought the other horse to get On Tour and the other horse was Buywise. Everyone was saying I was so lucky to get On Tour, but felt sorry for me because I had bought Buywise. They thought I had bought the runt, but the runt turned out all right. Buywise made his hurdles debut at Chepstow in November 2013, the first of two inauspicious efforts over the obstacles. Williams We struggled to get him going. Adam Wedge was doing a lot with the horse because I didn't want to risk the first jockey on him in a race. Jones We went along to his first hurdle race at Chepstow where he trailed in fifth. When he ran next at Ffos Las I didn't even bother going because I thought he was clueless. THE SWITCH TO FENCES Williams We started schooling him over fences and he wasn't a lot better. We have a row of telegraph poles and the more we did over those the better he got and Adam said let's just drop him over fences and see how we get on chasing. Buywise was transformed over fences, racking up a hat-trick at Ludlow (twice) and Taunton at the start of 2014 and earning an entry in the 2m4f novice handicap chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Adam Wedge, rider of Buywise When we went to Ludlow I wasn't expecting what happened. It was quite a shock. We always knew there was more horse there but that day a switch flicked inside him. Williams We went to the festival because we didn't really have anywhere else to go. We thought he had achieved what he was going to achieve so thought it was worth a punt. I can't pretend I was very optimistic going to Cheltenham with a horse with an unconvincing jumping technique but he ran a very good race to finish fifth. Buywise returned to Cheltenham the following month for the Grade 2 Silver Trophy Chase, in which he recorded his biggest win to date. Williams Paul Moloney kept saying he thought he wanted faster ground and a race where they went a good gallop so we went to the April meeting and won the Grade 2 chase. We learned a lot about him that day. He was tailed off after about three fences and looked in real trouble, made bad mistakes but then came with a real old rattle and won quite well. Paul Moloney, rider of Buywise I have always thought him a high-class horse but he has to have good ground. When he destroyed a good field at Cheltenham in April it was good to firm. Jones When you win at Cheltenham there is a big ledger for the winners. I wrote 'Buywise was a wise buy'. He was a fortunate buy too. IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM Despite the win Williams was still concerned something was hindering Buywise. Williams The jumping issue was bothering me because it was evident the horse was a good bit better than we thought. I went through him with a fine tooth comb and we found out he had metal pins in his back leg. We tried everything to try to get more movement in that back leg and help him as much as we could but he had developed his own technique. Jones He jumps like a rocking horse and we couldn't understand why. We had him scanned during the summer and found out he had been plated as a yearling. If it wasn't for his plate he would be a superstar. Moloney At least people know now about the pin and plate in his leg. He struggles to get it all together because of that. The Paddy Power Gold Cup was Buywise's first main target in the 2014-15 season, and he finished a running-on fifth, just over three lengths behind the winner Caid Du Berlais. Williams Everybody was criticising the way we were riding him and that he was running over the wrong distance. I was convinced two and a half miles was his trip. People didn't realise the poor horse had metalwork in his back leg which was stopping him at vital stages in the race. Paul and I were coming in for criticism. There was more frustration after Buywise finished fourth in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate at the festival. Williams He ran a good race but we came wide. I thought we were trying to force the horse at the wrong time during the race. Mr Jones and I had different views on the situation. I think the horse needs dropping in and riding for luck and I think Mr Jones thinks the horse wants further and perhaps needs forcing more in his races. I was disappointed because I think if we had just been very patient and ridden him down the inner, a balls of steel job, we might have been a bit luckier. Buywise stepped up to 3m at Aintree and Wedge was back in the saddle. Williams We jocked Paul off for Aintree and put Adam back on him and the result was exactly the same. Paul had done nothing wrong. The reality is he is just a clumsy so-and-so, a very difficult ride. Jones Adam said he didn't stay three miles and Evan has taken that as gospel. I think he'd had a long season and by the time he got to Aintree on a warm day he was jaded. I think he'll stay three miles but what do I know? A SLIPPERY ISSUE The same issues have recurred this season. In the Paddy Power Buywise slipped on the bend, had plenty to do three out but when his late charge looked set to finally deliver he had to be switched after the last. Moloney There were a lot of horses slipping in the cross-country race at that meeting and maybe I was too close to the inside rail on top of fresh ground, because he slipped. I couldn't foresee it happening. He jumped well in the first part of the race and then down the back he let me down, missing two fences. I totally lost my position and I was struggling at the top of the hill to the point I didn't even think I would be in the first six or seven. Williams When you saw Paul ride Buywise in this year's race you realise what a fantastic job he did to get the horse to finish second. Jockeys come in for massive praise when they win, but not when they get beat. It was probably one of the best rides I have ever seen someone give a horse and get beat. The horse can't jump and is a brute to ride and yet Paul still delivered him with a timely challenge and with a bit of luck after the last he might have won. Jones He must be a dreadful ride. He clatters through his fences. Early on in his career I blamed Paul but retrospectively you realise he is in fact the ideal jockey for him. THE FUTURE Buywise's next target is the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup back at Cheltenham, but whatever ensues Jones says Buywise has brought recognition he hadn't anticipated. Jones I went to Chepstow to watch one of my other horses, Nansaroy, race and Matt Chapman on At The Races said he won "in the Buywise colours". To have a horse that is recognised in that way is fantastic. He has made such an impression on people because of his near misses and style of jumping, or lack of it. He is my flagship horse. Buywise cost £21,000, On Tour £20,000 and between them they have won 13 races and £160,000 in prize-money. Every morning I wake up and appreciate how lucky I am to own them.
A great account of an enigmatic horse. Once you know the full facts, you can't help but be endeared to a horse most had thought of as "a bit rogue" but in fact is a bit of a hero. Thanks for posting
A good read indeed, cheers Wooly. Is it normal that a horse gets sold a through a high profile sales ring like Doncaster having been pinned as a yearling? I naively thought major surgery like that would have to be documented.
The sales I have been to, all horses have been vetted and we were able to speak to a vet there, as we did on one occasion before bidding started - didn't buy that one but got the other two I had marked up before the sales (actually, my wife and daughter were present and I was on the phone throughout the bidding)
