Willie Snaith

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Reebok

Reebok

YTS Mod
Staff member
Jun 30, 2011
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Essex
Little bit of trivia for a slow Monday.

I was talking with Willie Snaith's son Derek at Newmarket yesterday, who tells me that his son, and Willie's grandson - also called William - is due to ride a few for Nicky Henderson in the coming jumps season. Nice to see the old timer's children keeping the tradition alive, re James Piggot, William Carson etc. The lad is 18 and rides My Tent Or Yours at work, so I'd guess he may find a few bumpers coming his way :)

His younger brother has no interest in horses, but at 16, shows good promise at football and has signed to Cambridge City and his local Newmarket team, and is attracting attention from pro-scouts.

Derek has a whippet and brought him to see the racing - we race, spookily enough adjacent to Willie Snaith Road in Newmarket :)

Incidentally, Willie senior is still alive and kicking having survived major illness and the death of his wife last year.
 
After reading your post I looked up whether it was Willie who rode Busted in the Eclipse, but like my Fawlty Towers quotes I wasn't exactly right and he didn't, Bill Rickaby did. Then I read a piece about Busted again just out of interest. What astounded me was that in 1967 Busted won the Eclipse on the 8th July and the King George on the 15th July against absolutely top class fields. Sure he was a fresh horse for the Eclipse having not run since April but imagine that today? These poor souls hardly manage a race a month and certainly not two tough races a week apart (incidentally Dahlia won the Irish Oaks and KG on consecutive Saturdays and the Brigadier had only 2 weeks between his Eclipse and KG). The modern thoroughbred is a pampered soul, and not really tested as they used to be. No wonder they progressively can't manage the number of races.
Then went on to Ribot. His warm up race for the KG was a 15f race in the mud of Milan. After winning the KG he had a tune up win over 9f!! When they considered the KG as a target they also considered the Ascot Gold Cup instead. A different world without any doubt.
 
You are right re today's pampered thoroughbreds Bustino. To a degree it reflects the changing type of owners over the decades. Wealthy heiress's and nobility had no particular interest in "protecting" their horses future value, whereas the rich business men still have one eye on the business. That doesn't explain why money bloated Godophin follow the same path however!

I also learned some news of Jimmy Uttley, who rode Persian War to 1968 Champion Hurdle victory. He suffered a big stroke recently and his heart stopped beating. He was revived and has since had some kind of cardiac procedure. I understand he is on the mend, but not out of the woods so to speak.
 
A really nice horse Busted was. And Ribot, tough as old boots and my all time favourite.
 
Willie Snaith! There's a blast from the past, Reebok! If my memory serves me right, he rode some winners for Sam Armstrong- when Piggott couldn't do the weight.

Bustino, what a horse Busted was! Bought as a lead horse for Royal Palace, he ended up one of the most improved four year olds ever; possibly even better than Royal Palace- and that's saying something.
 
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