Look Back: 2 Maximize

                         Maximize 
           (Picture Courtesy of Bill Selwyn)

For day 2 of our looking back of some of our favourite moments, horses and people from Pond House I have chosen to write about one of my own special horses and memories.  I joined the Pond House office staff in December 2003.  Racing has always been a passion for all my family for many generations and lots of them have been involved through either riding as jockeys or training.  My father was a pretty good amateur jockey and rode many winners and together with my mum they have trained horses under permit for as long as I can remember.  They have been very successful for a little operation and their biggest claim to fame was giving A P McCoy his first ever winner in England – Chickabiddy at Exeter in September 1994.

I have always ridden, indeed I have ridden in point to points and although I enjoyed it, I much preferred watching and leaving it to my brother, Darren.  He is a very successful amateur jockey and is approaching having ridden nearly 300 winners both under rules and in point to points.  I’m proudly connected with his biggest winner, a Cheltenham Festival winner for Martin Pipe in 2004.  I like to think without me starting work at Pond House he perhaps would not have gotten the ride!  Darren rode Maximize to win the Kim Muir amateur riders handicap chase and came from an impossible position to nail Merchants Friend on the line.

Back in those days Cheltenham was still a three day festival.  Darren was doing pretty well as a young jockey riding point to point winners and a few under rules for our parents but he was relatively inexperienced on the big stage and had never ridden at the Festival before.  He was at Cirencester Agricultural College studying a land agency degree and I remember we were doing the declarations for the first day of Cheltenham and we had seven runners in the Kim Muir.  Several were fancied and all the jockeys were sorted apart from one of the biggest priced runners Maximize.  Mr Pipe called me into his office and asked me if Darren would like to ride – I immediately said I am sure he would love to and rang Darren to let him know the good news!  I did have to check he could do the weight as even in those days 10st6lb meant limited food!

I did not go to Cheltenham but I ventured into Wellington on the Tuesday lunchtime and went into the local bookies and had £2 EW on Maximize at 40/1.  Deep down I thought he had no chance but anyone that knows me knows me I am forever the optimist and my heart rules my head which is why I would never be a good gambler!

The day was already a brilliant one for Pond House as Well Chief had won the Arkle and I was feeling excited and a little nervous as 4.40pm approached.  There was no real pressure as he was an outsider but I just wanted him to do well and not mess up!  Mr Pipe had plenty of better chances in the race – Gordon Elliott was on board Royal Predica, Ashley Farrant was on Horus, Tom Malone on Mondial Jack and Guy Weatherly was on the shortest priced horse of the Pond House runners, Toto Toscato.  Maximize was not even owner David Johnson’s best chance in the race – Lesley Jefford was on board Montreal for the Champion owner.

All I can remember from the race is that it went by so quickly, they seemed to go so fast and even though Darren had a good position for most of the race the horses got strung out like washing on the final circuit.  He was in midfield but plenty of lengths behind down the far side.  As they made their way towards home there was a clear leader – Merchants Friend – galloping on strongly.  Speaking to Darren after the race he said Maximize was just flat out all the way but still trying hard for him.  As they turned to come down the hill he thought keep going boy we might be in for a top six finish.  He loved passing some tiring rivals and then Darren was thinking they might even get into the top four.  Even at two out the leader was miles clear but just showing signs of tiring, Maximize moved into second but even at the last the eventual runner up looked in an unassailable lead.  Things changed dramatically in the last 50 yards as Merchants Friend tired quickly and Maximize surged passed nearing the line.  The rest of the day was a bit of a blur! I was immensely proud and Maximize was my new hero!  I think I went to hockey training that evening as normal but it was a great family moment and we celebrated later that week.  There are many pictures from that day around the family home.  

                   Maximize Winning the 2004 Kim Muir

Maximize was originally in training with Henrietta Knight and won the 2001 Grade 1 Feltham Novices chase with A P McCoy in the saddle.  David purchased him from Doncaster Sales in May 2003 for 62,000 guineas.  He was never the most consistent but he was talented on his day and was just a lovely character and a true gentleman to deal with.  He did win again after Cheltenham under rules but was not quite the force of old.  Owner David Johnson very kindly offered our family to have Maximize so we were delighted he came to live with us.  He did some hunter chasing and point to pointing with us and won two point to points and was second in a hunter chase but then we decided to retire him from racing when he appeared not to be enjoying it so much anymore.  He stayed with us on the family farm before a friend took him on as a riding horse and they had many great years together before he sadly passed away aged 18.

Watch his win the the 2004 Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival by clicking the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggOISd5Bp3E

Maximize won 8 races and was placed 23 times from 54 starts.  He won nearly £130,000 in prize money and he will always have a very special place in the hearts of the entire Edwards’ family for the 16^th March 2004 and the days he spent living with us in his later years.