Looking Back: 3) Hopscotch

                      Hopscotch
     (Picture Courtesy of Bernard Parkin)

Hopscotch was a little before my time at Pond House so not one I remember personally but she is a horse I have heard a fair bit about in my time at the yard.  We were contacted in recent days by Barry Males about her.  Barry was a member of our former racing club and he was involved in owning her when she won 11 races in a season.  Like all the members he had some fantastic times being involved with her and he has pictures hanging up in his house of him being presented the trophy at Cheltenham after one of her wins.  Some cherished memories that will never be forgotten.

Hopscotch was a 1987 born bay filly by sire Dominion out of a mare called Tartan Pimpernel.  The dam was pretty good in her racing days and was placed in Group Company on the flat.  Hopscotch was the property of Her Majesty the Queen and she was placed second twice and third once from four runs at 2 years in 1989.  In April 1990 she was sent to Ascot sales and was bought by Les Kennard for MCP for 11,400 guineas, she was lot 41 through the sales ring in fact!

She had her first run for Pond House in August 1990 over hurdles and she never looked back.  She ran at Worcester on 11^th August with Peter Scudamore in the saddle.  She made all in a juvenile hurdle and won by 10 lengths over 2 miles.  She actually went on to win her first five races over hurdles at Newton Abbot, Exeter and then twice at Cheltenham in October 1990, partnered every time by Peter Scu.  She then tasted defeat for the first time over jumps at Wetherby in November but only seven days later she was back to winning ways with Mark Perrett on board at Cheltenham.

This was the start of another roll and she went on to win her next three races after this.  She won at Sandown, Cheltenham and Chepstow with Jonathan Lower in the saddle for these three victories. The last of these was the Junior hurdle, Grade 1 Finale at Chepstow in December 1990 and you can watch the race video by clinking on the link below.  She jumped well, made all and beat Crystal Spirit by 20 lengths!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6A-2YORcQA

She finished third at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day in 1991 and then went back to Cheltenham again at the end of that month to win the Finesse four year old hurdle, Grade 2 with Peter Scu back on board.  She returned to Cheltenham for the Festival in March and ran in the Triumph hurdle and finished ninth behind Oh So Risky.  She then went to Liverpool in April and was fifth in the big Juvenile hurdle at Aintree.  She then had one more run over hurdles back at Cheltenham in April and she duly won again in what proved to be her final start over jumps.

She had two subsequent runs on the flat at Bath but did not show the same sparkle back on the level as she had been showing over hurdles. 

She was then sold to race in America, to Jonathan Sheppard’s stables for £30,000.  MCP actually tried to buy her back and was the under bidder at Ascot Sales this time.  There is a nice letter in her file from MCP wishing her new connections the best of luck with her.  Hopscotch was not very big, only measuring 15.2hh but she had a big heart, was extremely tough and loved her jumping.  She ran 15 times over hurdles in that one season and won eleven of them and was placed third once.  Her total win prize money was £47,999.00 which is a lot in today’s terms.  I’m afraid I don’t know how she got on in America but if anyone has any news we would be delighted to hear from you.