Looking Back 26) Make A Stand

 
                   Make A Stand
         Photo courtesy of Racing Post
Make a Stand was a 1991 born chestnut with a big distinguishing white blaze.  He sire was Master Willie and his mother, Make a Signal.  He is well known for rising from winning a claimer on the flat to winning the Champion hurdle in 1997.  He made a name for himself with a series of front running, slick jumping victories in the 1996/97 season.  He was A P McCoy’s first win in the Champion hurdle and MCP’s second after Granville Again won the race in 1993.

Make a Stand started out his career as a two year old on the flat for Henry Candy.  He got his first win on his fourth start over a mile at Newmarket in October 1993.  He only ran once in 1994 and then returned in 1995 but his form was pretty uninspiring!  He finished nearer last than first in four attempts and was then dropped to claiming company at Leicester in August 1995.  It was a 1m4f race on good ground and Billy Newnes was on board. He won by 2.5 lengths and was eased near the finish.  Still to this day there are arguments as to who claimed Make A Stand, whether it was Chester or MCP but it does not really matter as he headed to Pond House after this win for £10,810.  The other interesting story about this time is that Peter Deal owned Make a Stand as part of a syndicate having bought him from the Horses in Training sales and had him in training on the flat with Henry Candy.  After MCP claimed him, Peter rang and asked if he could still own him but the other partners did not want to go back in so he did by himself and the rest is history!  BBC sports commentator John Inverdale was one of the partners that chose not to go back in!

He had two runs for the stable that autumn where he finished midfield, firstly on the flat at Newmarket and then on his hurdling debut at Exeter.  After a break he returned in May 1996 to Newton Abbot for his second run over hurdles.  He made a good impression this day winning by 25 lengths with David Bridgwater in the saddle.  He followed up this victory with two more wins in novice hurdles at Huntingdon and Hereford.  A return to the level followed this in a lady rider’s flat race in which he finished second of 22 runners at Newmarket with Emma Ramsden the jockey on board.  Just a week later he went to York for another ladies flat race and he went one place better, on this occasion ridden by Lydia Pearce.  He had two more runs on the flat that summer and was second for Pat Eddery at Kempton and then was unplaced at Newbury.

He then had a little break and went back hurdling in October 1996.  He won at Stratford with Chris Maude in the saddle; he finished runner up at Uttoxeter and then finished fifth at Cheltenham in November.  He next run was at Sandown and a victory this day started a remarkable sequence of wins.

He made all in the William Hill handicap hurdle at Sandown, a Grade 2 hurdle at Ascot, the Lanzarote handicap hurdle at Kempton and Tote Gold trophy at Newbury.  After Newbury, it was to Cheltenham for the Champion hurdle.  He put in a breath taking front running display and set a new course record.  He began the season winning an ordinary novice hurdle off a mark of 114 his progress was phenomenal during that time.  He won the Tote Gold Trophy off a mark of 136 but his champion hurdle win was another step up on this.  While he was ground dependent because he preferred good ground or better he was high class.  He finished third at Aintree after this over 2m4f and then unfortunately suffered a leg injury which meant effectively his career was over.  He did return to the track in the Champion hurdle in 2000 after 1074 days off but he finished a long way behind Istabraq that day and he was immediately retired.

He was the winner of 12 of 33 career starts and was placed on four occasions, while his record for Pond House was 10 win from 18 runs.  He won over £290,000 in prize money.  He spent his retirement years at a yard attached to that of Henrietta’s Knights where he was looked after by Lee Harfield and he had a lovely retirement show jumping and hunting before sadly passing away last November at the age of 28.  He was one of MCP’s most favourite horses to have ever been through Pond House and certainly was a very special horse.  He was the horse of a lifetime for owners Peter and Pam Deal and is fondly remembered.

Watch is breathtaking win in the 1997 Champion hurdle by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6U0EYuVNMU

Watch his win in the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IfqMW-mrBI

Watch his win in the Lanzarote hurdle at Kempton here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2_g_99SWnU