Looking Back 57) Westender

                      Westender
        (Photo courtesy of Bill Selwyn)

Westender was a 1996 born bay gelding by In The Wings and his dam was called Trude. He was a little bit of a quirky character but had lots of ability and was very very good on his day.  He was another to run in the maroon and blue colours of owners Matt Archer and the Late Jean Broadhurst.  He started life in the care of William Haggas on the flat and finished midfield on his debut at Doncaster over seven furlongs as a two year in November 1998.

He won his second start on the level in May 1999 at Yarmouth and had a good summer winning two races, finishing second twice and third once from five starts. After a winter holiday he returned and had seven runs in 2000 which include one win at Newbury with Richard Hughes on board and three second placings.  He finished a close fifth at Royal Ascot in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes and seventh in the John Smiths Cup at York.  He was rated 96 on the flat and contested some very good races.

He was bought privately after this and joined Pond House in the autumn of 2000.  He made his Pond House debut at Wincanton in May 2001 and it was a memorable one for all the wrong reasons!  He showed his character by virtually refusing and unseating A P McCoy at the fourth hurdle when starting the short priced favourite.  He soon made amends by winning at Stratford next time out although he did try to refuse at the first on this occasion as well!! He then returned to the flat and ran well at Royal Ascot that year again in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, he was badly hampered and not able to recover that day else he might have been much closer.

He returned to hurdling in September 2001 and ran up a sequence of four straight victories in a row with blinkers added to help his concentration.  Very easy novice hurdle wins were recorded at Uttoxeter, Chepstow and Cheltenham’s October meeting before he headed back to Cheltenham for the big two mile handicap hurdle at their November meeting.  He was an impressive winner that day, beating The French Furze by two lengths off a mark of 132 with A P McCoy in the saddle.  He would have won more easily had he not made a bad mistake at the final hurdle and then rallied gamely when challenged.  He finished midfield in a competitive handicap hurdle at Ascot after this before a little break and returning to Cheltenham for the Festival in March 2002.  He was a neck second to Like A Butterfly in the Supreme novices hurdle. It was a fine effort and he was only just held by the winner.  He then went on to Aintree and finished second in the Grade 1 novices hurdle in April. 

After an interrupted campaign the following season he was next back on the track in January 2003 with a third placing at Cheltenham and then it was a return to the track for the Champion hurdle in March.  Despite being a little reluctant to jump off and losing lengths at the start he ran a cracker to finish second behind Rooster Booster with Rhinestone Cowboy back in third. He finished that season with a third up at Ayr. 

He found things a little more tough the following season but ran well in some top races.  He pulled up in the Fighting Fifth hurdle on his first run back but then bounced back with a fine effort in the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury in February 2003.  He finished sixth but in a blanket finish he was only beaten 2 ¼ lengths.  He was fifth in the Champion hurdle after this behind Hardy Eustace, third in the Grade 1 hurdle at Aintree, third at Sandown on the final day of the National Hunt season and then fifth in the Swinton hurdle at Haydock in May off a rating of 161.

He was then sent novice chasing that summer at after finishing second on his debut at Worcester he showed more of his character when refusing at Newton Abbot after this at the first fence!  He then went on his summer holidays and reverted to hurdles when returning to action in the autumn.

It was a cracking effort on his return to finish a close second in the Greatwood hurdle at Cheltenham in November 2004, the race he won two years earlier but he was two stone higher this time around.  He was only beaten three lengths by Accordion Etoile.  He was third back at the track in December and then got a deserved victory at the course on New Year ’s Day 2005.  He also ran a good race to be third at the track later in the month as well.

He lined up in the Stayers hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival that year and ran another super race.  He finished fourth, 5¼ lengths behind Inglis Drever at 33/1 with Tom Scudamore on board.  He then went to Aintree but was up to his old tricks again and refused at the second flight of hurdles! He finished fourth in the stayers hurdle at Haydock in May after this.

After another summer holiday it took him a couple of runs for him to find his form that autumn but he finished fourth at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day 2006. He was then third at Sandown and eleventh in the World hurdle that year.  He was fourth at Aintree after this, fifth at Cheltenham in April and signed his career off in the most fitting way by winning the stayers handicap hurdle at Haydock in May 2006.  He just prevailed by a short head in a thrilling finish and retired to his owners home with the rest of their horses.

Westender was a very talented but quirky character who you would probably say was just short of top class but held his own with some amazing efforts over the years in a lot of the best races.  He loved Cheltenham and had a superb festival record despite unfortunately getting the win he thoroughly deserved.  He was second in the Supreme, second in the Champion hurdle and fourth in the World hurdle.  He was the winner of ten races from 50 career starts and he was placed 21 times as well.  Rated 161 at best he won just over £313,000 in prize money and he is fondly remembered at Pond House.

Watch him win at Cheltenham in 2001 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdQKAOg1SZI

Watch him finish second in the 2002 Supreme novices hurdle here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTdgacOn0Js