Scotty Stevenson: Leading a horse to water can have consequences

Last time they led their horses to water they made the waka sink. Photo / Thinkstock

Teddy McCafferty, out of Henry and Beryl McCafferty of Strathmore, a trainer of some distinction with a string of champions to his name, was scratching his head outside the stables at Alexandra Park.

McCafferty, a man of abstemious disposition, which made him something of a rarity in training circles, had only just been told to make room for a swag of new ponies due to make an appearance in the park some time in the next 12 months.

It had been a long time since a McCafferty had taken charge of a group with such dubious and questionable pedigree. And now he was scratching his head while remonstrating mildly with his apprentice Jonny Studbuckle.

"Well I can't see how we're gonna start with this bunch, Jonny," mused the old man, thinking of his great uncle Theodore McCafferty, for whom Teddy was apparently named. Theodore had been the last of the McCafferty clan to witness such stock on this ground, and that was way back before the first war, when it was called Potters Paddock, back when a bucket of slop and a whip and a good drink of water were enough to give even the most average runner a chance.

Studbuckle, who had spent the morning wasting in a dung pile, had only just had a chance to look at the form himself, and was as unsure as the boss on the issue of how to get the new recruits into shape.

"Well, obviously we'll have to ride the young ones pretty hard," he ventured, as he rolled a Port Royal and daydreamed about bacon. "But there'll be a few we'll have to rest up until race day, lest the vets get involved."

"Quite right," said Teddy, as he rolled a fresh Drum and thought of the cost of bandages. "We'll keep the guns handy, just in case."

"There are a couple of real wild ones in there too, Teddy," said Jonny, his face twisting into a grimace as he wiped a clod of manure from his neckline and reached for the water bucket to fill his thimble.

"I dare say they'll need to be harnessed fairly tightly if we're to see the best of them."

Teddy nodded, and turned slowly from the apprentice. Bobby Jackson, a steward with all the grace of sandpaper and a voice to match, had wandered over to check on progress.

"Well, Teddy, looks like you have a job on your hands here," Bobby rasped as he rolled an Old Virginia. He peered into the stables where a row of bunks had been set up with feedbags on the headboards.

"Good to see you've made some space in there. Looks like the feed bill might jump up a notch, though."

"Damn right it will," snorted Teddy. "Especially with those big nags coming in. What's their names again, Jonny?"

Jonny looked up from his form book, where he'd made a few circles around the afternoon's runners. "Lemme see," he said.

"There's that one that's called What An Ofa - big mane on it, loves a plait - and the other one, bit smaller but strong as an ox, Woody's Winner, I think."

"Them's the ones," said Teddy, stooping to pick up a long line. "They won't need much track time; they're pretty good at trotting as it is. And we'll be saving that Happy Hooker for Cup week anyway. He loves to rise to the big occasion and he'll be good to have around to settle the others down."

"Understand you got a couple of reds in there too, Jonny," ventured Bobby. "Bound to get some attention, that lot."

"Fair call, Bobby," said Jonny as he refilled his thimble. "That young 'un Westward Ho goes alright. Bit skittery but nothing we can't drive out of him. Other one's a bit of an unknown too. They call him The Talented Turbo, got a solid win back in August in Palmy. Expect he'll be in the middle of the field at some stage."

"Well, as you were, gents," scratched Bobby as he made his way back to the stewards' office.

Teddy and Jonny stood in the late morning sun as a couple of apprentices worked the track.

Suddenly a thought crossed Jonny's mind.

"Well, Teddy, there's no doubt we got the facilities here. And there's no doubt you know how to work a champion. But if I had to guess, I'd say in this particular case you're a little bit worried about the expectations of the owners."

"They want a top four spot, there's nothing surer," Teddy replied.

"Well, you think it's doable?"

"I do, young man, I do. But there's one big problem," said Teddy. "Last time they led their horses to water they made the waka sink."