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Number 25 Hughie Morrison - Alcazar - 2005 Prix Royal-Oak

                                                                              February 2006

What made it great                                

Hughie Morrison's prowess at mending the unmendable has already been highlighted in this series with Tom Paddington, but his handling of Alcazar exceeded that.

Alcazar, a promising three-year-old, had been off the course for almost three years with a multitude of injuries, including a fractured pelvis, before Morrison trained him to win at Newmarket on his outing at six. He promptly broke his pelvis again, and wasn't seen out until the spring of his eight-year-old season. Needless to say, he won on that comeback too, and Morrison kept him sound during the last three seasons, which culminated in his first Group 1 success, at the age of ten, in the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp last October. "He's broken his pelvis on three occasions, a leg once and had two strained tendons. More than that, he's bled. Most horses would have chucked it in, but not him" said Morrison. Most trainers, too, but not him.

Both Tom Paddington and Alcazar were long time residents at The Centre using the ECB Equine Spa.      

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