MOORCROFT BOY LEADS THE WAY FOR
THE RACEHORSE SANCTUARY
What a life this truly exceptional horse had lead so far, and it’s a long way from finishing as he sets out to spearhead yet another unique venture.
Having won fourteen point to points at the age of five his then part owner and trainer Mr Graham Roach decided to run him under National Hunt rules, this era began at Worcester Racecourse on 14th November 1990 in the Rayburn Royal Novices Hurdle in which he ran a very creditable 5th.
In 1993 Graham Roach decided to sell his share of Moorcroft Boy to Mr Ken Manley, an action I’m sure he has regretted ever since. Ken then sent him to be trained by David Nicholson (The Duke) at Jackdaws Castle just outside Cheltenham and it was at this stage that his career really took off in earnest. During his three years with The Duke he only had nineteen runs, fourteen of these he finished in the first three the other five were simply prep races for the big ones.
 Among his wins included racecourses such as Cheltenham where he beat Just So and Topsham Bay, Warwick where he beat Cool Ground, Chatham, Into The Red and Fiddlers Pike and of cause Ayr when he won the Scottish Grand National beating the likes of General Wolfe, Willsford and Arthurs Minstral to name but a few. Arguably one of his greatest efforts was in the 1994 Martell Grand National at Aintree when whilst jumping the final fence well clear of the entire field he suffered a broken blood vessel, regardless of this discomfort and choking on his own blood he battled on up the long run in and around the elbow of Aintree’s finish to cross the line in third place beaten by Minnehoma and allowing Just So to get his revenge. Needless to say later that year due to his valiant efforts he was made anti post favourite for the 1995 Grand National and David Nicholson started the and arduous fitness programme preparing him for the greatest race in the world. Part of this programme meant returning to Aintree for the Becher Chase, which is run over the Grand National fences for one circuit. It was during this race when travelling really well at the eighteenth fence that he made a misjudgement causing him to suffer the only fall of his entire career.
 The outcome of this horrendous fall was three broken vertebrae in the upper region of his neck within just a few millimetres of the spinal cord, for most horses this would have been the end. Most certainly not as far as his owner Ken Manley was concerned and instructions were given that if there was any way his life could be saved and he could live out his days in comfort regardless of costs then this must happen. With three men holding him motionless in the horsebox he made the short journey to Leverhulme Veterinary Clinic at Liverpool University where he was to spend many weeks in intensive care receiving expert treatment.
Having survived this trauma nearly a year down the line he appeared to have lost none of his appetite to gallop and jump so he was put back into training with The Duke. It was a long, slow build up but The Stakis Casinos Scottish Grand National at Ayr Racecourse in April 1996 was always the main aim for Moorcroft Boy rather than rekindling the awful memories that could haunt him of the Aintree fences.
On 20th April 1996 David Nicholson said and I quote “We only put him on the lorry in case it rained” and rained it certainly did. In absolutely bottomless ground 20 horses set off on the arduous four miles and one furlong that day and due to all that he had been through the bookies placed Moorcroft Boy as a 20-1 outsider to be victorious.
 Under such difficult conditions only six of the twenty managed to finish that day and Moorcroft Boy was to be the victor some eleven lengths clear of the second General Wolfe. Quoting David Nicholson with a tear in his eye after the race “The courage and stamina of Moorcroft Boy have never been in doubt, and he demonstrated both to considerable effect to win from 16lb out of the handicap with his rider putting up 2bl overweight as well”. It was also amongst the jubilation taking place in the winners enclosure that day that his owner Ken Manley subconsciously made the decision to retire this fantastic horse while he was still at the top and in one piece so when Moorcroft Boy climbed the ramp onto the lorry the following day that was to be his last visit to a racecourse as a runner.
Later that year we made the trip to Gloucestershire to collect Moorcroft Boy, which was the beginning of a very special relationship for both Sue and I with a very special horse. Just a few weeks after his arrival when we had both come back down to earth and faced the fact that even with a name like Moorcroft Boy he still creates as much manure as any other horse and needs every bit as much grooming we decided that now was the time to put together an idea that with had dreamt about for a very long time. We now had a ready made flagship so we set about creating a centre that could secure the future of other ex-racehorses who weren’t as fortunate as Moorcroft Boy.
Hence he set off on his second career in which he has already left a legacy that being the Moorcroft Racehorse Welfare Centre. Starting off in a farm in Kent, soon moving to an equestrian centre in East Sussex and then on to a Stud in West Sussex purchased by the charity, Moorcroft Boy spent nine years promoting this cause. During this time he paraded all over the country including racecourse such as Epson Downs, Haydock Park, Lingfield Park and Plumpton, greyhound stadiums including Perry Bar and Walthamstow where he posed for photos with ten Afghan Hounds and open days at the National Stud, Newmarket and trainers yards not to mention numerous times at home. Throughout this time he has been featured on TV many times and I have been interviewed on radio concerning his well being, he has also been nominated as the 20th most popular racehorse of all time by the public, which is no mean achievement. Until 2003 he was kept in full work being hacked out and schooled on the flat where he showed a huge amount of ability due to his floating paces, however, any form of dressage career was never to be due to his very nervous and erratic behaviour under saddle.
Having retired him from ridden work in the autumn of
2003 perfectly sound after just a year of pure
indulgence he strained a check ligament on his near
fore when having a silly five minutes in his paddock,
even with this problem he refused point blank to show
any lameness and simply soldiered on. Due to policy
changes beyond my control we decided to separate
ourselves from the MRWC which meant yet another
new start for Moorcroft Boy although along the same
lines as before, this time as the flagship for the
Racehorse Sanctuary and Re-homing Centre in
Cowfold, West Sussex.
 He has settled in extremely well here at Stonehouse Stables and seems to be happier than he has ever been since we have owned him despite still suffering from his collapsed heals which our farrier pulls his hair out over and the check ligament, which is continually being lasered and treated. Moorcroft Boy or Mr M as he is known here at the Sanctuary is a born poser who loves to show off and generally please people; he gives so much and yet expects so little in return. Here at Stonehouse Stable both Sue and I who are the only one’s he will allow to deal with him feel both privileged and blessed to have been given the honour of both owning and working with such a legend.
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