LOOK SHARPE: Even Francome and Francis Would Have Found This Story Stranger Than Their Own Fiction!

Sports betting PR legend GRAHAM SHARPE brings you his latest ‘LOOK SHARPE’ column…

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A SUCCESSFUL BETTING COUP, landing an estimated half a million pounds, via a horse rumoured to have been a ringer, followed within 48 hours by the death of the winning trainer…

These ingredients might be deemed too extraordinary if they cropped up in a novel appearing under the name of John Francome, or Dick Francis, but they occurred in June, 1992.

On the 13th of that month, Will Pearce-trained Father Hayes, was backed in the morning markets from 20/1 to 3/1, before that afternoon winning the Hanover Square Handicap under 9 stone 9 lbs, by two and a half lengths at Sandown over an extended mile and three furlongs, partnered by David Nicholls, who punched the air in triumph on passing the winning post ahead.

The horse, who had run four times in the previous seven weeks, only once making the first four, was an American-bred who had previously been called Highland Johnny in 1990, when trained by Dermot Browne – who would subsequently be warned off for ten years.

By November 1991 the horse had been renamed Dashing John – then, just four months later, he became Father Hayes.

42 year old Pearce trained at Yorkshire’s historic Hambleton House stables, and had only been handling the horse, owned by his brother Rodney, for several weeks. Pearce had previously studied economics and finance at University, but when 21 began working as an assistant to trainer Colin Davies, then became assistant to the late Richmond Sturdy and

Mick Gosden – for whom he also rode his first winner. Pearce’s first winner as a trainer came in June 1984, when Sharlie’s Wimpy scored at Ripon.

There is little doubt that Father Hayes was the medium of a substantial gamble – with the trainer himself joining in – ‘I don’t bet heavily, apart from the occasional two-year-old, but my owners do. This time was an exception’ he was reported as saying after the race. He also explained, ‘An unraced 4yo is unusual. He came to us from a livery yard. I believe there had been problems over documentation after he came over from the States.’

When the betting market had opened on course John McCririck had already alerted Channel 4 viewers to the ongoing gamble, as the horse opened at 7/2, drifted to 11/2 and was then supported back to 4/1 joint favourite.

Pearce explained the horse’s previous poor form at Hereford over 1m5f, Edinburgh, over 1m4f, Beverley, 1m100yards and Southwell, 1m – ‘I had to get him qualified for handicaps and after Southwell, where he hated the track, the extra distance plus the mark he had been given made us fancy him a bit.’

The stewards questioned trainer and jockey about the horse’s subsequent improvement in form, and were told he ‘ran green’ at Edinburgh and was unsuited by the trips at Beverely and Southwell, and did not like the surface at the latter.

After-race estimates of the amounts landed in winning bets ranged from £50,000 to £500,000. Timeform’s ‘Racehorses Of 1992’ book would later comment on the horse – ‘subject of massive gamble and showed improved form to win handicap at Sandown for W Pearce – tailed off later in June.’ Rumours that the horse was a ‘ringer’, though, were probably sparked by his name changes.

On June 15, two days after the race, trainer Pearce, aged just 42, was found dead shortly after noon, in a small wood close to his gallops, adjacent to his yard with a 12-bore shotgun beside him. The coroner would later record a verdict of suicide, but could find no motive.

On June 16 the Jockey Club announced it was ‘taking steps to establish that the correct horse was running in the name of Father Hayes.The Security Department are also looking into other aspects of the affair.’

On June 24 the Jockey Club confirmed that it was satisfied that all was in order as far as the horse’s identity was concerned, having ‘completed analysis of blood samples.’ Two samples were analysed and indicated that the horse was not a ringer – ‘The Jockey Club is entirely satisfied that the horse which ran at Sandown was Father Hayes (USA).’

The horse now came under the charge of Pearce’s head lad and raced at Newcastle on June 26, but was unplaced. It was his final outing of that year.
Father Hayes, now a 5yo, was ‘again gambled-on favourite’ at Yarmouth, during the next season, under a different handler, but ‘weakened approaching last furlong’.

The horse will always be remembered for that successful, but ultimately tragic gamble.

Respected racing writer Richard Onslow concluded somewhat surprisingly in 1993, ‘Whatever reason Will Pearce may have had for taking his own life, it can have had nothing to do with Father Hayes winning at Sandown Park’, whilst suggesting that ‘rumour and gossip to the contrary’ was ‘greatly intensified by the death of the trainer’, which is inarguable.

However, speculation is unlikely ever to disappear, in the absence of any conclusive proof one way or the other..

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Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

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