1. The Hardy Boy

With six wins from 22 races at Plumpton The Hardy Boy has become a favourite with Plumpton regulars.

Foaled in 2000 The Hardy Boy is a brown gelding by the leading national hunt sire Overbury out of Miss Nero.  He made his racing debut at the Templemore point to point in October 2004.  Altogether The Hardy Boy ran in nine Irish point-to-points finishing third three times, second once and winning at Dromahane in April 2005.

Spotted on behalf of Mrs Shirley Grist by Sean Micks, The Hardy Boy joined Anna Newton-Smith’s yard at Jevington, East Sussex in the summer and made his racecourse debut in Mrs Grist’s colours at Plumpton on 17 October 2005 ridden by Colin Bolger.

Bred for steeplechasing Anna admits that his two runs over hurdles were just going through the motions preparing for the real thing.  The Hardy Boy is evidently well named as he is (touch wood) a very strong, tough horse who is very brave at his fences.  He takes a strong hold and apart from the occasional error takes a real cut at his fences.  In thirty six runs over fences he has won seven times and once at Lingfield and six times at Plumpton.

Although not blessed with the greatest turn of foot Anna says he is best suited by two and a half miles and the demands of jumping at Plumpton are ideal to keep him in the race and that’s what makes him a Plumpton specialist.  “He really stands off at the fence at the top of the hill and that is what wins him the race” says Anna.

With luck The Hardy Boy will return to Plumpton and if he adds just two more course wins to his tally he will equal the course record of eight steeplechase wins set by the Michael Madgwick trained Snitterfield back in the 1980s and early 1990s.
The owner
Mrs Grist has owned horses for the best part of thirty years and has also had horses with Gardie Grissell at Brightling.  As well as The Hardy Boy she currently also has her home bred Twin Bud in training with Anna Newton-Smith.  Twin Bud’s dam Little Bud won six races including five at Plumpton and her grand dam, Sindur also raced for Mrs Grist.

The trainer
Anna Newton-Smith currently trains a string of around a dozen horses at Bull Pen Cottage stables, Jevington.  She has held a full trainers licence for 14 years having previously trained point to pointers for five years.  Apart from The Hardy Boy, Anna’s best horse was Rightsaidfred who won the Mandarin Chase at Newbury.