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Had a good innings. Owned plenty of good horses, with Mole Board being one of my favourites.
My condolences to his family and friends.
I met Wally Sturt two or three times when he accompanied Jim Old for Cheltenham preview evenings, where Jim was on the panel. He told a story about Jim from the days when Mole Board was a serious Cheltenham contender.
He said Jim had phoned him one morning, very excited, and told him that Mole Board had just worked brilliantly with Cradle Of Jazz on a racecourse gallop (I think it was at Wincanton). Wally said he’d burst out laughing and when Jim asked what was funny, he pointed out there were about five thousand horse in training that would look good working with Cradle Of Jazz, who by then was a slow chaser that had been pulled up more often then not in low grade handicaps that winter. Wally said it was amusing at the time, but not so funny when the tale of this ‘wonder gallop’ was leaked to the press and his phone was ringing non stop!
Wally Sturt was also heavily involved with flat horses trained by Sir Mark Prescott under the Osborne House banner and had his best year in 2003. They had No Refuge, bought for 11,000 gns, who won the valuable 12F handicap at Glorious Goodwood, and Chivalry (52,000 gns) who won the Cambridgeshire on his seasonal debut. The pair were sold for a total of 350,000 gns to Howard Johnson at the Autumn Sale.
Lovely bloke, good company – RIP Wally.
Ah Mole Board….ran in the Champion Hurdle won by Beech Road (actually led at the last) and also in the one won by Alderbrook.
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