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On the 4th March 1995, two public-favourite former chasers – Vodkatini & Door Latch – were brought out of long retirements to race in a point-to-point held by the Chiddingfold, Leconfield & Cowdray Hunt at Parham in West Sussex. It’s a meeting that I believe is still held annually. According to the RP database (which I am presuming is correct – apologies if not), at that time Vodkatini hadn’t raced for three years, Door Latch had been absent from the track for five years and they were 17 and 16 years old respectively. Neither of them survived the race.
What were they doing there? And who made the decision to race them after such long absences?
Door Latch had been a high-class individual in the 1980s – winning Ascot’s SGB Chase in 1985 & 86 and placing in both the 1986/87 Gold Cup and King George. However, he was prone to severe tendon problems and after missing the entirety of the 1988/89 season, he only raced fitfully and well-below form until retiring in 1990 aged 12.
Vodkatini was a much-loved rogue from those days – capable of very high-class form but entertainingly recalcitrant when the mood took him. He picked up a number of quality handicap chases around Ascot, Cheltenham and the like before losing his form as he got older and being retired in early 1992 as a 13 year old.
Curiously, both horses had been trained pretty much throughout their careers by Josh Gifford. Indeed, Gifford was still marked as the trainer for Door Latch at the ill-fated Parham meet. Vodkatini however had moved to the care of Carrie Zetter-Wells and her then trainer husband Lawrence Wells. It seems unlikely that the identical tactics of bringing a long-retired old favourite back to the course in the same race at the same meeting could have happened independently. Yet I have no particular evidence to say otherwise.
In the race itself, the old stagers were predictably outsiders of the four runners at 6-1 and 16-1. Vodkatini pulled hard (old habits etc) before falling at the fourth and bringing down Door Latch. It appears Door Latch was killed immediately, whereas Vodkatini returned home and had to be put down shortly after as an examination showed a broken shoulder. The RP gives us limited information but in that year’s Mackenzie & Selby Hunter Chasers annual, the jockeys were M Bowes on Door Latch (remarkably carrying 14lbs overweight) and J Owens on Vodkatini (The overweight may not be accurate, as it also shows Door Latch running off the same weight as the others, i.e. 12-07). I wonder if anyone has any Mackenzie & Selby annuals from that era that may throw further light on this subject – particularly if Door Latch/Vodkatini HAD raced elsewhere post-retirement – or if any of you know anything yourselves, please chime in.
To be honest, there’s not really anywhere to go with this. Two horses died, it was pushing 30 years ago and frankly anyone connected with incident is likely retired or passed away – Gifford himself died years ago: it’s probably a bit late to start playing Poirot now! On top of which, I am aware that I may not be in full possession of all the facts so it would be unfair to try to apportion blame to specific connections of either horse.
And yet…
On the face of it, what we have is two strongly-connected favourite old horses brought out of very long retirements to apparently needlessly race in a two-bit hunting event. As a consequence, both were killed. It’s hard not to think that someone, somewhere made some very bad decisions that led to this.
Mike
Thanks for raising this; I hadn’t realised they’d both died in the same race. I’ll always remember being at a racecourse in which there was a lot of cheering at the start of the race ( I was a long way from the start and, being new to racing anyway so wasn’t sure what was going on) and it was because Vodkatini had either agreed to start or nor not start ( not sure which). So I’ve always been fascinated by him. It probably resulted in me still being rather fond of quirky types.
I had look on you tube for someone few months back to try dig out some old videos on you tube as Door Latch was a favorite of theirs . I found that these old warhorses had met their end this way . I think when i searched it on here it had been mentioned a few times in past .
How they got Vodkatini to start the race after years off track , he was always dicey at start .
All i can say whoever made the truely bonkers decision to drag these two out of fields after years of retirement has no business being around horses and has no shame , i dont care what they have won in past or whatever they have done , its a truely disgusting act .
I would hope they got the serve they deserved on course that day .I never knew that, how absolutely awful
I know of quite a few ex racers going out of public sight and into point to point them sadly dying ie Godsmejudge, Sir Des Champs to name a fewVF x
Straight off track as going a bit slower , going to PTP as a schoolmaster i kind of get if they are a reliable kind of horse in good health , dragging two long retired pensioners out of retirement , one of the most bizarre antics ive heard of in 45 years of following the game .
Iam very quiet person , but if i ever was in the unlikely circumstances of being in those involved company i would remind them of their actions , something they should never be allowed to forget .I may be mistaken but i think Yahoo had heart attack in point to point at advanced age , but RP formline shows only placing no comments . Iam sure it was him though .
“All i can say whoever made the truely bonkers decision to drag these two out of fields..”
Didn’t point to point horses have to be “properly and fairly hunted” to get their hunter cert back at that time?
“it’s probably a bit late to start playing Poirot now! On top of which, I am aware that I may not be in full possession of all the facts so it would be unfair to try to apportion blame to specific connections of either horse.
And yet…
On the face of it, what we have is two strongly-connected favourite old horses brought out of very long retirements to apparently needlessly race in a two-bit hunting event. As a consequence, both were killed. It’s hard not to think that someone, somewhere made some very bad decisions that led to this.”
The name you have mentioned, Carrie Zetter Wells is quite a googleable one. She was still alive and in possession of her faculties two years ago, talking about the death of her 98 year old father:
https://www.thejc.com/news/pools-magnate-and-philanthropist-paul-zetter-dies-aged-98-ei7t5zdgThe charity mentioned in the article still exists, so you might be able to get in touch with her through them if you want to ask her whose fault it was. Although perhaps she may simply reply that, her mother having escaped the Holocaust and her father serving in the war, sending a teenaged horse out in a P2P didn’t seem that big a deal. Different times I suppose.
I remember these two very well. In particular I remember backing Door Latch in the Grand National only for him to fall at the first…
What a sad and depressing tale this was to read. I’d like to think things have moved on in the ptp world but Ihave no idea if they have or otherwise.
It’s probably just my natural cynicism surfacing here, but given the names of the horses, the proximity of Parham to the Findon stables of Josh Gifford, and the timing of this unfortunate event, but the words ‘Charity’ and ‘Bob Champion’ came to mind when I read this tale.
The fact that this 3M race took 7m 30s to run (if the Post timing is correct) suggests it wasn’t a serious event.
An anonymous TRF viewer sent me these two extracts (above) from 1996 Mackenzie and Selby Hunters, Chasers and Point to Pointers.
I dont care how much expertise the people that were involved in this disgrace have or had , it was truely bonkers to send two old retired horses round . Plan and simply was wrong .
Most bizarre training decision ive ever heard of , be struggling to find more bonkers one surely but would love to hear of one more unhinged .“Most bizarre training decision ive ever heard of , be struggling to find more bonkers one surely but would love to hear of one more unhinged .”
I’m sure that entering an Australian bred 2mile champion chaser in the Grand National and letting him bowl along building up a big lead would raise a few eyebrows now, but it nearly came off.
According to wikipedia, Crisp hunted for 8 seasons after he retired from racing , which would make him about 19 by my reckoning, and died in the hunting field.
There’s been a few in the distant past in Aintree Foxhunters .Mount Top in 1980 and Private Script in 81 in particular who has a string of R’s in his form that season .
I believe Neil King was effectively told to not run Cardinal Red or else in the 98 Foxhunters.He would have been interesting with his talent.
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