Maoi Chinn Tire had a long and busy racing career, but it was inconsistent and far from exceptional. However, there was one race in particular that he will be remembered for – the Weatherbys Bank Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle at Wetherby in 2010.
The bay gelding went off at his longest odds ever for this race, priced at 200/1, no hoper odds.
But he won.
It was the biggest shock of the National Hunt season, making Maoi Chinn Tire the joint longest priced winner Britain had seen in more than 20 years.
You can understand why no one fancied him. He was 3 years old at the time and making his hurdles debut, having just switched to a new trainer, Jennie Candlish. He was the outsider of all 13 runners.
Yes, he had won a few of his 21 flat races so far, and regularly placed, but this was a different kettle of fish all together. However, after hanging back for much of the race Maoi Chinn Tire began gaining ground and was chasing the leaders 3 out. By 2 out he was in the lead and never let up from there.
He didn’t just win it either, he won the race by 9 lengths.
The owner, Alan Baxter, was understandably chuffed to bits, mostly because he had backed his own horse when it was priced art 300/1 earlier on. He said:
“We got him out of a claimer and obviously people don’t like to lose horses, but that’s the risk you run. Whether today is his Gold Cup or not, it doesn’t matter. I managed to back him at 300-1 so he has nearly won back the 7,000 we claimed him.”
Maoi Chinn Tire was up against horses from the stables of Alan King, Nicky Henderson, and Paul Nicholls, all chasing the £8,551.50 prize for first place, so it’s not as though he beat a field of also rans, either.
This race was relatively early on in the horse’s career. He would go on to race until the end of 2017, with 2014 being a stand out year for him with 4 wins and 3 places from 8 races, but he never hit the headlines again like he did for his win at Wetherby.