When ten-year-old Harry Vigors won a pony race on Dough Boy at Larkhill on Sunday he was congratulated by none other than Britain’s champion Flat jockey Oisin Murphy.
Famous for a string of big-race successes and for his association with the great Roaring Lion, Qatar Racing's no.1 jockey stepped into the winner's enclosure to congratulate Vigors, who had earlier named his racing heroes as "Frankie Dettori, Barry Geraghty and Oisin Murphy."
Harry comes from a family steeped in racing. His parents Charlie and Tracy run Hillwood Stud, one of Britain's leading yearling consigning operations, and his grandparents, Nicky and Fiona, were heavily involved in racing through training and bloodstock.
For Harry the wide-open spaces of Larkhill were a new experience, but for his father it was a trip down memory lane. During the 1990s in a golden era for hunter chasing he rode one of the best, Holland House, whose maiden win was recorded at Larkhill in 1993. Two years later the partnership was twice second at Larkhill behind dual Foxhunter Chase winner Fantus, and they were also runner-up to that horse in Cheltenham's famous hunters' chase.
At the age of 12 Holland House remained competitive, running out an easy winner of the four-miler at Cheltenham's evening hunters' chase meeting, although he suffered a heart attack soon after pulling up.
Reflecting on his time as an amateur rider, Charlie (pictured below with his son) said: "Because Dad trained I was mad keen to ride in races, and we didn't have the luxury of pony racing. Andrew Balding was my best mate, and we were in the Pony Club, but a point-to-point was our best hope of riding in a race.
"Holland House was the most-talented horse I rode, but his half-brother, Idiotic was pretty good, and finished fourth in the Aintree Foxhunters' Chase. They were good days – I was assistant trainer to Nicky Henderson and riding in point-to-points at weekends; I didn't appreciate what a charmed life I was living."
Hopefully his son will absorb and enjoy this time of his life. The Vigors' yard 'hack' is none other than 15-year-old Bobs Worth, winner of the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup, although it seems Dough Boy and his young jockey are no admirers of reputations.
With a cheeky grin, Harry said: "Dough Boy makes a laughing stock of Bob on the gallops," before Charlie politely pointed out the weight difference between father and son.
