From 'Hat Rack' To Kiplingcotes Derby Runner

WHEN Emma Herbert-Davies first saw the young thoroughbred Blue she knew instantly she had to have him.Having just arrived on the boat from Ireland, Blue was like a ‘hat rack’ at the age of four and on first sight Emma decided she had to take him home and look after him.Very poor and looking a little lost after his journey Emma decided she had to get some weight and condition on Blue in order to progress his schooling and training."I felt so sorry for Blue,” said Emma. "He was very lean to say the least and was also full of worms which just added to his plight."I started to look into what would be the best plan to take when it came to feeding and turned to the team at TopSpec for help and advice."It was suggested I feed TopSpec Comprehensive Feed Balancer and TopSpec Super Conditioning Flakes and I quickly saw a huge improvement in his overall condition."Even when we started to work him and get Blue ready for a season’s hunting he still looked great and at the end of the season people were still saying how well he looked."The Super Conditioning Flakes really helped thanks to the high oil content which gave him the added stamina and with his coat in such brilliant condition I wasn’t ashamed to be seen out on him again."Blue has developed in to a fantastic all round horse hunting in the winter, even going to Pony Club camp with my daughter and I am very proud to say we took part in this year’s Kiplingcote’s Derby."The race is the oldest and longest flat race in the country and is very tough requiring both horses and riders to be very fit."I was delighted with our result, we had a fantastic race, it was pretty gruelling with a jog of four-and-a-half miles to the starting post and a very fast gallop back another four-and-a-half miles to the finish over rough terrain and three road crossings, so nine miles in all."Blue led all the way from the start and was narrowly beaten into second place in the last 100 yards by a very good professional jockey and race horse. The organisers said it was the closest finish for years and that I led an "unrelenting” pace all the way."Blue was so fit I had trouble pulling him up – he would have gone another mile I think!"I led him out the following day and he was totally sound horse. It goes to show that what you put in really affects what you get out – feed the best and beat the rest (or very nearly!!!)"To say he has done a season’s hunting and was still racing fit and ready to run is just brilliant, I couldn’t wish for a better horse, Blue is just amazing.”