Racing: I don't care who wins so long as it's one of mine... then I'll retire a happy man; SAYS BARRY HILLS, WHO TRAINS A THIRD OF THE DERBY FIELD.
Byline: Charles FawcusBARRY HILLS keeps on coming back for more and the veteran trainer has given himself four chances of finally landing the Vodafone Derby at Epsom today.
It's thirty years since the 64-year-old saddled his first Derby runner and 31 horses have tried and failed to win the greatest Flat race in the world for him since.
Four times he ended up standing in the runner-up spot and that ill-luck has not been confined to the colts, as disaster also struck two of his major Oaks contenders.
Dibidale's saddle slipped just as she was making a winning run in 1974, forcing Willie Carson to ride bareback up the straight, while Durtal bolted with Lester Piggott on the way to the start in 1977 and had to be withdrawn.
What makes it all worse is that he should have won the Derby twice in those early years. Lester's machine-gun finish lifted Roberto home in a dramatic finish with the Ernie Johnson-ridden, Hills-trained, Rheingold in 1972 and six years later Greville Starkey spoiled the party when his late flourish on Shirley Heights foiled Willie Shoemaker on Hawaiian Sound, whose drift away from the rail was crucial.
"Those defeats were hard to take, but my other two seconds, Glacial Storm and Blue Stag both ran above themselves. The horses I run today are all better than that pair," Hills told me earlier in the week.
One of them, Mr Combustible, was named after the trainer who enjoys his grumpy reputation.
"We tried to call him Mr Grumpy, but that name had been taken so we settled for Mr Combustible instead," explains Canadian owner Dick Bonnycastle, who shared 1,000 Guineas success with his trainer by way of Enstone Spark in 1978.
"I'm not as bad as I used to be," added Hills and the long-standing employment of his staff confirm that fact.
For example, veteran former-head lad Snowy Outen still helps out at the Lambourn stable and leads-up runners, even though he is well past retiring age.
Hills respects the chances of all his horses and each one has booked his place in the line up by winning a trial.
But the man who raised the cash to set himself up as a trainer by backing Frankincense to win the Lincoln back in 1968, admits to being confused for once.
"You know I'm a betting man but I have not played at all this time - I just could not pick between them," he says.
"We took Perfect Sunday to Lingfield to see how he would handle the hill there and he came through that test with no trouble at all and we know he stays. Chancellor has had a couple of problems since his win in heavy ground at Sandown, but he is back on track now."
Mr Combustible, who made all to win at Chester, is sure to stay, while Storming Home won over a mile and a quarter over the Derby course in April.
Richard Hughes is retained by Perfect Sunday's owner Prince Khalid Abdulla, so there was no difficulty in sorting out who was going to ride that one, but it was a bit of surprise when one of the trainer's twin sons Michael, with the pick of the other three, went for Storming Home, only third to Dilshaan at York.
"The extra two furlongs at Epsom have got to be in my horse's favour and he went the best when we galloped the horses last weekend. He is on the upgrade and his form already is good," said the man who outdid his father when winning the 1996 Derby on Shaamit.
"People expected me to go for Chancellor, but those setbacks came at the wrong time and the Derby might just be coming too soon for him. I know what it takes to win here and it would be fantastic to do it for dad this time. He deserves it after all those near misses."
Twin brother Richard, runner-up last year on Sakhee, gets his chance on Mr Combustible with Henry Cecil's jockey Richard Quinn having been snapped up for Chancellor.
But Hills sums it all up when you ask what he wants from the race this afternoon.
"It would be nice if two of them just happen to be in front coming into the final furlong. I don't care who wins, so long as it's one of mine then I'll retire a happy man."Barry's Derby record1971 Meaden 9th.
1972 Rheingold 2nd, Our Mirage 4th.
1973 Natsun 11th, Proverb 17th.
1974 Regular Guy 10th.
1975 Royal Manacle 7th.
1976 Danestic 9th.
1978 Hawaiian Sound 2nd, Sexton Blake 15th.
1979 Cracaval 8th, Tap On Wood 12th, Two Of Diamonds 14th,
1980 Saint Jonathon 13th.
1981 King Of Hush 16th.
1982 Father Rooney 13th.
1983 The Noble Player 11th.
1985 Royal Harmony 9th.
1987 Sir Harry Lewis 4th, Water Boatman 16th.
1988 Glacial Storm 2nd. 1990 Blue Stag 2nd, Missionary Ridge 10th.
1991 Arokat 12th.
1993 Blues Traveller 3rd.
1996 Busy Flight 18th, Prince Of My Heart 19th. 1997 The Fly 5th, Musalsal 8th.
1998 The Glow-Worm 6th.
1999 Through The Rye 16th.
2000 Zyz 9th.
CAPTION(S):
SUNDAY'S BEST: Richard Hughes and Perfect Sunday put on the style in the Lingfield Derby Trial; MULTIPLE CHOICE: Barry Hills puts the finishing touches to his four-strong Derby team on the gallops earlier this week.; DERBY DOUBLE: Mr Combustible (left) and Chancellor at Lambourn
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| Title Annotation: | Sport |
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| Publication: | The Mirror (London, England) |
| Date: | Jun 9, 2001 |
| Words: | 904 |
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