On Track - Spring 2020 Edition

19 HUMIDOR RISES FROM THE ASHES As the connections mulled over their next move that question became the topic of social debate, sports fans with a passing interest in racing weighing in with their opinions, the bulk of which decided that greed was to the fore if the owners decided to push on. Sokolski and major part-owners, Mark and John Carter, discussed the merits of the decision long and hard but could not better a 50 – 50 split when it came time to vote. “The most important priority to the ownership group was protecting the horse and his legacy. He had given us so much and the onus was on us to make the right call and the horse’s performance and the public would judge that decision accordingly. “We asked the opinion of a couple of very close confidants and they encouraged us to try again with Chris Waller, the idea was that Chris races them into fitness and that the horse would appreciate that.” But Waller needed time to think. Sokolski made the initial approach “and probably expected a bit more enthusiasm,” but Waller was guarded and asked for some time to think it through. “After two days he called and said ‘OK, I’m up for it – under the proviso that the moment the horse was uncompetitive in work we would stop’. We were more than happy with that,” Sokolski said. The decision to push on was never about squeezing blood from a stone, far from it. For Sokolski and many of his fellow owners, there was a great emotional tie to Humidor and a deep pride in the horse’s performance and legacy – they wanted to give their champion the chance to go out on top, to at least have the chance to. Humidor surprised them all by starting out on top on his return in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes, the only ballot exempt race into the 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate. “It was a phoenix-like resurrection and none of us, least of all Chris Waller, expected it,” said Sokolski. “He is the first proper horse that I’ve owned, to see him do that, to come back and win when everyone had written him off, it was an incredibly special moment. He wasn’t even supposed to run there – Chris had him booked for the Chelmsford, but COVID meant that he couldn’t travel so we changed focus to The Valley, it was meant to be.” “We really just hoped that he would be competitive. But when he was tracking on the home turn, he let down like the Humidor of old – it was validation and vindication for the horse, we did cop it, but for the horse it was his moment to stand up and he did like a true warrior.” Just as a steely battle-hardened centre-half back stands and waits for the first bounce on Grand Final day, so stands Humidor, ready to race and ready to fight around those all too familiar contours of The Valley. He won’t be the prettiest horse in the field on Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day, but few will have a resume that runs as deep, and few will have earned the stripes that the eight-year-old son of Teofilo has during his career. “He’s got such an affinity for the track, it is really hard to see him missing the top four given the form he’s in,” said Sokolski. “He’s in the race up to his ears and twelve months ago I wouldn’t have thought I’d say those words again.” Write him off at your own peril. Humidor has found a new home at the Chris Waller stable Mick Sharkie can be heard on Racing Pulse on RSN927 every Friday morning.