The Dream is Alive

Bonfire February 2012

The dream is alive for Bonfire, who emerged from his winter sojourn on a bright morning at Kingsclere this week with the arrogance of a boxer, the fluidity of movement of an athlete and carrying a winter dream that his owners hope will blossom into reality come the spring.

As Bonfire breezed easily up the all-weather gallop in copy book fashion his trainer Andrew Balding stood quietly appraising his steed whom he rates an Investec Derby hope and “a nice little challenge”.

Kingsclere has of course been witness to a past Derby winner in Mill Reef, trained by Andrew’s father Ian, who trained on the same illustrious turf and which reaped wins in the Eclipse, King George and Arc de Triomphe as well as the Derby. Now the hope is that Bonfire, who has wintered marvellously at Highclere Stud, will emulate his illustrious predecessor.

“The simpler you can keep things, the better,” says Andrew, as he watches the gleaming black colt who is accompanied always by his faithful pony Grand Piano to the start of his second canter. He sets off without so much as a backward glance at his companion moving with an ease that those following are unlikely ever to emulate.

Andrew and Harry Herbert are as one over Bonfire’s route to the Derby.

“We go for the Tattersalls’ Million at Newmarket which will be the ideal preparation for a Derby Trial,” said Andrew. “I don’t want two hard ones so maybe he will go straight from Newmarket to Epsom ten days before the Derby for their ‘Morning with the Stars’ where he would have a practice round Tattenham Corner.”

His biggest fans are his lad and work rider who will not have a bad word said against the three-year-old. “He’s wild but only playful really” was the description of his stable lass.

“Is he a good horse?” I asked his morning work rider. “Is he ever,” came the sharp reply.