Six-year-old chestnut horse Further And Beyond, while not the force he once was, roared back into contention with a thrilling victory in the Seeking My Dream Trophy on May 18th, 2024.
Trained by Donovan Hutchinson and ridden by Raddesh Roman, Further And Beyond dug deep to outlast Mahogany by a slim three-part-of-a-length margin in the Open Allowance race for three-year-olds and up over 7 ½ furlongs. This win marked Further And Beyond's second victory from five starts this season, clocking a time of 1:33.2.
Hutchinson, confident in his horse's abilities for this specific race, explained his training approach. "This horse is a breeze to train. I gave him some basic leg work and a half-mile gallop, then some therapy at the stables, and the rest is history."
He elaborated on his strategy for Roman: "Last time, Rhythm Buzz ran him down after a long sprint. This time, I told [Roman] to relax and sit back. When you leave the half-mile, just take your time and close the gap; you'll catch them eventually. They'll fight upfront, Mamma Mia and Mahogany will go at it, so all we have to do is capitalize on that fight. The jockey is good; he listens and executes."
Living up to those words, Further And Beyond, racing without a visor, started well behind the leading pack of Mamma Mia (Josue Osorio) and Mahogany (Reyan Lewis). These two horses quickly separated themselves, turning it into a two-horse race by the five-furlong marker.
With four furlongs remaining, Further And Beyond sat in fifth place in the six-horse field, seemingly out of contention. But under Roman's aggressive riding, the horse surged past opponents near the top of the lane, climbing to third.
Further And Beyond responded magnificently, unleashing a powerful stretch run to snatch victory from Mahogany right at the wire. Mamma Mia held on for a respectable third place, four lengths behind the top two.
Roman elaborated on the winning strategy: "The trainer and I discussed some things. I recommended taking the visor off because of the anticipated fast pace with Mamma Mia and Mahogany leading. Our plan was to sit off the pace and attack in the final stages, and it worked perfectly. I'm delighted with the performance."
Further And Beyond's victory underlines the importance of strategic planning and riding, proving a veteran horse can still claim glory with the right approach.
