CAMPLI 13 May 2002. Zafonic-Sept A Neuf. Owner-Racing Management & Training Ltd & Ian Ender.
Campli was another purchase out of the Luca Cumani yard, in the Autumn of 2005, from the Newmarket horses in training sales.He is a son of the 1993 '2000 Guineas' winner Zafonic, out of an unraced Be My Guest mare.
ampli made his debut in a bumper at Ayr in March 2004, finishing forth of the six runners, beaten 11 lengths, and not appreciating the soft ground. On a faster surface at Perth in April, he finished a very promising second, especially since he was pulling too hard early on. At Sedgefield in June on his third start, he coasted home by seven lengths, giving his jockey Neil Mulholland, what must have been the easiest winner of his entire career, winning at 11/10 favourite.Hopes were high for a follow up at Market Rasen in July, but after going second two furlongs from home, he hung violently, coming home in forth, beaten 10 lengths. He made his hurdles debut at Sedgefield in August, and although he finished second, he was beaten in-excess of 30 lengths, showing little aptitude for this new discipline.In October he made the long trip to Kelso, but unfortunately the mornings heavy rain had got in to the ground, and Campli came home in fifth, beaten 18 lengths.
He returned to racing in April 2007, and ran a blinder under Michael Stainton, finishing second in the 10 furlong maiden, to future Champion Hurdle runner up, Celestial Halo. Three weeks later at Sedgefield he showed no aptitude for jumping, and that would be the last time he ever ran over hurdles.It was back to the flat in May at Thirsk, where he once again showed great promise in the maiden over 12 furlongs, staying on well into third place.At Catterick in August on his handicap debut from a mark of 69, he came there travelling three out, but not for the first time hung badly, this time under Paul Hanagan. He then raced twice at Musselburgh in August and September, over 12 furlongs, and 14 furlongs, finishing third on both occasions, staying on at the finish both times.
Campli raced a further five times for Micky, between May, and July 2008, but he was proving very difficult to keep sound. In an attempt to freshen him up, and after an eight month break, he reappeared in March 2009, now in the care of Malton trainer Brian Ellison. He made his stable, and all weather debut at Wolverhampton over the extended nine furlongs, he attempted to make all, and only got caught on the line.He also went to Musselburgh over seven furlongs, and only succumbed by a neck there, before finally winning for the second time in his career at Wolverhampton, over the seven furlongs in May 2009. He would race twice more, running respectably at Carlisle, on both occasions before he was retired, as injury had caught up with him, finally.
For me the remarkable thing about this horse was how when racing for Micky over 14 furlongs, and when racing for Brian Ellison over seven furlongs, he was producing very similar performances, from the same handicap mark, give or take a 1lb or two. Which begs the question, was Campli a very unusual horse, or is it that not enough horses are given the chance to show how versatile they might be?
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