Roxyfet who was a Sedgefield race course legend, has passed away at the age of 13, just eight months after he retired. Roxyfet had been honoured with a race named after him at the track last season.
Roxyfet who was one of the toughest horses to ever race out of Oakwood Stables, he ran his last race at the age of 13 at Sedgefield on March 14th, when staying on in to fourth, after his ageing legs couldn't go the early pace. It was fitting that Roxyfet should finish his racing days at Sedgefield as that was his 42nd appearance at the track, having won their nine times, he has also finished second at that track 10 times, and third twice, making him somewhat of a Sedgefield legend.
Roxyfet wasn't just a Sedgefield specialist, as he had also won races at Hexham, (twice) Market Rasen, and Catterick, as well as winning three times in France, before arriving at Micky's yard in December 2014.
But the thing that nailed Roxyfet as a superstar of National Hunt racing, is the staggering 103 races he ran over fences, a fete that very few horses have ever achieved before. Add to that his 10 hurdles runs, of which he won three, and his one flat start on debut on March 27th, 2013, and you can see what a tough and genuine servant he had been.
The following piece was written back in 2020.
HOW MANY HORSES CAN YOU NAME WHO HAVE RUN 106 TIMES OVER JUMPS?
How many horses can you name that have run in 96 chases, 10 hurdles, and one flat race? There are a handful of flat horses who become centurions, but it must be very rare for a National Hunt performer.
Roxyfet's dam only raced on six occasions, all over hurdles between the ages of three to seven, before retiring to the paddocks she managed to place twice. At stud she produced two other runners, including the 120 rated Rhodax, but he only ever ran five times. Roxyfet's sire is Califet who was fourth in the 2002 Prix de l'Arc de Trimphe, he was also Group 2, and Group 3 placed, and is a good source of National Hunt horses.
Before joining Micky, Roxyfet was trained in France, the country he was born, by G. Cherel, racing from that yard for the first 30 races of his career. He made his debut on March 27th, 2013 in the only flat race he would ever contest, when finishing fifth over 11 furlongs, beaten by five and a half lengths at Amiens. All of his next 29 races between April 13th, 2013, until November 16th, 2014, were all over fences, a truly remarkable fete, which saw him win three times, and place on seven occasions.His best French Racing Post Rating was achieved on his eighth attempt over fences when winning a three year old's only chase at Enghiem, recording a mark of 115, over two miles and one furlong on very soft ground.
Roxyfet arrived at Oakwood stables in December 2014, and made his debut for us at Market Rasen on January 15, 2015, only 60 days after his gruelling French career.For his debut he had been allotted a very stiff looking rating of 120, and he failed to complete under Wilson Renwick. He pulled up again at Carlisle in February, and completed, but was well down the field on his next too starts. It was in April 2015 that he began his love affair with Sedgefield racecourse, a track he has visited on 39 occasions to date. Racing over their extended two miles and three furlongs from a now much reduced mark of 97, he showed his first form for us when finishing second to the late Ken Slack's, My Friend George, at 16/1. In May and June he was well down the field in two attempts at Hexham, before a sound third at Cartmel two weeks later. He couldn't repeat that effort on his next four starts, including twice at Sedgefield, with the summer ground being the culprit, but at Sedgefield in November on soft ground, he won for the fourth time, and first for us, from a mark of just 80, with Fin O'Toole claiming 7lb, this time over the extended two miles, this was to be the first of nine course wins at the track. At Catterick in December under a 7lb penalty he could only manage fourth, and then just two days later at Sedgefield he finished third behind his stablemate Verko, definitely not seeing out the two miles and five furlongs.
You would think Roxyfet was due for a break, but he was only just getting started.On Boxing Day he won his second race at Sedgefield, and after finishing fourth at Catterick on New Years Day 2017, he was second at Sedgefield in February, with his mark having crept back up to 94. He beat his old adversary Duhallowcountry back at Sedgefield 16 days later, and followed up from a mark of 100 in his first hurdle race for us nine days later.He completed a 12 day hat-trick back over fences at Catterick, for his now regular jockey Fin O'Toole. Just six days later, and back over hurdles he was second at Sedgefield, and in April at Wetherby, returning to fences, he once again filled the runners up spot, from a mark that had now climbed to 115.He would race once more in April, when finishing down the field, again at Sedgefield, before receiving his first, and well deserved summer holiday.
After nearly seven months off the track he returned at Sedgefield in November, but tailed off. It was a similar story 15 days later at Wetherby. He fared no better at Catterick on New Years Day 2017, and it would be a further four runs until March, until he got his form back when he finished second, back at Sedgefield, this time Duhallowcountry got his revenge by a neck. With Roxyfet's handicap mark back down to 95, he went to Newcastle just four days later, keeping on to finish third, and two weeks later at Wetherby he finished second again, this time to Chestnut Ben.He raced a further three times in April and May, but once again the drying ground was against him.
Roxyfet was obviously refreshed with his five month break, because on his return in October, and after a needed run at Hexham, he finished second to his stable mate Rhythm Of Sound, back at Sedgefield, from a much reduced mark of 84.At Market Rasen in December he was third, and then on Boxing Day at Sedgefield he got his head in front again, winning at the track for the fifth time.It was only one week later on January 2nd, 2018, that under a 7lb penalty he finished second at Ayr, and he was second again back at Sedgefield in February.Fin O'Toole won on him for the seventh time at Market Rasen in March, before a return to hurdles at Sedgefield saw him finish fifth, with the trip of two and a half miles stretching his stamina.
The 3.05.pm race at Wetherby on March 29th, 2018 will always be special, although it was only a 0-120 handicap chase, our stable filled all of the first three places, with Applaus beating Caroline, with Roxyfet back in third. Roxyfet would race twice more that season, finishing third, and sixth. On his return in August it took a little while for him to find his form, but on his fifth start in December, and with Billy Garritty riding him for the first time he was third at Bangor. In January 2019 he ran a cracker to be second to the very well handicapped Jokers and Rogues, and was back in first place at Sedgefield once again in February. Roxyfet was showing that as he gets older he is getting more versatile, as on spring ground in April he finished third at Hexham, and when returning there in May he won his 12th race when beating his stablemate Black Kettle by two and a quarter lengths.
He was off the track for four months before returning at Hexham in October, where he ran as if needing the race, and two more runs, both at Sedgefield failed to see him get competitive, but at his favourite track in November, normal service was resumed when he finished second. He was second again at the track again on Boxing Day, and with Emma Smith-Chaston riding him for the first time, taking off a very valuable 7lb, he won for the seventh time at the track, and second time over hurdles. He returned to Sedgefield in February for course win number eight, in a chase,and again in March for win number nine, this time over hurdles. He completed his season, which was brought to an abrupt end by lock-down with a second place finish at....where else but Sedgefield.
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