BLACK APALACHI
b g Old Vic - Hatton’s Dream (IRE) (Be My Native (USA)) 11-11-06
Form: 1/20136100/4131660/0P050/564420F2/P151U-02
Owner: Gerard Burke
Trainer: Dessie Hughes IRE
Breeder: Thomas Hatton
Initially trained by Philip Rothwell, Black Apalachi made the perfect start to his career, winning a two-mile bumper at Down Royal on January 15, 2004. The gelding made his second start in September of the same year coming home second in a Listowel bumper behind L’Antartique, before finishing down the field in a similar contest at Galway the following month.
Switched to hurdles, Black Apalachi made a winning debut in that sphere over two and a quarter miles in December, 2004 at Downpatrick. Pitched in against experienced handicappers in a three-mile Pertemps Hurdle Qualifier next time, he came home a fine third to Cloudy Bays. The Grade One Deloitte Novices’ Hurdle was his next outing, in February, but he was never a factor over two and a quarter miles. He bounced back later that month when seeing off Homer Wells and Sweet Kiln to win the Grade Two Woodlands Park 100 Johnstown Novices’ Hurdle at Naas, but Grade One engagements at the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals failed to reap any reward.
The 2005/2006 campaign began for Black Apalachi at the start of November with a fourth place in a Down Royal beginner’s chase. Sent to Thurles the following week, he landed the spoils by four lengths. A fine third in the Cork Grand National was followed by a further victory, this time in the lucrative Paddy Power Chase over three miles at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting. He failed to win in three further starts in competitive handicaps, ending the campaign a distant 10th to Point Barrow in the Irish Grand National.
The 2006/2007 season turned out to be disappointing as he failed to finish better than fifth in five starts. Black Apalachi reappeared for the 2007/2008 season in the care of Dessie Hughes, taking fifth in the Thurles Chase in November. Sixth in the Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan later the same month was followed by his best effort for some time when taking fourth in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting, four lengths behind the victorious Newbay Prop.
Another fourth place followed at the same course in the Pierse Handicap Chase in January, 2008, and he was subsequently a good runner-up at the end of the month, sporting first time blinkers, in the Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park. However, he failed to build on those encouraging displays and failed to shine in a Leopardstown handicap chase at the start of March and only made it to the second fence in that year’s John Smith’s Grand National.
Black Apalachi bounced back at the Punchestown Festival with a fine second behind Arbor Supreme in the Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa Handicap Chase, but his inconsistency returned on his first start of the 2008/09 campaign as he was pulled up when struggling in the Cork Grand National at the start of November. He came back to Britain for another crack at the Grand National fences in the Listed totesport.com Becher Handicap Chase later that month, when he jumped superbly and revelled in the heavy ground, beating the previous year’s winner Mr Pointment by 74 lengths.
Connections eyed a return for the John Smith’s Grand National and Black Apalachi was given a spin over hurdles at the start of February to protect his handicap mark. He completed his Aintree preparation with another excellent display of jumping when winning the Grade Two Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse on February 21. In last year’s John Smith’s Grand National he was still leading the field when unseating Denis O’Regan at Becher’s Brook on the second circuit.
He has been given a quiet preparation ahead of this year’s John Smith’s Grand National. After finishing unplaced in a handicap hurdle at Leopardstown in January, he chased home his stablemate and fellow John Smith’s Grand National aspirant Vic Venturi in the Grade Two Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse on February 20.
Race Record: Starts: 36; Wins: 7; 2nd: 4; 3rd: 2; Win & Place Prize Money: £256,472
Gerard Burke :Gerard Burke, from Oranmore, Co Galway, and his wife Teresa have seen their black and green silks carried to success many times in the last few years. Their venture into racehorse ownership got off to a good start when their first horse, Galwaybay Stan, landed an Irish point-to-point on his second outing in 2002. He was sold on to Britain where he landed a novices’ hurdle. The former dairy farmer, who profited from the ring road in Galway going through his land, has notched more than 20 winners, courtesy of Black Apalachi, Loughanelteen, Amorini, Wester Charmer and Monoceros, among others. Since getting out of the farming business, Gerard has been speculating in property.
John Smith’s Grand National Record: 2008 Black Apalachi (Fell 2nd), 2009 Black Apalachi (UR 22nd)
Dessie Hughes: A highly successful jockey, Dessie Hughes (born October 10, 1943) partnered Davy Lad to win the 1977 Cheltenham Gold Cup and returned to Prestbury Park three years later to ride the diminutive Monksfield to victory in the Champion Hurdle. Having always had one eye on the future, Dessie prepared his yard for three years before finally taking out a training licence in 1980 and the winners soon started flowing, including a first Cheltenham Festival victory as a trainer when Miller Hall took the 1982 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
His yard was struck down by a persistent fungal problem in the late 1980s which resulted in Dessie enduring several years of poor form, but the yard began churning out the winners again in the late 1990s, with horses such as Guest Performance, Rathbawn Prince and Grade One winner Colonel Braxton being standard bearers.
But it would be Hardy Eustace who would provide Hughes with some of his finest hours as a trainer. Owned by long-standing patron Lar Byrne, the Archway gelding won the Grade One Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle at the 2003 Cheltenham Festival before returning a year later to win the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle under a superbly judged ride from Conor O’Dwyer. Hardy Eustace went on to victory at the Punchestown Festival and returned to Prestbury Park the following year for another win in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, becoming the first horse since Istabraq to successfully defend his crown. Central House became another outstanding performer for Hughes, winning five Grade Two contests as well as a Grade One Novices’ Chase at Leopardstown.
More recently, Schindlers Hunt has emerged as another superstar, winning two Grade One events as a novice chaser and finishing the head runner-up in the Grade One John Smith’s Melling Chase at Aintree in 2009. Dessie also holds the notable feat of saddling a winner on nine consecutive racing days over the 2006 Christmas period. His son Richard is a leading Flat jockey.
John Smith’s Grand National Record: 2008 Black Apalachi (Fell 2nd), 2009 Black Apalachi (UR 22nd)
