Earlier this week, seasoned trainer Grahame Begg gave the racing industry all the feels when he revealed a five-month rehabilitation journey he had gone through this year with former stable charge Il Divo.
The 7-year-old grey gelding last raced in early April, finishing fourth in a BM70 at Pakenham. It was a monumental effort for the horse to finish the race at all, according to Begg, with later x-rays revealing a catastrophic spiral fracture.
Il Divo | Image courtesy of Grahame Begg Twitter
The gelding was transported to Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital, and he has only recently tasted freedom after months of box rest.
“We felt the story needed to be told,” Begg said. “We thought it was the best way to show people that we really care in this industry.”
Family ties
Il Divo was bred and raced by Begg’s father, Hall of Fame trainer Neville Begg. The family bred the gelding from its wonderful mare Yau Chin (Tobougg {Ire}), whom Neville Begg purchased in 2007 at the Inglis Scone Yearling Sale. She cost just $3000 from Monarch Stud.
Yau Chin raced for the Beggs through 10-lifetime starts, winning a maiden at Newcastle but placing in six of her overall starts. She retired to stud at the end of 2010 where she found a whole new gear.
Il Divo was her first foal, a winner of five races and close to $180,000 in prizemoney.
Her second foal was Written By, the 2018 G1 Blue Diamond S. winner along with the G3 Pago Pago S., G3 Blue Sapphire S. and G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts & Geldings).
Written By | Standing at Widden
Written By won over $1.8 million in prizemoney, was the first colt home in the 2018 Golden Slipper and is now a stallion at Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley. His first crop of foals are yearlings, and he is covering his third book this spring for $24,750 (inc GST).
“My father bred Il Divo, and he’s very well-related to Written By, who we owned and raced and won a Blue Diamond with,” Begg said. “The family has been very good to us, so we felt that we owed it to this horse to try to fix him up.”
Quirky customer
Begg said the circumstances around Il Divo’s injury were remarkable last April.
“We were up in Sydney for the (Inglis) Easter Sale, and he raced at Pakenham on the eve of Good Friday. We watched the race and the next thing I was getting all these frantic phone calls.
“We were up in Sydney for the (Inglis) Easter Sale, and he raced at Pakenham on the eve of Good Friday. We watched the race and the next thing I was getting all these frantic phone calls." - Grahame Begg
"There wasn’t a lot the vets could do that night because it wasn’t that the horse had a broken leg. We actually didn’t know where his injury was, and it wasn’t until our vet was able to x-ray him at home in Mornington the next morning that we really knew anything at all.”
The images revealed a spiral fracture to Il Divo’s off-foreleg, and the gelding went into the care of resident surgeon Rob Kent at Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital. Begg said the seriousness of the injury wasn’t lost on him.
“We were under no illusions that it was going to be a long time before he was out of the woods,” Begg said. “The leg had to be weight-bearing and it had to have 11 screws in it, and Rob didn’t know if it would hold. Fortunately, it all went very well for the horse, but there was lots of aftercare.”
Il Divo withstood months of intensive treatment and containment, and even Begg admitted it wouldn’t have been easy for the horse.
“He’s a quirky customer,” the trainer said. “This horse has always been a live wire. He was always strutting around the enclosure and his nature at home was exactly the same, he was always up and about. So it’s amazing that he was able to cope with the period of time in confinement.”
Without question, saving Il Divo has been a very expensive experience for the Beggs.
“We were in the position to be able to give him a chance. If something went wrong, we wouldn’t have been able to save him, but it all went right and he’s got a future now.”
“We were in the position to be able to give him (Il Divo) a chance. If something went wrong, we wouldn’t have been able to save him, but it all went right and he’s got a future now.” - Grahame Begg
Il Divo has another two weeks in a small yard before he can taste paddock freedom, and thereafter he will head to Olly Tait’s Twin Hills Stud at Cootamundra. He'll be looked after by one of Neville’s granddaughters for a future as a light riding horse.
Looking to the weekend
Without question, Il Divo stole much of the Begg stable’s limelight this week, which wouldn’t ordinarily happen ahead of Group racing on a weekend.
Begg has three horses competing at Flemington on Saturday, including Lunar Flare (Fiorente {Ire}) in the first race, Dosh (Rich Enuff) in the Listed Cap D’Antibes S. and Butter Chicken (NZ) (Savabeel) in the G2 Let’s Elope S.
“I think they’ve all got nice credentials heading into their races,” the trainer said. “Lunar Flare has been up and racing over the winter months, and she’s getting to a distance where she’ll be well-suited to the track from an ideal barrier (one).
Grahame Begg | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
"Dosh is coming off quite a long layoff, and she’s displayed that she’s going very well. We’re really happy with her.”
The Pinecliff mare Butter Chicken is arguably the best of Begg’s trio on Saturday.
The 4-year-old mare is very lightly raced with only three starts behind her, and she’s never been worse than second in each of those. On Saturday she has drawn barrier three with jockey Jordan Childs, and it will be her first run since February.
“Butter Chicken is resuming from quite a break since the autumn, but we’re very happy with how she’s come up and we feel she’s a mare of quite a deal of promise,” Begg said.
