Hot Danish Beats the Odds
The Doncaster Handicap is taking place this weekend and is hosted at the Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. The 1600 meter horse racing event was first run in 1866, and the Group One race for thoroughbreds now has a purse of $2 500 000. There are many deserving horses that have been entered into the line-up, but one of the favorites is Hot Danish. She is a horse that has beaten hardship and illness to continue her racing career which has been nothing short of spectacular.
Tony Curtis is not one of the richest and biggest owners in the horse racing industry. He is a man who has a good eye for horses and a love for them to match. Trainer, Les Bridge, and Curtis have come a long way together, from when Bridge was training Kensei, 1987 Melbourne Cup winner, which Curtis had shares in. They teamed up for a few other spectacular horses, such as Miss Zoe, Night Raider, Utzon and Red Express. But when Curtis heard that the sister to Prince Federik was going up for sale, Les Bridge, Tony Curtis and Peggy Bridge (wife to Les) went to look at Hot Danish. They bought her for $11 000, and Bridge had to admit, that there was just something about her.
Hot Danish jumped into racing action in her sixth start of her career, by winning the Group Two Emancipation Stakes and by taking the Listed Keith Nolan Classic. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the beautiful horse when she kicked out at something in her paddock and cracked her sesamoid. The infection was moving towards her tendon sheath at a rapid speed and the only course of action, was to operate. After a few nerve wrecking operations and the fear that she might lose her life, Hot Danish fought back like a trooper and was eventually given a the go-ahead to resume racing. Curtis admits that the love for Hot Danish had grown so strong, that her survival was the only thing on his mind. Les Bridge took special care of Hot Danish during her recovery, patiently walking her every day until she regained her strength. Equine influenza proved to be another setback that she managed to overcome, by winning two of her recent starts and coming second in the Group One Coolmore Classic.
Even Dominic Beirne has commented that Hot Danish is the horse to be on the lookout for, as she deserves the favorite spot with honors. Other contenders in the twenty horse lineup will include Forensics, Casino Prince, Eskimo Queen, Gallant Tess, Serious Speed and Sniper’s Bullet. But no matter what performance Hot Danish has to offer, Tony Curtis and Les Bridge will be smiling proudly, knowing how far she has come.
