Tree Top Walk in Flight

The old saying goes: "Every dog has his day". This is the story of a group of gents that attended the Bunbury races one day in 2005 and left the race course pinching themselves and wondering; "Will we ever experience anything better than this?"

We had a syndicate of some twelve members and had had no success to date in racing thoroughbreds, but it was still early after our inception. We were looking for a raced horse that had shown ability in the past, something that we could move to our choice of trainer, the up and coming Brett Pope (under guidance from his father Bill). We had been targeting a horse called Tree Top Walk, owned and trained by a lovely man by the name of John Thompson.

Tree Top Walk had led in only one start in his 19 start career. On that occasion he bowled along in front and gave them a licking by 3.75 lengths at Pinjarra. Since that day, the tactic had never been tried again. We knew he was a one paced type of sprinter and needed clear running and momentum to perform at his best. Getting back midfield was not his "go".

Our syndicate manager, Jason Cheetham, would constantly ask the question of John Thompson; "Is Tree Top Walk for sale John?" The polite response was always no. This went on for a good year or two until one day, John approached Jason and asked if he still wanted to buy Tree Top Walk. Jason and Brett Pope picked him up a few days later from John's property. As they viewed the gelding, Jason proud as punch about his new acquisition, Brett dropped the bombshell; "He looks terrible!" he said. Instantly deflated, Jason helped load him on the float and off he went to his new home adjacent to the Pinjarra Racecourse.

The next few weeks did nothing to quell the anxiety of all concerned. Jason had taken a "pee into the wind" about this five year old gelding and now he was refusing to eat and not settling in at all. Brett called with the bad news and reported that he would "bleed" him, give him a good rest and start from scratch.

Tree Top Walk, or affectionately known as Timmy, had his last start for John on the 22nd of December 2004, where he ran a lack lustre 14th, beaten 8 3/4 lengths to the up and coming Arctic Park. His previous ten runs failed to produce a placing.

After several weeks, Brett called to report that Timmy was feeling much better, his coat was improving and he was in work and doing well.

Another month or so passed. Brett called again and the report this time was glowing. "This horse goes pretty well" he said. Jason could not contain his delight. After just two months at Brett Pope's, Tree Top Walk had made a full recovery and was working the place down!

Several syndicate members sat down and decided on a first up run on Bunbury Stakes Day, 2005. Timmy was working that well, we were going to have a bet. The plan was to go to the front and go for our lives. Who better to pull these instructions off? Dashing Dan Miller of course. Danny Miller had been in something of a semi-retirement at the time. His rides had been few and far between and it must have been a surprise for him to receive a call from us on the Friday prior. We had two rides for him, a hopeless horse by the name of By Candelight in the first, and Timmy in the fifth.

Come stakes day and we were all as nervous as hell. Most of the syndicate were on course for the first, barring a couple of Geraldton boys who could not make the trip down. By Candelight had run towards the tail of the field, beaten 12 3/4 lengths by a maiden by the name of Elsie The Eagle. It was rather demoralising and at that point Danny Miller may well have been thinking; "Why did I get out of my rocking chair on such a beautiful day as this, to come here and ride a couple of horses for these fellows I don’t even know?".

The time was drawing closer and after attending the stalls and speaking to Brett, he couldn't have been happier. It was time to have a bet. The first to post the market was Brian Pascoe. Keeping in mind, Timmy had form in the racebook reading: 9th beaten 6 3/4 lens, 7th beaten 4 1/2 lens, 9th beaten 3 1/4 lens and 14th beaten 8 3/4 lens. Brian posted $26 and Jason started having convulsions. I pleaded for us to take the price because I was convinced he had made a mistake. We waited for the next bookie to post, and the price was only $14. We scampered over to Brian and took the $26. Being the organised lot that we are, we had pooled our money and would hit the ring all at once, taking two bookies each, so as not to miss our price. On the word "go" we dispersed. Once finished, the price was into $10 and $9 around the ring. Then something unexpected happened. Geoff Evans, a big punter, horse owner and breeder, a fellow whom Brett trained a couple of horses for, moved in swiftly after us, taking all the $10 and $9 on offer and crunching the price into $7. Once finished, the fluctuations read $26 to $7, but the official flucs would say something more like $14 to $7.

It was time to instruct the jockey. Jason took responsibility as it was his grand plan from the time we bought the horse, to the decision not to trial, to the selection of the race and finally down to the riding instructions. "Danny, make no mistake, we want you to lead at all cost. We’ve had a bet, the horse is going very well and we think he'll win". Danny was nodding like one of those little dogs you see on the dash board of some cars. You could see the through the obedient nodding though and the thought going through his mind was probably more like; "Not another bunch of clowns expecting me to steal them a race by going to the front?"

Anyway, with that, it was now in the lap of the gods.

Timmy jumped midfield with Dashing Dan wielding the whip out of the barriers. At that point I remember cringing and thinking "he really has taken our instructions literally". There was no doubt, TreeTop Walk would be leading and Danny made that quite clear! For the next 600 metres or so, Timmy bowled along in front, as instructed, setting a better than even clip. What happened next was beyond belief. Whilst cornering and turning for home, Danny gave him a dig and Timmy dropped them off by about six lengths. The rest of the field fanned coming around the turn, with Timmy setting a solitary figure some staggering distance in front of the next horse.

Half way up the straight, Danny began to "flick" the reins and whip onto his neck, in that distinctive style, as if to say "keep it up son, you're going well". Right at that point, Timmy's front legs began to flail, the sure sign of a horse that is tiring and ready to stop. With the pace he had set up front and the effort expended in kicking away on the turn, we were expecting the inevitable......Timmy was stopping! Immediately we began to look for the swoopers. Love A Storm was the worthy race favourite and had been back in traffic coming to the turn, but she was now well and truly out in the open and seemed to be coming fast. That last 200 metres was the longest pausing of time known to mankind and by the time Timmy had passed the post and the adrenalin rush had shot through my body like a jolt of electricity, I found myself back in the bookies ring, as if teleported by a time machine, "high fiving" Jason and discussing the wonderful victory.

The margin came up......4 3/4 lengths! We both thought Timmy had hung on by only a length. After that day, we learned to know and love his distinctive "paddling" action. The same action that had concerned us at the 150 metre mark of that 1200m race on Bunbury Stakes Day of 2005.

Wes Cameron had requested an interview with the connections after the race. Still with the rush of victory pulsing through his veins, Jason obliged. The comment was made; "New owners, new trainer, new horse! They’ve had a bit of money on this horse in the ring?" Wes asked the question. "Oh.....have they?" was the response, fully knowing we had pulled off one of the most satisfying first up wins coupled with a betting plunge, that we were ever likely to be involved in.

Tree Top Walk went to the races that day, unplaced at his previous ten starts and without a win for almost two years. He was beaten on average 5 3/4 lengths at his previous four unplaced efforts. He had never led since his previous win in April 2003. Danny Miller had only had a handful of rides over the preceding few months and Timmy had drawn ten at the barrier with no trial under his belt.

The feats of Tree Top Walk are what have inspired our great love of ownership of horses. The nucleus of the syndicate that owned Tree Top Walk are still together and have owned horses together ever since. We are now all great mates and love a day out at the races. Through the good times and the bad times, we always get together and reminisce about the day Tree Top Walk gave them a good old galloping lesson first up on Bunbury Stakes Day.

Tree Top Walk went on to win two more races and three placings from a total of nine starts for us, but none were as fulfilling or satisfying as that one day at Bunbury.

Eventually, the old war horse succumbed to laminitis. His last run was full of merit on the 8th of April 2006 where he raced three and four wide and was beaten 2 1/4 lengths behind Euclassy Thing at Ascot. The vet told Brett that he was amazed he could even make the track that day, his laminitis was so advanced. There was nothing for him but to put him to sleep, the saddest day we have had since our involvement in racing.

R.I.P Timmy, we thank you for igniting our passion in racing and will remember you fondly, always!

Matt Rigby