One can only ever dream of having a winner at Cheltenham, but if you work hard enough, dreams do come true, and Pimlico Racing proved that to be the case.
As Zurich charged up the Cheltenham hill, time seemed to stop for Pimlico Racing. From months of rain-soaked gallops to heartache at lesser tracks, it had all led to this — their first winner on the biggest stage of the all.
What was a dream and a promise soon turned into something far more serious — a racing syndicate determined to make it to Cheltenham.
There were times they wondered if it was all worth it — the dashed hopes when fancied runners were tuned over, the quiet drives home. But the love of the sport and belief in the dream kept Pimlico Racing reaching for Cheltenham glory.
From the moment Zurich arrived at Knockeen, Tom and Natanile (Pimlico Racing) knew they had purchased a horse that could be the one. But things didn’t start as planned.
Four runs in novice chases resulted in the Henry de Bromhead-trained gelding being beaten a combined 102 lengths. But little did we know that a break and a wind-op would drastically alter the future of Zurich and Pimlico Racing.
Racing, as they’d learned, has a way of humbling you. Horses got injured, races were lost by inches, and dreams stalled by issues you couldn’t see, like the breathing issue that was holding Zurich back.
After a season derailed by a wind issue, Zurich returned to training sharper and stronger. Months of careful preparation led to Killarney, where he made his seasonal return.
An elated Nathaniel Barnett, Co-Manager of Pimlico Racing:
We’ve got a lot of owners over from Ireland; it’s an Irish-based syndicate.
He had a wind op over the summer, and has come back an improved horse, won last time out in the stwards’ room, and has obviously come on a lot for that. It’s fantastic.
Pimlico Racing’s Co-Manager Tom Raine added:
I think you just dream about Cheltenham winners, don’t you? We’ve tried very hard here. We were just touched off the year before last by a head. That was a lot easier to watch.
What followed was drama. A brave run that ended in second place, only for the result to be reversed in the stewards’ room after interference by Prince Of Air up the home straight. A win on paper, but to Pimlico Racing, it felt even more meaningful. It was proof he was back, and suddenly, all eyes turned to Cheltenham.
After Killarney, Cheltenham stopped being a fantasy and became the target. And when Zurich crossed the line in front at Prestbury Park, the journey from surgery to the stewards’ room to the winner’s enclosure was complete.
Owning a Cheltenham winner isn’t about luck, it’s about faith. Faith that you come across the right horse, that the setbacks won’t last forever, and that one day, when the stars align, the purple and badge of Pimlico Racing will shine on the biggest stage of them all.
As the elated Pimlico Racing owners left Cheltenham on Saturday, emotionally exhausted but elated, one thought echoed among them: if Zurich could do this, what might come next?
An emotional member of the Pimlico Racing Syndicate finished by simply saying:
This is bucket list, bucket list.
