Blue Hero is not a champion racehorse. Technically, his form is of quite a modest standard. But he is unique, because he has won eleven times at Bath. No other horse is known to have won more than eight races here. His most recent success came on 31 July, with his customary late run to take the lead in the last few strides.
Blue Hero was born in Canada in 2018. His breeding suggested he would be useful and he fetched $75,000 at a sale of foals that year. He changed hands a few times since but showed limited ability in the UK and after finishing fourth of five in a seller went to the sales again, where trainer Adrian Wintle bought him for just 3,800 guineas.
Wintle trains in that narrow strip of Gloucestershire on the west side of the river Severn. He was taking a chance with Blue Hero, hoping the horse would come further down the handicap and eventually find his level.
Blue Hero was down to his lowest rating of 50 on 12 September 2021, when he ran at Bath over a mile and a quarter on firm ground – three factors he had never experienced before. He got up to win in a photo finish, and his love affair with Bath had begun. He won next time out and has won here every year since. Finley Marsh has been his jockey for seven of his eleven victories.
He’s aged eight now, and rarely runs anywhere else. He’s had 35 races at Bath in all and seems equally happy at any distance from a mile to a mile and a half. He must know every blade of grass; he certainly knows where the winning post is.
