Last Updated on October 30, 2025
Whiskey Chaser won the 14:35 Bet And Watch At Winner.co.uk Novices’ Handicap Chase at Carlisle on the 5th March 2015. It was a class 4 race but I celebrated the victory like we’d won the Gold Cup, Grand National and Kentucky Derby! and why not, the syndicate have waited a long time for this moment.
The feeling of watching your horse win is hard to describe. Even as Frodo approached the finishing post in first place I half expected some calamitous ‘Devon Loch’ moment to deprive him of victory. It’s worth remembering that during a previous race he’d fallen just two fences from home when jumping into the lead. Before that he’d even manage to fall during a flat race, rest assured no one celebrated until he was home and hosed.
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Thankfully he cruised to victory and the syndicate were heading to the winning connections room for the first time. We enjoyed a glass of bubbly in the warmth and watched a replay of the race, It was only then that I realised what a fantastic job Wilson Renwick did onboard Whiskey Chaser. In a move more often seen on the Formula One circuit our jockey apexed a fence just before a tight corner and immediately slipped between the race leader and rail – stealing a couple of lengths in the process. Frodo continued on strongly and eventually won with ease.
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So we’d finally done it! that elusive first win. We headed into Carlisle for a celebratory drink with friends “What are you having?” asked the barman at the Hallmark Hotel… “just a lager” I replied, as I sat down with my pint it dawned on me that I should’ve ordered a Whiskey Chaser to go with it! Next time 😉
