The racetrack has seemed a much quieter place since the retirement of Pocket Power. The three times Horse of the Year had been a fixture in South Africa’s top races, dominating the Cape features particularly.
The 8yo son of Jet Master retired with the proud record of 20 wins and nearly R10 million in prize money. He dominated the country’s most prestigious mile event, the G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, winning the race for four straight years.
It is strange to look at the July entries and not see his name on it – the champion had raced in the country’s most famous race for four consecutive years.
Pocket, as his connections and fans refer to him, is now enjoying his retirement. He is based in Constantia, at the home of his former work rider, Belinda Haytread. It is an idyllic and beautiful setting for the champion, with Constantia being a far cry from the hustle and bustle (not to mention wear and tear) of the racetrack.
Belinda has built a great relationship with Pocket, and the rapport between the two is very apparent. Pocket Power responds to his name, when she calls him.
Belinda has been riding for Mike Bass, her godfather, since she was at school. A top show jumper and eventer, she has ridden many of Bass’ top horses over the years, and she has ridden Pocket ever since he entered the Bass yard.
Belinda has long respected her champion’s idiosyncrasies, saying,” He has his own quirks. If you ask him something nicely he will respond, but, like many top horses, he doesn’t respond well to being pushed around. He hates being interfered with, especially whilst he is eating.”
Pocket, who looks the sole of contentment, really enjoys his meals. Belinda says he is very partial to carrots, and that he polishes off his hay net very quickly. He doesn’t believe that the world can contain enough carrots, and pins his ears back if anyone comes near him whilst enjoying a bag of these vegetables.
The champion has adapted well to his new home, enjoying the change of scenery. He is hacked out most days. He settled in straight away, and has got on well with his equine companions, who include the former smart performer, Road to Reason. Unlike many top horses, Pocket Power doesn’t dominate other horses, rather adapting a live and let live policy towards them.
When Belinda and Pocket go hacking, the pair are often greeted by people, who remember Pocket’s deeds on the track. Belinda says that fan recognition was especially striking when the horse first retired. ”When I first started hacking him out, I couldn’t go 50 meters without people coming up to me and asking if my horse was Pocket Power. It’s remarkably how many people without any real interest in horse racing, have heard of Pocket.”
Pocket Power, who has grown a winter coat and has developed something of a belly, is not a particularly spooky horse, although when he does spook, he turns very fast!
Belinda laughs when she recalls that she never fell off the champ in training, but he did throw her off when surprised by a squirrel out hacking.
One of Pocket’s few problems in training were his feet, and it is remarkable that he was kept going for as long as he was. Belinda ensures that he remains sound by having a farrier tend to him regularly. He is not pushed into doing anything, and Belinda quickly backs off, if she suspects he is feeling his foot.
He has taken very well to jumping, as the picture shows. While many horses stumble over their first jumping attempts, Pocket Power flew over the first biggish log he was aimed at, showing the same courage he displayed on the track. Should he show the same flair for show jumping as he did for racing, Pocket will surely became of the country’s top horses. He is a horse who charges at his jumps, taking them with great gusto, something which gives his rider great confidence in him.
Be that as it may, however, Belinda has decided to take things slowly with Pocket Power, saying,” It’s important to allow a horse to go at it’s own pace. I don’t like forcing a horse out of it’s comfort level, and I am going to let Pocket show me which discipline he most enjoys. It’s a mistake to push a horse too soon.”
Pocket Power takes most things in his stride, but like most horses, he enjoys finding something new to look at or think about. He is an intelligent horse, who is quick to pick things up, a trait which surely enabled him to settle in to his new environment so smoothly.
When asked how Pocket compares to his sister, River Jetez as a ride, Haytread says,” They were both easy horses to ride in training, although River Jetez was easier. Pocket always needed a lead horse on the track, but neither horse was a particularly difficult ride. River Jetez, however, had to be watched as I got on, as she would try to kick.”
Belinda says she feels little pressure as the rider of Pocket, but quickly admits,” I will feel anxious when we take part in out first show. I know everyone will be watching, and I am hoping that it goes well.”
While she has no specific plan for Pocket, Haytread mentions that she would be quite happy to take the horse back to Kenilworth as a lead horse for the L’Ormarins Queens’ Plate, an event which would be a fitting tribute to Pocket Power, having been the marquee horse for the race for the past five years.
It was a great experience to see Pocket Power looking so happy and content, and hopefully he enjoys a long and peaceful retirement. He will never be forgotten by his connections, or by his legion of fans.
