Honeysuckle makes road trip all the sweeter for Doug Procter

Drivers on the M54 at around 3.45pm on Tuesday might have wondered what on earth had got into the man in a lorry heading northwards.

Honeysuckle is the pride of The Glanvilles Stud in Dorset, which is run by Doug Procter with his wife Lucy, and a more pressing matter prevented him from being at home as a broodmare needed to be taken to Shade Oak Stud in Shropshire.

"I took a mare to Yorton Farm on Monday and got home around 11.30pm, foaled one, went to bed around 4.30 then Lucy woke me up about 10 and said another mare had to go and be covered," he explained.

"The last hour before the race, I was getting more and more nervous as the miles clocked on.

"I don't advise listening to a horse you've bred win the Champion Hurdle while trying to drive a horsebox.

"Everyone back at home was drinking champagne, but instead I called into Telford Services to celebrate with a coffee. Someone had put the finish up on twitter so at least I saw that. Once Rachael Blackmore said go...those are the best two milers that are available to beat and she's done it comprehensively."

Honeysuckle is the first British-bred Champion Hurdle winner since Captain Jimmy Wilson’s Punjabi bested Celestial Halo by a neck in 2009 and was bred by Dr Geoffrey Guy, Procter's business partner who has ensured he has been able to develop the operation over the last decade.

Doug Procter (right) was thrilled to earn another accoladeCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

Procter runs a commercial venture which has had a previous Grade 1 winner in the shape of staying hurdler Sam Spinner but his reaction illustrates the ethereal pleasure of sport.

The Glanvilles never made much out of Honeysuckle, selling her for €9,500 as a store before she made 11 times that as a winning Irish pointer, and her German-bred dam First Royal produced only one more foal.

"From the moment she passed the line my phone was pinging like it was ringing, it wasn't a call coming in it was just constant alerts and messages," said Procter, who has a team of nine full and part-time staff.

"Through December and January, when there's very little daylight and you've got the the mares out, get their boxes done, get them fed. It's hard, relentless work. So days like this, it's very exciting for everyone at home. You have to work just as hard to breed bad horses so when you're lucky enough to have good horses that are winning races, it makes it all worthwhile."

There is Honeysuckle's one year-younger full-brother Last Royal, who won a bumper last summer, but more significantly, The Glanvilles had tracked down the wonder-mare's Shirocco half-sister Roc Royal in Jersey and she is now producing.

"Her first foal is a Motivator filly, which is entered in the Goffs online sale next week," Procter explained. "I shouldn't have thought this has done her any harm, and the mare is expecting to Linda's Lad now."

Procter had also been in frequent contact with his son Freddie, who was helping out with the Willie Mullins team stabled at Cheltenham so was one of the very few to actually witness the famous day.

"I think he got to sit on My Sister Sarah and was walking Min on Monday," the breeder continued. "When he's finally let out of the Irish bubble we can all listen to the first-hand account."

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