Rushford puts Norfolk-based owner-breeders on the map

Staying power has been the name of the game for small owner-breeders Malcolm and Maxine Franklin, in more ways than one.

Time and an extended trip has been the making of their homebred gelding Rushford, who provided the final entertainment slot before Nile Rodgers and Chic took to the stage at Sandown on Wednesday evening as he was driven out by Luke Morris to land the mile and three-quarters "Everybody Dance" Handicap.

A move up to middle-distances saw the three-year-old open his account for the Sir Mark Prescott yard at Windsor in late May and even if he is unlikely to reach anything like the heights of another horse they were associated with, there should be more fun to be had.

Explaining how the couple got into ownership, Maxine Franklin said: "Initially we started with Highclere in a syndicate, that’s over ten years ago now, and we got the bug then.

"After Highclere we made contact with Ed Dunlop and Malcolm was a major shareholder in Trip To Paris [the 2015 Gold Cup winner and Melbourne Cup fourth]. He took us all over the world and he’s actually now retired with one of the other shareholders, a lady in Leicester has him now."

The Franklins, who are based in Norfolk, then decided they would try to breed some of their own racehorses. Rushford is the seventh foal and the fourth that the couple have bred out of Cushat Law, a daughter of Montjeu who won over a mile and a half for William Jarvis.

Not only is Rushford the first to have prevailed in their colours, he is currently the only British winner from just a tiny handful of runners by the exotic Danon Ballade.

"We took a chance on him and we’ve got a filly by him as well out of the other mare we have," explained Maxine Franklin. "He was in the UK for only one season down at Batsford Stud and we were very keen on the Deep Impact line, so we were very fortunate now he’s no longer with us.

"He was a Grade 2 winner in Japan, so we were fortunate enough to get them both covered by him before he was bought back by Big Red Farm to go back to Japan, which is where he is now."

Danon Ballade’s filly, named Whispering Song, is one of the next in line for the Franklins, who keep their stock with Sue Trivass at Northmore Stud, near Exning.

"We were very fortunate that we sort of inherited Cushat Law, she’s a Montjeu so she’s very important really, there aren’t that many of them around now," Maxine continued.

The Franklins have a filly by Danon Ballade out of their broodmare Jewelled, seen here as a foalCredit: Maxine Franklin

"The Danon Ballade filly is out of a Fantastic Light mare [seven-time winner Jewelled] that we bought at the Tattersalls sales at Newmarket.

"We’ve got a couple of yearlings coming through and both mares are actually in foal to Swiss Spirit this year, because we liked the Invincible Spirit line and it went well with both, so fingers crossed."

Prior to the emergence of Rushford, the Franklins’ racing life had been a little quiet but it is fair to say that they had other things to occupy them. They own Agma, a specialist in the cleaning and sanitisation sector, which has been involved in sterile consumables for the NHS as well as assisting Covid-19 vaccine companies.

They also produce equestrian products and sponsor not only Morris but the horses in Prescott’s stable.

"We’ve had a few lean years but hopefully it’s starting to pick up now," Maxine concluded. "As somebody said to us, 'Breeding; it’s not easy, but you’ve got to keep at it'."

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