How beetroot juice helped turn a £700 cast-off into a course legend

Fans' Favourites is a weekly feature in the Racing Post Weekender in which we talk to those closest to racing's most popular horses and find out why they tug on our heartstrings. This week's subject: Tonto's Spirit

For nine summer racedays, the quaint Lake District village of Cartmel is transformed into a riot of noise and colour. With a fairground in the centre of the course and pop-up gazebos lined up along the running rail, the atmosphere for racegoers and participants alike is totally unique.

It’s racing but not as we know it, and it takes a certain type of horse to handle the hullabaloo, not to mention a track with more twists and turns and ups and downs than the waltzers. In Tonto’s Spirit, a farming family from Cumbria have turned an unwanted cast-off into a Cartmel legend.

At last month’s season finale, the evergreen ten-year-old became the track’s most prolific horse when registering an eighth win to go one better than Soul Magic.

An appreciative Cartmel crowd watch Tonto's Spirit in actionCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Tonto’s Spirit, whose popularity extends way beyond Cumbria, races in the colours of Arthur Stack and is trained by the owner’s daughter Dianne Sayer, who took care of the summer jumping star following the death of her brother Ken Slack at the age of 51 in 2019.

A fourth member of the family, former permit-holder Evelyn Slack, was responsible for sourcing Tonto’s Spirit. Rated a lowly 43 after his final Flat run for Michael Dods in 2015, he was plucked out of the bargain bin.

Sayer recalls: “Mum and Ken were at the Doncaster sales and Tonto went through the ring without a bid, but Mum liked him and bought him afterwards for £700. He shows a lot of white in his eyes and she was drawn to his fearsome look.

“He’s a lairy sort and not like a normal horse. He’s wary and even at his age now, he still looks at you like he’s not sure. You have to be careful around him all the time and there are days when he won’t let you pick his feet up. He’s a quirky little horse.”

It didn’t take long for Tonto’s Spirit to settle into the unusual routine at Ken Slack’s Stoneriggs base in Appleby. Slack only came into training late in life, but he ripped up the manual and was very much his own man.

“Ken was a character all right, he was very intelligent and would explore every possibility,” says Sayer. “He reached for the goats’ milk, dandelions and beetroot juice for the horses. It was funny as beetroot juice apparently improves performance by eight per cent and he jiggered so many machines trying to grind down beetroots for the juice. He was always trying something.”

Ably assisted by Dave Richmond and his mother Evelyn, Slack managed to get Tonto’s Spirit’s to win second time up, at 33-1 on his Cartmel debut.

“They all put a huge amount of work into Tonto and the first day he won he had been up the gallops six times before he’d left the place,” says Sayer. “That was the start of his journey and then he won next time at Musselburgh on the Flat. Although he won a few times on the Flat he didn’t actually like it and it still doesn’t float his boat.

“He’s by Authorized and his progeny are known for being hardy horses, but also quite challenging, but he had three people devoting endless time to him. He rocked up in the right place at the right time and it was one of those things that was meant to be.”

Tonto’s Spirit has a 50 per strike-rate at Cartmel with eight wins in 16 starts, with six coming over fences and two over hurdles. He is by no means a one-trick pony as he has won at six other tracks and has an overall record of 16 wins from 73 starts, with more than £100,000 in total prize-money. However, there is just something about Cartmel that brings out the best in him.

“It’s a unique place and you’d never think it would suit an excitable horse like Tonto,” says Sayer. “Whether the fairground captured his imagination I don’t know, but he took to it straight away.

“It’s a big advantage if they do take to it as there are so many horses who don’t. He’s a front-runner and that’s also a big advantage as the course doesn’t suit horses who like to be dropped out. He’s so slick over the fences as well.

“Another unique thing there is they ring the bell coming into the home straight and, although people will think I’m crazy, I believe that’s when they know it’s time to go. It’s just been a wonderful place for Tonto.”

Proud connections after another Tonto's Spirit Cartmel victoryCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

A wonderful place too for all members of the Slack family. One of their closest tracks has become home territory as Beeno, another horse to move 16 miles to Sayer’s Town End Farm in Hackthorpe following the death of her brother, has also won six races at the course. Over the years they’ve pillaged the local shop of the famous sticky toffee pudding handed out to winning connections.

“It’s one of our local courses and a place that fascinates me,” says Sayer. “Lord Cavendish is the heart of Cartmel and it’s very loved and a special place to have a connection with. People either hate it or love it, but you’ve got to go with the right mind set and embrace it.

“A lot of people turn up there every year and can’t help but know about Tonto. It’s quite moving as you can hear people shouting his name during the race – there is definitely a Tonto bias which is lovely. Most people who’ve bet on him would have won and that’s what people remember.”

There is no doubt about Tonto’s Spirit’s most memorable performance. He had gone exactly a year and 11 runs without success before dispelling any concerns age was catching up with him by roaring back to form with a trademark all-the-way victory last month.

The historic win was achieved under Conor O’Farrell, who has been on board for all but two of his successes at the Cumbria track. It was toasted by a huge contingent of the Slack family, including Ken’s daughter Anna who led up Tonto’s Spirit.

“That was without doubt a very special day for us, it’s not going to get any better than that,” says Sayer. “We were delighted we were all there and able to enjoy it as getting the record took a bit of doing.

“With horses like mine, who are very exposed, the handicapper kind of dictates when your turn is going to come. I wasn’t concerned about his age and eventually he got back down to 110 and on that mark, he’s very capable of winning.”

Only leading owner JP McManus has had more winners at Cartmel than Arthur Slack, who particularly savoured Tonto’s Spirit landmark success.

Speaking on the day, he said: “He’s been fantastic, it’s been a privilege to own him. He’s given us some mighty fine days. There are four generations of us here – it’s 60 years since I had my first winner here!”

Sayer is already plotting a return to Cartmel next summer in an attempt to extend Tonto’s Spirit’s record. A horse and course so cherished by all the family.

Tonto's Spirit (right) in full flowCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

“Racing is our life and I miss Ken terribly as we spoke every day,” she says. “Horses take a hold of you and we’re bitten by the racing bug.

“Ken had so much enthusiasm and when he had a winner at Cartmel, he would drive back through the village with the windows down and The Gambler by Kenny Rogers on full blast.

“We’ve been very lucky to have Tonto in our lives, he’s brought us so much joy.”

Read more from our Fans' Favourites series:

Deirdre: 'Our dream came true – we came to the origin of horseracing and we won'

Lady Aurelia: 'I can remember Frankie shaking his fist and thinking he'd won'

Marsha: 'Once the bidding went past three million guineas, it was a blur'

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