Peter Chapple-Hyam: Dr Devious was as good a horse as I ever had

Peter Chapple-Hyam, who enjoyed a first Derby success with Dr Devious in an outstanding season in 1992, with fond memories of one of his great favourites

You should never compare your friends, but Dr Devious was as good a horse as I ever had.

He was also a smashing horse to be around. I don't think he ever bit anyone, and he certainly never kicked anyone. There was never any malice in him whatsoever.

As a two-year-old he suffered quite badly from sore shins so we created a sort of jacuzzi for him, which was basically a bucket with ice in and a motor. He'd stand with his front legs in it on his own for an hour and a half every day with a haynet, and he was so quiet for a colt it was unreal.

He was a very good two-year-old despite the shin issues and after he beat the Coventry winner Dilum first time out at Newbury he went on to win the Superlative Stakes, the Champagne Stakes and the Dewhurst.

He wasn't quite right when he reappeared in the Craven, as he had banged his head when getting caught up in his rug and so missed some work, but he still ran well in second and then went to the Kentucky Derby.

Although I prepared him for the race, he was in Ron McAnally's care from two days before the race and he ran in the wrong shoes. They left on the shoes he was wearing when he travelled, and he went round Churchill Downs like Torvill and Dean, but still didn't run badly.

Sidney Craig, who owned him then, wasn't happy and said if I wanted him back I had to pay for his travel, so having gone out first class he came back 'cattle' and for quarantine purposes he had to spend a couple of nights in Hamburg zoo with gorillas a few cages away, although that didn't bother him.

He wasn't going to run in the Derby after that, but he was so well when he got home that he got loose a couple of days later.

Some saw him as our number two behind Rodrigo De Triano, who had won both Guineas, but when we took them to Epsom for a canter at the start of Derby week Dr Devious went so much better that Lester tried to get John Reid off him. Rodrigo was never going to stay, and Dr Devious beat St Jovite a couple of lengths.

My horses were sick when St Jovite beat him in the Irish Derby, and he coughed 40 or 50 times after the race, but he came back and ran a hell of a race when not fit in the Juddmonte, and then got his revenge on St Jovite by a short head in the Irish Champion Stakes.

Sidney Craig wanted him to run in everything and he went for the Arc, then back to the States for the Breeders' Cup, and finally ran in the Japan Cup, where John got the job [was jocked off] in favour of Chris McCarron. He'd always been inclined to race keenly, but Chris was run away with and they covered the first mile in record time, flat out.

I always kept in touch with where Dr Devious was after he retired, and people have sent me photos, which are all around my office. I had one just a few weeks ago from the stud he was at in Sardinia, and he still looked fantastic.

He was just a smashing horse in every way.

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