'Grand old servant' Save The Bees hits the century mark with Doncaster run

After 89 runs on the turf, three on the all-weather and seven over hurdles, ten-year-old Save The Bees will make his 100th racecourse appearance in the 1m2f handicap (4.45) at Doncaster on Sunday.

All but two of those runs, and all 13 of his wins, have been for Malton trainer Declan Carroll, who said on Saturday: "He's been a grand old servant to us and he's absolutely still as enthusiastic at ten as he ever was."

Of Save The Bees' chance of making his 100th run an especially memorable one, Carroll added: "He's probably a little high in the weights and takes a few runs to come to himself, he usually warms up a bit as the weather does. But it's a good starting point for him."

It is true that Save The Bees has never won off a mark as high as his current 83, but he did win twice last summer off 77 and 80 so is evidently no back number if retaining all of that ability.

There will be something new to Save The Bees, who have never won at the track and even fell over hurdles here, on Sunday. It will be his first run under jockey Kevin Stott. Usual rider Ger O'Neill, who has been up 16 times in all and on eight of his last nine starts, rides stable debutant Music Seeker instead.

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