Wolverhampton stalwart Idol Deputy retired after 70th course start

Wolverhampton favourite Idol Deputy has been retired by trainer James Bennett following his 70th start at the all-weather track on Wednesday evening.

The Jackie Blackwell-owned handicapper was a 12-time course winner and all of them, as well as his other career victory at Lingfield, came when ridden by a female jockey.

The 13-year-old was regularly partnered by Racheal Kneller, who won 11 races on the popular grey, while Josephine Gordon and Kirsty Milczarek were the other riders to enjoy success on the Dunstall Park regular.

Most wins at Wolverhampton

18Almaty Express
14 Failed To Hit
12Buscador
12 Idol Deputy
12Stand Guard
11Noufari
11Justcallmehandsome
10Mallia
10Climate
10 Harry Up
10 Gilded Cove
10 Little Richard

Bennett, who has three horses in training at his Letcombe Bassett base in Oxfordshire, said: "Idol Deputy has been a star and brilliant for us – age has caught up with him now and we don’t want to see him finishing out the back all the time. He deserves a happy retirement.

"He’s never had the best fetlock joints so the turf was never for him and the surface was a bit quick for him when we tried him at Chelmsford.

"You know what you’re getting at Wolverhampton and the track really suited him as they tend to go a good gallop and he’s a hold-up horse.

"They loved him up at Wolverhampton and he built a cult following over the years."

Idol Deputy at Wolverhampton

Runs 70
Wins 12
Seconds 7
Thirds 5
Prize-money £41,358

. . . compared to other tracks

Runs 20
Wins 1
Seconds 1
Thirds 2
Prize-money £3,877

Bennett runs a livery and transport business and has already registered interest from people willing to provide Idol Deputy, who was also trained by Mark Usher and Gavin Blake during his nine-year career, with a forever home post-racing.

He said: "I might have had horses who were better than him but I won’t have any that win 13 races, and Racheal [Kneller] has done really well on him.

"We’ve had one or two people say they’d like to give him a good home. He’s old for racing but young in horse terms and we’ll certainly make sure he’ll be well cared for in his retirement, whether he heads to a new home or we keep him."

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