THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE

Do you remember the St. Leger of 1975? Does the name Bruni ring a chord? He was not the easiest horse at home, but was strong and once he went into top gear he simply bolted. He was quite a character and never worked with other horses and was normally sent for prolonged hacks over the Findon downland with a quiet horse as a companion .

The legendarily irascible and eccentric

Captain Ryan Price bought Bruni as a yearling for 7,800 guineas for the owner Charles St. George. This was considered a cheap price and it was hoped he would put the famous Findon yard into the limelight again.

His owner wanted him to run in the Derby with Lester Piggott up but the Captain was against this idea. He felt that Tony Murray knew the horse better and how right he was, for Bruni and Lester had a bad race and the horse promptly went sick with a virus and it took his trainer three months to get him back into racing. I must admit that the whole Findon stable went down with the virus and in June, July and August 1975, and the Captain only saddled twenty-five winners.

Just one week prior to the running of the St. Leger at Doncaster, Ryan Price suddenly learned that Charles St. George had been offered £40,000 for the colt. He persuaded him not to sell and said —

"If you're that keen to sell him, I'll buy him from you myself".

With Tony Murray up, Bruni shrugged off the opposition in the St. Leger with a sustained turn of speed that led him clear of the rest of the field by ten lengths. Tony had the immense satisfaction of turning his head to see Lester riding the runner-up.

It is said that the nearby Worthing bookmakers suffered one of their blackest days when the powerful three-year-old grey wonat odds of 9-1. The inns in the village were filled with revellers spending their winnings that night.

The Captain wanted to retire Bruni for the rest of the season but fate took a hand and his owner overruled the idea.

Bruni was always considered to be the Captain's unluckiest horse. In 1976, his career as a 4-year old colt was a catalogue of near misses. His owner favoured Lester Piggot as his jockey and Tony Murray was so put out that he refused to ride any horses owned by Charles St. George. He went off to ride in France.

As February came and went, the Captain wanted Tony to return to the village to ride out on some of his early runners. Tony said that he would miss winners in France if he was to return. The trainer issued his ultimatum

"Come back at once, or else lose your job".

Tony lost his job.

Things happened quickly in the 1970s.

Brian Taylor was contacted at his home in Newmarket by the Captain and offered the position as first jockey. He rode out on the Findon downland with Ryan's horses the very next day.

There was further trouble later in the year.

Bruni had two attempts at racing in France.... and also in California, but it proved a total disaster. He failed to get into the winner's enclosure and returned to Findon, a rather tired and sick horses with the fire and sparkle extinguished from him. .

Finally, Bruni broke down in the Doncaster Cup. His racing career was over.

Continue if you would like to read about Personality of the Past — Captain Ryan Price 1912-1986