One of the most durable members of the all-weather community will take centre stage on Wednesday night (AEDT) when Dvinsky competes for the 200th time in a race named in his honour at Kempton.
It is believed no horse has made as many starts in Britain before and the 11-year-old will bring down the curtain on the day’s only meeting in division two of the Dvinsky’s 200th Run Handicap.
Dvinsky began his career with Gerard Butler and won a maiden at Goodwood at his second outing in the colours of renowned owner Michael Tabor, but had drifted through four other trainers before arriving at Paul Howling’s Newmarket stable in the winter of 2006.
He has won a total of 17 races, 13 of them for Howling, and spent brief periods with Jane Chapple-Hyam and Michael Squance when his long-standing trainer briefly relinquished his licence last year.
“It’s nice to have a bit of recognition,” Howling, who trains alongside Sir Henry Cecil at Warren Place, said.
“Sky Sports do a lot of sponsorship at Kempton and Barney Clifford, the clerk of the course, has always been a fan of the horse, so we’d like to thank them.
“He’s very easy to deal with. We never train him very hard, he’s very clean-winded and he’s better off just running on the racecourse.
“He’s quite clever and saves a bit for himself, which is probably why he has lasted so long.”
Kempton is an appropriate venue for the sprinter, who is known as Dave in the yard, to reach his milestone as eight of his victories have been on the Sunbury Polytrack and he was third at his most recent visit on January 22.
“He’s very well indeed. He has had a couple of weeks since his last run, when he ran a very good race to finish third,” Howling said.
“I’ve had him about five years. He was quite expensive, I think he cost 200,000 euros ($A246,412) as a yearling for Tabor, but didn’t do a lot for him.
“I bought him on the phone, I didn’t actually look at him, but I always thought he was a horse I’d like to train.
“The people who had him wanted too much money but I later got a phone call and they offered him to me for STG7,000 ($A10,357). I said I’d give them six and the deal was done.”
Dvinsky’s career earnings already exceed STG111,000 ($A164,225) and he will be partnered by regular jockey Tom McLaughlin against nine rivals.
One of those, Vhujon, had the 100th start of his own career when fifth in Dvinsky’s most recent race.
PA AAP TURF
