http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/superracing/the-quiet-life-suits-retired-cup-winner-just-a-dash-and-just-may-be-the-making-of-young-stayer-dolphis-boy/story-fn67tkww-1226261222254IN the sunset years of his life, the old champ might have been forgotten by many but he is far from lonely.
He doesn't have any social media web sites set up in his honour like some of today's equine superstars, receives no fan mail and gets very few visitors.
But Just A Dash is treated like royalty at trainer Stephen Hill's Willow Dene property near Kembla Grange racecourse.
Just A Dash won the Melbourne Cup as a youthful four-year-old way back in 1981 - which makes him 35 today.
The average life of a thoroughbred is about 25 years and, in human terms, Just A Dash is about 100.
He's the oldest living Melbourne Cup winner probably of all time but remains in remarkably good health.
"Just A Dash has been with us for more than 20 years and is surprisingly spritely considering how old he is," Hill said.
"I suppose the fact that he gets fed twice a day, gets a rug on in the evening and has shelter means he has everything he needs.
"He's very easy to manage but as he has gotten older, he is quieter now so we keep him in his own paddock most of the time.
"He has fillies and mares around him which seems to keep him happy."
Most Melbourne Cup winners are like celebrities in retirement.
I can remember being at the late George Hanlon's Leopold property near Geelong more than 10 years ago where the trainer's 1978 Melbourne Cup winner, Arwon, was living a life of leisure. He was a local tourist attraction and every day the local schoolchildren would stop by the property to pat the gelding and feed him apples.
But Just A Dash has seemingly slipped into anonymity. "Basically nobody," Hill said when I asked if Just A Dash receives any visitors. "He used to go down to the Melbourne Cup Parade every year but hasn't been since EI (equine influenza, 2007).
"We haven't sent him since because he's just got too old. I wouldn't risk sending him to Melbourne now."
Hill's devotion to Just A Dash has played no small part in helping extend the old gelding's life but it is also typical of the way he cares for every horse.
Take Dolphi's Boy for example.
The improving stayer, one of the favourites for the Vinery Stud Handicap (2200m) at Warwick Farm tomorrow, has benefited from Hill's patient handling.
The rising six-year-old gelding has only had 16 career starts with Hill deciding against racing him as a two or three-year-old. Dolphi's Boy only made his race debut 13 months ago, winning his maiden at Canberra and is in his second race preparation.
Hill explained there was no hurry to get Dolphi's Boy to the racetrack as the gelding simply wasn't ready.
"We actually reared the horse here at home, he was broken in there, so we have had him all the way through," Hill said.
"But he has always been an immature type of horse. He was very slow to pick things up. So I knew early on that he couldn't be rushed.
"He can be an awkward horse to ride in races and at trackwork.
"So we needed to keep sending him back to the spelling paddock to give him time and that has worked well."
Dolphi's Boy, who is fully developed and mature now, has been a revelation this campaign. He started the preparation in August and has been in full work ever since, contesting 11 races for four wins and six placings (three seconds, three thirds).
His only unplaced run was a fourth at Cootamundra back in October.
"It was the one bad run he has put in and I can't explain it," Hill said. "He should have just won that day at Cootamundra but he went awful.
"Other than that, he has run well every time."
The longer Dolphi's Boy has been in work, the better he has become.
He has raced his way through the grades, graduated from a bush galloper to Sydney Saturday class, winning his last two starts in metropolitan midweek company at Australian Turf Club meetings transferred to Kembla Grange and Wyong.
Hill maintains he is not surprised by Dolphi's Boy's rapid improvement.
"He has always been able to gallop and gallop well," the trainer said.
"It has just taken him a while to get it together. His first race preparation wasn't bad, he wasn't too far from them every start, but this time in he has gone to another level.
"He's going really well but I'm not sure what he is like in the wet. I guess we are about to find out.
"He's been up forever but continues to work well and his form continues to improve. Each time he goes to the races lately, I thought he would then have to go for a spell but he's just keeps getting better.
"I would say this time he will go around at Warwick Farm and then to the paddock."
Hill only has three gallopers in work. His good sprinter Riebeek, winner of 10 races including three in Sydney this season, is currently out spelling but the trainer is about to send a nicely-bred first-starter to the races at Kembla Grange tomorrow.
Dolphi's Girl is by Half Hennessy out of Dolphicate and as her name suggests, is a full sister to Dolphi's Boy. Similar to her older brother, Dolphi's Girl has needed extra time to learn to be a racehorse, according to Hill.
"She's a nice mare, improving all the time, but she might need a few races to educate her," Hill said.
Dolphicate is the only broodmare currently residing at Hill's spelling and agistment property.
Dolphi's Boy is her second foal but then tragedy struck.
"The mare lost her next two foals - it was terrible, very unfortunate," Hill said. "But she does have a foal on the ground now by Henrythenavigator and it is a lovely type.
"Hopefully, Dolphi's Boy and Dolphi's Girl can win a few races and make her foals more valuable."
Emerging stayer Dolphi's Boy's potential will be tested at Warwick Farm tomorrow with Hill hopeful the gelding can continue his rapid improvement over summer.
There are times when Dolphi's Boy shares a paddock with Melbourne Cup winner Just A Dash at the trainer's property.
Perhaps rubbing shoulders with the old champ is as close as Dolphi's Boy will ever get to the nation's greatest race.
But for the stayer's trainer and owners, it costs nothing to dream.
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