Buzz making excellent progress in return from serious injury

Molly Hunter
September 5, 2022 2:38 pm

Hugely-popular grey joining eventing specialist for pre-training.

The ever-popular Buzz is making strides in his recuperation as he is due to begin ridden work with event rider Greta Mason.

The grey had a prosperous Flat career when trained by Hughie Morrison and then switched codes to try his hand at hurdling in 2019, enjoying instant success when winning on his first two starts for Nicky Henderson.

Quickly developing into a high-calibre horse over timber, Buzz ended the 2021 jumps campaign with a gallant second-placed finish behind Abacadabras in the Grade One Aintree Hurdle.

Henderson then masterminded a brief reversion to the Flat in the 2021 Cesarewitch that October, a race the horse duly won at 8-1 before returning to hurdles and staking his claim on the staying hurdle division with a fantastic success in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot.

Another run at Ascot, this time in the Long Walk Hurdle, was then intended, but the gelding suffered a serious injury in his final piece of work before the race and was later found to have fractured his pelvis.

Buzz (left) winning the Cesarewitch Handicap under Oisin Murphy (Tim Goode/PA)

A long spell of box-rest followed, during which the horse was an exemplary patient, with Buzz then transferred into the safe hands of Charlie and Tracy Vigors at Hillwood Stud to continue his recovery.

Overseen by vet Dave Matheson, Buzz has continued to heal and was recently given the green light to join three-day event rider Mason for the next stage of his rehabilitation.

“He’s gone to eventing specialist Greta Mason to start his pre-training, to come back into work and hopefully go back into training with Nicky Henderson in the next couple of months,” said James Stafford of owners Thurloe Thoroughbreds.

“He’s been a good patient all along and he’s now moving onto the next stage, it will be very slow work with Greta, who will just start getting him back in action again.

“He’s come a long way from those early days, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating and we’re not going to force things, but he’s in good nick and very pleased with himself!

Buzz (left) on his way to winning the Coral Hurdle (Nigel French/PA)

“We had no idea whether we were going to lose him or not in the first few days, which was very galling as he’s very special to everyone at the yard.

“It was terrible, he had to stand still immediately and they managed to get him back and tied up. Very slowly he’s come back, he’s been the most remarkable patient and everyone loves him.

“He’s helped himself as if he understood. Everything’s gone right for him, which is marvellous, and he’s now got to the stage where the vet has said that he’s mended well.

“We’ve got to get that muscle back as best as we can, there will be muscle wastage and we’ve got to build it up to get him back to the racehorse we all love.

“Whether he’ll be quite the same, we don’t know, but he’s such a trier and hopefully we can see him back in a handicap in a year or six months – whenever he tells us he’s ready.”