Success stories The Captains Inn

The Captains Inn was purchased by Jane and Andrew Megson at the Tattersalls Sale held at Cheltenham in 2018, and went into training with Ben Pauling, a leading racehorse trainer for jump racing based in the Cotswolds.

Later that year, The Captains Inn made his first appearance racing under rules finishing sixth in the two mile National Hunt Flat race at Warwick Racecourse, and then one month later he bolted up winning by three and a half lengths in the Novice Hurdle at Leicester Racecourse. On his third run for the Megson family, The Captains Inn knew the format and managed to win once again at Uttoxeter.

With two consecutive victories under his belt, The Captains Inn was entered in the biggest race of his career, the Grade 1 Doom Bar Sefton Novice Hurdle at the Aintree Festival Meeting in April 2019. However, as The Captains Inn was just four flights from home, he unfortunately struck into himself and was quickly pulled up by jockey Daryl Jacob.Despite Daryl’s quick reaction and the excellent care given on-site by the vets at Aintree, The Captains Inn’s prognosis was poor with only a 50% chance of returning to ridden work.

Whilst the odds were stacked against him, the Megson family remained committed to The Captains Inn and put him through surgery with the goal of giving him the best chance. After extensive rehabilitation, The Captains Inn made a full recovery and returned to the racecourse in 2020 following a break of 610 days off the track. However, after four runs without a result the Megson family knew The Captains Inn's confidence was gone, and they decided to retire him and find him a new home.

In June 2021, Abbie Weatherstone collected The Captains Inn to take him home as his new owner. Since then, the pair have successfully competed in team chases, hunt races and hunting with the Belvoir. As part of the Fox Grant's team, their best results to date are winning the Beaufort team chase intermediate speed, finishing second at Heythrop team chase intermediate speed, and having similar success in individual hunt races such as the Melton hunt club ride and the Silver Spur! The pair are looking to do even better next season with a little more experience under their belt.

Abbie says “He’s a quirky character so doesn’t enjoy going round in circles in the school, so we try to do most of our schooling out hacking round the Belvoir Estate and Leicestershire countryside. He’s happily settled to his new career and life outside of racing.

“The Megsons deserve so much recognition putting Captain through his surgery for his severed tendon and the subsequent rehabilitation process. It’s given him a second chance at the life he deserves and allowed him to go on to another successful and enjoyable career after racing.”