I WAS delighted to hear from Merry Fox Stud’s Craig Bennett recently. He wanted me to have a commemorative stud book he had commissioned to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Merry Fox. It duly arrived, and is something to treasure.

Craig has enjoyed racing from a young age, going with his grandfather who was a bookmaker. He dabbled in ownership over the years, and with success. The first horse he owned was Money Trix. Owned and bred by Bunny Cox, the gelding was second in a Navan bumper on his debut at five, moved to Nicky Richards, and raced four times over hurdles, winning the first three and was runner-up in a Grade 1 at Aintree to Black Jack Ketchum.