Surely this isn’t the end for Subbie?

Subzero the champion.

The world’s best horse Winx pulled a crowd of just over 9000 last week. Do we need to add “only” or is that a pass mark these days?

And what a show she puts on, as good as Franklin or Slater, raising hairs on necks, creating the illusion of vulnerability but like a master magician as much as the superior racehorse, climbing out of the locked box to even greater greatness.

Yet obviously whilst admired, and despite all the marketing and modern day social media pizzazz, she hasn’t really resonated outside of racing’s bubble.

If there is a horse that has done that – and it’s not really Black Caviar either, it is Subzero, the 1992 Melbourne Cup winner, but for the last 23 years, thanks to his mate Graham Salisbury, racing’s best and most natural ambassador.

Why? Because the big grey horse has touched lives of countless children in schools, the elderly in old people’s home, as well as rubbing shoulders with Sheik Mohammed in Dubai, stars  from Hugh Jackman to Kylie Minogue, heads of state and punters from all walks of life.

He has bowed, nodded, answered questions and as much amazed and engaged with an audience racing has rarely been able to touch.

But is all this coming to an end? Well Subbie is 28, that he is alive and as well as he can be is a bonus, most horses his age either aren’t his age or waiting in a paddock to shuffle off.

No Subbie is still doing his thing with Salisbury at schools and retirement homes around Victoria, in fact he’ll be at Hopper’s Crossing schools next Wednesday, but his contract with Racing Victoria expires next month.

Salisbury is unsure of what are RV’s plans.

“They still want me to do schools but say the old people’s homes aren’t feasible any more, whatever that means,” Salisbury told Just Racing.

It comes at the same time Salisbury learned his former clerk of the course mates (he can’t ride anymore because of a back injury) Peter and Shane Patterson were sounded out about using their grey horses for the RV schools program.

“They (the Patterson’s) asked me what was going on, I didn’t know anything about it, but they said they wouldn’t be taking my job.”

But there is only one grey horse and that is Subbie.

“There will never be another Subbie,” Salisbury proudly says. “You’ll never get another horse doing what he can do and what he has done.”

“From when I got him (for $1 off owners including David Kobritz) they asked what I was going to do wtih him. I told them I wanted to make him the people’s horse and that’s what he is.”

This is not a “Who shot Bambi” story, but not to have Subbie doing his stuff for racing with kids agog at his answering questions like ‘do you have a girlfriend?” (To which he nods), to lighting up the faces of the elderly for a moment taking the boredom from their lives, is as close as it gets.

The stipend Salisbury’s contract is worth is insignificant to the priceless joy and engagement he brings on the job and over almost a quarter of a century.

RV says they still want Subbie on the job but is restructuring his role.

“I can confirm that we will continue to utilise Subzero for our Community Program subject to the health and availability of both the horse and his handler Graham Salisbury,” RV Spokesperson Shaun Kelly said.

“With a desire to increase the number of schools visited, particularly in metropolitan Melbourne, there is a growing need for multiple horses to service the program moving forward. Subzero’s age and country base means that increasing the number of visits he makes to schools in metropolitan Melbourne may not be in the best interests of the horse.”

Yes Subzero is 28, Salisbury has had some battles with cancer, but it has never been an issue to cover the miles from his Heathcote base near Bendigo to visit schools and homes right across Victoria.

Kelly also confirmed that RV is now in the stages of implementing a plan to grow the number of horses available for use within their Community Program and this is likely to include some Clerk of Course horses in addition to Subzero.

He also admitted the focus would now be solely on schools than the aged care facilities.

“Racing Victoria (RV) is in the process of expanding and enhancing our Community Program so that more children of primary school ages can develop a better appreciation and understanding of horses.

“We are wholly committed to building and growing engagement with youth – particularly those based in metropolitan areas with less exposure to horses – by promoting all the positive benefits associated with the sport of racing which starts with the love and appreciation of the horse.

“While support services will still be offered to older members of the community in aged care facilities, schools will remain the core focus of our Community Program. RV will continue to schedule visits to other facilities where time, proximity from schools to that facility and the condition of the horse(s) on the day, permits us to do so,” Kelly said.

Salisbury is keen to keep the visits to the elderly on Subbie’s roster (which is about 100 school visits a year.

“I just love doing them, when you go there, they love seeing him, it brightens up their lives and takes them back in time. I’d just need to be sponsored, I couldn’t afford to do it,” Salisbury said.

RV will say they are in no way underplaying the love of the public for Subzero but Salisbury has gone above and beyond the terms of his contract to take Subbie to the people.

“The other day we were booked to do a school in Preston and it was raining, the principal said he’d have to cancel it. I said to him let’s do it in the hall. He couldn’t believe it and Subbie just walked into that hall, Channel 7 turned up and there were 300 kids there. The principal said he’d never seen anything like it,” he said.

This is all started for Subbie some years ago when he was asked if he’d take Subbie to a school in Altona. He did and it blossomed from there, first a contract with Tooheys before RV put him on their roster.

“I reckon the horse and me have given pretty good service to racing. It’s hardly a job, we both loving do it, we are mates, he’s like a son to me, he’d follow me anywhere,” Salisbury said.

And he has. And let’s hope he can for years of healthy life for horse and handler to come. There is only one Subzero. And racing needs him as much if not more than they need Winx right now.

 

 

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