TORONTO – He’s already one of Canada’s most accomplished horsemen and a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. But on Sunday, Roger Attfield will look to become the most prolific trainer in Queen’s Plate history.
The native of Newbury, England, will attempt to win Canada’s most prized thoroughbred race for a record ninth time at Woodbine Racetrack. Attfield’s horse, Check Your Soul, tuned up for the $1-million 1 1/4-mile race with a convincing 3 1/4-length win in the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial on June 5 at Woodbine.
“Well, the Queen’s Plate is Canada’s race, isn’t it?” Attfield said during the Plate barbecue Monday at Woodbine. “There are people out there who have been training and owning horses for their lifetime and haven’t won the race and it’s a dream to win it.
“To go for my ninth is incredible and it would be great to break that record. It was set when I was born, I think so it’s about time someone caught the old rascal.”
Attfield, who now calls Nobleton, Ont., home, moved into a tie with Harry Giddings Jr. for most career Plate wins by a trainer in 2008 when Not Bourbon emerged victorious. Giddings Jr. registered his victories between 1911 (St. Bass) and 1942 (Ten to Ace) before his death 1949.
He was inducted posthumously in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1985.
Attfield, 71, has enjoyed immense racing success in Canada. Three of his horses have captured the Canadian Triple Crown (With Approval in 1989, Izvestia in 1990 and Peteski in 1993) and he has conditioned six horses of the year and eight times received the Sovereign award as the country’s top trainer.
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Check Your Soul should give Attfield more than a decent shot at making Queen’s Plate history. After not racing as a two-year-old, the dark bay colt has won his last three starts and has a disposition that reminds Attfield a lot of Izvestia.
“He’s got a very laid-back temperament,” Attfield said. “Izvestia was very similar to him in the respect that he’d more or less let me do what I wanted to do with him in the mornings.
“This guy, nothing seems to bother him at all.”
Check Your Soul also has history working in his favour. Five of Attfield’s eight previous Plate Trial victors went on to win the Queen’s Plate, the last being Not Bourbon. As well, the last three Plate Trail winners – Not Bourbon, Eye of the Leopard in 2009 and Big Red Mike in 2010 – have gone on to win the Plate.
Heady stuff indeed considering the son of Perfect Soul stepped on a racetrack for the first time in March.
“He was very tall, backward and fast-growing horse and a big gangly kid, really,” Attfield sad. “He also had a bit of a chip in his ankle so we took it out and that made us slow up on him anyways, which was a blessing in disguise.
“But we weren’t really going to do much with him as a two-year-old anyways, he might’ve run once only. It’s quite a bit more difficult when they haven’t run as two-year-olds but we certainly had a program for him and he hasn’t skipped a beat.”
While Perfect Soul has proved to be a quick study, Attfield said the horse still has much to learn, most notably how to run in a big field. And that could be a concern in the Queen’s Plate, with as many as 17 horses potentially going to the starter’s gate Sunday.
“The only thing he lacks is experience in a crowd and you never know how the Queen’s Plate is going to be run or what post position you’re going to get,” Attfield said. “He’s a big, long-striding horse and not the kind you want to be checking all the time.
“You have concerns about that but outside of racing luck I feel very confident he’s going to run well.”
Attfield said all eight of his previous Queen’s Plate winners are memorable but With Approval’s victory holds a special place in his heart.
“That was the year when With Approval became the first Triple Crown winner in 26 years and also when they put a $1-million bonus on the Triple Crown,” Attfield said. “Also, the Queen Mother was here (for Queen’s Plate) so that was very special.
“But, really, they’ve all been special to tell you the truth.”
And Attfield believes Check Your Soul has the ability to become a very special horse.
“He’s an exciting prospect who has everything going for him,” Attfield said. “He has a great stride, he has the genes to run long, he has a good temperament and physically he’s well.
“He’s only learning what it’s all about and I think could have a very good future.”
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