Celerity: 'I heard the crowd and I just couldn't watch, so I turned around'

Fans' Favourites is a weekly feature in the Racing Post Weekender in which we talk to those closest to racing's most popular horses and find out why they tug on our heartstrings. This week's subject: Celerity

Good things come to those who wait. What better phrase to describe the recent success of the lowly rated Celerity at long last?

This Fans' Favourite series has focused on Cheltenham icons, international superstars and horses who have done the unthinkable, but you don't need to be the best to capture the imagination of racing fans. In fact, you can do it without winning a race.

That was something Celerity had done after no fewer than 105 winless runs, which gave her a place in the history books for the biggest losing run ever by a horse in Britain and Ireland and thrust her into the spotlight in a Racing Post feature article.

She was dubbed the new Quixall Crossett, the serial loser who became a cult hero of the jumps game in the north in the 1990s. His losing run had stretched to 'only' 103 outings.

But on a damp August Friday at Haydock, the one-time €800 purchase provided one of the most heartwarming stories of the season and perhaps even the century. On her 106th outing, she finally got off the mark.

Celerity was sent off 33-1 for a six-furlong fillies' handicap that evening – although she had shown some promise by finishing third on her previous two starts – and Erika Parkinson, who had ridden her in a apprentice handicap at Thirsk a fortnight earlier, was able to claim 7lb this time.

Even her most optimistic supporters could not have expected such a confident and assured victory, however, as her Cheshire-based trainer Lisa Williamson recalls.

"She'd hit a bit of form going there and she looked really well," she says. "But in truth, we went to Haydock with no expectations at all. We said to Erika to ping the gates and let her be happy. We wanted her to go in front for as long as she could. I said she'd probably tire in the final furlong and finish last."

In the first few strides Parkinson followed the instruction to the letter as Celerity cannoned out of the gates and breezed into the lead by a couple of lengths. In her bright yellow visor she continued to roll on in front and gradually increased her advantage. "The long-standing maiden is five lengths clear at halfway," said commentator Stewart Machin with a tinge of surprise in his voice.

With two furlongs to run it seemed the old familiar story would unfold as the well-fancied Dandys Gold and Laura Pearson took aim at the leader, while 6-4 favourite Verreaux Eagle was still in a stalking position under champion jockey Oisin Murphy.

But they didn't eat up the ground in the manner expected and, with Celerity still in front, Williamson held her breath in the final furlong.

"I thought I was going to faint," she says. "I heard the crowd and I just couldn't watch, so I turned around."

As Parkinson asked for more, this time Celerity was able to deliver. There was no tiring in the final furlong, no sign of finishing last, as a comfortable winning margin of a length and a quarter raised cheers from the Haydock crowd.

After crossing the line, Parkinson stood tall in her irons with a bright smile lighting up her face. It was impossible for those watching not to smile too, after a racing career of 1,953 days Celerity was a maiden no more.

Williamson says: "I was listening and in the final half-furlong I turned around to watch the finish. Everyone was going mental and so was I. It was definitely my best moment in racing. I'm a small trainer and we train low [rated] horses but we have a great little yard and that was an amazing day.

"The atmosphere at Haydock was unbelievable. She got a huge round of applause, it was incredible. I had loads of messages, including from David Evans, who we bought her off. My phone never stopped pinging. There were so many well done messages and people appreciating that we never gave up, which is true.

"Erika gave her a fantastic ride and everything fell into place on the day. I suppose it was meant to be after the Racing Post article on the day of the race. To me it was an absolute fairytale.

Still emotional about the victory, she adds: "It's an absolute testament to the staff and the yard. It's hard enough getting them to the track in one piece but to keep turning up like our horses do, week after week and looking so well, is a credit to the team.

Celerity with Lisa Williamson after her successCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"Everyone's been over to see Celerity and she's had carrots and mints. Even a few days after the race she was looking pretty fresh."

Owner Rick Heath was on a staff outing at Haydock on that fantastic Friday and it was an occasion he won’t forget in a long time. It was by far his best experience on the racecourse, but perhaps the last time his work colleagues will be listening to his tips.

"We fancied our other horse in the race, Isabella Ruby, and we didn't have a penny on Celerity," Williamson says. "Rick said to the people at the staff do to put a fiver on Isabella Ruby and not Celerity. We thought the six furlongs was more Isabella Ruby's trip. Rick had told 16 women to back the other horse, so he wasn't the most popular! We had a laugh about it.

"But he said that was his best moment too. I remember after the race he called me and said 'I'm in the car park, I'm on my own, I'm just having a moment.' He couldn't believe what had happened. He was very humble – he thanked me and I thanked him."

'We took her on a proper break this year and it made all the difference'

Celerity started life in Ireland. She was out of a low-level but useful mare in Shinko Dancer, who won two sprint handicaps at the Curragh and Down Royal.

As a two-year-old, trained by Darren Bunyan, Celebrity made her debut at Dundalk on April Fools Day in 2016 and was taken seriously in the betting at 6-1. She was only ninth that day, however, and was well beaten in two more runs before moving to Britain to join David Evans.

She got close to that much-desired breakthrough for her new yard. Backed into 5-1 joint-favourite at Ffos Las in 2017, and with promising 3lb claimer Hollie Doyle booked, she ran a stormer before being gunned down late to be defeated by half a length. Oddly, the horse who denied her was trained by Lisa Williamson, who would then begin a long and heartwarming association with the mare just a few months later.

It was not just in west Wales where Celerity threatened to win, as she was runner-up on six other occasions and third in eight races before finally getting off the mark.

Somewhat frustratingly, she had a habit of saving her best efforts for better races, in particular running well in big handicaps at Chester. One example was a highly creditable fifth in 2019, beaten just under three lengths when a whopping 16lb out of the handicap.

"She'd always run better in better races, I don't know why," says Williamson, who took over when Celerity was a 24-race maiden. "I remember when she ran a blinder in a very good race at Chester. We always knew she had ability and her pedigree is pretty good too."

The trainer can pinpoint the reason for Celerity's turnaround. "We took her on a proper break this year, which I think made all the difference. I took her away from the yard to a bit of land I've got and going to that new environment helped her. She came back a different horse."

Celerity has always been a favourite at Williamson's base in Kelsall Hill and her popularity now extends far wider after her Haydock heroics, which means a lot to those at the beating heart of the story.

"She has to go out at a certain time every day," her trainer says.

"She weaves and box walks if she isn't out by 8am every morning. If you don't take her out she'll drive you nuts. She's a great ride, though. At the races she sweats and you can't do anything with her when you get her there. You just put the saddle and bridle on and leave her to it. She's quite a character.

"We'll just keep going with her and then Rick [Heath] is going to breed from her. The support she's had means a lot to us. It's a big team effort and I'm here every day, mucking out and doing my bit.

"I'm a hands-on trainer and driving the lorry home from Haydock certainly brought everything back down to earth. It was fantastic to do it, though."

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