Racehorse owners are optimists by nature but few if any would have been expecting much from a runner priced up by bookmakers as a 200-1 no-hoper.
Step forward KDB – that’s French-bred gelding Kally Des Bruyeres, not Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne – who defied those dismissive odds when taking a two-mile maiden hurdle at Huntingdon in November under Charlie Todd.
Kally Des Bruyeres runs for The Close Shave Partnership, which consists of trainer David Dennis, who has a leg in the four-year-old son of Cokoriko, and David Purvis, the majority owner who watched the unlikely victory in the vicinity of another racecourse, one in California not Cambridgeshire.
“I’d booked to go to the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar in June – it was on my bucket list – so obviously didn’t know then that my horse would be running that day,” explains Purvis, who has spent his working life in the retail sports betting industry, including a five-year term as CEO of Stanleybet International.
“David had sent me four options for KDB and inevitably the most suitable race was the one when I was in the US, so I sent some buddies along to the track.
“I got up at 5.30am San Diego time to watch the race and thought, ‘let’s see how this goes’. It was a shock to the betting market, it was a shock to the people at Huntingdon, and it was a shock to me!
“You can’t start drinking champagne at that time of the morning – I had to wait for the friends I’d travelled over with to get up for breakfast. They thought it was great and asked how much I’d had on. I told them – nothing!”
Purvis is a recent recruit to the ownership ranks, taking the plunge last year with encouragement from his wife, Jo, having declared his intent to get involved.
He says: “My wife and I love horses – we have horses at home, we both ride, and I’ve done a bit of showjumping at amateur level.
“I turned 60 last year and Jo asked me what I wanted to do in life. I told her I’d love to get into racehorse ownership although I wasn’t sure how to go about it.
“It was always a dream for me to get involved in horseracing. I’ve loved the sport, especially the National Hunt side, since my days working in betting shops.
“It was my vet who introduced me to David [Dennis]. We talked on the phone, he came over to the house and showed me a list of horses he was interested in at the upcoming Goffs UK Spring Sale. That’s how I bought Ballynaheer.”
Former pointer Ballynaheer made steady progress over hurdles last season, providing his owner with his first victory at Huntingdon on April 1.
“That was a wow moment – I felt I’d fulfilled a lifetime dream to own a horse and win a race,” says Purvis, who lives in the village of Newborough in Staffordshire, close to Uttoxeter racecourse.
“After buying Ballynaheer, David asked me if I’d be interested in having another one. We talked money and a few other things, and I said fine – that’s how we set up the partnership for Kally Des Bruyeres.
“David thought KDB was one of the better young horses in the yard because he showed us lots on the gallops.
“He ran in a bumper at Hereford first time out, but it was testing ground and he didn’t settle – Tom Bellamy said he ran his race back to front and finished tired.
“We then went for a maiden hurdle at my local track, Uttoxeter. We wanted him to switch off, get into a rhythm and enjoy his experience.
“It was all going to plan as he turned into the straight, but when Tom gave him a squeeze he made a noise, so he was pulled up. Tom told us to get his wind done and then we’d have a different horse.
“He then had the summer off after my vet did his wind. We took him to Stratford in October for his reappearance, but the runners were well strung out after a couple of hurdles and there were horses and jockeys on the deck, so we put a line through that run.
“Fast forward to Huntingdon and we had hopes of him being competitive – but we didn’t expect him to win!”
That 200-1 magical moment meant Kally Des Bruyeres became the joint-second longest-priced winner in Britain and while Purvis wasn’t present – “it was the first time I haven’t been at the track for one of my runners” – the victory was significant beyond his starting price.
He says: “To be honest, I was more pleased for David and the yard than me as an owner because he recommended the horse to me. He had faith in the horse before I bought him and was probably feeling a bit of pressure – thankfully he’s now starting to fulfil his potential.
“David is the racehorse trainer and I leave the planning to him. If I was going for heart surgery, I wouldn’t tell the cardiologist what to do and how to do it.”
Purvis continues: “He’s a very nice man. He’s great to deal with, nothing’s ever a problem. I get plenty of comms, he calls me on a regular basis, and I like that. It’s not a big yard and I feel part of something.
“I also enjoy going down to the stable, which is a 130-mile round trip, spending a couple of hours with David and the horses. That access to the trainer is important to me – I probably talk to David three or four times a week.”
Having only started his ownership journey in 2023, Purvis is relishing his involvement, especially “the thrill of being in the paddock on raceday and being part of the racehorse-owning community.
The level of admin associated with ownership is not quite so much fun, so he is thankful for the assistance of the ROA’s VAT Solution team. “It’s a great service,” Purvis says. “I’ve dealt with Davina – she’s been very communicative and helpful. On my own I wouldn’t know what to do.
“It was David who told me I could reclaim VAT on the purchase price of my horses and training fees. Any time I need guidance, I contact the ROA team.”
With Kally Des Bruyeres having turned a corner and Ballynaheer now embarking on a chasing career, Purvis has plenty to look forward to, while a further investment has been made in an unraced three-year-old by Order Of St George out of Tasmani, dam of Dennis’s former staying star Cyclop.
“I have a half share in the three-year-old, named Georgemani. He’s entered in the Goffs Spring Sale Bumper at Newbury in March,” Purvis says.
“I’ve been to see him work on the gallops and he seems to take everything in his stride – he’s a lovely-looking horse and David thinks he’ll be good.
“As for KDB, David wants to take it slowly, which is fine. For me it’s about the longevity, the sport and looking after the horses.”
He adds: “Genuinely, I feel blessed. I suspect there’s owners who buy their first horse and never get into the winner’s enclosure. I feel very lucky but I’m with a very good trainer.
“The closest I got to horses growing up was watching westerns on TV! I’m from a council house in Glasgow – I grew up with nothing.
“Mum and dad scraped and scrimped to give me an education. They’ve both passed away now. When I’m sitting there reflecting on things, I wish they’d have been able to come racing with me. Sadly, it wasn’t to be.
“I did take my son Jack to the Cheltenham Festival for the first time, and he loved it. Having a runner at the Festival – that would be the dream! I’d like to think that one of the three I’ve got could get there one day.”