In the latest of our series on some of horse racing’s biggest cult heroes we will look back at the career of the recently retired legend, Ropey Guest. ‘Chubby’, as he is affectionately called by those closest to him, only won four of his forty six starts, so why do we consider the son of Cable Bay a cult hero? Well, sometimes racing is about more than just winning and this horse rarely gave anything less than his best whenever he showed up on the track.
He earned over £300k in prize money, he achieved a peak rating of 104, and he made me and my followers a shed load of money throughout his career. Trained by George Margarson and usually ridden by Tom Queally, this is the story of Ropey Guest, one of horse racing’s cult heroes.
Table of Contents
Ropey Guest Breeding & Pedigree
Ropey Guest’s story began on the 23rd of February in 2017 at Kirtlington Stud in the heart of Oxfordshire, England. On that day Hadeeya, a daughter of Oratorio who had been covered by Cable Bay the previous year, foaled down a bay colt with a flashy white blaze that ran from just above his eyes to the tip of his nose.
Ropey Guest had arrived and the hope was that he could follow in the hoofsteps of his mum’s half sibling, G2 winner Good Old Boy Lukey. As a foal, he fetched 31,000gns at the Tattersalls December Sales. Just eight months later he went under the hammer again, this time at the Goffs UK Premier yearling sales, and his value had risen to £110k.
His purchasers, Blandford Bloodstock, prepared him for the Tattersalls Ascot Breeze Ups in April 2019 and John Guest picked him up for what turned out to be a bit of a bargain at £55k.
The then unnamed colt was sent into training with George Margarson, a trainer whose biggest wins came with his brilliant 2yo filly Lucky Kristale. She won the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge and the Group 2 Lowther, could his new recruit match her achievements? Not quite, but his 2yo campaign gave plenty of clues as to what was to come later in his career.
How did Ropey Guest get his nickname Chubby?
Racehorses are supreme athletes when they are in training so how the hell did Ropey Guest end up being nicknamed Chubby? Well, when Ropey arrived at the Margarson’s yard Rosie Margarson, George’s daughter, quickly noticed that he was mainly interested in just two things, sleeping and eating. The latter trait was why he was nicknamed Chubby!
The laid back colt’s attitude off the track was probably why he was sold for a relatively modest sum. However, his willingness to switch off, eat, rest and relax when he wasn’t at the races likely played a big part in him so often producing his best at the track. His new trainer soon realised how kind and willing he was as a horse, and he soon found out he was a fearsome competitor too.
Ropey Guest’s 2yo Campaign
After arriving in George Margarson’s yard in early April 2019, Ropey Guest went straight into training. His debut run over 6f at Nottingham on May 19 didn’t set the world alight but he was slow away and green and Margarson knew he had much more talent than he showed that day. He proved he had a decent level of ability when fourth on his second start at Yarmouth in late May and connections decided to have a speculative tilt at the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.
This was the first time Ropey Guest caught my eye. Sent off an unconsidered 200/1 shot, he ran an absolutely cracking race, staying on strongly late in the day for sixth, beaten just 2.5L for the win behind future sire Arizona. This effort showed that ‘Chubby’ was no mug and that he was capable of being very competitive in pattern company.
Superb Efforts
The son of Cable Bay went on to have a stellar 2yo campaign, even if he finished the season a 101 rated maiden. He produced some superb efforts in defeat, including a fourth in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes, a third in a Listed race at Ascot, a third in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York, a third in the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes, a third in the Group 3 Autumn Stakes and he signed off his campaign with a cracking run in second in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes.
As followers of my horse racing tips on the TXMarkets blog will know, Ropey rarely went off at short odds. He was 25/1 when we backed him in the Acomb, we got 66s about him for the Autumn Stakes and he landed the place money in both races. The ten race maiden was given a well-earned break after the Horris Hill and he wouldn’t be sighted again until June 2020.
Ropey Guest Best 2yo Results
| Race | Result | Prize Money |
| Newmarket Superlative Stakes (G2) | 4th | £4,288 |
| Ascot Pat Eddery Stakes (Listed) | 3rd | £3,228 |
| York Acomb Stakes (G3) | 3rd | £10,760 |
| Newmarket Tattersalls Stakes (G3) | 3rd | £10,750 |
| Newmarket Autumn Stakes (G3) | 3rd | £6,456 |
| Newmarket Horris Hill Stakes (G3) | 2nd | £8,600 |
A Maiden No More At Three
Ropey Guest was thrown straight back into Group 3 company on his first start as a 3yo. He pitched up in the Jersey Stakes and yet again, he was dismissed by the bookies. We managed to get on for five places at 33/1 and he ran yet another blinder to finish fourth, landing the each way money comfortably.
A mildly disappointing effort in a Listed race at Newmarket followed and after that effort, Margarson decided a confidence booster was required. He dropped his charge back into novice company at Chelmsford and finally, Ropey Guest got off the mark.
Ropey would only be sighted twice more in 2020. He ran into midfield on his handicap debut at Ascot in October and then was beaten just 1.75L in a Class 3 conditions race at Newmarket. After that effort, connections decided to send him for a gelding operation and a 190 day break.
3yo Best Results
| Race | Result | Prize Money |
| Royal Ascot Jersey Stakes (G3) | 4th | £3,354 |
| Chelmsford Novice (C5) | 1st | £3493.26 |
| Newmarket Conditions (C3) | 2nd | £2,213.75 |
Tricky 4yo Season
After a relatively light campaign at three, the newly gelded Ropey Guest was a lot busier at four. However, it has to be said that consistency wasn’t his strong suit in 2021.
Although he made a very pleasing reappearance when sixth in the Victoria Cup at Ascot, Chubby seemed to lose his mojo afterwards. Four below par runs at Ascot (and one at Newmarket followed) and even his most ardent supporters were concerned that he may not rediscover his best form.
However, they need not have worried. In September 2021, off a much reduced mark of 92, Ropey Guest finally bounced back to form, running out a 1L winner of a Yarmouth Class 2 handicap at odds of 9/1. Another couple of ok runs followed in October and he headed off for another winter break.
4yo Best Results
| Race | Result | Prize Money |
| Ascot Victoria Cup Handicap (C2) | 6th | £1,132.50 |
| Yarmouth Handicap (C2) | 1st | £10,308 |
| Leicester Handicap (C2) | 4th | £1,228 |
More Near Misses at Five
This was the year that Ropey Guest finally got the hang of running in big field Heritage Handicaps. He had three near misses in hot heats at Ascot (twice) and Newmarket, but he was knocking on the door and surely it was going to open at some stage.
He again made his seasonal return in the Victoria Cup at Ascot and this time, he finished a place better than the previous year in fifth. Ropey came back for the Buckingham Palace at the Royal Meeting in June and he was just edged out by Inver Park at odds of 40/1, beaten 1L into second. On his next start he was again beaten narrowly in the Bunbury Cup, finishing 1.25L behind Bless Him in second.
On his penultimate run of 2022 Ropey rattled the crossbar yet again. He may only have finished fifth in that £40k Class 2 handicap at Ascot but he was just half a length behind the winner Fresh. He signed off with a fourth in a Class 3 handicap at Newmarket but he’d be back again in 2023 and connections were hoping it would be the year he’d finally get his head in front in a Heritage Handicap.
5yo Best Results
| Race | Result | Prize Money |
| Ascot Victoria Cup Handicap (C2) | 5th | £3,020 |
| Ascot Buckingham Palace Stakes (C2) | 2nd | £24,170 |
| Newmarket Bunbury Cup (C2) | 2nd | £29,004 |
| Ascot Handicap (C2) | 5th | £2,416 |
Glory At Last At Six
2023 was the year when Chubby finally delivered that big handicap win. His customary reappearance in the Victoria Cup was a touch below par but he left that well behind when winning a Class 3 handicap at Goodwood on his next start. He disappointed in the Buckingham Palace at Royal Ascot subsequently, but it was a lot more like it in the Bunbury Cup when he found just one too good, again.
After another disappointing run at Ascot in the International Stakes, Margarson decided to change things up. He entered Ropey Guest in the Clipper Handicap at York to give him a change of scenery and yet again, the bookies didn’t rate his chances and he was allowed to go off at 40/1.
Chubby belied those odds under Tom Queally, racing prominently, hitting the front 100 yards from home and holding on gamely to score by a head from Point Lynas. Finally, he had the Heritage Handicap win he deserved and best of all, we were on!
On his final run of 2023, Ropey pitched up in the Balmoral Handicap at Ascot on Champions Day. Yet again, he was a written off 40/1 shot but yet again, he proved the doubters wrong with a superb effort to finish second behind The Gatekeeper. It was another brave and gutsy effort from George Margarson’s charge and he was given a well-deserved holiday after that super run.
Ropey Guest Best 6yo Results
| Race | Result | Prize Money |
| Goodwood Handicap (C3) | 1st | £10,468 |
| Newmarket Bunbury Cup (C2) | 2nd | £29,004 |
| York Clipper Handicap (C2) | 1st | £77,310 |
| Ascot Balmoral Handicap (C2) | 2nd | £48,340 |
Swansong At Seven
In 2024, Ropey’s best effort came on his first run back in the Victoria Cup. He was beaten just 2L into fifth off 101 and it looked like he still had the stomach for the fight. However, he didn’t run like his old self in three subsequent races at Ascot and Newmarket and John Guest and George Margarson had to make a difficult decision.
Retirement Announced
On August 19th, 2024, the news broke. Ropey Guest was being retired. The 7yo may have only won four races during his career but he was standing dish in all the biggest 7f and 8f Heritage Handicaps and his string of near misses in the Bunbury Cup, Buckingham Palace and Balmoral endeared him to the racing public.
He ended up earning over £300,000 in prize money throughout his 46 race career. That is a fair return for a horse that won just four times and given how sterling a servant he was, it was little wonder that his owner decided to do the right thing and retire him when he was still in one piece.
Ropey has now been sent to live out his days with Natalie Guest, alongside another John Guest Racing stalwart, Excellent Guest. If ever a horse deserved a long, happy and healthy retirement it is Chubby, hopefully he gets spoilt rotten with lots of carrots and apples and other treats so he can finally live up to his nickname!
Ropey Guest FAQs
Who owns Ropey Guest?
Ropey Guest is owned by John Guest. He was bought from the breeze-ups for £55,000 in April 2019 as a 2yo and went on to finish a fine sixth in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot just a couple of months later.
Who was Ropey Guest’s trainer?
Ropey Guest was a one stable horse. He went into training with George Margarson in 2019 and he stayed with him until his retirement in 2024.
What was Ropey Guest’s biggest win?
Ropey Guest’s biggest win was undoubtedly his 40/1 victory in the 2023 Clipper Handicap at York. However, he is also well known for his string of stellar placed efforts in the Bunbury Cup and the Balmoral Handicap.
What is Ropey Guest’s nickname?
When Ropey Guest arrived at George Margarson’s yard in Newmarket Rosie and Katie Margarson, George’s daughters, soon noticed his favourite habits were sleeping and, more importantly, eating. They christened him ‘Chubby’ and that nickname stuck with him throughout his career.