"Bruce thought the beach would do him good and gave him to us to train,'' Holmes and his wife Carla recalled yesterday.

"When he wasn't going to make a natural two year old, Greg Brodie quit the ownership and he was bought by a number of clients and relations of Robbie's, Carla recalled.

Hamish Scott and Kym Lawson, a syndicate named after Robbie's late father Colin and Kevin Holmes, together with Robbie's mother, his sister and her partner, Kevin's widow Barbara, George Warner, Brad and Selena Holmes and Winton hoteliers Karen and Russell Drake now form the entire ownership.

The horse was actually bought at Hamish and Kym's joint 40th birthday celebrations at Addington Raceway.

Celebrations that night turned sour when the horse won but was put out.

Scot's Courage developed colic that was life threatening and involved a $6000 operation.

The horse did not appear again until six weeks ago when he won first up a year later Holmes recalled.

"I've always quite liked him...The beach is the place for those wayward horses because they come out of it with time which is the best cure,'' Holmes said.

"He has raced above average and I would like to pick up a penalty free win with him. I expect he will reappear at Addington next week. He has come through yesterday's race well and doesn't knock himself about much.''

Holmes and his wife returned from a Queensland holiday a few hours before Scot's Courage's win yesterday.

Don WRIGHT