By Jordan Gerrans
Leonard Mawn likens his old stable war horse Hanover Square to a veteran footballer playing in the local competition.
At 10 years of age, the galloper is getting on.
But, he just appreciates fronting up and going to training, playing on the weekend and being around his mates.
Retirement is edging closer with every start but he is still loving being a part of it all.
He is just like a bloke in his mid-30s that is still running around in the local footy comp with a dodgy hamstring.
About to tick over to 11 years of age later in 2024, Hanover Square has put in two of his better runs over the last 12 months in his last two starts.
The 2019 Battle Of The Bush champion is still relishing every aspect of being a race horse.
“He thinks he is a two-year-old – he just loves being a race horse,” Mawn said at track work recently.
“If you put him in the paddock he gets poor and doesn’t enjoy being in the paddock. He just loves being in the stable and being a race horse.
“He is like an old footballer really – they just love playing.”
Hanover Square has not won a race since May of last year when he got the cash at Morven against open class gallopers.
He has 10 victories and 27 minor placings on his resume from a career 89 starts that span back to early 2016 when he had his maiden trial as a race horse at Randwick under the banner of the famous Snowden clan.