A RACEHORSE which was set to be slaughtered after finishing in last place at its first meeting has been given a new lease of life.

Horse lover Caroline Noble, from Melbourne, near York, saved Scartho Top (known as Beth) from the knacker's yard in 1999 and has trained her to become a top endurance racer against all the odds.

Beth, who comes from the bloodline of a former Derby winner, was written off as untrainable by her former owner and was barely approachable in the stables.

"She was terrified when I got her," said Caroline. "The turning point came when she was stung in the eye and had to be in a darkened stable for four weeks. The constant handling helped her to calm down."

Beth now competes in endurance competition rides of up to 44 kilometres and can be groomed by Caroline's four-year-old daughter, Kendall.

The mare has also been named endurance horse of the year in a competition run by South Essex Insurance Brokers.

"She has got a lot of heart," Caroline said. "We've definitely got her for life."

Updated: 12:41 Wednesday, January 22, 2003