On the road with Automotive

No winners on the board this week but with four of our five runners finishing in the prize money, the horses are still showing themselves to be in great form.
The biggest surprise came from Honeymoon Express at Yarmouth on Friday. She had strengthened up a lot over the winter and ran with promise on her comeback but no-one could have guessed she would have ran so well next time as she made the odds-on favourite sweat and finished second. This was her third career run so she will qualify for handicaps now but on the back of this effort she might be rated pretty high.

Another surprise a few weeks ago was how easily Automotive won at Newbury. We were going to keep him to amateur races as he obviously likes them but with none in the upcoming fixture list, we have to run him in a normal race.  However, since his win he has been a different horse - he seems a lot more confident and definitely knows he has got his head in front. He needs to be in top form though as we're going all the way to Ffos Las in Wales but conditions look ideal and I hope our journey can be rewarded.


Automotive (Shelley) & Entrance (Cat)

One filly who has really come to herself recently is Bethan. She is four years old but, due to a series of different issues, has yet to run. Things seem to be falling into place now and she is taking her work very well so a racecourse debut shouldn't be too far away.
Exopuntia has had a delayed return too and her need for soft ground means she hasn't been out yet this season. She is in good order and will be running as soon as some proper rain comes.


Bethan (Annelie) & Exopuntia (Adam)

Although Bonnie Tyler couldn't win Eurovision with her song Believe In Me, I hope our horse with the same name could be hitting the headlines soon. She has come on from her seasonal reappearance and just in the last few days has started to get a real shine to her coat.

Exopuntia (Alfie) & Believe In Me (Annelie)

We usually do well at Epsom although we haven't had any runners at the track yet this year. Their popular Thursday music nights start this week and we're going with two who I hope could have a squeak.
No Such Number is a horse I've always liked but things haven't gone his way on his two starts this term. He is in similar form now to when he won last season so I hope that, and the return of Richard Hughes in the saddle (hopefully), can bring him back to his best.
The Ducking Stool also runs on Thursday but at Yarmouth. I have been saving her for this race for a long time now and she has come into top form at the right time. It is an apprentice race and we have a great jockey in Shelley Birkett who has won on Ducky at Yarmouth before too.

No Such Number (Ross) & The Ducking Stool (Shelley)

Stable star Spirit of Sharjah will also be on the box to Epsom. He won at the course years ago and it seems like the same amount of time since he got his head in front, even though he won earlier in the year.
As you can see from the picture below, he still has plenty of ability and if everything goes right, he could surprise.

Spirit of Sharjah (Reno)

Our two foals are growing up fast and get more independent everyday. Our jack russell puppy Mary is obsessed with them and genuinely thinks she is a horse. She sits in the field with them all day and even has a play. She must be barking mad!

Mary and our filly foal

Royal enjoyment



The flat racing season revolves around Royal Ascot and, although it was a shame we had nothing suitable to run at the meeting, it was a highly enjoyable five days.

I'm not the kind of person to go to the races just for a day out and, with runners elsewhere, I didn't have the time either. However, the action looked great on the TV and my undoubted highlight was seeing the Queen's delight at winning the Gold Cup with Estimate. My Royal Family claim to fame was when I rode against Princess Anne in an amateur race during the 1980s. I was killing some time having a snooze in the changing room when in walks Her Highness with her lady in waiting! I was a bit stunned but she just acted like any other girl in the changing room and was very down to Earth.

 

We're still looking for that elusive first winner at the Royal meeting despite going close with a third and a fifth from just a handful of runners. We did have some connection to one of the big winners of the week through Diamond Jubilee winner Lethal Force.

One of the most expensive yearlings I have ever been asked to train was a small stocky filly by Kyllachy who had been bought by local land owner Simon Gibson for £60,000. The high price was due to her speed-laden pedigree but that was about the only fast thing about her as she was very slow and showed little on the racetrack in just a few runs. She had a nice temperament but just wasn't any good as a racehorse.

However, the ability was certainly in her genes even if it wasn't in her muscles as she has since become a successful broodmare and can now boast about producing a Group 1 winner after Lethal Force romped home on Saturday. It just goes to show that racing is an unpredictable game and paying a lot doesn't always guarantee a winner!

Royal connection: Lethal Force

 

After going through a purple patch in recent months, it was a shame to go a week without a winner but things just didn't happen for us.

Chilli Green ran another lacklustre race and is likely to be retired to stud now. She was a talented filly in her day but more recently had been showing signs that racing isn't what she wanted to do for a living.

The weatherman also might need to consider what he does on a daily basis too after getting the forecast so wrong over the last few days. All week he had been promising heavy rain on Thursday and Friday so I entered up all the soft ground horses for the end of the week in the expectation of soft ground. The rain never came so the horses couldn't show their best.

 

There's no point in dwelling on the past though as we have a few chances this week.

Khajaaly drives me mad as he is so well handicapped on the turf compared to the all-weather but he still can't win on the green stuff. He does have his own ideas about the game but we seem to be able to keep him sweet and I hope the likely fast pace of an amateur race at Salisbury on Wednesday will help him come with a strong late challenge.

The following day sees She's A Honey make her debut at Yarmouth. She has taken a while to settle into life as a racehorse but exercising her in a hood has helped calm her. She will likely need the run but I hope she can develop into a winning stayer later in the season.

Also there is Tiger's Home. She hasn't fired since finishing second back in February but the straight seven furlongs should be to her liking so you never know.

 

At the same track on Friday, I'm looking forward to running Honeymoon Express. She was a very weak two-year old last season but thrived over the winter and has come back much stronger. Her comeback fourth was a great run as she got very tired and I hope with that run under her belt, she can finish in the frame.

 

Finally, it was nice to get some critical acclaim for this blog and our website in the Racing Post on Sunday. In their website review section, our sites came under inspection but passed with flying colours with praise such as: "One of the great 'smaller trainer' sites that's a real pleasure and frames an endearing view of the operation".

However, I think the biggest compliment came from the line that we have "one of the best photographs of a dog forking hay I've seen"!

Winners buy the dinner!

As a trainer, hot streaks are what make the hardships of the job worthwhile and we are lucky enough at the minute to be experiencing one. Things had been going well with 4 wins in the last five weeks but over the past seven days we had a great time of it as two horses passed the post in front in the space of 24 hours.
Our troubles and frustrations with Automotive have been well documented on this blog over the years but, since the threat of being sold at the sales was made to him, he has changed his mind about racing and is finally starting to show on the track the ability he has been burning the gallops at home with.
He definitely knows he has finally won a race and seems very confident around the yard since. Hopefully this is the start of some good times for him.

Automotive & Ross win at Newbury

A day before this, Silver Alliance headed to the seaside at Yarmouth and won his third race of the year. I would have thought you mad if you had told me at the start of the year that he'd rack up a hat-trick as he finds winning hard but this season has seen him flourish. The was he won on Wednesday suggests he might not be finished with yet.

Silver Alliance & Shelley win at Yarmouth

There's no resting on the laurels though as we need to keep the good run going so there were plenty on the gallops on Saturday morning.
We're due a bit of rain soon so I've put Handheld in at Newmarket on Friday. He is fine since winning last time and the race looks ideal as it is for apprentices only and we seem to have a good rider in Shelley who is booting home plenty of winners at the moment. However, rain is essential.

Handheld (Orchid)

It often pays to keep an eye on the entries tracking when looking for races as you can often spot some races which are under-subscribed and will likely provide a small field.
Such a tactic was used for Exopuntia and Entrance at Lingfield on Thursday. There were only 9 entries with 5 minutes until the deadline came so I stuck them in and I'm glad I did as it will probably be an uncompetitive race. Entrance will be the one more likely to run having won at the track last time. The only concern is the drop back to one mile but she travelled really well last time so should get away with it.

Exopuntia (Julia)

Both Sancho Panza and Omega Omega need soft ground so they haven't been seen recently but, if the heavens do open in time, Sancho could run at Newmarket on Saturday. He went up a few pounds in the handicap for his win last time but I still think he's capable of winning from his new mark whilst a galloping track like Newmarket will play to his strengths.
Omega will likely be seen the following week and continues to please at home.

Sancho Panza (Ross) & Omega Omega (Jim)

Sheila's Heart has taken a while to mature into his frame but thankfully his owner has been very patient and given him that time so hopefully he can pay us back with a good show when making his debut at Newmarket on Friday night. It's likely to be a very competitive maiden and our debutants usually need the experience but if he is running on at the finish, we will be happy.

Tiger's Home (Alfie), Sheila' Heart (Annalie) & Bethan (Reno)

Terrible Photo of the Week goes to my husband John who snapped all the gallopers on Saturday morning and then proceeded to cross the gallop to head home. However, he had forgotten there was still one more to come and, after dashing out of the way and narrowly avoiding an Emily Davison-style mullering, he just managed to catch a shot of Chilli Green as she opened the pipes before Kempton on Wednesday. Hopefully Chilli can run as fast as John did when he saw a horse flying towards him!

Chilli Green (Billy)

We're always welcoming to young talent and for the next fortnight we will have two overseas visitors riding out each morning. Orchid and Jim are part of a group of Chinese work riders who have come over to Newmarket as part of a Darley-sponsored scheme. They are both very cheerful characters and, despite a lack of English, have settled in well. Jim has ridden winners on the track in his homeland and is a good little rider.

Orchid

Jim

A vital cog in the Julia Feilden Racing machine is our Fallabella mare Bonnie who accompanies some of the more nervous types to the races and is generally a big tourist attraction. I want to get her in foal so have rented the services of reliable stallion Patch who has been living with Bonnie for the past month. It's impossible to tell if she is in foal as she is too small to scan but with a bit of luck we will be greeting a new member to the stud in 11 months time.

The door finally opens again for Entrance!

They say good things come to those who wait and the proverb was proved correct on Friday evening after Entrance finally got her head in front again, the first time she has won since her 40/1 success back in 2011.

I had been riding her in most of her work and was happy with her well-being but it's hard to be too confident about a horse who seems to find winning hard. Hopefully this win will do her confidence some good and we won't have to wait two years for the next victory!


Entrance and Shelley win at Lingfield


With the horses seemingly in good nick at the minute, it's onwards and upwards with a winner in the next seven days being the objective.
No Such Number gets the ball rolling at Brighton on Monday and the conditions seem to have turned in his favour. He has to have very firm ground and the recent dry spell will have come just in time for him. The only worry is that it will be his first taste of Brighton's unique undulations but most of my horses seem to handle them and he is a well-balanced horse so I can't see it posing too big a threat. There aren't many runners in the race and if he gets a good ride, I could see him winning.


No Such Number (Ross) & Handheld (Alfie)

As the ground on the grass gallops was a bit firm, we had to use the all-weather on Saturday morning to give some of this week's runners a good blow-out.

Our pair of grey boys, Silver Alliance and Vastly, both go to Yarmouth on Wednesday with great chances.

Vastly bounced back to form last time on the all-weather but I'm keen to exploit his lower turf handicap rating and the race he is in looks so bad, he shouldn't need to be at his best to win it.

He matched strides with Silver who has been revitalised recently by the application of cheek pieces. He has won at the track and seems in rude health so we are hopeful of a good show.

Vastly (Julia) & Silver Alliance (Shelley)

Automotive saved himself from heading to the sales last time by finishing second but he'll have to prove it was no fluke at Newbury on Thursday. He is unexposed on the turf and seems to enjoy running in amateur races where they go a good pace for him to settle into. He works at home like a horse rated in the 80s - let's hope he can start running like one.

Last time out winner Sancho Panza accompanied him and he has come out of his success absolutely fine with no sign of leg issues which kept him off the track for so long. He needs some cut in the ground so won't be out again until the heavens open.

Automotive (Ross) & Sancho Panza (Reno) 



We still haven't seen the best from Chilli Green yet and I'm confident that she can win a good race somewhere down the line. She is quite tricky at home, being a head-strong sprinter, but her rider Billy gets on well with her and she seems to settle well for him. She is falling down the ratings at present and I hope she can start climbing back up them again soon.

Chilli Green (Billy)



Despite it being June already, we still have some horses yet to hit the racetrack and a couple of them were put through their paces at the weekend.

We have a chestnut filly in the yard by Firebreak who was called Honey Boo Boo (after an American TV programme) but she can't be called that now because it infringes copyright laws, so the owner has got to put his thinking cap on again. Anyway, she is coming along very nicely and did a really good piece of work under jockey Jimmy Quinn. She will probably need a trip as she is an out and out galloper but the way she sticks her neck out and tries really impresses me.

She was partnered by Exopuntia and Sheila's Heart. Exo had a long winter break but is well into the old routine now and will be out again when we have some rain as she does like juice in the ground.

Sheila's Heart is improving every week and I can see him hitting the racetrack within the next month.

Firebreak filly (Jimmy), Exopuntia (Alfie) & Sheila's Heart (Annalie)

After last week's Mushroom of the Week Award, I can this time bring you the Fashion Disaster of the Week Award. Our Swedish jockey Annalie gets plenty of stick from the other lads in the yard over her 'European' fashion sense but her crowning glory had to be the floral trousers she wore on Saturday....they certainly did stand out.

The eccentric style seems to be catching on though as another member of staff (who shall remain anonymous for the time being) has been seen sporting some very red breeches during morning lots. I feel another award is on the way!

Feeling Floral

 

If you still haven't seen them, I definitely advise you to come and have a look at our foals who arrived back to us last weekend. As you would expect, they are proving very popular on the tours which my husband John does and the pair of them are starting to show their true characters. Bavarica's colt is becoming a right cheeky bugger and likes to strut his stuff in front of a big crowd. Hopefully he will enjoy showing his ability when eventually hitting the track!

Playboy - Bavarica's foal



Fillies, fields and foals

We had been getting used to having a winner a week during the past month so it was a shame we couldn't get another on the board after some near misses over the last seven days.
We were hoping the return to the all-weather would spark some life back into Vastly after a few disappointing runs and the trick worked as he narrowly went down on Thursday. The one mile distance at that track was probably a bit on the sharp side for him but now we know he really is an all-weather horse, we can keep him to that surface and hopefully win very soon.
At the same track a few days later, Automotive had a lot to prove after a series of let-downs and if he didn't perform this time, we were going to sell him. However, someone must have told him as he put up a career best and was beaten by just a head. Hopefully, we have found out the right way to ride him now so let's just pray he doesn't let us down anymore!

Anyway, there's no point on dwelling what has happened as we have plenty to keep us busy this week.
Believe In Me showed glimmers of promise as a two-year old last season but with a winter holiday under her belt, she has strengthened up a lot and is now ready for a run. She heads to Brighton on Thursday and although she may be a bit ring-rusty still, I hope she can go well.
On Saturday morning, she galloped alongside an un-named filly by Firebreak. Obviously, her owner will need to giver her a name before she races but she isn't too far off making her debut.

Firebreak filly (Jimmy Quinn) & Believe In Me (Annelie)

I ride out Entrance everyday and I couldn't be happier with her ahead of her seasonal reappearance at Lingfield on Friday. She's probably a bit better on the turf but opportunities are limited at the minute. She didn't do much last year but that was probably my fault as I thought turning her out in the field everyday after exercise would do her good but it had the opposite effect as she thought she was on a permanent holiday and didn't try too hard at the races. Things seem different now though and I hope we can see some improvement.
Tiger's Home didn't back up her really good run at the beginning of the year last time but she seems in good form and has been given a bit of a break to freshen up. She'll be tackling Brighton's unique undulations for the first time on Thursday but if she can handle the track, I hope she can put in a good show.

Entrance & Tiger's Home (Alfie)

Whilst the recent wet spell has been good for some, it has been a nightmare for No Such Number as he hates soft ground. However, we have to keep him in top form just in case we do get a dry spell soon so he accompanied the un-raced Sheila's Heart in a good gallop.
Sheila has thrived since being gelded and is getting closer and closer to making his debut every day. I reckon he'll be ready in a couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to seeing what he's got.

No Such Number (Billy) & Sheila's Heart (Ross)

Primrose Posy is another who has come on leaps and bounds recently so she'll be more than ready for her first run at Newmarket on Saturday. Although she isn't good enough to win first time out, she definitely has the ability to be winning this season.
Along with her went Al Sahraa who is a big, green filly and still needs some education.

Primrose Posy (Shelley) & Al Sahraa (Scott)

Sunday is a big chill-out day for the horses (and us!) as none of them get ridden out. As part of the down-time, we like to turn the horses out in the various fields we have on our 40-acre stud. You have to separate the boys from the girls though as they start to get a bit protective even though they are all gelded!


The Boys with Silver Alliance foreground

The Mushroom of the Week Award goes to yard apprentice Shelley Birkett who managed to lose her hat silk up the canter and had to ride the rest of the way home with what is known in the game as the 'Cannonball' look.

Mushroom of the Week

Some great news this week was that our two mares (Bavarica and Bushy Dell) returned from their maternity ward with their two foals. The babies are now three months old and their rate of growth is phenomenal. There's no better sight than mares with their foals in the field and I encourage you all to pop in and have a look at them.