That was the year that was...

As the year comes to a close, it seems a good time to look back on the last 12 months here at Harraton Stud.
We were never expecting to match last season's great tally of 19 winners as we had retained most of the horses who contributed to those wins and, as a result, they were very high in the handicap for the 2014 campaign. However, it was a thrill to score more success with some of those same horses, despite their high weights. Silver Alliance took another step up the ladder and notched two more wins to add to his three the year before whilst The Ducking Stool bagged her sixth Yarmouth win as well as scoring a hatful of placings right across the country. Automotive was another who kept us in the winners with a pair of victories which contributed to our 12 winners for the year to date. The only frustrating thing was the 50 2nds and 3rds we racked up...if only a few more of them had gone one better we would have had a record-breaking season!
Unlike last year, the exciting thing about heading into 2015 is the number of new faces we have looking over the stable doors ready to show us what they have got. I can't remember the last time I had six yearlings to train and that is very promising as they are, after all, the future of the yard. We still have a whole load of the stable favourites and it will be great to go to battle with them once again as well as a team of unexposed youngsters.
Most of all though, none of this would be possible without the help of my fantastic owners who make training horses a pleasure. There is very much an emphasis on having fun in our yard and I hope you have all had fun over the past 12 months. Here's to the same and more in 2015!

There is still time yet to add to our winners tally as we have a couple more runners before the year is out. Candesta has been pretty frustrating after a promising start to his career and we get the feeling he is taking things a bit too easy. To help wake him up a bit, he will be wearing blinkers which he galloped in very well at home last week and we also popped him over a few hurdles on Saturday to give him something else to think about. He seemed to really enjoy it and we will see if the trick worked at Lingfield on Tuesday.

Candesta (Shelley) gets a taste for jumping

 

Also there on the same day is Sabre Rock. He made a great start for us last time by winning over the same course and distance and he seems to be in as good form now as he was then. The handicapper wasn't harsh on him so you'd hope he could continue his good start.

I won't be out celebrating New Year too hard as on the first day of 2015 I'm heading to Southwell with Tolly McGuiness. He ran a good race last time but struggles to stay even the minimum trip of five furlongs. Southwell is a real galloping track so the hope is that he can blast off and stay clear.

Shares in our syndicate horses have been in hot demand all year with Dakota City selling out in less than a week in October. However, there is another opportunity to join our team with a filly I purchased this month.
Moment To Dream is an unraced two-year old by Halling who was personally recommended to me by leading trainer William Haggas. He trained the filly for Darley who were selling her as part of their annual dispersal sale and he was very reluctant to let her go but had no choice. He wanted her to go to someone who could make use of her potential and I was lucky enough to be given the call.
She has pleased us in all her steady work and she will be ready to run on the all-weather this winter and beyond. She really does have untapped potential so it's exciting to think what she could develop into. A 10% share will cost £800 plus £200 per month all inclusive training fees.

Syndicate horse MOMENT TO DREAM

 

The saying goes that all publicity is good publicity and luckily I don't get much of the bad type. This week we were paid a visit by Emma Berry from Thoroughbred Daily News who wanted to do a piece on the family and our success this year. If you would like a read, the article can be found here: http://pdfs.thoroughbreddailynews.com/generic_upload/pdf/Tales%20From%20the%20Heath%201222.pdf




THREE TO FOLLOW COMPETITION - THE FINAL STANDINGS

I'm sure you'll agree that it has been an exciting year following the horses' results and this fun competition has given you all some extra interest in our runners. The amount of entries we received was far more than we expected and, as a result, we shall definitely be running the competition next year, probably starting in March but more details will be given closer to the time.
Before I announce the winner, I would like to make my excuses now for why I scored no points! I am an optimist and obviously my choices were a bit too ambitious but it just goes to prove that I do believe every horse can win a race!
Congratulations to Harry Hurst and Sophie Feilden who ended up as joint winners and will split the £100 first prize between them...just remind me to give it to you!
Here are all the entries and their finishing points:

31 - Harry Hurst, Sophie Feilden
30 - Mark Henry
29 - Sophie Collington, Ray Treacy
27 - Steve Freemantle, Ross Birkett, Zoe Fuller
26 - Malcolm Roper
25 - Linda Wright
24 - Stephen Broadley, Rob Wright, Angus Forshaw
23 - Chris Shirran, Anthea, Geoff Walton
22 - John Wardle, Dominic Lisle, Trevor James, Jean Allen, Ray Baker, Tony Birkett, Ged Turley
21 - Len Cousens, Graham Carson, Bill Aspland
20 - Jim Stevens, Rachael Shucksmith, Julie Feilden
19 - Colin Kennedy, Gordon Hill
18 - Danny Kerr
16 - Harry Crothers, Trevor Fuller, Reno Hawes, Sheila Collington, Rita Aspland
15 - Paula Smith, Emily Holloway, Jackie Olkowicz
14 - Mike Pop
13 - Carlo Malfatti, Jason Coote, Kevin Case, Manus Sammon, Andy Elliott
12 - Sam Feilden, Nick Feilden, Carol Bushnell, Martin Dawn, Jane Shirran
11 - John Mulgrew
9 - Wayne Moore, Glenn Johnson
8 - Poppy Feilden
7 - Barbara Walton
5 - Richard Fuller, Shelley Birkett, John Birkett, Ryan Moore
4 - Tony Monk, Geoff Roberts, Jeff O'Callaghan
3 - Christine Baker
2 - Jon Kinge, Li Moore, Chris Donaghy, Dave Betteridge
1 - Eleanor Monk
0 - Julia Feilden, Phil Green, John Ford

 

Merry Christmas to all

There has been plenty of talk in the press about the old Great Leighs racecourse reopening after closing a few years ago and it seems as if it is a definite thing now after I sent a couple to gallop at the course on Friday.
Now called Chelmsford City, the track quickly became a favourite of ours, despite only being open a few years. It isn't too far to go, the course was very fair and the facilities excellent. The new owners have done a great job to get the all-weather surface in shape and the new facilities look perfectly up to the job. Our two who galloped there loved the surface and jockey Hayley Turner described it as the best all-weather track in the country. The opening fixture is on January 11th and we are likely to have a few runners there in the coming months.

The Feilden pair (right) stretch their legs at Chelmsford City

There isn't too much racing over the next week with a blank in the fixture list until Christmas and then mostly jumps racing afterwards. However, we have one set to run in Previous Acclaim on Monday. She hasn't run in a while through no fault of her own and ran a good race when last seen. She's in good form so another placing wouldn't be out of the question.

The runners last week fared well with Automotive running a cracker to finish second behind an odds-on favourite at Wolverhampton. He can be frustrating at times but has earnt his keep all year and should win again soon. Tight Lipped ran a lot better than we expected on his debut for us but it is arguable that he threw the race away by hanging wide on the final bend. There seemed to be nothing majorly wrong for him to explain the hanging but the following day we got the physio in and she found that he had a few pulled muscles in his chest and hamstrings which could have been the reason. Still, he ran well and there should be a win in him this winter.
Honeymoon Express was the other runner last week and she was again disappointing. After a good second on her return in the spring, she has gone backwards since and hasn't fired on the all-weather either. We will just have to cut our losses now and she is already on a holiday to freshen her up for the turf season in the spring.

It was great to see so many owners at the yard on Saturday and I hope you all enjoyed yourselves. We will be working as per usual on Christmas Eve so if you're free and have been meaning to visit, why not make it then. Christmas Day and Boxing Day are treated as a Sunday at ours so all the horses either have an easy day or get turned out in the fields. None of them are ridden as it would be a bit unfair on the staff! It's a bit different in jumping yards as Boxing Day is a big one for them but we can afford to take it a little easier.

Finally, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and I hope the day goes smoothly for you. Plus I hope Father Christmas brings you everything you asked for...I've asked him for plenty of winners!

Meddling gets gold!

Meddling got us back into the winner's enclosure this week with another great effort to record her second success of the year. After some early disappointment, we have finally found the secret to getting the best out of her and it seems to be working. She gets very agitated when at the races so we try to get there as late as possible (roughly an hour before her race) to make sure she saves her energy.
As well as this, she got a great ride from young Hector Crouch and, as it was a race confined to novice apprentices, having a capable pilot was very important.
Meddling lost a bit of weight after this win so she will be given a few weeks before running again. It was also fantastic to get another win for her enthusiastic bunch of owners who seem to be lucky as well!

This week sees a trio of runners heading to the track, starting tomorrow at Wolverhampton. Everyone knows Automotive is a hard character to predict so it's anyone's guess how he will run but he does tend to save his best for amateur races like this and he has won on the all-weather this year but, more importantly, he has to have a strong pace to run at.
Also heading up the M6 on Monday is Tight Lipped. We bought him in October and have given him plenty of time to get to full fitness. His work hasn't set the world alight but his course form is pretty decent so it may just be a case of him saving his best for the track. He is fit and well but it will be a bit of a learning curve for all of us.
Then completing the entries is Honeymoon Express back at Wolves on Wednesday. After a great 2013, she has struggled this season but may just be finding her level again and there will be a time when she starts to be back in the money. Her homework is as good as ever and a return to a fillies only race might just help her some more.

Our four yearling fillies are now doing a good canter every morning and they are progressing really well.
To help educate them, I like to have an older horse to lead them on the Heath and the responsibility this year has fallen to Attain. He had the summer off and is just getting back to full fitness himself so this job kills two birds with one stone for him.

Attain (Ross)

 

First of the yearlings is Serendib's Glory. We bought her privately from Ireland and is from a family we know well, having trained her brother and two of her sisters. It is a family that always wins and she is showing good signs even at this early stage.

Serendib's Glory (Shelley)

 

Also progressing well are Little Orchid and Go On Gal. Orchid is getting quite tall and will be a big filly eventually but has a great attitude and goes out of the yard bucking and squealing every morning. Go On Gal, on the other hand, is more of an early type and should be ready to run in some of the first two-year old races next April.

Go On Gal (Niall) & Little Orchid (Ryan)

 

Another big filly is It's A Sheila Thing. Having said that, she is quite strongly built as well so may not be as backward as her size suggests. She loves her work and has settled into the racehorse routine really well.

It's A Sheila Thing (Mark)

 

Completing the string is an older horse who came to us last month. She is only two years old but is absolutely massive, probably the biggest juvenile filly I've ever had. She is very well bred, being a half-sister to two St Leger runners and it's exciting to have a horse of her breeding in the yard. As she is so big though, we will give her plenty of time to learn her job and it will be interesting to see what kind of engine she has when it is time to go a bit faster.

Rip Van Winkle filly (Ricky)

 

As well as these lot, we also have our homebred colt out of Bavarica who has just started to be ridden.
Showing him how it's done is good old Silver Alliance who has just returned from a holiday after a great year with another two wins on the board.

Silver Alliance (Shelley)

 

Called Big Bang, the colt is very sensible although he seems a bit scared of traffic at the moment but this is something he is getting used to and won't blink at in the near future. He has only just started going out so is a bit behind the fillies but it won't be long until he is chasing their tails.

Big Bang (Ross)

Winter warmers

December has arrived and winter looks to have come with it as it was a frosty morning on Saturday with temperatures down to -3C. Although the grass is frozen, it doesn't effect the horses' work thanks to the fantastic all-weather gallops on offer on Newmarket Heath.

 

We had a large contingent stretching their legs at the weekend, led by Tolly McGuiness. I've always believed there is a race in him and, to be honest, he has never had a change to show his true form. He is an out and out sprinter, so even 6f is too far for him. There is a good race for him over the flying five furlongs at Southwell soon and, if he handles the track's deep surface, he should be seen in a better light.

Tolly McGuiness (Ryan)

 

Automotive is a hard one to predict when he runs as a lot depends on what side of the bed he gets out of and, although he ran a stinker last time after winning the time before, I think he is back in good form and will head to Wolverhampton next week. He has never run at the track since the surface was replaced but horses seem to be able to win from behind so it may just suit him.

Automotive (Tina)

 

One who is yet to run for us is Tight Lipped. We bought him in October and we have just taken our time with him to get him back to full fitness. He is a bit of a wise old owl and knows all the tricks of the game but he has shown some good ability on the gallops and it will be interesting to see what he does at Wolverhampton the week after next.

Tight  Lipped (Ross)

 

At the same sale in October we bought Sabre Rock and he gave us a quick return on our investment the following week when winning. It came as a surprise to us that day as he hadn't done much work but he is clearly a horse who is still improving and I've been saving him for a race at Lingfield at the end of the month.
Avidly missed an engagement last week and she has got me scratching my head a bit as she has seemed to gone out of form and her homework hasn't been as good as usual. It might just be she is having a bad week so I'll give her a bit of time to get back to her usual self.

Avidly (George) & Sabre Rock (Mark)

 

I gave Bushy Glade a bit of time off in the summer as she went pretty weak and couldn't keep weight on but she has come back in great form and I can't wait to see what she can do on Friday at Wolverhampton. She is galloping well at home and is running off a basement handicap mark so hopefully all is in place for a good run.

Bushy Glade (Shelley)

 

Before that though we have Candesta at Kempton on Monday. He too is in really good form now and his last run was a step in the right direction. It doesn't look a great race so I hope he can be in the money.
Another with a good chance is Meddling at Lingfield on Wednesday. She is usually the ride of Shelley Birkett but the race is for novice apprentices only so we have booked the services of Hector Crouch. He has ridden a good few winners recently and come highly recommended from his boss Gary Moore. If he can get her out in front like she enjoys, she should be hard to catch.

Big Bang learning the ropes

Although we have four yearlings already ridden and cantering on the Heath, there are still two who are learning the ropes. Big Bang was bred by myself out of our legendary mare Bavarica and he has started his racehorse journey. Here he is being lunged to get his mouth used to having a bit in it and also to develop his steering and brakes for when he is eventually ridden!

Buying the stars of 2016!

The time had come for our Sir Percy colt foal to leave home and go his separate ways from his mum Emma's Gift. He wasn't to be going far though, just the field next door but he had become old and wise enough to make his own way in life. It is always best to wean two foals together so they can keep each other company but we only had one on the stud so, luckily, the foal sales at Tattersalls took place this week. The plan was just to get a cheap companion but it looks like we've bought a good looker too as the colt by Mount Nelson is a fine, strong lad and the pair have got along great. It seems a long way away but this time next year they will be ridden for the first time and starting their journeys as racehorses.

Mount Nelson (left) colt meets Bonnie and Sir Percy colt.

The sales bandwagon in Newmarket comes to an end this week with the mares up for auction. Although the yard is full to the brim, I might just try and buy another one if I see anything decent. After all, we will hopefully have two stables free as we have a couple of fillies off to sell. Canning Vale was only placed a few times on the racecourse but is very well bred and we hope that potential breeders are willing to splash the cash and make a mother of her. The other up for sale is Don't. She hasn't done what we had hoped and now seems a good time to cut our losses.

 

On the racetrack, it looks likely to be a blank week with just Avidly entered on Wednesday. Her gallop on Saturday wasn't up to her usual standard so it remains to be seen whether she actually does run. 

Avidly (Ricky) & Bushy Glade (Mark)

 

Tight Lipped and Candesta are both in great form and will hopefully be running again in a fortnight. Candesta has really come back to himself now and I hope his first win won't be far away. Tight Lipped hasn't run for us yet but he's showing a good level of ability at home and should be competitive off his current handicap mark.

Tight Lipped (Ross) & Candesta (Tina)

 

Debrief from the team

Ducky off on her holidays

Unfortunately there was to be no repeat of the magnificent double that we had at Lingfield last week but there were still some good performances and plenty of new information gleaned with our last few runners.
The Ducking Stool and Handheld have both had successful seasons on the turf this year and we wanted to see if they could perform on the all-weather too so gave them a spin this week. The Ducking Stool seemed to go on it fine but the lay-out of the tracks doesn't really suit her as she's a big, galloping mare so we've decided to give her a winter holiday. After 13 runs this year and only finishing out of the prize money twice, she certainly deserves it and she will spend some time out in the field during the day until the new year.
Shelley Birkett knows Handheld well and said he wasn't the same horse on Wolverhampton's tapeta surface as he is on grass so he too is off on a break and will wait until the new campaign.

Despite these two heading off on holiday, we still have plenty of others in the yard to keep us busy and some of them were put through their paces up the Cambridge Road polytrack gallop on Saturday morning.
Meddling ran a great race to finish third on her comeback last time and seems in even better form now. She is maturing mentally and physically which seems to be resulting in her running a lot faster!

Meddling (Shelley) leads Previous Acclaim (Ryan)

 

Previous Acclaim and Tolly McGuinness are entered in the same race on Wednesday but it is unlikely both will run. The distance is six furlongs which should suit Previous Acclaim and I hope I can finally get a win out of her.
Also at Lingfield that day is Automotive. He won over the course and distance just over a week ago and the handicapper only put him up 2lbs in the weights which I think was modest. The key to him winning is a fast pace so if he gets that, he should run well again.

Candesta was another who ran well on his comeback and, after a few little setbacks, he is ready to hit the track again. He too has matured into his frame a bit and goes like a nice horse.
We bought Tight Lipped last month and he was ready for his first gallop. He is a wise old sod and only does what he has to but he seems to still retain plenty of ability.

Candesta (Tina) in front of Tight Lipped (Ross)

 

Bushy Glade (Mark) shades Avidly (Ricky)

 

Skye High was an unraced three year old filly who came to us in the summer and we have been gradually upping her work load. She is only small but is bred to be a jumper so we are hoping to start her off in a bumper soon. The main reason for this is that she seems to go a lot better on the grass than on the all-weather so it should help her out.

Skye High (Chester)

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE

Not many people included Automotive in their lists so the standings haven't changed much but with a month left of the competition to run, here is a list of those with at least 20 points:
31 points - Harry Hurst, Sophie Feilden
30 points - Mark Henry
29 points - Sophie Collington
27 points - Steve Freemantle
24 points - Ross Birkett, Angus Forshaw
23 points - Chris Shirran, Malcolm Roper
22 points - John Wardle, Anthea, Jean Allen, Tony Birkett, Ged Turley
21 points - Len Cousens, Ray Treacy
20 points - Linda Wright, Julie Feilden, R Shucksmith, Bill Aspland, Jim Stevens

Double Trouble means we're back in business!

The saying goes that winners are like buses and that proved to be no truer than yesterday

at Lingfield.

After a few weeks without a winner, Automotive finally got us back on the top spot of the podium. He loves a fast pace and luckily this was the case so things panned out just right for him. It was the first time he has won any race other than one for amateurs so it was a case of Shelley having bragging rights over Ross this time!


Automotive is winner number one

 

I'd barely got my voice back after screaming Mo home before Sabre Rock only went and won the following race! I had only bought him two weeks before but the change of scenery must have done him good as he galloped home to win by a neck. This was the horse's first ever win so it should do his confidence the world of good and I hope he can build on this great start.

Sabre Rock makes it two

I knew the horses were in good health but it has been a case for most of the year that a lot of the horses are high in the weights after a successful 2013. Some of them are now falling to where they should be though so it'd be nice to think we could have a bit of a flourish before the year is out.

Hopefully this is the case as it looks set to be another busy week.
On Tuesday, Sadiigah heads to Southwell for one last chance. She started her comeback well with a good run at Wolverhampton but hasn't gone on since then. She hated the ground at Nottingham last time but she needs to really prove to us that she is worth persevering with.

Things look to be better the following day back at Lingfield though. Don't ran a promising race on her first race since a wind operation last time and with a bit of fitness under her belt, I think she could start to win some prize money.
Also that day is The Ducking Stool. She needs no introduction and has been a model of consistency all year. The question mark is whether she can replicate her turf form on the all-weather. We don't really know so this will give us a definite answer.
The same applies to Handheld at Wolverhampton on Friday. He is very good on the green stuff but hasn't had many runs on the all-weather. He's in good form so we'll just wait and see.

Finally on Saturday, Honeymoon Express goes to Wolverhampton. She too is unproven on the all-weather but her season has been a bit stop-start due to the weather so she is still pretty fresh for a go through the winter.

Babies are back

The flat season may have officially ended at Doncaster this weekend but things never really stop here at Harraton Stud as there is always something going on.
This week saw the arrival back to the yard of our first crop of yearlings. They were at a pre-training yard to get them started on their paths of being a racehorse and ridden for the first time. I went to see the fillies before they returned and I was delighted with what I saw - they all look very sensible and, more importantly, look like they can run. Of course, they can't race until next March when the new turf season starts so in the meanwhile, we will have to get them trained up, physically and mentally, for the job.

Thumbs up: It's A Sheila Thing, Approve filly & Little Orchid

Luckily, all bar one of the fillies have owners already but there are still a few shares left in the filly by Approve. She is bred to be an early type and looks the most likely out of the lot to be a speedy and precocious youngster. As you can see from the picture below, she has a big back-end on her and this is where the 'engine' is so is a good sign that she should have plenty of speed. A 10% share is available for £2000 with £200 per month all-inclusive training fees. She isn't even named yet so you could have the chance of giving her one!

Looking sharp: The Approve filly

On the track, it was another week of near-misses as The Ducking Stool ran a gallant second at Nottingham on Wednesday. She has had an unbelievable year, only finishing out of the money once in 12 runs. It would be an honour to train a yard full of her like as she is very genuine and a pleasure to train. I was going to give her a well-earned holiday after this but she is in such good form, I though another run would be ok. She is rated a few pounds lower on the all-weather so I'll try her out on it to see if that mark is worth exploiting.

Hopefully the horses will be able to run as well this week as we have quite a few chances.
I can't believe Tolly McGuinness hasn't performed on the track yet as his homework is very good. He has had excuses but he is running out of chances now so he better show his best at Kempton on Wednesday night. He worked very well again yesterday so it's now or never!
Making the trip with him will be Candesta. He ran a great race on his comeback last time, only getting tired late on. He is a much better horse on the all-weather and if he can build on his last run, should be in the mix.

Tolly McGuinness (Shelley) & Honeymoon Express (Ryan)

 

Sabre Rock only came to the yard two weeks ago but he was race fit on arrival so should be ready for a run at Southwell on Thursday. He hasn't done anything wrong at home but we are still learning about him so it is hard to know what to expect.

Avidly looked like a winner at Kempton last week but threw her race away by not looking too enthusiastic. She has loads of ability but will need kidding along is she is to eventually win. She goes to Wolverhampton on Friday and, if in the mood, will run well.

A similar type of horse is Automotive. On his day he is very good and he has been working well at home so a good run at Lingfield on Saturday wouldn't be a surprise. He is still well handicapped so has every chance.

Candesta (Tess) & Automotive (Ross)

Bushy Glade was given a few months off after going a bit weak but is now upping her work gradually. She tries hard and ran well at Yarmouth earlier in the year to finish third. The important thing with her is to keep the weight on her so she is getting plenty of grub and looks a lot bigger and stronger as a result.

Bushy Glade (Danny)

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE

With a month to go, there is still little to choose between those at the top.
In joint first we have Sophie Feilden and Harry Hurst on 31 points. One point behind them is Mark Henry with Sophie Collington another point adrift.

Say hello to the new boys!

I woke up on Monday morning with a spring in my step last week just like it was Christmas Day...in fact it was even better as it was more like Christmas week! Like the festivities though, sales week at Tattersalls isn't without stress as preparation had begun months before with lots of research into which horses are suitable to buy and which ones to avoid. I was lucky enough to have orders to buy four different horses and managed to come away with everyone happy.

We have always done well with buying horses from the Juddmonte dispersal but it has become harder and harder to get value as others realise that they are a great place to buy from. I was getting a bit worried as the early lots went for ridiculously high amounts of money but struck lucky as the one I wanted came within budget. One of my best horses was one called Rapid City who won five races in just a few months before running in all the top handicaps. He was bought from Juddmonte and this year his brother Dakota City was in the sale. He has just had two runs in France where he showed great promise and he looks a horse with massive potential. He is a fine looking animal and is one of the biggest in the yard who could develop into absolutely anything.
He was bought for the Good Company Partnership as the replacement for No Such Number who was sold a few months ago, however, there are still two shares still available if you wish to join this friendly and enthusiastic syndicate. A 10% share costs £1500 with £200 per month all inclusive training fees. Email me at juliafeilden@aol.com for more info!

Dakota City

The second new face in the yard came from David Barron's yard in Yorkshire. Guising was promising in the early part of his career before losing his way a little and his ex-trainer said a change of scenery would perk him right up. He was bought by Carol Bushnell with the aim of her riding him in the Newmarket Town Plate next August. He'll run before then though and can hopefully win a few other races.

Carol gets a feel of her new purchase Guising!

Also in need of a change of scenery is fellow new boy Sabre Rock. He is a maiden four year old but has only had ten runs and actually finished third at Kempton the night before he was sold. His new owner has had his eye on him for a while and thinks he could be one to follow in the right races. He's a massive horse and by top sire Dubawi so I hope he's right!

Sabre Rock

The final arrival is pretty hard to miss as he is a big grey called Tight Lipped. Like Guising, his former trainer said a change of scenery should get him back to form and he is now well handicapped. He will be running in the colours of Dick Creese and can hopefully provide him with many great days ahead.

Tight Lipped (Ross)

We haven't had too many runners over the last month or so but the ones who returned to the track this week did really well and hopefully it's a sign that a winner or two is just around the corner.

Meddling came back from her summer holiday with a fine third at Lingfield. She hit the front turning for home before just getting collared late on. We have found the key to her now and she should be in for a successful winter season.

We weren't expecting much from Handheld at Newmarket on Friday as he was very high in the handicap but, despite his high weight and the firm ground, he ran a mighty race, just losing out by a head to come in second place. He is such a fun horse for the Newmarket Equine Tours racing club and may have one more run before enjoying a well-earned holiday.

Handheld (red) just loses out at Newmarket

As I said, hopefully a winner won't be far away and we have some good chances coming up.
Avidly has run her best races on the all-weather and never got a run through last time. George Baker seems to get the best out of her and, if she gets lucky with her hold-up style,  I expect her to be in the money at Kempton on Tuesday.
Don't has undergone a wind operation to help her breathing and Tuesday will be the acid test to see if it has worked. She seems to be galloping a lot better at home now but you just can't tell if, when under maximum pressure, her breathing will be good enough. She has lots of ability and is more than capable of winning a race like this.

Avidly (Tess) & Don't (Shelley)

The Ducking Stool needs no introduction and has had a fine season, rarely finishing out of the prize money. She heads to Nottingham on Wednesday for what will probably be her last run of the year. She is in fantastic form and, although the 1m2f trip is a bit on the short side, she should do herself proud once again.
Also entered that day is Sadiigah. She ran with promise on her return from injury but then disappointed last time. Soft ground on the turf should suit her so a return to form could be possible.

The Ducking Stool (Ross)

With the clocks going back last weekend, the evenings get dark pretty quickly so we've had to invest in a high-viz jacket for little Royston!

Be safe, be seen: Royston

Time to go shopping!

The autumn is a time of transition in the yard and over the next week there will be plenty of faces coming and going. We have already had a bit of a clear out with some horses which weren't up to scratch moving on to other stables whilst top-rated Luhaif was sold privately to race in Saudi Arabia. He left on Saturday morning and was set to stay the night in Dover before crossing to Brussels and boarding a plane to his new home. I wouldn't mind joining him for some sun!

This week sees the annual jumble sale at Tattersalls with the horses in training sale. There are nearly 1500 horses set to go through the ring, many of whom you would have probably backed over the course of the year. The trick is to cipher through them all and find the ones which don't have any problems and are worth buying. Thanks to some useful contacts I have in other yards, finding out about horses is a lot easier than it could be. I have orders to buy five in total so hopefully I can come home happy by Thursday evening!
One of these will be up for syndication so keep your eyes peeled for more information.

As well as scouting for new talent, we also have a couple of runners this week.
On Thursday, Meddling heads to Lingfield for her first run since a short break. She won at the track in the spring and enjoys front-running around there. She is in really good shape and put in a great gallop on Saturday. She is pretty fit for the comeback so I hope she can go well.
The other runner comes on Friday as Handheld heads down the road to Newmarket. I have a feeling he is too high in the weights at present but the only way to get him down again is to keep running him. He is very game and will be thereabouts but the handicapper stops him winning at the minute.

Handheld (Ross) & Meddling (Shelley)

 

The Ducking Stool has taken her season's racing remarkably well and still seems as enthusiastic as ever. She doesn't run as well on the all-weather so time on the turf is running out but she will have one more run at Nottingham the week after next. The track should suit her and it'd be amazing to squeeze another success out of her.

Authorized filly (Danny) & The Ducking Stool (Ryan)

The one scheduled runner for last week didn't happen as the ground went too soft for Automotive at Doncaster. It's a funny time of year with the soft ground and not too many all-weather fixtures. It won't be long though before we're busy again with plenty of runners.

Buying more dogs!

With yearlings selling for extortionate prices at Tattersalls sales this week, there wasn't much chance of me being able to afford to buy any new youngsters so I had to look at the puppy market and found a real winner! In the summer, I saw an interview on Channel 4 Racing with Yorkshire training legend Mick Easterby and he had these gorgeous dogs which I loved the look of. Further research showed that they were Patterdales and, luckily enough, one of our owners bred them.
Named Royston, he has settled in really well and hopefully it won't be too long before Mary trains him to be an ultimate rat catcher!
Despite not buying any yearlings, we already have six at home and the four fillies were sent off at the beginning of the week for pre-training where they will get their first taste of racehorse life. For the first couple weeks they will be long-reigned to get their mouths used to having a bit in and also to hopefully develop some sort of steering and brakes! After this, they will have a rider on their back for the first time and then gradually start going faster paces until they are cantering away safely. The whole process should take around six weeks and I'm already looking forward to getting them back to see what hopes we have for next season.

Royston

Last week's runners didn't strike gold but there were some good performances nonetheless and it was great for Candesta to come back to a bit of form on the all-weather. He should be winning soon.
I had a wasted trip all the way to Redcar on Friday. With an eight-hour round journey, you expect at least a run for your money but unfortunately The Ducking Stool lost a front shoe on the way to the start and couldn't run as a result. It's frustrating but these things happen and you just have to take them on the chin.

We have just the one entry this week and with all the rain about, he isn't a definite runner. Automotive hated the heavy going at Nottingham last time but is working well at home. He needs things to drop right to win but he seems to enjoy amateur races and if the ground dries out, he should have a squeak.

Automotive (Ross) & Meddling (Danny)

Meddling had to miss her return run at Brighton last time as the ground went soft but she is fit and well and I'm hoping to get her back on the all-weather when a suitable race crops up. She's a tough front-runner and seems to really enjoy Lingfield.

Don't has had some well-documented breathing problems but, after a couple of operations, I hope she is now a lot more comfortable. She has tonnes of ability, as demonstrated by her debut win, and it is now just a case of getting her to relax and enjoying running again.

Don't (Shelley)

Tolly McGuinness (Ryan)

If you've been to the yard on a weekend recently, you may have noticed a young girl called Zoe grafting away. She has been with us for well over a year now and helps out during the school holidays and weekends. Last week she packed her bags for a couple of months and started a course at The National Stud in Newmarket to learn about the breeding side of racing. Zoe is a really hard worker and I've no doubt that she will thrive on the course and can hopefully come back and teach us a few things to help with our broodmares!

Zoe on Attain

Rain is a pain

The seasons have most definitely turned and gone are the warm sunny days of an Indian summer and autumn seems to have moved in instead.
The rain forced us to cancel the plan of having three runners at Brighton last Tuesday as none of the trio would have enjoyed the really soft ground. Luckily we don't  have any runners today as they would also be in doubt with Salisbury already abandoned and Windsor inspecting.

However, the runners we have this week shouldn't be too affected by conditions.
Mercy Me is a big and backward two-year old who has taken time to fill her frame but she has been giving us clues over the last month or so that she is ready for the track and goes to Nottingham on Wednesday. The plan is to give her this run and then give her a winter break so she can continue growing and it will be good for her to have the experience and she will improve dramatically for it.

One horse who certainly doesn't mind soft ground is The Ducking Stool and she'll be making the journey up north to Redcar on Thursday. The track has a similar layout to her preferred Yarmouth so there shouldn't be a problem there. Her coat has turned rather woolly but her work at home is still great so I expect another good show.
Also that day could be Sadiigah at Wolverhampton. She ran a great race after over a year off last time and she has come on for the run. She looks handicapped to win and I think she'll go close with a bit of luck.

Then on Saturday we are back to Wolves with a trio of raiders.
Honeymoon Express hasn't had things go her way on turf this summer but I think she should be equally capable on the all-weather. She needs to get out quickly and make the running so if that happens, she could bounce back to form.
Candesta is another who needs to come back to form but he has been galloping well and all his best form is on the all-weather. He is pretty one-paced but if he can get into a nice rhythm, he might be hard to catch.
Probably the best chance is Avidly. She caught the eye when running on at Lingfield last time and hold-up tactics seems to see her to best effect so they will be employed again. She is definitely well handicapped now and a win won't be far away.

Back to business

After a couple of quiet weeks, I'm happy to report that we're back at the track with a bang over the coming days with some good chances heading off on their journeys.
With Yarmouth closed until next June, I've got to head elsewhere for my fix of seaside air so we're going to Brighton on Tuesday.
All three of my runners are unproven at the course but I don't have too many doubts about them handling the unique contours of the downs.
Avidly made a big step in the right direction last time in finishing third and I think she is ready to win. She is a hold-up horse who needs things to drop right but Brighton does suit that type so hopefully she'll go well.
On the other hand, front runner Meddling goes to the same track in her first run since a short break. She won well at Lingfield earlier in the year and she is probably best fresh so I wouldn't be surprised to see her land some money. Her main targets will be on the all-weather later in the year though.

Avidly (Shelley) & Candesta (George)

Completing the trio beside the seaside is Candesta. He has been very frustrating since a promising start to his career. There clearly is ability there, we just need to find the key to it!

 

There won't be any hanging about after arriving back in Suffolk as we're off to Nottingham the following day. Handheld was still sore in his feet last week so couldn't make his engagement at the course but it does mean he's nice and fresh for this race. He has been working brilliantly and, providing the ground is good or softer, he has a great chance to make it course win number three.

Accompanying him to Notts is Automotive. He has had a short break after a busy spell so I expect him to be a bit stuffy and need the race. He likes these galloping tracks though so a good show wouldn't be a surprise.

Handheld (Shelley) & Automotive (Ross)

 

The Ducking Stool will be the main casualty of Yarmouth's early closure as all six of her career wins have come at the course so we are having to look elsewhere for opportunities. Redcar has a similar course layout as Yarmouth so I hope the track will be to her liking. There's a race for her there in the coming weeks and it would be nice to get this hoodoo of her back as she is very capable of winning elsewhere.

The Ducking Stool (Danny)

 

Honeymoon Express is another who has only won at Yarmouth so she too will be going elsewhere. She has never tried the all-weather and, judging by the way she gallops on it at home, I think she is equally capable on the surface compared to turf. There is a race for her coming up at a few of the all-weather courses so we will just see where the best opportunity lies.

Honeymoon Express (Ryan)

Homeward bound