New Racing Club Launched

What a great week of action it was at the Cheltenham Festival. My highlight was undoubtedly seeing Gary Moore train his biggest winner to date when Sire De Grugy won the Queen Mother Champion Chase. I grew up with Gary in Brighton and we used to ride ponies together as kids so I have always got on great with him and a true grafter like him deserves all the success he gets.
We got into the Festival spirit at home by running a tipping competition amongst the staff for every race at the meeting. It was surprising how many winners we managed to get, if only we had backed them all! Well done to Graham who had a good third day and managed to hold off Reno in a close finale.

Our only jumper in the yard, No Such Number, didn't go to Cheltenham but headed to Kempton on Saturday. He was going fine before weakening rapidly three hurdles from home with no obvious excuse. I think this race may have come a bit too soon for him though as he always runs well fresh so the effort hasn't disappointed me too much and he'll be back.

There are no runners until Wednesday for us when Amelia George goes to Kempton. She was very green on her debut and I expect she will need this run again. She'll be better off in handicaps in a few months' time.

Amelia George (Adam) & Handheld (Shelley)

 

The only other runner this week comes in the form of Luhaif at Lingfield on Saturday. It's a valuable race at a track he seems to run well at so it is definitely worth a try. He has to make the running so it is hard to guess how he'll go but he seems in good form at home.
Silver Alliance has now done a couple of bits of work and looks set to make his reappearance at Wolverhampton later in the month. He has been quite quick to come to hand and is still loving the job so he should be in for a good time.
Candesta too has a target at the end of the month when he tackles a 1m4f handicap at Doncaster. He'll appreciate the switch to turf but wouldn't want the ground too firm.

Luhaif (Ross), Candesta (Shelley) & Silver Alliance (Reno)

 

Vastly hasn't run since winning a few weeks ago but I'm keeping him fresh for an apprentice race at the Lincoln meeting. All his best form has been on the all-weather but I think he is equally as good on the turf but hasn't had any luck the three times he has run on it recently.

Honeymoon Express accompanied Vastly up the grass and she has thrived for her winter break. She ended last year on a high with two wins before the ground went too soft for her. She's rated pretty high now but seems to still  be improving so she really could be anything this season. 

Veeraya (Danny), Honeymoon Express (Ryan) & Vastly (Graham)

 

Two more who are returning from winter holidays are Automotive and The Ducking Stool. Ducky is her usual good self and will make her return at her beloved Yarmouth for the Easter meeting there. Automotive has really strengthened up and seems to be acting a bit more normal nowadays. He has always had a lot of ability so hopefully this year he'll be inclined to show it a bit more often on the racetrack!


Automotive (Ross) & The Ducking Stool (Reno)

 

Also enjoying their first gallops of the year were Sadiigah and Bushy Glade. Bushy was very weak as a two year old but has put on a good bit of weight over the winter and seems to be going a lot better too. Sadiigah came to us from Clive Brittain's over the festive period and since then she has done nothing but please me. She looks to be a sprinter but some more work will reveal more.

Sadiigah (Graham) & Bushy Glade (Danny)

 

Opus Too is another who seems to have improved since last year and he is going a bit faster now. He has been suffering with a cough recently though so that will hold him back a week or too.

 

 

Unfortunately our association with the Hoofbeats Racing Club has come to an end but due to high demand, I'm going to run a similar syndicate of my own.
For £180 a year, you will become a member of the Newmarket Equine Tours Racing Club which will have four horses, including The Ducking Stool, Handheld, Previous Acclaim and Tiger's Home.
This is an exciting group of horses with old stalwarts like Ducking and Handheld with exciting prospects like Previous and Tiger. They will all be kept busy through the season and look sure to win at tracks across the country.
As a member you will get 12 months' rolling membership to the Club, monthly yard visits to see your horses at exercise as well as free badges to the races when they run.
If you are interested, please email me for more information: hoofbeatstours@aol.com