A Cracking Christmas

I hope you all had a great Christmas weekend and enjoyed spending time with your families. It is a lovely time of the year but with horses to look after, things never really stop here at Harraton Stud and I'll be happy when the working world returns back to some normality! With jumps racing taking centre stage over the weekend, it was great to sit back and relax whilst watching some top-class jumps action. Cue Card's King George win has to go down as one of the classics whilst it was a joy to watch two greats like Sprinter Sacre and Sire De Grugy battle it out the following day.

It's back to business now though and we kick off with Art Beat at Southwell tomorrow. She has shown some promise in maidens and has been given a low rating by the handicapper but I suspect the six furlong trip might be a bit sharp for her against some more experienced rivals.

Then on Wednesday we head to Lingfield with a pair of raiders. Teputina ran a blinder to finish second on her debut at Chelmsford last time and the run has really woken her up at home. She should be a lot more street-wise this time and I hope she can grab a place in what isn't a too strong maiden race.

Teputina (Caitlin)

Also at Lingfield is Star Of The Stage. He hasn't had much luck since joining us but his last run was a step in the right direction and I feel he is now coming down to a rating he can be competitive off. We are still learning about him but I wouldn't be surprised if he ran well.

Star Of The Stage (Mark)

There's not a lot on then until Saturday when Dissertation goes to Southwell. She looked a much better proposition over a long trip last time and I think two miles at this kind of track will be ideal. She always works like a horse with plenty of ability at home and we just need to find a way of unlocking it!

Dissertation (Ross)

Dakota City continues to train exceptionally well ahead of his try over two miles next week. He will have one more gallop before then and that should put him spot on for the new assignment.

Dakota City (Mark) & Candesta (Sarah)

Veeraya (Sam)

I'm delighted to report that stable star Sabre Rock is now back in light exercise as he begins his recuperation from injury. He kept us all warm last winter by winning all five of his race for us and I still think he is a horse with plenty more improvement to come. We will take things slowly with him but the aim is to have him back by April. He has come back looking like a tank and was delighted to be out on the Heath again!

Kemsing...the perfect present!

A couple of weeks ago I said it would be great if we could nick one more winner before the year was out to beat last year's winner's tally so I'm even happier to have now gone two ahead thanks to Kemsing's great win at Southwell on Friday. Regular readers of the blog will know I've been banging on about him for a while now so it was fantastic to win with him on his first run for the yard after we bought him at the October Tattersalls sales. Personally, it is very satisfying to win with a horse fresh from another trainer's yard as it goes to show that we must be doing something right here at Harraton Stud.
As well as saying how well he goes, I've also been trying to sell shares in him as only 20% had been sold so I thought the best way to advertise his abilities would be to prove how fast he can run! This win is just the start of what could be a profitable winter for him and £1200 for a 10% share (with £200 per month all-inclusive training fees) could look very cheap by the spring. Thankfully there has already been immediate interest but if you would like to join the syndicate or want more details, please email me on juliafeilden@aol.com

Kemsing returns to the winner's enclosure

We seem to have hit a rich vein of form at Southwell with our last two runners there winning and I hope Dark Diamond can bring up the hat-trick on Tuesday. He looked for all the world like needing further when third at the track over a mile last time so the step up in trip should be ideal. He is still a maiden but certainly deserves to win a race and it should be this winter.

Dark Diamond

Racing takes a break for a few days before the Christmas period and, after enjoying some turkey on the 25th and watching some top-class jumps racing on Boxing Day, we'll be heading to Chelmsford on Sunday with Attain. He was unlucky not to win there last time after getting boxed in and showed that he is still fresh and well after a long season. He unfortunately bruised his foot at the weekend but he has recovered well from it and we will see over the course of the week what kind of shape he is in before deciding whether to run or not.

Attain winning earlier in the year

Four of our six yearlings are back at our yard from pre-training now and I'm very happy with them all. I bought Secret Ballerina with the hope that she would be a razor-sharp juvenile and the early signs are good as she goes about her steady work in a great manner. The two-year old races don't start until next April so we will take things slowly with her, building up her preparation along the way.

Secret Ballerina (Adam)

Mungo Madness (Ross)

I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has very kindly brought presents to the yard over the last few weeks. Myself and John will certainly be kept merry over the Christmas period with all the wine and even the dogs are well catered for with all the biscuits that have been brought in.
There's no chance of getting fat at ours with the horses all still needing to be looked after over the weekend, although they will be having easy days on Friday and Saturday before getting back into the routine.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy spending time with your families and, if you complain that the weather is too mild to be Christmas, remember it won't be long before we're back to scenes like this!

Emma's Gift winning in the snow at Wolverhampton

Limerick edges us ahead

I said last week that I hoped we could grab another winner before the year was out to better last year's tally and we did it sooner than I though after Limerick Lord got things right and won at Southwell. He had been struggling over sprint distances so he looked worth a try over a bit further. The course is ideal for horses who have early speed so his sprinting experience meant he could get a good early position and it was just a case of whether he would stay the mile trip. Luckily he did and won with a bit in hand. He is unexposed at this kind of distance so you'd hope he could have more success this winter.

Limerick Lord (Shelley Birkett) win at Southwell

Hopefully we can get another winner on the board before 2015 draws to a close and this week sees some good chances, starting Monday at Wolverhampton with Automotive. Nothing went right for him last time but he won over course and distance the time before so a reproduction of that effort should see him go close, if getting the luck in running he needs.

Automotive winning last month

The following day we are at Kempton as Vastly tries to make a winning mark after an encouraging return to action. He hasn't had the rub of the green recently but has still ran well and it will only require a change in fortune to see him get his head in front.

Vastly (Adam)

The end of the week sees our recent purchases hit the track for the first time for us.
At Chelmsford on Thursday, Teputina sees a racecourse for the first time. She was bought very cheaply from Clive Brittain's dispersal sale in October and she has done nothing wrong since joining us. Her homework has been to a good standard and she is very well behaved in the stalls so I hope she can run a respectable race and show something to build on for the future.
Also at Chelmsford that night is Star Of The Stage. He has had no luck since joining us, being draw in the widest stall on all three runs for the yard. He needs to make the running so a good draw is crucial. He is well at home so it's just a case of keeping our fingers crossed that he gets a good draw!

Kemsing (Ross), Teputina (Caitlin) & Star Of The Stage (Nick)

Rounding off a busy week is new boy Kemsing on Friday. It's hard to believe he is only a two-year old as he is so well-grown and mentally mature you would think he is an older horse. He is going well at home and I think a track like Southwell will be ideal for him as he is a strong traveller. He didn't show much form in four runs for his last trainer but that means he is very well handicapped now and I hope he can make a quick impact.

Dakota City is fit and well and, after having a good chat with his jockey Adam, we feel it is worth trying him over two miles as his rapid acceleration could be lethal over that kind of trip and he settles so well in his races that he should save his energy over the longer distance. There isn't an ideal race until the new year so he will be kept for that assignment.

Dakota City (Mark)

The jumps season is now in full swing and, with that in mind, Ross is planning an owners' day trip to the Cheltenham Festival. The date pencilled in is Thursday 17th March - St Patrick's Day of The Festival which hosts the World Hurdle and Ryanair Chase. The cost of the trip will include racecourse tickets and bus transfers from Newmarket and back. At this stage Ross just wants an idea of numbers so please can you register your interest by emailing rbirkett1989@hotmail.co.uk
This trip is open to anyone so feel free to invite your friends if you think they would be interested.

Time ticking away

It is a bit of a shock how quickly the year has flown by as we enter December. The yard is still full to the brim and, after taking into account the horses who are on a break, we have around a dozen to campaign over the winter. Winners-wise, we are on the same number as last year so it would be great to nick another one before the year is out to just edge ahead.

The quest goes to Chelmsford on Monday with Attain. He has had a great year with three wins on the board but has been a bit high in the weights since. However, he is now back down to a rating of 60 which means he can race in the grade he is usually competitive in. The favourite was a winner last time and might be hard to beat but Attain maintains his form and is always surprising us.

Attain

The horsebox gets a breather until Saturday  then when Limerick Lord has his first run back after a short break. He was banging his head against a brick wall over sprint distances during the summer so we're taking the decision to step him right up in trip and try him over a mile. He is a keen horse at home which gives you the impression he is a sprinter but he just cannot find a turn of foot over this short trip. Mark Rimmer has done a great job to get him settled and relaxed at home so hopefully now he won't pull hard in his race and can stay the extra trip. The surface at Southwell will be an unknown too but he does look the type who would be able to handle it.

Teputina (Caitlin) & Limerick Lord (Mark)

New boy Kemsing continues to please me as he builds up to his run on the 18th December. I worked him with a good yard stick in Automotive over seven furlongs to get a good gauge of his ability and it seems that there is plenty there. You'd have to think that he would be able to win off a rating of just 50. A handful of 10% shares are still available in him for just £1200 each. Contact me on juliafeilden@aol.com  for more details.

Automotive (Ross) & Kemsing (Nick)

Our six yearlings are all doing great as they begin their careers as racehorses. The two boys are both in regular cantering exercise on the Heath whilst the Sakhee's Secret and Bahamian Bounty fillies both returned to the yard on Saturday after a spell in pre-training. They will have their first sight of the Heath tomorrow and I can't wait to train them!

Big Bang (Sam)