Flat out for winners!

With the jumps season now officially over and the Guineas just next weekend, it's fair to say that the flat is back and don't we know it this week with a whole host of horses in action.
Kicking off the busy week will be Go On Gal at Chelmsford. She ran a blinder to finish second on her first run back after a winter holiday and she is forced to run again just a week later as she will be put up in the weights by the handicapper in the future. The question mark is whether she has fully recovered but she seems in fine form at home so we will take our chance.

Go O Gal & Caitlin

Also on Tuesday will be Limerick Lord at Southwell. He seems to go best at the track and this being the course's last meeting until next winter, he has to take his chance. He is in good form and seems to be best ridden when in his own space, away from the others. With Shelley and Adam unavailable to ride, I have booked Josephine Gordon who was champion apprentice jockey on the all-weather over the winter and her 5lb claim will be a big help.

Limerick Lord (Ross)

Then on Tuesday we will be at full stretch across three different meetings.
At Bath, Star Of The Stage and Harry Bosch will be going head to head in the same race. I don't like running my horses against each other but there are limited chances at suitable tracks for them so it will have to happen on this occasion. On home form, you would think Star wouldn't get near Harry giving him a stone in weight but things are usually different on the track and there won't be much between them - hopefully that's at the front come the winning line!

Star Of The Stage

Harry Bosch

At Lingfield, Attain bids to cement his love for the course by winning his 5th race there. He has come out of his win last time absolutely flying and, although up in the handicap, I think he's capable of still being competitive just because he loves the track so much.

Attain winning at Lingfield last time

Completing the Tuesday raid will be Moment To Dream at Wolverhampton. She makes her handicap debut off a mark I think she is capable of running well off. She may still need some more experience but it is a good starting point for her from which she can build on with the rest of the season in mind.

Moment To Dream (Chloe) 

One horse I can't wait to see out again on Wednesday is Sabre Rock at Ascot. We've had to wait for the ground to dry up before unleashing him again but I'm very happy to have him back on course. He has had over a year off so is more than likely to need the run and the one mile distance will likely be too short but it is just fantastic to have him back in action.

Sabre Rock (Mark)

Then on Thursday we have our first two-year old runner of the the year with Secret Ballerina at Chelmsford. She was set to run at Windsor last week but her back just needed some physio work so I've let her recover and found this ideal starting point. She is certainly fit enough to run but will improve mentally for the experience. She is bred to be a two-year old so I hope she can have a good year.

Secret Ballerina (Adam)

With no runners on Friday, you would think I'd be having an easy day but the Tattersalls Guineas Sale takes place with a number of breeze-up and older horses up for auction. I'm on the look-out for one of each so hopefully I can come home happy and have some syndicate options available for anyone interested. More info next week!



THREE TO FOLLOW LEADERBOARD

Annette Hall	26
David Haddrell	22
Phil Gunning	22
Sophie Feilden	22
Eileen Turner	22
Matt Bisogno	22
Maureen Case	22
Anthea Telford	22
Barbara Walton	21
Chris Shirran	21
Gay Chalklin	21
Dee Clarke	17
Jonathan Kinge	17
Paul Matthews	16
Pauline Kennedy	16
Sam Feilden	15
Liz Moore	15

A full list of all entries can be found in this month's newsletter.

Getting spoilt!

After plenty of success recently, it feels a bit strange to go a week without a winner but with a relatively small string of horses in the yard, I can't get too ahead of myself! The team have been in great form and, with 10 winners on the board already, we have made our best start to a year ever. This time of year can be a bit quiet for us with changeable ground conditions across the country but hopefully we can keep some momentum going.

Heading to Wolverhampton with no worries about the ground will be Go On Gal on Tuesday. She had three runs as a two-year old last year before having the winter off to strengthen up. She has done just that and looks a million dollars now. I do think she is well handicapped but the same could be said about a few of her rivals so it's hard to know how she will go. Most of my horses returning from a winter break have improved for a run so I hope she can build on whatever she shows this time.

Go On Gal (Mark)

The following day at Lingfield we have Candesta. He got back to form last time and is most competitive in this 0-55 grade. He is well at home so I hope he should be thereabouts.

Star Of The Stage (Nick) & Candesta (Caitlin)

Then on Saturday we may be making a trip up north to Thirsk as there are a couple of potential races for us. Artbeat loves the soft ground so she needs to be running now but has been balloted out of races recently due to her low rating. She is in good form at home and hopefully the return to turf can perk her up.
I'm not really sure what ground Serendib's Glory wants as she has done all her racing on all-weather so far but, as long as the going isn't extremely soft, she too could venture up north. She has been doing ok in handicaps recently and is improving all the time.

Serendib's Glory (Sam)

I was planning on having my first two-year old runner of the year at Windsor tomorrow but the ground is likely to be extremely testing and it just wouldn't be a great introduction to racing for Secret Ballerina. She has been taking all her homework in her stride and popped out of the stalls again this week. She is getting the hang of things and will be ready to roll when ground conditions improve.

Secret Ballerina (Liam) & Valley Lodge (Adam) jump out of the stalls

Another waiting for better ground is Sabre Rock. The extra time has done him no harm though and he continues to improve week on week. Harry Bosch is another who is in fine form and he heads to Bath in a week or so where we could have six runners (gulp!).

Sabre Rock (Mark) & Harry Bosch (Ross)

Little Orchid (Chloe)

Don't forget to get your best racing photographs from the past month to Ross for this month's newsletter and you could win a pair of Newmarket Racecourse tickets! Email rbirkett1989@hotmail.co.uk


THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE

David Haddrell	22
Phil Gunning	22
Sophie Feilden	22
Eileen Turner	22
Matt Bisogno	22
Maureen Case	22
Anthea Telford	22
Annette Hall	21
Barbara Walton	21
Chris Shirran	21
Gay Chalkin	21
Dee Clarke	17
Paul Matthews	16
Jonathan Kinge	16
Pauline Kennedy	15
Sam Feilden	14
Liz Moore	14
Jean Allen	13
Wayne Moore	13
Jason Coote	13

PLUS 7 people on 12 points, 6 people on 11 points, 5 people on 10 points, 1 person on 7 points, 5 people on 6 points, 3 people on 5 points, 5 people on 4 points, 4 people on 3 points, 4 people on 3 points, 10 people on 2 points, 19 people on 1 point, 4 people on 0 points.

The boys still doing us proud

Our best start to a year just keeps getting better as Attain brought up our 10th winner of 2016 with an emphatic success at Lingfield on Saturday. After going 21 runs before his first win, the boy has now won five races in just over the past year. He loves Lingfield and seems to thrive on the routine at our yard -  he is banging the door down on a Sunday morning because he knows he will be going out in the field for a run around with his mates.

Attain and Shelley score at Lingfield

Earlier in the week, Kemsing continued his rapid improvement by notching his fourth win since we bought him as a maiden in October for just 6,000gns. He is another who has fallen in love with his surroundings and he showed his love for Southwell by taking his record there to 4 wins from 6 runs. He was stepping right up in trip to 1m4f but seemed to have more than enough stamina as he ran away with the race. He will have a few weeks break now as there aren't any races for him at his favourite track.

Kemsing chilling the day after his win

We usually hit a bit of a winner slump this time of year but we still have lots of fresh horses to run so hopefully we can kick on through it and continue our great year.
On Wednesday, Duke Of Diamonds makes his comeback after a winter break. He has strengthened right up and matured mentally as well. His work has been great but he is quite a tubby horse so will likely improve for the run. He is lightly raced and I hope he can improve throughout the year.

Moment To Dream (Chloe) & Duke Of Diamonds (Liam)

Also at Kempton that day will be Veeraya. He has found some great form recently and was very unlucky not to win last time. It remains to be seen whether he can string three good runs together as he usually can't mange two but he is in fine fettle at home.

Star Of The Stage (Tess) & Veeraya (Ross)

Our third runner of the week will probably be Handheld at Wolverhampton on Saturday night. He was a bit ring rusty at Pontefract last week but that run should have brought him forward. He is probably better on the turf than all-weather but it's an ideal race for him and I hope he can show a bit of form again.

I went to the Tattersalls Ascot Breeze Up Sales on Wednesday and came away with two lovely looking colts. The Breeze Ups are a bit different to normal sales as you get to see the youngsters galloping over two furlongs before they are sold in the afternoon. This gives you a great look into the horse's attitude and action. as well as obviously giving you an insight into its ability. It's unusual that I pick a horse before the sale, like it when it gallops, like it even more when I inspect them after and then, finally, can afford them but this just happened twice in one day!
The first purchase is a lovely bay colt by first season sire Elzaam. He is really athletic-looking but seems sure to grow a bit more into a nice horse.
The second buy is a strapping colt by Group 1 sprinter Mayson. He is a bit smaller but looks like he will be an early type, ready to win this spring.

Elzaam colt (Adam) & Mayson colt (Liam)

The Mayson colt will run in the colours of my longest-standing owner, Dick Creese, whilst I had bought the Elzaam to syndicate - it looks as though he too has been bought whole by a new owner. So it looks like I'll be heading to the Tattersalls Newmarket Breeze Up at the end of the month to buy another for those interested in a syndicate horse.

Before these two new boys run, it looks likely that we will have had a juvenile runner as Secret Ballerina continues to impress. She has taken every step of her racehorse journey very well and this week she went through the stalls for the first time with no bother. She will do it again this week and gallop once more before hopefully hitting the track next Monday.

Little Orchid (Sam), Secret Ballerina (Liam) & Silver Alliance (Mark)

The ground was way too soft for Sabre Rock to make his comeback at Doncaster last weekend so we've decided just to give him a few weeks more to get him fully fit for his return. He did a nice piece of work on Saturday with Harry Bosch who has come out of his winter break as well as ever and will be back racing again this month. 

Harry Bosch (Ross) & Sabre Rock (Mark)

Go On Gal is another who we have just given a couple of weeks more to get fully fit and she is now just about there. She is handicapped to do well straight away so I hope she can give her syndicate of owners a lot of fun this year.

Go On Gal (Mark) & Candesta (Sam)

Ross would like some of your best racing photographs from the past month for the newsletter 'Photo of the Month'. The winner will receive two free badges to any Newmarket Racecourse fixture of your choice (excluding music nights). To enter, send your photos to rbirkett1989@hotmail.co.uk


THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE

Wins from Attain and Kemsing have given the rankings a real shake-up and it is now very tight at the top.

David Haddrell	22
Phil Gunning	22
Sophie Feilden	22
Eileen Turner	22
Matt Bisogno	22
Maureen Case	22
Anthea Telford	22
Annette Hall	21
Barbara Walton	21
Chris Shirran	21
Gay Chalkin	21
Dee Clarke	17
Paul Matthews	16
Pauline Kennedy	15
Jonathan Kinge	15
Sam Feilden	14
Liz Moore	14

PLUS: 3 on 13 points, 8 on 12 points, 6 on 11 points, 5 on 10 points, 1 on 7 points, 5 on 6 points, 2 on 5 points, 5 on 4 points, 3 on 3 points, 8 on 2 points, 19 on 1 point & 5 on 0 points.

One swallow does make a summer!

They say one swallow doesn't make a summer but hopefully the return of the yard birds from their winter holiday in Africa means that the better weather is on its way. It certainly needs to as the turf season got off to a wet start this weekend, despite sunny conditions, the ground looked very soft and tiring at Doncaster so we couldn't get stable star Sabre Rock back in action. He has had leg troubles so it was not worth the risk on dodgy ground. There's a long year ahead of him so we'll just have to wait until conditions improve.

The first swallow of spring

Soft ground isn't a bad thing though as there are plenty of horses who like those conditions, including Handheld. He had to miss most of last turf season and I didn't run him on the all-weather as he doesn't like it so he has been kept fresh for this coming campaign. He goes to Pontefract on Tuesday and, despite needing the run after so long off, I hope he can get off to a good start and make the most of his preferred ground.

Silver Alliance and Handheld

It looked last week as though the handicapper has caught up with Kemsing after his successful winter but, with opportunities drying up at his favourite course of Southwell, I'm going to step him up in trip to see if we can squeeze some more improvement out of him on Thursday. All he does is gallop so, providing he can settle early on, I think 1m4f should be within his compass.

Kemsing and Limerick Lord

With some better weather this week, the horses' coats have suddenly started to shine and I'm really happy with the health of the string.
Go On Gal has come out of her winter holiday in great order and I'm looking forward to getting her back in action in the coming weeks. She is well handicapped so I'm waiting to find the perfect race for her.
Duke Of Diamonds is another who has done well over the winter and his homework has got better every week. He is still quite immature but he is learning all the time and won't be far off running.
Attain is a reliable yardstick and he heads back to his favourite course of Lingfield on Saturday. He has had a little break but it has freshened him up and he seems well in himself.

Go On Gal (Chloe), Duke Of Diamonds (Liam) & Attain (Ross)
Photo: Thoroughbred Sports Photography - jason.bax@btopenworld.com

Dakota City had a successful winter with a couple of wins and, with all-weather opportunities becoming rarer this time of year, he is having a small break until the next suitable race in June. I think he deserves a rest and he was a bit stiff after his last run so the holiday will do him good.
Vastly was another winner this winter and he is off to the sales later this month. We have had a good time with him but have done as well as we can and it is the best time to sell him on as he could have a future over hurdles for anyone interested.

Dakota City, Vastly and Silver Alliance

Harry Bosch has been enjoying life leading the two-year olds recently and it seems to have kept him very happy. He galloped this weekend and seems in great order. He's likely to be out again this month and he always wins one a year but guessing when is very difficult!
Moment To Dream went on a bit of a hunger strike when her workload was stepped up but she seems to be eating again fine now and it means we can start looking for a race with her. She is unexposed and has more to come.

Moment To Dream (Nick) & Harry Bosch (Tess)

Architech (Mark)

Secret Ballerina continues to do all her work nicely and looks the sharpest of our juveniles at this point. We will probably pass her through the stalls this week and it will be another step on the way to making her racecourse debut.

Star Of The Stage (Mark) & Secret Ballerina (Liam) 

Eight-legged Sunset Bounty! (with the help of Our Cilla)

Candesta (Sam)

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE

Annette Hall	21
Paul Matthews	16
Pauline Kennedy	15
Jonathan Kinge	15
Sam Feilden	14
Jean Allen	13
Dudley Lever	12
David Haddrell	12
Ivan Gibbs	11
Barbara Walton	11
John Chalkin	11
Michael Buckley	7
Dee Clarke	7
Jane Shirran	6
George Hall	6
Dave Morris	6
Linda Wright	6
Dave Barnett	6
Dominic Lisle	6
Trevor Fuller	5
David Smyth	5

PLUS: 6 on 4 points, 6 on 3 points, 20 on 2 points, 26 on 1 point & 10 on 0 points.