Sunday 26 January
Yauthym contested the Listed Fillies Juvenile Hurdle in Doncaster on Friday, and we just about got the perfect result - despite not winning - she finished a very close third, gaining valuable 'black type' which will enhance her prospects as a broodmare when her racing career is over. The danger of contesting these sort of races so early in a filly's career is that you can distort their handicap mark, but thankfully in this instance, as the second has a solid mark, which has been well earned, of 122, you would have to assume that the handicapper cannot get too carried away when he has a look at the race. The pleasing thing to see was the improvement she showed in both settling and jumping, and she was given a terrific ride by Connor Brace. We are constantly learning a little more about Yauthym every day, and having come out of the race in good order, she will be out again, and back in the path that we had set out for her. This week we have a couple due to run. Molly Childers is entered in the Mares staying chase in Catterick on Friday - and is an intended runner. We are hoping the return to the bigger obstacles will help her, and that she can run well, in what looks likely to be a small field. She will remain over fences for the rest of the season, with her final run coming in Cheltenham in April as it was last year. On Saturday Classic Ben returns to his beloved Sandown and to the Masters chase - a race he won last year. This has been very much the post Christmas target all season, and we are all really looking forward to seeing him at the Esher track again. Back at Fences Farm - Go Millie Go is off games for a month with another niggling and frustrating injury. She will be back, and will continue to run through the summer this year. Figarella Borget suffered a nasty cut, and is also in the easy list for a few weeks while that injury heals. Blue Bikini is going nicely, and Stuart has upped her work - there will be an update on her next week - as if things keep going on the right track we should be able to look to the future slightly. Our Bubba will be scanned next month to confirm that he can return to training. Land League is enjoying his winter break. This past week, we had a few days at a couple of sales, sadly we failed to hit the spot with any purchases - our selected lots in the yearling section of Goffs UK Doncaster sale on Tuesday all made more than our valuations - and we have to stick rigidly to those. The horses in training section of the sale had very few of interest for one reason or another. There are a couple of sales in Ireland in the next couple of weeks, and chances to get our hands on the youngstock that we need for our investment syndicates, and there is also a sale in Newmarket - where there are a few horses in training that catch the eye for our summer syndicate.
