Soon Comes Round
When you send the horses on their holidays around April time – it feels like forever until they will be back in their stables again – yet, every year, that period between April and July just seems to fly by, and by the time we get to the day they head back to ‘school’ it always feels like they only just ‘broke up’ for summer! This year is no exception, and as another 6 made their way from the fields to dry warm stables – that feeling of ‘time flying’ is no less than last year!
Monday – Maggie Jones was into The Elms mid-morning and collected Blue Bikini and Fortune Forever who arrived safely back at Ravenswell Farm just after lunch. Hopefully Blue Bikini can pick up where she left off in the spring – after a difficult start to last season, when she suffered with a bout of atrial fibrillation, she returned to action in February, and went on to win 3 of her 4 starts in handicap hurdles. When we started out at this stage last year, I made no secret of the fact that I felt she was a well handicapped mare – well this year – despite being a stone higher in the weights, I still think there is more to come off of her current mark. Fergal and the team have done a fantastic job of winning 4 races with her – and all at trips way below what I feel will be her optimum! I am really looking forward to seeing what she can do when she gets to run over staying trips this season – and when we think there is no wriggle room left in her mark – she could well switch to fences. We have taken the patient route with Fortune Forever, she has always been a little bit on the weak side, and we have been very mindful of educating her in bumpers as she developed and strengthened last season. This year she will crack on over hurdles, and I am sure the patient approach will pay off with her in mares novice hurdles this term. There is a share for sale in this well-bred, good-looking mare, who is from a family that only get better with age, and who should give any new owner a great deal of fun over hurdles this season before really coming into her own over fences next year! One that didn’t move this week was Reflexion Faite, she breezed on the woodchip gallop on Monday, but Kevin was not 100% happy with the way she was moving, so she was not declared to run in Kempton on Wednesday. RF is fine, she just gave herself a touch of sore shins after working on some quicker ground the previous Friday. She has been entered in Haydock on Friday afternoon.
Blue Bikini
Fortune Forever - Single share available!
Tuesday and a quick visit to The Elms mid morning to meet a few folks – Fran, Sheridan, Chris and Tim were in to see their boy Mamoon Star before he headed back to Ravenswell later in the week, and it was great to meet Steve, Dawn and Cheryl for the first time – the three are local, Steve grew up in the village where the stud is, and as a boy used to play across the fields and see all the horses there – his sister Cheryl once had a weekend job at the stud – so, as a long time racing fan, when he saw that we had shares available in a filly that was born and raised at the stud, himself and his partner Dawn just had to get involved. A quick hour out of the office looking at horses hurts no one, so they popped over to see their new girl! They were not the only ones to take a shine to the 3 yr old filly by Mahler this week – By Friday all of the ‘available’ shares had been taken up in her – but there are still 4 people who are yet to return their syndicate agreements, or start their payments, and they have been informed that the shares are now on a first come first served basis – so if you would like to grab one of the 4 then please get in touch quickly. 07909 518902 – nickbrownracing@gmail.com While we were over there we saw the Falco yearlings – they change so much as yearlings – like young fledgling birds – they go through the previous winter with a thick winters coat, looking like hairy balls of fluff, and then in the spring they start to shed that and get their first summers coat and start to look like proper horses for the first time. Both these two are really doing well, delighted with them both. At this stage the plans are to retain them both on the team – they will be broken in by Jason Maguire next year and a plan made for them after that. Our 2 yr old Blue Bresil gelding, ‘Barry’ is turned out with them, and he has matured into a fine looking horse. He was broken in this spring, and we could not be happier with him – he looks to have a very exciting future ahead of him! It was not the longest of visits as we had to head over to Cambridge for a meeting – but it was great to see everyone – thanks again to Louise for her time!
Seeing Yearlings
Maria's Flame - Be quick if you want a share!!
Dawn meeting Maria's Flame for the first time!
On Tuesday afternoon one of Olly Murphy’s team was into the stud to collect Auditoria and one other. Auditoria had summered well, and Olly was delighted by her condition when she arrived back at Warren Chase. She is one that won plenty of prizemoney last season – and who we expect to pay her way and give her owners a huge amount of fun this season. There is a share available should anyone like to join this fun syndicate, that love a day out with a mare that never lets them down and usually comes home having added a few quid to the coffers! Olly went from empty to nearly full pretty quickly this week as the bulk of his horses returned to their stables, including Itchy Feet who did so well last year, picking up masses of prizemoney and winning in Huntingdon. He will start off in a nice hurdle race in October!
Auditoria on her way back to school
July is the month that I get all the prizemoney from the previous season paid out, so the rest of the week was spent sending out prizemoney summaries and getting syndicate members paid out – if you have not had yours yet don’t panic – it is on the way!
On Wednesday it was great to get an update from Jason regarding Cloud Dancer – he has really blossomed for a summers break – he has grown enormously and strengthened with it. He was another that was slightly weak last season, and we were mindful of him at a young age. He did get to go to the races twice, learning on the job on debut in Cheltenham, before cruising away for an easy win on hurdles debut in February. We then pulled stumps with him, and that decision looks to be very much vindicated by what we see now. As he won a National Hunt Juvenile hurdle last season, he still qualifies for novice hurdles for the entire 2023/24 season – and with the experience form last season under his belt, we are very much looking forward to him this time round. As mentioned before, due to a change of circumstances with one of his owners, who lives abroad – a share is available in him – his details are on the For Sale Page – have a look and get in touch – he is a horse that we think has a very bright future, as he can only improve from what we have seen thus far – and that has been pretty good! He is now in pre training at Ivy Lodge Farm and will head to Gary Moore in early September.
Cloud Dancer - a different horse to the one we saw last season! 1 share available
Thursday and one headed back to familiar ground, and two young fillys made that first step into big school. Maggie was in to collect Mamoon Star and take him back to Ravenswell Farm, after winning on hurdles debut last season, he just started to struggle with niggly issues, and it is hoped that a summers break has put him right. He was joined on the trip by the Mahler 3 yr old Filly, who has headed into training with Fergal O’Brien for the first time. As mentioned, the demand for shares has been very strong this week, and as I speak, one of the four that had yet to confirm their shareholding has just done so – so we are now down to just three! As things were moving fast, I nudged her owner to see if he had a name in mind for her – and she has now been named Maria’s Flame. She is a filly we like a lot, so we are really looking forward to seeing what she can do on the track! Hopefully she will be able to have a crack at the 4 yr old bumper in Cheltenham on New Years Day! Another one that we like a lot is the unnamed 3 yr old filly by Jukebox Jury out of La Pelodette, and she was another that headed into training for the first time this week when Louise took her down to Alan Kings Barbury Castle stables in Wiltshire. The first one we have had with Alan, and we are very much looking forward to it! This filly is very nice, she is by a fantastic sire, and out of a mare that has already produced a black type horse – her full brother won his only start in Point to Points in Ireland, and was sold for 170,000 at the Punchestown Sale in April, as well as her half brothers making £145,000 and £220,000 in the past. I have had her since she was a foal, and her whole life has been managed so that she should run at 3 and 4 in decent races. Shares are available – have a look on the For Sale page – everyone that has sat on her at Ivy Lodge Farm has really liked her, and she is highly recommended
Jukebox Jury x La Pelodette - a really nice filly - now with Alan King - Shares Available
Friday – more prizemoney paid out – and great to welcome Fergus and Gary from Cork who after a chat with me on Friday evening have taken a share in Old Blue Eyes, our homebred Blue Bresil 3 yr old gelding. We wish them the very best of luck with their new boy! OBE is currently down with Maguire, who is putting the finishing touches on him before he heads up to Donald McCain in just over a week. Donald has done so well with his half brother, Dino Bellagio, that it was only right for him to get a crack at this lad. Talking of Dino, he is in sparkling form as ever, and on Saturday Donald sent me a clip of him bucking kicking around the loop. He managed to kick a rail off of the fence, so I will need to head up to Bankhouse with a hammer and nails the next time I go! Dino is some character, and it was good to see nothing has changed with him – although that is easy for me to say, as I don’t have to ride him every morning!
Of the remainder – I spoke with Sally on Friday – and Hidden Beauty heads back to Ravenswell on Monday. She has been in from the field for a week at Ivy Lodge Farm and will make the move tomorrow. Last season was sadly cut short with a pelvic injury, but she should pick up where she left off last winter, where she won in Doncaster, and was then a close second in Taunton. We learned a lot about her last year, and maybe, just maybe we can get a trouble free passage with her for once – hopefully the rollercoaster has flattened out a bit! Sally and I also agreed on a plan for Intrepide Sud who will remain at grass for another couple of months.
Two more that will see warm stables tomorrow are Tintagel Queen and Volkovka, two mares that appreciate plenty of cut in the ground, so will usually not be seen on the racecourse until late Oct/early Nov. They will come in from the field and go on the walker for a couple of weeks before heading to their trainers in 2 weeks time.
That just about sums up what was a quiet week! I obviously survived the roof last week – this week I run the risk of chopping limbs off – hedge cutting later! Wish me well! See you next week!
