Sales Races, Sales and Races
As we approach the end of August – things get a little busy. As always, we like to organise yard visits for September, so that owners and syndicate members get the chance to meet up at the yards and see each other and their horses and meet the teams who care for them. If you have not put your name down for the visits to Olly Murphy’s (Saturday 9th Sept) and Fergal O’Brien’s (Saturday 16th Sept) then please do – there are plenty of names already on the lists and they will be fun mornings! Remember, you are all welcome – owners and members both past and present – irrespective of where you have (or had) a horse in training, along with anyone that just fancies a look round two of the best yards in the country to see the horses and meet the staff – everyone, including guests, are welcome. The more the merrier! 07909 518902 or email nickbrownracing@gmail.com to book your place. As we fast approach September – we also have a spell when we never seem to be at home – a large portion of this week was spent in York, next week we are at the Premier Yearling Sales in Doncaster, and the week after there are two more sales we will be at! It’s all go!
Monday this week started off in the office, more prep done for the new venture we will be launching in a few weeks. It is really coming together now – just a couple of jigsaw pieces to put in place and we will be all set to go! The ‘bodywork completed, just the engine to fit now!’ After lunch we got in the car and headed north to Bangor on Dee where we had been invited by Donald McCain for an evening’s racing. Bangor on Dee is Donalds local track, and he is a huge supporter of theirs, running plenty of his team there throughout the season. On Monday he hosted a small group along with a few of his staff and jockeys for the evening, and it was good to catch up with both Donald and his assistant, Adrian Lane to get an update on Dino Bellagio and Old Blue Eyes before racing. Dino is in great form, and looking and moving great, he has won his two bumpers last term and we are all sure that he has a very nice future over hurdles this season – in a way we already know about him, the exciting news was regarding Old Blue Eyes (Frank). When I had been in the yard the previous week, Peter Kavanagh had told me how much he liked him, and that he was going to do his best to stay riding him every day – it turns out that didn’t last long, as the very next day, Aidrian jocked himself up on him to get a feel of him – and the good news is that he got the same feel as Peter! He is currently cantering around the deep sand circular gallop at Bankhouse, but Adrian tells me the way he goes around there is very impressive, he finds it very easy, and goes really well – very exciting for the future – he looks like another nice one! There are still limited shares available in him – he is by the great Blue Bresil who, of course, is the sire of superstar Champion Constitution Hill, and I believe he is outstanding value – 10% shares are just £3,000 – valuing him at £30,000 – and you would not have bought many by Blue Bresil for that money at this years sales – especially when you consider that he is out of a 3x winning half sister to a Cheltenham Festival winner in Rathvinden, and a half brother to a very talented dual bumper winner. If you have ever considered having a share in a racehorse – NOW is the time – and THIS is the horse! Have a look at him on the For Sale Page and get in touch 07909 518902 – or email nickbrownracing@gmail.com to book a visit to come and see him! You would certainly be joining a yard in form – Donald having three winners on the night, and you would of course be getting the services of the Champion Jockey Brian Hughes. Another yard in fine form is that of Fergal O’Brien, he was in the winners too in Bangor with a double on the card and it was great to see Pull Again Green win emphatically for his owners. Over the years we have got to know his co- owners Roy and Sally Green really well, and it was so nice of them to invite us to join in with their celebrations in the bar afterwards. Faced with a decent trip home – and yes – for regular readers the A41 at Newport is still closed, I left Bangor slightly early, which also meant that I missed the rain that arrived shortly after I had got in the car!
Bangor on Dee - first visit for a long time!
After a late home on Monday, it was an early start on Tuesday, and my first visit to Olly Murphy’s Warren Chase Stables this season. Auditoria and Itchy Feet returned to training in early July, but Tintagel Queen didn’t head back to work until early August, so now that they are all well into cantering and building base fitness it was about time I got up there. It was great to meet up with one of Itchy Feets owners, John, who was up there and like us all, really looking forward to the season ahead. All the horses look great, Auditoria is likely to be the first to see the racecourse this autumn and could be out as early as late September if the right race is there. Itchy Feet will make his seasonal debut in October – we have not decided on a race for him yet – we will sit down in a couple of weeks and decide a plan, but the one thing we do know for sure is that he will start over 3 miles – I think we all agree that his days over 2m4f are behind him now. His two main targets for the season are likely to be the race he won in Huntingdon last season, and the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle in Haydock, which he was second in last term. Around that we will duck and dive a bit, and once again get his lucky owners to the biggest meetings and try and collect as much prize money as possible! Tintagel Queen is a mare that we are really looking forward to this season. She is simply massive, and has taken an age to strengthen and mature, but she is getting there now, although she is the type of horse that you will probably be looking at when she is 9 and saying she will be better again next year! She has shown that she has plenty of ability given her optimum conditions, and she was excellent when she schooled over hurdles in the spring – we can’t wait to see her over hurdles and she is likely to make her hurdling/seasonal debut in November, on soft ground and on a galloping track. Hopefully she will take her syndicate members to some very exciting places this season! Tuesday afternoon we had half an eye on the yearling sale in Deauville, where we had identified a possible ‘addition’ Lots to like about this yearling filly, but she was not perfect, and we would only be making a play for her if she was available at the right money – she wasn’t! I am not desperate to add another youngster to the squad, but as always if the right horse is there at the right money – why not?
Ollys string warm up in the arena
Auditoria
Itchy Feet
Tintagel Queen
Wednesday morning, and it was good to meet up with Paul and Jan over at The Elms to have a look around the team there. P & J in to see their new filly, who will be heading to Ireland in a few weeks. It was good to get around the rest of the squad. 2 yr old Barry is still in, as his shoulder needs to heal before he can go out on a permanent basis. He goes out at night but is in his stable during the day. The yearlings both look fantastic – I am absolutely blown away by Floyd, our homebred by Falco. He was a very good looking foal, but then went through a stage when I really wasn’t keen on him – to say that he has come round is an understatement! He is a stunning horse, and one I am really excited about. His buddy, Finbar – also by Falco out of Molly Childers is a different type, he is a first foal, and is going to take more time than Floyd, but he too is really coming together now! Our Golden Horn foal, George is very nice, and still with his mum, he could just be the best of the lot! Sadly, Savingforvegas is not in foal this year, but is very likely to return to Golden Horn next year. After lunch we hit the road to York where we would be racing on Thursday. Once again booked into the Roomzzz Aparthotel down by the river off of Bishopsthorpe Road we got checked in and headed up to the town. By the way – the Roomzzz in York is a great find – a 15 minute walk into town, and a 30 minute walk to the racecourse. As it is an apartment hotel, there is no restaurant or bar, but that comes with a little hidden bonus, as it means you can make the short walk up to Robinsons on Bishopsthorpe Road and enjoy the best breakfast you will ever eat! It is a little bit different, and you will have to queue to get in – but it is well worth the wait! We had a wander round town for a couple of hours, and sampled a few of the local hostelries, before meeting up with Andy and Claire and heading to The Cut and Craft for dinner. This was a fun place – steaks, burgers and fajitas – evidently a superb goats cheese starter – and beers were available in steins! Why wouldn’t you!! A great night – and a sore head on Thursday morning.
Savingforvegas
George (Golden Horn x Savingforvegas)
Barry - 2 yr old (Blue Bresil x Savingforvegas)
Floyd - Yearling (Falco x Savingforvegas)
Paul and Jan with their 'Old Girl' Maria's Benefit
A swift half?!
Thursday we headed to the races where we were joining the Goffs team for the afternoon. Goffs have long sponsored the valuable sales race on the card – a race only open to 2 yr old that had been purchased at the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale in Doncaster the previous year. Atacanter horseboxes who I work with, have a great relationship with Goffs, and are present at all of their sales in Doncaster, and a few years ago we came up with the idea of adding a season long free lease of a Theault Horsebox to the prize package for the winning trainer. Previous winners have included Tom Dascombe and Richard Hannon, and it was great to see Clive Cox win this years renewal. Clive has long admired our boxes when he has seen them at the sales but is yet to make the jump and purchase one – now he gets one for free!! It was another fantastic day on the Knavesmire – great to catch up with so many people and meet new ones as well! Dinner that night was in La Vecchia Scuola – a nice Italian we had found on previous visits. Good food, great staff, and another really good night!
Sales Race winner Dragon Leader
Robinsons - if in York - head here for breakfast!
It is delicious!
Friday, we headed for home, sadly not able to join Darran and the family when they popped into Ravenswell Farm and Ivy Lodge to see their horses! All the horses are well and looking great. All have now progressed to the hill gallop and are moving nicely. Blue Bikini did have an off day a few days ago but she is as right as rain again now. A few of them have started to have a little school now as well, and it will not be long before they are back on the track! Greyval is in fine form and moving really well – it can take a week or so for her to loosen up after a break. Hidden Beauty and Fortune Forever are going great guns (Still a share available in Fortune Forever) Mamoon Star is schooling and up to this point he is very good and straight (which did become an issue last season). Maria’s Flame is now doing plenty on the hill gallop, and form what I can see, doing it very nicely. They all look to be in rude health down there, and all being well I will get full picture and video updates of all of them next week! At Ivy Lodge Farm Darran and family got to see their boy Intrepide Sud who will be back in training in around 6 weeks, and their young son Christopher even got to have a little ride on Fudge. Huge thanks to Jason and Lauren for making them all so welcome, it will be a morning that they will never forget! Working with people like Jason, Lauren and the team at Ivy Lodge is an absolute pleasure, they understand that syndicate membership is all about having fun, and their help is hugely appreciated! As well as being so accommodating, Jason is first class with his communication, and it was good to get a clip of Cloud Dancer having a school in the arena on Friday. He will be heading to Gary Moores in the next week or so – and I can’t wait to see what he can do this season – he already has a win under his belt on his only start over hurdles, and although the race he won was not super strong (although the second has won since) it was the manner in which he did it – the penny only really dropping between the last two, where he easily came away from those in behind! He’s another classy young horse on the team!
Maria's Flame
Blue Bikini
Intrepide Sud
Cloud Dancer
On Saturday I paid a well overdue visit to Newmarket to see Reflexion Faite with Kevin Philippart de Foy. Ryan and his daughter Evie had made the trip up from Wales for a Daddy and Daughter weekend and popped in to see their filly do a swinging piece on the Cambridge Road gallop. RF went really well, and as I type has been declared to run in Ripon on Tuesday. Her first start in a handicap, and she goes there in good form. It was good to get a very positive update from Alan King on Saturday morning too. The unnamed 3 yr old filly by Jukebox Jury had her first taste of the grass gallop earlier in the week when she and a couple of others had a canter on it, but she was back on the hill on Saturday and quickened up for the first time, doing it nicely with a couple of other horses that have already shown a fair level of ability in bumpers, and have the benefit of experience on her. Alan was thrilled with her, and said she is progressing very nicely! Again – limited shares are available in her – she is the full sister to an Irish Point winner that made 170,000 at the Punchestown Festival Sale in April, and a half sister to a black type performer, so she has the added benefit of having a lovely resale value when her racing days are over. She is great value and is recommended – have a look at her on the For Sale Page and get in touch – it is worth buying a share just to see the yard where she is trained – you won’t get to a more beautiful place!
Newmarket
Reflexion Faite
Jukebox Jury x La Pelodette
Next week we head up to Donny for the Premier Sale and will be back late on Wednesday – before heading off early on Thursday to see some of the team!
It really feels like we are getting going now, and the excitement is really building for the National Hunt Season!
The Lionesses couldn’t quite get the job done last week – but what a credit they are! The English Rugby team on the other hand, may face a different welcome when they return from their World Cup – probably early!! The last sporting comments especially for Kiaran – I’m sorry we won’t be seeing you on the racecourse any time soon!
