Annual Trip
One of my favourite weeks of the year – the York Ebor meeting. As a leading journalist for a national newspaper put it to me when we met up in the paddock on Thursday – ‘top class racing, without the bollocks!’ It really is – everything about York is so laid back and ‘normal’ – the people are extra friendly, the racecourse is superb, the quality of the horses running is extremely high, and the city is fantastic fun! If you have never been – do! You won’t regret it!
Monday started with a declaration – Mamoon Star declared in the 2m7f handicap hurdle in Worcester on Wednesday evening. MS has badly lost his way since winning on hurdles debut, and we are trying everything to get him to put his best foot forward on the track again. He is a horse that is better on a sound surface and we know that he has developed a habit of jumping badly out to his right, but there are only two tracks in the UK that are right handed and have meetings through the summer – Perth and Market Rasen – we didn’t fancy hauling him up to Perth for what in effect was an experiment, and there were no races for him in Market Rasen so we had to send him to left handed Worcester. Blinkers were added, and Johnny Burke in the saddle. Hopefully we would see an improved performance from him – or his time on the squad could be drawing to an end.
Tuesday started well – it is always nice to receive acknowledgement of a job well done – so it was very nice to get a call from a trainer first thing asking me to keep my eye out for a colt or gelding from France that would be suitable for a juvenile hurdling career this winter. The trainer had noticed how we always seemed to find nice fillies from France that often went on to gain valuable black type and has asked me to source a suitable colt or gelding for an owner!
Debbie was on the road early and in to see the team at Donald McCains. This was to be the first of two-yard visits Debbie would make this week – and we are very lucky to have her on the team – her photographs are top class, and it is a real bonus for our syndicate members and owners to receive such beautiful images of their horses ‘at home.’ As you would expect, Debbie’s work is a lot better than my iphone images! Debbie, who was in the area to photograph and video a number of horses at a couple of different yards for an upcoming online auction, got to see all three horses out on the round gallop and said they all looked in great order. Dino Bellagio was typical Dino – plenty of bucking and kicking going on – he is full of himself as usual; Old Blue Eyes is moving really well – and Ridin Solo looks to have matured and strengthened from last season. They all look fantastic in Debbie’s photos – it never ceases to amaze me how professionals always seem to be able to capture a horses character – and these three all have plenty of that!
Ridin Solo
Dino Bellagio
Dino - now cantering 2 miles per day
Dino still misbehaving!
Dino coming home - still a share available in Dino - he is a smart horse - with plenty of character!
Old Blue Eyes
OBE cantering
Fergal rang a little later in the morning to say how happy he was with Chevelle who had settled in well, and who would have her first sight of the hill gallop on Wednesday, when she would do one canter, and then meet Johnny Burke for the first time on Thursday when he would be in to school her.
Olly Murphy, now returned from his honeymoon sent a video through updating all of the Tintagel Queen syndicate about her progress back to full fitness. He is delighted with her – she suffered an injury that cut short last season for her – but she is back up to doing two miles of cantering a day now – and moving very well. There are a couple of shares available in this lovely big daughter of the mighty Camelot – she is a full sister to a Grade 1 hurdler, a half sister to numerous black type horses on the flat, and out of a pattern performer as well. Oddly the set back she suffered last term may work in her favour as she was always a filly that was going to need time to fill her enormous frame, and having been placed in two of her three starts – a short head second in a bumper and an eyecatching third on hurdles debut – Olly is certain that she is bigger and stronger again – she is a lot to look forward to! We have seen plenty of shares taken in the last week – and we are down to just a couple here and there now – please get in touch if you would like to take a share in any of the horses – some are now fully subscribed – get in touch to bag your ‘seat on the fun bus’ for the season! 07909 518902 nickbrownracing@gmail.com
Wednesday, we headed up the road to York. It was good to get a very positive update from Josh Moore as we headed up the A1 – he called to say how happy he was with Cloud Dancer, and that he would be looking for a race form him in a couple of weeks time. He has come to hand very quickly and has not had any of the hold ups that bugged him last term – although the first run is likely to be needed – he should be lots of fun this season!
What a card on the opening day of the Ebor Meeting – sadly there were things to do at home before we left so we missed the action on the racecourse in the afternoon – but we did get into town later in the afternoon and after a wander around – found ourselves in our usual watering hole Ye Olde Starre Inn. We settled in for a sociable hour or two and were in good spirits when we tuned in on the phone to watch Mamoon Star in the 7.35 in Worcester. As ever Malcolm looked really well, and took the prelims in his stride, given that this was the first time he had sported blinkers in public. Johnny was going to be good and positive on him and he lined up in front rank, but Malc had a good look at the first and ended up in a bunch of horses in mid field very quickly. He wasn’t liking it there so Johnny pulled him wide and out of the ruck, and he picked up well and was travelling nicely. He does have this habit of jumping out to his right, which of course was far from ideal on this left handed track, but he was travelling well turning for home and picked up when Johnny gave him a squeeze. For a minute he looked like he was going to play a big part in the finish, but eventually he tired and finished well beaten. He gave up oceans of ground by jumping away to his right all the time – and patently didn’t stay the extra few furlongs – we will try again – on a right handed track and back down in trip – the blinkers certainly helped and will be retained. We may even look to give him a run on the flat as he shows an awful lot of pace at home – we will look at the options.
Mamoon Star pre race
After briefly getting excited as MS rounded the home turn in Worcester, we were soon back to normal – finished our drinks and headed round the corner to Cut & Craft where we were booked in for dinner. Good food, great atmosphere, and well worth a visit – they serve beer in steins too!
Thursday – Mamoon Star seemed fine after his run the previous evening – one or two of our party a little less well after their ‘runs’!
Darren and family were in Ravenswell to see their horses, Intrepide Sud and Maria’s Flame. IS cantered on the round gallop and then schooled over hurdles. He is in great form and will be ready to run in around 6 weeks. He will start over hurdles before switching to fences sooner rather than later – he has the stamp of a real chaser! Maria’s Flame cantered on the round gallop and was full of herself. She should come to hand quite quickly, and although she had a couple of weeks extra holiday and has not been in work as long as the others, she will not be far off being fit and ready at the same time as them. She could have one more start in a bumper before heading over hurdles.
Johnny Burke was in and, as planned, got to sit on Chevelle for the first time. He was really happy with her. She is a natural over an obstacle and will get plenty of practice over the course of the next few weeks before she makes her hurdles debut at the end of September.
Another one to school was Greyval who skipped up the hurdles. She will start her season over the smaller obstacles – but she could switch to fences at some stage. She schooled over them in the spring before she headed off on her break and was very good over them.
While all this was going on at Fergals – we were moving horseboxes around York and into position for the days racing, after which we made our way up from our apartments down by the river to Robinsons on Bishopthorpe Road – this is one of the highlights of our stays in York – Robinsons do the most amazing breakfasts – not your usual ‘full English’ etc – just an assortment of scratch cooked meals with some very tasty coffee, and freshly squeezed orange juice – it is a favourite of many of the raceday TV presenters – and it really is worth a visit if you are in that area of York!
The best breakfast!
We made our way to the track around 12.30 – almost collecting Racing TV’s Lydia Hislop as a bonnet ornament on the Range Rover when she stepped out onto a zebra crossing a bit smartly!
We spent the afternoon with Goffs UK in their superb hospitality facility in the Grandstand. The second race was the annual running of the Goffs UK Sales Race – a race open to 2 yr olds that were purchased through the Goffs UK sales ring in Doncaster. It is worth over £300,000 to the winner and a full field went to post. Along with the huge prize fund, the winning trainer also gets the use of a Theault horsebox for free for the 2025 flat season – and although a good number of the trainers with runners in the race already have Theaults – it is always exciting to see who will be getting a free box next year. Last year Clive Cox was the winning trainer – and he repeated the feat this year as well – when his 22/1 shot Diligently under Rossa Ryan stayed on really well to snatch the prize away from the favourite. Clive, as you would expect was delighted, he has been very pleased with the box he won last year – and now he gets to have another one!
A busy York
Diligently wins the Goffs UK Sales race
Presentation
Clive was delighted to see me again!!
We headed into town for the evening – a table booked at Little Italy – an Italian restaurant and delicatessen that we have tried to have dinner in for years – finally made it – and it was superb! Simply stunning food – a wonderful wine list, and excellent staff! On race weeks you have to book a few months in advance – but it is SO worth it! We will be booking our table for next year later today!! This was right up there with one of the best dinners I have ever eaten!
A damp walk home through The Shambles
Friday, a very windy night had left York looking a little dishevelled. We were on the track early to move a horsebox, and it was evident that it had been quite a storm in the night. Plenty of branches off of tress around the course, barriers blown down and into roads and plenty of tables and chairs upended in the enclosures! After getting the horsebox back round to the horsebox park it was time for another Robinsons breakfast – you have to get there in good time – they open at 8.30am and by just after 9.00 there is a queue on the street! After checking out of the apartment we headed into town for a little bit of sight seeing – it was a glorious morning, and a nice way to end our few days in the town. Traffic home was a little less glorious – the Leeds Festival makes the trip a little busy – but we circumnavigated that hold up and got home eventually. Who knows next year we might take that in on the way home!
While we were enjoying ourselves in York, Debbie was still hard at work – and was getting battered by the wind at Ravenswell Farm – although it was windy – the light was perfect, and her photos of Intrepide Sud, Greyval, Chevelle and Maria’s Flame on the hill gallop are simply stunning! Again - it is a real privilege to be able to send out owners and members such quality images of their horses! Hit the links to see these amazing images of four of the horses on the team – and if you like any of them – please order through the link too!
https://equinecreativemedia.smugmug.com/RACING-STABLES/Nick-Brown-Racing/2024/August-/Fergal-OBrien-Aug-23/Intrepid-Sud
https://equinecreativemedia.smugmug.com/RACING-STABLES/Nick-Brown-Racing/2024/August-/Fergal-OBrien-Aug-23/Marias-Flame
https://equinecreativemedia.smugmug.com/RACING-STABLES/Nick-Brown-Racing/2024/August-/Fergal-OBrien-Aug-23/Greyval
https://equinecreativemedia.smugmug.com/RACING-STABLES/Nick-Brown-Racing/2024/August-/Fergal-OBrien-Aug-23/Chevelle
Chevelle
Intrepide Sud
Greyval
Maria's Flame
A well earned rest for Debbie and Shamela
Saturday – a wet morning – but through the rain at Barbury Castle, Rockola looked on very good terms with herself as she cantered on the hill gallop over at Sharperidge. Alan is very happy with her. The Lindas Lad filly is still with Jamie Magee but will soon be back at Barbury to resume preparations for her debut in a junior bumper in October.
Around the rest of the team – Itchy Feet continues his road work with Alex Knight and Connor Brace – he will be back to Warren Chase in the next couple of weeks to resume cantering.
