King(y)s For A Day
The week ended with a few lightning shows – and some very impressive downpours! After ‘test driving’ the boiler last week – it was time to get the waterproofs out!
Monday was a rarity – I sat in the office first thing – with just one thing on the ‘to do’ list. Ring Alan King and put the final touches to our latest ‘Syndicate Saturday’ – the ‘roadshow’ would be dropping in with him and his team on Saturday morning. Alan was away enjoying some sunshine, but we got a plan in place, and he went back to his sun longer and cocktails.
With the rest of the day looking quiet, we headed out for a little jaunt and ended up spending a few hours around a couple of little spots around Northamptonshire – we made the short trip up the M1 to the Three Shires Shopping Village – and collection of outlets in some converted Victorian farm buildings. An interesting place – a great cookware shop there – clothes – gifts, and antique Nik Naks as well a very decent coffee shop where we had a lovely little brunch and a really nice coffee. Coming from farming stock – and having a love of history – I have always enjoyed seeing old farm buildings preserved in a way that retains their character – time moves on and as these style of buildings became obsolete as technology moved on into the industrial age many were either knocked down or altered to suit more modern practices – it was really nice to see a set of farm buildings that maintain a great deal of their character for once, despite being utilised in a way that is a million miles away from the one they were first built for! I think we both enjoyed the visit – but for very different reasons!
As is usual – when a day looks like it will be quiet – it never ends up that way – and soon enough some plans were changed and there were owners to inform. Fergal had planned to take Chevelle up to Warwick on Wednesday, Johnny Burke was keen to give her a spin up the hurdles on their schooling ground at the track. At this stage she has only jumped hurdles on an artificial surface, and Johnny felt that it would be hugely beneficial for her to just get the feel of taking off and landing on turf before she made her hurdles debut. Sadly, as reported last week – She had a little cough on the way back from a very nice piece of work on the Friday – so plans for her to make her hurdles debut at the end of the month were shelved while she recovered from a slight respiratory infection, and as a result – the trip up to Warwick would be postponed as well. One that would be leaving Ravenswell for an ‘away day’ would be Intrepide Sud – who Ferg had booked in for a gallop at Martin Keighleys on Tuesday – he has been working very well up the hill at Ravenswell – but Ferg was keen to test him on the longer gallop at Martins. Greyval and Chevelle had made the short trip the week before, and it does them the world of good at this stage, to get them on a lorry and on a new gallop – it gets them ‘in tune’ for the season ahead, and also gives Fergal another guage on their fitness levels.
Later, on Monday evening I managed to get a deal finalised for a lovely hurdles prospect out of France. As many of you will know I spend a lot of time looking at French racing, and equally as long with my head in French sales catalogues. A trainer had trusted me with the task of finding him a nice 3 yr old to go juvenile hurdling this season – preferably a gelding with some jumping experience. This horse was put forward by our man in France, and was actually a horse that we had been watching all year – his pedigree was known to us as we had come very close to purchasing his dam a few years ago (only for her to injure herself ahead of her scheduled vetting), a price was agreed the week before and the horse passed a very rigorous vetting over the weekend. What had looked like being a quiet day – ended up a long, but very successful day – I am delighted to have secured this talented individual and wish his new connections the very best of luck with him!
Tuesday – surprisingly – no videos came through from any of the yards on Monday morning as they usually do – thankfully Olly Murphy was on the ball on Tuesday and sent across a couple of clips of Tintagel Queen having her first school of the year under Sean Bowen. Olly has been delighted with Tintagel Queen at every stage since she returned to work in July, and she took this latest stage in her preparation very well too. Sean was really pleased with her – and she should be ready run around the middle of October. TQ is a huge, scopey mare – with an outstanding pedigree, and having finished a short head second in a Chepstow bumper, she made an eyecatching debut over hurdles in Lingfield last season, given an educational ride, she stayed on very nicely over an inadequate trip to finish third in a race that has worked out well. We believe that she has an exciting future ahead of her and have earmarked a valuable hurdle race in the spring as her seasons target! There is just a single share left in her – message me on 07909 518902 or email nickbrownracing@gmail.com for all the details – or to book yourself on the stable visit we have planned at Olly’s Warren Chase yard on Saturday to come and meet up and see her on the gallops. She is a free ‘lease to race’ – there is no capital cost, and the monthly fees are set at £110/month. Get in touch!
Having missed out on our usual schooling video from Ravenswell on Monday – we got a bonus – Greyval working up the hill on Tuesday. She really is in the form of her life – back to where she was in her juvenile season if not better. Johnny and Ferg have been very impressed with her work and schooling – and hopefully she can take that good form onto the track next weekend, when she will have an entry in the £40,000 Prelude Hurdle in Market Rasen, - a race I have targeted in the past and won with Cloonacool in 2015, and who looked like he was coming to bag the prize a year later when cruising into contention only to fall 2 from home. Fergal will go into the race with a team of two or three runners – but I know which one I would want to be on!
Intrepide Sud worked really well on his ‘away day’ – but did have a good blow afterwards, he would probably not be ready for a race that was available to him in Warwick, but their ground was good to firm in places anyway – and he wouldn’t run on that. Ferg will aim to get his season underway in early to mid October.
Mid Morning I headed over to Buckingham to collect a jacket that Dennis at The Buckingham Tailor had altered for me – a suit that I had had made a few years ago – I was never happy with the fit of the jacket – but as usual – did nowt about it! Amazingly – and you will find this hard to believe – it needed taking in!! Dennis had done a fantastic job with it. He provides an excellent service and if you ever want anything made to measure – I would highly recommend his services! The Buckingham Tailor.
Wednesday, with Intrepide Sud having had a good blow after his work the day before, and their ground still good to firm in places, Ferg and I decided not to enter Intrepide Sud in Warwick on September 24th. Having informed his owners about him not being entered – imagine my surprise when Fergs office emailed to say that IS had an entry - in Warwick!!! – Fergal had got busy on a tractor and forgot to take him out! Another quick Whatsapp to his owners! One that did get an entry, but in Fontwell on the same day, was Cloud Dancer. CD has been in fine form since his return from a summer break – a horse that was never quite right after an excellent seasonal debut in Ascot last year – he seems back to his best. With his ailments behind him, and away from the softest of ground this season we are hopeful that he will give his owners a lot of fun!
Ahead of our visit to Barbury Castle at the weekend, and with Kingy back from his holidays – it was good to be able to share a couple of videos with the Lavendon Partnership who own Rockola, and the members of the ‘Lindas Lad’ syndicate. Rockola is really well and striding up the hill well. The ‘Lindas Lad’ filly returned from a short break at Jamie Magee’s, and just did a single canter up the hill. She has really benefitted from the break that she had and has matured a lot – even in that short time.
In the afternoon it was nice to hear from Jack – who took one of the two remaining shares in Maria’s Flame – Jack joined NBR this summer, when he took a share in the Lindas Lad filly, and has doubled his ownership interest with us by grabbing a share in Maria – he has always wanted a share in a horse in training with Fergal – he now has one! Maria is in good order and will start her season off in a bumper in mid October. It was a busy week on the share front, with three new syndicate members joining us – we wish them well with all of their new horses!
Thursday – a little bit last minute – we decided to pop up to see Tintagel Queen and Itchy Feet at Olly Murphys – but Olly was playing in a charity golf day – so we aborted that mission. Fergal’s Monday morning schooling video arrived on Thursday – Greyval schooling upsides Tripoli Flyer at home. Greyval ridden by Jack Hogan, was once again, very neat and nimble! I had a long chat with Fergal in the afternoon – as we near getting the first of the ‘winter’ team out on the track, it is always good to talk through some options and short-term plans for them. As part of the training regime – the vet will give the horses a bit of an MOT before they make their seasonal debut – just to make sure that they are all in tip top shape and moving well. At this stage he will assess them and treat anything that he thinks will help them as the really hard graft starts. He looked at 25 on Thursday – including a few of ours. Nothing major to report, just a little bit of treatment to a couple of creaky joints, and stiff backs. They should all be A1 in time to start their seasons.
Friday – work morning – and although Intrepide Sud may have had a good blow after his ‘away day’ it certainly did him the world of good. His work upsides a 132 rated 6 x winning hurdler on Friday morning was very good indeed. I know I keep saying it – but he is another one that looks set for a very productive season. His syndicate have been very patient with him as he had a long spell on the sidelines after winning his bumper and hopefully that patience will be rewarded this season – judged on his homework and the feedback from Johnny after his two runs in the spring it should be!
Friday afternoon – a sale of National Hunt stock in France – foals, yearlings, stores mares and horses in training. We had our eye on a foal – he was very correct – if slightly ‘light of bone’ – from a family we know well, he was a half brother to Volkovka who did so well for us a couple of years ago, by a fashionable young sire in Beaumec de Houelle. He eventually made slightly more than the value that I had on him, and he was sold – but we know where he is and he will be offered for sale again in the future, either as a two yr old or as a three year old in Ireland. We will keep our eyes on him for sure!
Saturday – Kingy’s for the day – an early start – dry and warm when I left – and an absolute monsoon when I arrived at Barbury!! One of those – ‘I have never seen rain like it’ moments.
Those that rode an early lot were pretty damp as they returned to the yard! First lot – it was nice to see one of our old boys – ‘Off The Jury’ on the hill gallop – he has really matured into a lovely big model and should give his owner a lot of fun over hurdles this season. We had bought him as a foal and sold him as a three year old before he went on to win his Irish Point to Point. He is actually a full brother to our own Rockola – so it is incredible that despite taking different paths through their early lives they have both ended up at Barbury Castle. The early morning torrential rain had thankfully mostly passed as syndicate members started to arrive at 8.30am. The weather had trimmed down numbers – a few deciding not to travel – who could blame them! But thankfully it was dry overhead for second lot as we made our way in convoy over to Sharpridge to watch Rockola and the Lindas Lad filly stretch their legs up the hill. Rockola quickened off the top – Alan very happy with her – she may have a couple of weeks down with Jamie Magee on his water treadmill just to try and get a bit of a top line on her – she is a sparely made filly and strengthening her over her back will help her hugely. She will not lose any fitness from it – so there are far more positives than negatives. The Lindas Lad filly did two steady canters up the hill – just back from her break – she will be brought back up to full fitness and then we will look at a plan for her. After watching them up the hill, it was back over to Barbury for (hot) tea, coffee, biscuits and cake. Alan in charge of the teas and coffees – I did hang back a bit after my disaster with cold teas and coffees up at Donalds the week before – I’m just not cut out for the Barista malarky!
It was a fun morning – thankfully the rain eased off, and it was not as miserable as it could have been! Huge thanks to Alan and his staff who were great as always – the horses all looked fabulous – and I am sure that they will carry on the good form of the summer flat team into the winter jumps season.
Having set off very early for Kingy’s it was always going to be a long day – and I returned from Wiltshire – had a brief spell at home and then headed off to a wedding reception. Lovely to catch up with friends – it was a super night – at a local golf club – I spent 15 minutes, and a few pints looking for a name on this board in the bar– I couldn’t find him on there, but he assures me he is! I blame the pints! On closer inspection – he is!
Sunday – the first of the winter team is declared! Cloud Dancer heads to Fontwell on Tuesday. A nice place to start the season for him. He will benefit from the run – but it will be good to get him going again.
Around the rest – Itchy Feet is cantering away nicely at Warren Chase, and Mamoon Star remains in good form at Ravenswell Farm. Up at Bankhouse, as we saw last weekend the three there are all in rude health. Dino Bellagio has built on the first couple of bits of work he did last week and continues to sparkle. Old Blue Eyes has stepped up and done his first piece of work, which went very well and our ‘Club’ horse Ridin Solo who is the furthest forward, is in great order and working very nicely. Good to welcome more members to the Club this week – we popped a full update from last weeks Syndicate Saturday on the members area of the website during the week, and the photo gallery from the morning will go on there later this morning. Debbie as ever has captured some fantastic images of the visit – she has had the busiest of weeks which included photographing the City of Troy gallop in Southwell on Thursday – so huge thanks to her for getting them out to us as soon as she could!
There is a share available in Dino Bellagio – just £25/wk – and there are always shares available for new Club members - £75 buys you a share and covers your share of the training fees for the entire season.
Next week – Fontwell on Tuesday – the Syndicate Saturday Roadshow heads to Olly Murphys – if you would like to join us – 8.30 – 11.00am Saturday 28th September - just let me know – everyone is welcome! We are now off out to lunch with friends at The Red House in Longstowe – I always enjoy it there!!
