Plenty Of Gears!
Last weeks ‘Sunday Sermon’ was, in truth mostly penned on Saturday – as Sunday looked like being a busy one.
Having got most of the weekly update written the day before, it meant that Sunday morning was clear to concentrate on Mamoon Star’s declaration in Huntingdon on Tuesday and organising badges for members of The Red Sash Racing Club who were going to be in Stratford on Monday to see Ridin Solo have his first run of the season. I did have to just put the finishing touches to the weekly update and get the photos and videos embedded within in it, but when all that was done it was time to hit the road to Uttoxeter to see Intrepide Sud in the opening race on the card - the first division of the maiden hurdle.
As many of you will be aware, the career of Intrepide Sud has had more highs and lows than a Florida weather mans map! Having been through some serious lows we were all hoping that this season he could scale a few heights, and we were all really looking forward to getting him back on track on Sunday. The drama all started way back when he was a three year old – but that is a long story for another day – but it all ended up with him winning a point to point and joining the ‘Racing Team’ from one of our pinhooking syndicates. He had two runs in bumpers, where he probably should have won the first one – but did win the second a month or so later. Sadly, in that race he sustained a leg injury which necessitated a lengthy spell of rest, rehabilitation and recuperation. He was given all the time that he needed, and returned to training last autumn, with a plan of being back running in January. His return was delayed by the unbelievably wet winter we endured last year – and he didn’t get back to the track until the end of March, but the extra time was always going to be a benefit to him and allow that extra period of healing. He made his comeback in Taunton, where Johnny Burke was booked to ride, it was becoming clear that Johnny was to be named the successor to Paddy Brennan as stable jockey at Ravesnwell Farm at the end of the season, so, with Brennan booked for the favourite in the race it was the perfect time for Johnny to get to know ‘Suddy’. Johnny was impressed, he gave him a lovely feel and despite having had 20 months on the sidelines IS ran a very encouraging race to be fifth. Johnny was thrilled, as were his patient owners, and said that although he had the looks and physique of a staying chaser, there were hurdle races to be won with him before he headed over fences. Thankfully he came out of the race well and headed to Exeter in April where once again he ran a lovely race, building on the Taunton return to finish a close third behind a very useful rival. Johnny was once again very impressed with him, and having had a sit on him twice said that he would be keen to ride him very positively the next time he ran – make plenty of use of his big stride and really let him stretch out in front – but that would have to wait - we had hoped to get another run into him in the spring, but sadly the ground went against us, and having been so patient to get him back to where we were with him, it seemed absolutely pointless to run him on drying spring ground and undo everything that had been achieved, by reinjuring him. IS was given the summer off and returned to work in July. Since he started back on the hill gallop, he has really caught the eye in his homework – I can’t put my finger on why, but he has just looked like a different horse this time round, and we were all looking forward to his return.
The ground in Uttoxeter had been very soft at the start of last week but was drying back, and on the day, it was perfect for IS. He looked fantastic in the paddock as always – he is such an imposing individual, and he went to post like an old pro. Johnny had not forgotten the plan he had hatched after Exeter, and he was keen to be good and handy with him, and if that meant making the running, so be it - and that is exactly what he did. He was a bit keen over the first few but as they headed out into the country he had settled and was in a superb rhythm. As they turned for home and bypassed the third last flight, Johnny gave him a squeeze and asked him for another gear, and in his words, ‘I didn’t just get one, I got a couple’. IS really quickened and the pair were fairly motoring over the last two flights, eventually galloping to the line for an easy, and very impressive looking success. His owners were all thrilled! It has been such a journey with him – but he has now won his bumper and his maiden hurdle, and he looks like a horse with a lovely future. Johnny was even more impressed with him, and said that although it isn’t immediately clear what he has beaten, and the opposition may not have been that strong, you can’t take away the way that he did it. The style in which he put the race to bed in a matter of strides, and the feel that he gave his jockey – it looks like it could be a fun season with Suddy. Huge thanks must go to his syndicate of owners – they have all had to be so patient with him – it would have been all too simple to take the easy route out and cash their chips and move on, but all (bar one man), stuck with him and put their trust in myself, Fergal and all the team at Ravenswell, when we said that their patience would be rewarded. As regular sufferers of this weekly ramble will be aware – it is my firm belief that patience is always rewarded in racing, and it very much looks the case with IS. We will wait to see what the handicapper does when he allots him his opening hurdles mark on Tuesday before committing to a plan for IS – all routes are open to him – a novice hurdle with a penalty, novice handicap hurdle, handicap hurdle, or even a switch to fences, whichever way he goes he looks to have a very bright future ahead of him now that his troubles are behind him.
Intrepide Sud in the paddock
In full flow!
Coming back in with a happy Johnny Burke
An even smilier Kaitlin!
Happy Owners!
Monday morning started with the best news – although he had suffered a few cuts up inside a hind leg – IS’s front legs were all good and he had come through the race fine.
Chevelle was declared to run in Ludlow on Wednesday – she would face a big field, but we were looking forward to getting her going in her new career. She had been working and schooling great at home, and it was time to get her out and doing the job she had been brought to do.
Badges were organised for the members of The Sharnbrook Partnership who were heading to see Mamoon Star run in Huntingdon on Tuesday, and it was good to hear from Louise Kemble with an update on all of the youngsters, and Savingforvegas at The Elms Stud. Louise and I discussed plans for them all, Barry will start the journey of being a ‘proper racehorse’ within the next month when he heads down to Jason Maguire and starts pre training. He will spend a few weeks at Ivy Lodge Farm before heading to a trainer in the New Year. That trainer is yet to be decided, and Jason, as usual, will have a huge say in where he goes into training. Instead of just picking a trainer arbitrarily, we go to great lengths in matching horses with suitable trainers. Some systems will suit some and not others, and having Maguire get to work with these youngsters, and assess them for 18 months before they head to their chosen trainer is a huge part of the process. Barry has always shown a touch of ‘something special’ and is one that we are all looking forward to immensely! His half brothers Floyd and George, along with Finbar are also in fine fettle. Floyd and Finbar will head to Ivy Lodge Farm next spring for their ‘secondary school’ – Floyd may end up being a bigger and more ‘backward’ type than Finbar, and I may wait to syndicate him – Finbar on the other hand is a very compact and athletic individual and is an ideal candidate to start his career in 12 months’ time in a Junior Bumper. Yearling George will head to Jason next summer to be broken in – he looks to have all the qualities of his half brothers before him and being by Golden Horn, he too should have a very nice future. Plans for him are very fluid at the moment. He could be syndicated or he could be sold as a store – we will see how the chips fall.
Alan King sent a video through of Rockola having a school over hurdles – she was ‘on springs’ and everyone was really happy with her!
Dino Bellagio got an entry in Hexham on Saturday 12th – a method in the madness – with Donald thinking that the configuration of the track may be useful – with just two flights of hurdles in the last half mile – it may help Dino after suffering a hind leg injury last year – we would see how the race looked – he would also have entries in Market Rasen and Carlisle going forward.
After getting the race report for Intrepide Sud written and out to members of The Chicheley Partnership, it was off to Stratford for the afternoon to see Ridin Solo have his first run of the season – and to meet up with a few members of The Red Sash Racing Club – who would be there to cheer him on. They got the added bonus of seeing the trainer there too! Ridin Solo had come to hand early and would be going to Stratford without the benefit of a racecourse gallop, so we all knew that whatever he achieved in this race – he would improve considerably for it. Brian Hughes booked, and he was going to be positive, knowing that the 2m1f trip around a sharp track would not put enough emphasis on stamina and that he could not let the race turn into a sprint. Perfectly positioned throughout – they were there to challenge when the pace lifted, and at one stage it looked like RS would stay on and trouble the leader, but the lack of a gallop caught him out as he approached the last flight, and he started to tread water. Brian nursed him over it – gave him one tap to keep him up to his work and brought him home under a hands and heels ride, just getting run out of second on the run to the line. With this run under his belt – he will now be stepped up in trip, and it very much looks as though he will be winning his hurdle very soon. His jumping is a real asset to him, and he will make a lovely chaser in the future, although Brian did feel that there was plenty of races to be won with him over hurdles first. The run certainly caught the eye of a few viewers, and we had shares being snapped up as we stood in the third place spot in the winners enclosure after the race – confirmation emails were coming through to my phone, and continued to do so throughout the rest of the day – we wish all new members the very best of luck with Ridin Solo – he is a lovely horse to be involved in! You can be part of it all and join the Club – head over to The Red Sash Racing Club website and buy a share for just £75 – you get so much more than a small share in Ridin Solo – through our Members area we aim to enlighten and educate members about the racing and bloodstock industries – with regular updates on Ridin Solo and plans that we have for him, and our exclusive ‘In Behind’ feature that we put out every few weeks – the next one of which will be published in the near future. Head over to the website and sign up www.redsashracing.co.uk
Ridin Solo in the paddock
Heading out
Happy with his days work!
I ran into Fergal while at the races and he was quick to tell me that Johnny Burke had been full of praise for Intrepide Sud when he was in the yard to school that morning – he was certainly impressed – I think IS surprised him slightly with the gears that he showed!
Tuesday – A race report to write for members of The Red Sash Racing Club – every member of every syndicate get a written race report – this way everyone has the same information and there are fewer ‘crossed wires’, which can result when the debrief is given verbally, as there is often a large amount of information to take in and repeat, and some facts can get lost, or misinterpreted along the way – I find that writing and issuing a written report, keeps everything moving along as smoothly as possible. Doing the same for Club members – due to the numbers is probably more vital!
Badges were organised for the members of The Tyringham Partnership who would be heading over to Ludlow to see Chevelle make her hurdles debut on Wednesday, and it was good to catch up with Will Kinsey too. Will called for a catch up about Ridin Solo’s run, and to update me on the 2 yr old Filly by Masterstroke – a half sister to Hidden Beauty – who he has at his place in Cheshire. He is really happy with her and says that she takes his eye every time he is out feeding the bunch in the morning. She has been broken and backed and will do a little but more in the next few weeks, before being housed in one of his huge barns with her pals for the winter, out of the cold and wet. She will head down to Jason Maguires in the spring and be taken on the next step of her education. At that stage she will be syndicated – I have decided to syndicate her in 25 shares – which will be available to buy next spring. After the exploits of her half sister Hidden Beauty I believe that these shares will prove to be very popular – if you would like to reserve a share in her now – then simply let me know and I will put you on a list of provisional owners. Will believes that she is tailor made for Junior Bumpers next autumn – and that is the route she will be aimed at – her half sister Hidden Beauty was a very impressive bumper winner, before she suffered a setback, which resulted in her never reaching the full level of her potential judging on what she had shown at home – we hope that this filly can emulate HB, and win her bumper before going on and winning over hurdles! Get your name down!
At lunchtime I made the short trip over to Huntingdon to see Mamoon Star run and to see the members of The Sharnbrook Partnership that could be there. MS had become very frustrating – after showing so much in bumpers, he won his first start over hurdles but had never been the same since. No stone had been left unturned in an effort to get him back to the level he had shown a couple of years ago – and the level he has always shown at home – his homework is always top class. Tuesday, he had everything in his favour – if it wasn’t going to happen it never would, he had a right handed track, good ground, a top class, and in form jockey – he was in great order at home too – so he had to show us something. Sadly, all he showed us was that he didn’t really have the fight in him anymore. He travelled away through the race fine, made an error at the last in the back straight and Johnny had to really drive him up to lead around the top bend but by the time they entered the straight he had capitulated and was beaten in third. In the end he hadn’t the fight in him to hold on for third or even fourth and was a well beaten fifth in the end. He had shown us once and for all that he didn’t want to be a racehorse anymore, and we would respect his wishes – he was retired on the spot. He is such a gorgeous looking horse, with a wonderful temperament that will make a lovely horse for someone to take on to a different career. We will take our time and find the right home for him as always, and we will keep up with his progress in his next career.
A good crowd - hoping Mamoon Star could recapture his form!
Mamoon Star could not have looked better!
Sadly the fire has gone out - Happy retirement Malc!
Wednesday - it was off to Ludlow to see Chevelle make her hurdles debut. We had been looking forward to this! When she had gone up to Warwick the week before to school over hurdles, she had been a bit keen, so Johnny was always going to hold her up and get her settled on her first run over obstacles – she needed to learn the pace of a jumps race as opposed to a flat race. As the tapes went up Johnny had her nicely in rear, and it looked like the perfect plan as the leaders set of at breakneck speed. She was quite strong into the first and when a horse fell upsides her, she got quite a fright. She was then very careful at the remaining seven flights, either getting in close to them and never really having a cut at them or giving them so much air that she lost all momentum and rhythm. As they went down the back Johnny said she was giving him a nice feel between the hurdles, and he was just starting to think that if she got her confidence and started to warm to her jumping, he would be passing a few in the home straight and she would have run a lovely race. It was just at that point that she started to make a whistle, and it was obvious that her wind was catching her out – it was clear from then on that she was not going to run on as he had hoped and that he needed to nurse her home and keep her in one piece, which he did. We had hoped for a better debut – but there were obvious reasons for her run, all of which we can rectify – we know she is a natural hurdler – she just needs her confidence restoring, and her breathing will be assessed on Monday and anything that needs to be done will be. Having wanted to give her the best experience possible – she had everything but - poor girl – but she will be OK going forward – she shows enough at home to know that she will be a fun horse for her new owners!
Chevelle in the paddock
Chevelle post race
Good to catch up with Alan King in Ludlow – he had sent a video of Rockola working that morning – and reported that he was really pleased with her – she is not far off making her seasonal debut.
It was a long trip back from Ludlow – an hour delay on the M6 – which was still the quickest route home! Our Curry Club table reservation was pushed back – but we got there and had a lovely night with Mat and Sarah – the Nawab Lounge in St Neots never disappoints – and great to see our little mate back waiting tables after being ill for quite a while and away from the restaurant! If you have ever been there, you will know Mr Aziz -he is quite the character!
Thursday morning – Chevelle OK after her run – and the race report out to her owners. Also the Mamoon Star race report to send out – Mamoon Star retiring was a disappointing day but not a sad day. I have seen far too many horses finish their careers with a nasty injury or even worse – MS would be heading off on the next part of his journey safe and sound, and able to fully participate in any discipline (away from racing) that any new owner would wish to take him on – that is a big thing!
With the reports written and emailed, Donald McCain was on the phone early – to discuss plans for Dino Bellagio. Brian Hughes was in at Bankhouse and had just schooled Dino when he called, and we agreed that if Brian thought that it was the right thing to do, he would declare Dino in Hexham on Saturday. Decision made – we popped him in – the race was marked down as a possible to divide, so even though he had been allocated a low ballot number and would be the first one eliminated if the race was oversubscribed – he should still get to go in one of the divisions. So, I let all of his syndicate know – confident that he would be going – only for the race NOT to divide and Dino be balloted out! I still haven’t got to Hexham! The good news is that Brian was really happy with Dino’s schooling and he is ready to start his season off. We are just putting a line through last term – and hopefully he can take us where we saw him taking us at the start of last season – which is to some really nice meetings!
While on the phone Donald gave an update on the other two he has there. Ridin Solo had come out of his race with a nasty little cut – but that had healed well and faster than expected and he was back in work, and he was really happy with Old Blue Eyes – his work has been good – and he will have a racecourse gallop in the next 10-14 days after which he will be good to get cracking in a bumper. No firm plans for him yet – but at this stage everyone is more than happy with him – and the hope is that if he shows on the track what he does at home he will stay in bumpers for the season and head to some nice ones in the spring! Fingers crossed!
Alan King sent a video through of the Lindas Lad filly striding out on his carpet gallop, she has returned from a short break in great order and he is very happy with her – when I saw him in Stratford later in the afternoon he was full of praise for her – saying how well he thought she was going – there are still a handful of shares available in her – head to the FOR SALE PAGE – have a look at her – and get in touch nickbrownracing@gmail.com or 07909 518902.
Friday – England win the Test Match in Pakistan by an innings – some job to concede over 500 in the first innings and not have to bat again!! That wicket was a bit flat!
Dino Bellagio got an entry in Carlisle – and we would look at both that and the Market Rasen race and make a decision where to go – as I type – Donald has not declared him in Market Rasen and instead he will head to Carlisle on Thursday.
I spoke to Josh Moore – who was hoping to have Cloud Dancer out again around this time – but when I saw him on Tuesday in Huntingdon, he had mentioned that CD had missed a couple of bits of work and that he would need a little bit more time. Nothing serious – but we need to have him spot on for his next start – so we will have to be a little more patient.
With Chepstow getting going on Friday, a meeting that most consider to be the ‘start’ of the jumps season proper, Attheraces did an interview with Fergal to discuss his runners for the meeting and some of his stars for the season. It was good to hear Intrepide Sud get a mention – he had clearly caught Tony Ennis’ eye when he was in the studio when he ran last Sunday, and he was keen to find out more about him. Nice to get a mention too!
Saturday – we had planned to give Maria’s Flame an entry in a mares bumper in Uttoxeter next Friday – but she had worked on Friday and had a really good blow afterwards. Her recovery was slow, and Fergal thought she may even have been a bit under the weather, but scopes showed that she was healthy – just not quite ready to run. She will be out in a fortnight, which to be fair is reasonable, as she was 2 weeks later coming back into work than the others. While on the phone to Fergal we caught up with the rest – Mamoon Star – fine after his run, Greyval in great order - she would have an entry in Stratford on the 19th – a 0-120 mares race – the same sort of race that she was beaten in twice in the spring – two races that she should really have won – so hopefully this will be third time lucky!
Greyval
Intrepide Sud is back cantering, and we wait to see what the handicapper does with him. I thought he could get 115 on the back of his Exeter run – but Ferg thinks 108 – he is probably right – he has probably already spoken to the assessor – which means he would have the drop on me! Chevelle booked in for an overland scope on Monday – she will have her wind issue sorted, and we will reset with her.
It has been quite the week in Newmarket at the Book 1 Yearling Sales – the cream of the flat yearling crop – and a blockbuster trade – a clearance rate of 85% with 8 selling for 2 million guineas or more and 11 making seven figures – 70 yearlings made over 500.000 Guineas and records were broken!
It was a spectacular sale for Camelot – who’s progeny continue to command the very highest prices – he is simply a spectacular sire – and we are thrilled to have a daughter of his, Tintagel Queen who is not only by him, she is out of a Listed placed mare, who has bred a Listed winner on the flat and a host of top notch performers including her full brother Gardens Of Babylon who was placed in Grade 1 hurdles including The Triumph Hurdle. TQ has been placed in a bumper and on her only hurdles start last season – and has been in fantastic form this autumn at home – putting in a sparkling piece of work last week in Lambourn. She is ready to run – and will be out as soon as there is a suitable race on some juicy ground! I have a share available in her, and I would recommend getting involved – no capital outlay – and just £110/month training/keep fee – get in touch – your chance to be involved with a talented daughter of the mighty Camelot! nickbrownracing@gmail.com or 07909 518902
Shares are very thin on the ground now – we welcomed a couple more new faces this week – and with most of the horses now fully subscribed you will need to act fast.
One share that has come available this week – is a share in Intrepide Sud – currently owned by a client who lives overseas, he has decided that he can’t get to see IS run as much as he would like to, and now that he has proven himself to be over his injury and capable of a very decent level of form – he has offered his share for sale – of you are interested please get in touch – he is not asking the world for the share – and you have seen what he can do – and have read what everyone thinks about him!
The only other one to mention is Itchy Feet, who was clipped last week, after developing his winter coat seemingly overnight! He is cantering away and building back up to full fitness!
Next week we head out for a couple of visits along with a trip to Carlisle, and an outing to Stratford next weekend. Let’s hope we can bag another winner!
