Christmas Colours
Very much the ‘quiet before the storm’. No runners in the last seven days, and none declared ahead of the Christmas break, but a busy period planned between Christmas and the New Year when plenty of the team are scheduled to have an outing, and hopefully bring back a bit of the ‘turkey money’! So, it has not been a busy week, although it did have its dramas, and we did fit in a stable visit!
Monday – a day at home, I even wrapped a few presents! Amazing to think that on the 16th of December I had even purchased any! The beauty of the internet!
In the morning Alan King called to say that he had decided not to declare And She Was in Newbury on Wednesday where she had been entered to make her debut in the 3 yr old fillies bumper. When we had popped into Barbury Castle last week he had said that although he felt she was very nearly ready to run – and deserved her entry, the race may just come a week or so too early for her and she would have to prove that she was ready for her debut in her work on the Saturday. That work had gone well, but she had been very green when asked to go away from her workmate, and Alan felt that she needed a little longer before throwing her into the heat of battle. There are plenty of options for her going forward, and she will be out in the very near future. She does seem to go very nicely at home – she has a good attitude – just the right amount of ‘hardiness’ and looks like a filly that will be very tough and resilient when she eyeballs an opponent! We are looking forward to seeing her make her debut!
Tuesday – and to prove that I am not the only person to leave my Christmas shopping until the last minute – I was busy sending out membership certificates for new members of The Red Sash Racing Club. Lots of envelopes headed to the post box – now it was up to Royal Mail to get them to the recipients by Christmas Eve! As I was signing all the new share certificates it struck me just how many of the people that would receive a share in Ridin Solo as a Christmas gift were new to racing! It was good to know that, despite all of what seems to be mainly negative press associated with the sport at the moment, there is still a huge number of people that have an interest in it, and through membership of The Red Sash Racing Club, they get the opportunity to own their own small share in a racehorse, and learn so much more about the sport and associated industries. The Red Sash Racing Club has been established for a little over 12 months now, and it has been one of the most gratifying things I have done. Through it, I have had the pleasure of meeting some really wonderful people, true fans of the sport – been able to support Ridin Solo in his runs, and also give members a glimpse behind the scenes of racing and the bloodstock industries through our In Behind series that features in the Members Only area of the website. It’s been fun – and with Ridin Solo expected to get his first win under rules very soon – the next year looks like being lots of fun too!
It is always a joy to write a race report after a winner, and I am sure it was a pleasure for members of The Keysoe Partnership to receive theirs after Cloud Dancer’s win in Doncaster the previous Saturday. He has come out of that run in good order and having shelved plans to give him a mid winter break – he will be out again in the middle of January.
In the afternoon, I paid slightly more attention to the Catterick Bumper than I usually would if I’m honest. The reason – the participation of Moonbow, who had finished second to our Old Blue Eyes in Sedgefield late last month. Regular readers of this weekly collection of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors will know that we have always held Old Blue Eyes in high regard, and thought him capable of winning a bumper, but we had also feared that without the benefit of previous experience he would be quite green on debut and would undoubtably improve a lot for the run. As it was, although running very green, he ran out a comfortable winner, and it would be very interesting to see how Moonbow would run next time out. The answer: very well – making virtually all he saw off all challengers for a cosy length success. It was lovely to see the form of the Sedgefield race boosted, and we can’t wait to see OBE out again.
Wednesday – Maria’s Flame was to be offered in a Thoroughbid Online Sale. Sadly, her embryonic racing career was cut short by a pelvis injury, and her owner, had decided to offer her on this platform, to see if she could find herself a home as a broodmare. She has a lovely pedigree, and although she didn’t get to show her full potential on the track, her work at home had been very good, and she was a filly with plenty of ability. Sadly, she didn’t reach her reserve and ended up going unsold. We will now try and find her a home privately.
With time in the office – it was a perfect day to get a trophy auction done – This one for The Pavenham Partnership for the trophy won by Old Blue Eyes. Sadly, when I unwrapped the slate serving tray that made up the main part of the prize, I discovered that it was broken in half, but Chris at Sedgefield is on the case and we should get a replacement very soon. Despite the tray being in two parts, it was another spirited auction, raising £235 for The Injured Jockeys Fund. When I get the replacement tray, George will be getting his trophy!
Thursday – an early start – a trip up to Olly Murphys to see Tintagel Queen and Itchy Feet. As we neared the shortest day -first lot was always going to be tough to see, as it was basically dark, but from what we could see they all went well!
Our two out second lot – both would do a couple of canters on the round gallop before a stretch around the new gallop. Tintagel Queen looked really well and moved great. She was pulled up on her latest start, when she lost her action, and despite being quite lame immediately afterwards, she came sound again very quickly and has shown no ill effects since that outing. We just have to put a line through that run and move on and she will be out again soon. With the hurdles races at Leicester between Christmas and New Year being abandoned and switched to chases, her next run will be around the New Year or possibly into January as we hunt to find the right race for her.
Itchy Feet is in great order. He has certainly lost none of his enthusiasm for racing judged by his work at home. He did his canters and then led an unraced mare around the schooling loop, which he thoroughly enjoyed! It is good to see him back at full fitness, and he is another one that will have entries between Christmas and early January. We are looking forward to seeing him back on track, and we have our eyes on some nice races for him through the second half of the season!
I caught Jason Maguire as he made his way through Birmingham airport on his way home to Ireland for a few days pre Christmas. He was in fine form and reported ‘Barry’ to be in good order. He has had a full clip now and is doing plenty of cantering. Although my movements are a little ‘up in the air’ around the New Year – we will definitely be in South Gloucestershire at some stage and will be heading into Ivy Lodge Farm to see Barry and discuss his future with Maguire. Barry is a very exciting young horse, and when we meet up with Jason, we will hear his thoughts regarding where he thinks he should be sent into training. I will relay Jason’s thoughts to his owners, and they will decide where he heads into training in January. We are not planning to run ‘Barry’ in the spring, instead he will have a racecourse gallop and then head off for a summers holiday. Jason is adamant that this is the better course to take with him – he feels that running him in the spring would not be the best thing to do – another 6 months of strength and maturity will be even better for him, and that is the route we will go down. One thing we do need to do is get him a name, his syndicate can get their thinking caps on over Christmas and we will tackle that in the New Year.
Friday – office day – bills to pay! Not my favourite day of the month, but I attacked it with a smile on my face after receiving a video from Ravenswell Farm first thing. Chevelle working upsides an exciting 3 yr old French import and working very very well! It was so good to see her work like that. She is a filly that possesses a huge amount of speed and was one we were all looking forward to seeing over hurdles after buying her from France. She had worked and schooled very well ahead of her hurdles debut in October, but she got an awful fright at the first that day, and when she did start to make some ground down the back she was heard to make a noise, so she has had a wind op. To see her work the way she did certainly whet the appetite for what is to come, and she too has a race pencilled in for her between Christmas and New Year.
While I was getting the bills paid – I was keeping an eye on the Boxing Day entries as they came in. Having discussed options with Olly Murphy the day before, Itchy Feet got an entry in a Pertemps Hurdle qualifier in Wincanton. Sean Bowen will not be able to ride him there, but it was an option to get him going again. He will have further entries around the end of the month. Donald had reported that Dino Bellagio was in rude health, and ready to run again, so he got entries in Market Rasen and Sedgefield. After applying ear plugs last time out, which saw Dino run a far more orthodox race over 2 miles and staying on well at then end, Donald has decided to step Dino up to 2m4f for the first time – that could be a good move, that could well see him go very well off of his mark – he is likely to return to Market Rasen. Old Blue Eyes had done a couple of nice pieces of work in the last seven days, and Donald gave him an entry in a valuable bumper in Aintree on Boxing Day. With Moonbow franking his form on Tuesday, the Aintree race is an option for him. It is never easy to carry a penalty to win a bumper, especially at this time of year – but we expect him to improve considerably for his debut run, and I will leave it to Donald and Brian if they want to run him against what looks like fairly strong opposition or go the alternative route and head to Wetherby on the 27th. Wherever he goes, he will have a full compliment of owners, as I sold the last 10% share in him on Thursday. A family effort to purchase the final share as a surprise for a very lucky man! He will receive his share on Christmas Day, and I am sure he will be thrilled to have a share in such an exciting horse. His family have been a pleasure to deal with and I am looking forward to many great days out with them through Old Blue Eyes career. His new owner is a very lucky man – you never know – it could be you! Although I think I may have given the game away and mentioned that his new owner is a man – sorry ladies!
I spoke with Fergal during the afternoon – he was thrilled with the way Chevelle had worked in the morning and was looking forward to running her very soon. Greyval had completed her course of new antibiotics that morning, and would be readied for a run in early January, and Intrepide Sud was another that was under the weather after his last run and who has been on the antibiotics – he has finished that course now, and will hopefully be out on the track again very soon!
Saturday – and having reached a certain age, I tend to be quite slow to get out of bed these days – everything seems to ache a little more as time goes on – but on Saturday I woke up with a worrying thought that saw me spring out of my pit and get straight on the computer and then the phone! My waking thought was this – Donald had entered all three of our horses that he has in training there, on the same day (Boxing Day) and at three different meetings!! He only has one set of our colours!! There was no way I could get any made and sent to him, so I would have to think quick. My first thought was where I may have some spare colours that I could pick up and get up to Bankhouse – First place that came to mind was Kim Baileys – if there was a set there, how to get them up to Donalds. The brain was firing on all cylinders now – Ciaran Gethings riding in Haydock later – was he riding out at Kim’s, and if so, was he still there. A quick message, and he was! I then called Matt Nichols to see if we still had a set of colours there, but that was where Plan A came unstuck as he couldn’t find any in the tack room. On to Plan B- ring Kev at Ravenswell and get him to look out a set – Ciaran was good enough to head round to Fergals and pick up one of the three sets that we have there, and take them up to Haydock. He arrived at the track after Donalds team had left, but gave them to Brian Hughes, so at least we now have two sets (nearly) with Donald, and we can run two on Boxing Day. Huge thanks to Ciaran for helping us out – I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it a couple of weeks ago – but things just crept up on me! It was good to catch up with Ciaran last week in Doncaster – he rode plenty of winners for us in the past – and we have followed his career since our paths headed down slightly different routes. We did remain in touch though, and it was good to see him back so quickly from a nasty injury last month. Hopefully I can repay him for his help and give him a ride on one of ours very soon!
Having had a quick chat with Donald yesterday morning, it is likely that he will not run Ridin Solo for a couple of weeks – he has just run up a little light, and he feels that he needs a couple of weeks to get a bit of weight back on him before asking him to run again. So, the two that could run are Dino Bellagio – who if he does – will go to Market Rasen and Old Blue Eyes if Donald and Brian think that Aintree is the right option for him – he did get an entry in Wetherby on the 27th and has that as an option if they think Aintree is not the way to go with him.
Alan King sent a couple of videos through on a blustery and damp morning – Rockola moving really well up the Sharpridge gallop. She, like the rest of the team at Barbury are in great order, and she will be out again in the next couple of weeks.
And She Was also went up the hill gallop nicely, and is another one that will be running very soon after missing what would have been her debut run earlier in the week.
We had friends around for most of the day, so I had the racing recorded and caught up with the action later in the afternoon. It was so good to see Crambo land back to back wins in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle in Ascot. Fergal in tears after the race – it has not been an easy time for Ferg and the team at Ravenswell – many of the horses have been under the weather, and it has been very tricky to get them to the track in the very peak of form. The team have been working really hard in difficult circumstances, but they have remained in good spirits even when the Boss has been less so! They are a superb team down there and fully deserve another Grade 1!
We are thrilled to be able to offer something very special - a very limited edition bronze by 'our own' Debbie Burt. Many of you will have met Debbie on our yard visits and on race days - in addition to photographing and writing about racing and bloodstock, Debbie is a very accomplished sculptor, and we are thrilled to offer you her latest work 'Sketch For Warrior' - Bronze on Oak.
'Sketch For Warrior' is cast from a maquette for a larger piece which is being developed around the theme of National Hunt racing, reflecting the warrior-like nature of the heroes of the 'winter game'
This piece has been cast and finished in the UK and is 2 of just 9 editions
Retail Price £1250 - but NBR owners and members qualify for a 10% discount!
This is a beautiful piece and desreves a spot on everyones mantle piece!
Please get in touch if you would like one of these very race pieces - nickbrownracing@gmail.com or 07909 518902
Just one other 'Parish Notice' - we have the chance of offering somthing a little different for next summer - shares in an Arabian - who will contest races on the flat through the summer, and who could end up running in the Arabian 'Derby' in Doncaster, and race worth in excess of £200,000 in September. With a limited programme for Arabians - the path that this horse will take through the season, is almost set in stine before he starts - meaning that syndicate members will have plenty of notice of when and where he may run. His races will form part of normal thoroughbred flat cards, and therefore offer a great day out at some fantastic tracks such as Chepstow, Doncaster and Lingfield. Shares will be limited with several already spoken for - please get in touch if you would like further details - this is a lovely young horse that could take you to one of the biggest races in the Arabian calendar!
Mdawi - 3 yr old Arabian Gelding - he could be a bit of fun
Race program
*Is still at the first draft stage and very much subject to change depending on horse registrations as to
whether handicaps become condition races etc. Hopefully this will get discussed at ARC this week.
Therefore June/July might be a totally different story after the horses get handicapped throughout the
year.
Handicap mark given after one run if they finish in the first six (and at handicapper’s discretion).
Although only 20 races scheduled, depending on horse registrations/sponsorship it can increase, it being
easier to increase rather than remove!
Courses for 2025: Wolves, Lingfield, Chepstow, Bath, Windsor, Yarmouth, Goodwood, Doncaster (Ascot),
Brighton, possibly Chester.
Season starts April 7th at Wolves, probably a 3yo maiden over 7f, ends 30 September at Bath, prob a
handicap.
The Derby is scheduled for mid August at this stage, either at Doncaster where it’s been since 2016, or
possibly a return to Ascot (not been there since I think 2013). There have been numerous mentions of a
prize money increase from £80K (£46,368 to winner) to £200K. The sponsor is currently restructuring
(hence the chance of increase), so it’s very much tbc at this stage. The French come, but only to the first 3
places so far.
All being well, you could get going in April, either 7 th or 28 th , with a novice at end of May, or a conditions
early June.
Should he show more speed, or the horse registrations suggest it could be a weak race (like this year)
there’s a 6f Gr2PA (£20k) at Windsor scheduled for end of June, no French will come. He’d get a 1lb from
older horses too. £100 to enter, £200 to declare.
If not so good, once he gets a mark, there are 4 races a month from June to August with 3 in May and
September. Don’t get too hung up on trip, Arabians are extremely versatile, depending on what grade you
drop them into.
Our races are structures as follows: maiden, novice, conditions, Group, handicaps: 0-60, 0-65, 0-70, 0-75, 0-
80, 0-90, 0-100, all handicaps inc horses rated 2lb higher than the grade stated. Distances from 6f to 1m6f,
all stalls. Turf and AW.
Ratings: If you show up well/win on first run, Stephen usually puts a horse on around 75, and works down
from there. To be Group class overseas, you want to be around 100, to be getting invites to Saudi or Dubai
for example, you need to be at least 100, the cut off is around 115/116, and you must have a black type
first four placing.
The President of the UAE Cup, sponsors of our Derby, also sponsor throughout Europe, the weaker races
being in Belgium and Italy, usually 4yo and upwards.
Belgium (mostly Ghlin, but also Waregem and Ostend) have a regular program with races every month,
though they have a weird way of writing conditions in order to get runners - tbd sat down with a drink!
France – if he turned out to exceed expectations, then there are 70+ races in France. Some of the Group
races cut up pretty badly, eg Gr1PA Prix Dragon on Longchamp’s Arc Trials day, worth €100k rarely has a
full field as it’s a graveyard for Arc runners, but therefore should always be under consideration if you’re
not top class, 4yo get 1kg allowance too. Would come too close to the Derby, but if there was a hold up, it
would be a bold alternative.
Sweden, Bro Park has Arabian races, and has had them on that international meeting, horse box shares
from Newmarket have been arranged in the past.
Morocco – I’ve not been to the International meeting as it clashes with the Cheltenham November, but
there’s a big push for internationals there. The Arabian racing takes place on the Sunday, and the Group 3
is on dirt and usually won by a low level black type French horse.
It just leaves me to wish you all a very Merry Christmas – I hope that you have a wonderful time with friends and family and hopefully I get to see you over the holidays when your horses run.
Christmas is a time of year for reflection – and we thank everyone that has been part of NBR over the past year. All the trainers and their staff who work so hard to get our horses to the track – and hopefully into the winners circle. To Louise and her team at The Elms who take such great care of Savingforvegas, and all of her offspring and all the other babies we have there. To Jason and his team for their vital work with all of those ‘babies’ when they are broken in and pre trained– they create the foundations that we build on when they become ‘grown ups’ and head into training. To Debbie, for all of her photos, videos and help with the syndicates – I am always coming up with mad ideas and crazy plans – she humours me! To Cheryl who puts up with it all at home – with the last minute changes of plan – the long trips and the ‘grumpy’ me when they have run below expectations – I certainly couldn’t do it without her support. And last but certainly not least – thanks to all of our owners and syndicate members – without who’s ongoing trust and support we could not do any if it! That trust and support is never taken for granted and I thank you!
Happy Christmas!!
