Norfolk to North Yorks
Seven days for the price of six again this week – as we start off this week’s tales of tracks, travels and sales in Fakenham last Sunday, where Greyval was contesting the £25,000 Mares Handicap Hurdle.
She had been far from an intended runner when we had entered her – the fact that entries for races in Fakenham are ‘free’ and this mare’s race would be run for a very significant prize fund were the reasons why we popped her in. When Fergal spoke to me the day after the entry was made, we were both far from sure that she would head there. He knew she was in rude health and great form, but we were both concerned about the tight left handed track – we felt this was far from ideal – and agreed that the race would have to ‘cut up’ to just a handful of runners to tempt us to run her. By Friday when declarations for Sundays races close at 10.00am, things had changed a little bit. An alternative engagement that I had considered for her had garnered 43 entries by 9.00am (it would end up with a total of 53 when closing at 12.00pm) so that race (against geldings) looked by being very competitive indeed. During the week I had gone through the Fakenham race with a fine toothed comb and had (rightly or wrongly) come to the conclusion that Greyval was, by a fair margin, the best mare in the race at the weights. A phone call at 9.30am and she was declared – we still had reservations about the track but to me, knowing she was in great order, and looking at the opposition, the track was the only thing that could beat her!
On a chilly afternoon a good number of her owners gathered in Norfolk (around the fire in the O&T Lounge). I had met up with her jockey Jack Hogan a little earlier in the afternoon and we had discussed tactics – the plan to bounce her out front rank and ride her very handy. Greyval looked great in the paddock and took the prelims well. After a false start when it looked like Jack would have been exactly where he wanted to be, the subsequent start was a little less good. Greyval, as she had once before in Stratford, was very slowly into stride, and Jack had to nudge her along to maintain his place in midfield. By the time they had raced around two bends it was clear that our fears about the track were confirmed, she really wasn’t enjoying this experience one bit! As they headed out for the final circuit the pair were last, and Jack was pushing her along. One thing she did do was jump very well and that was keeping her in it, and as one by one the opposition dropped back she kept on picking up places. With three furlongs to run she was up into fifth and starting to stay on. Between the last two Jack took the inside line and Greyval was really rolling, up into third, she winged the last and got herself into second but couldn’t peg back the winner (who she had finished miles in front of last time out). Despite hating the track, she had run a cracker, picking up over £5K for her owners, and qualifying for the final of this series in Cheltenham in April. We were right, she was the best mare in the race – but the track had beaten her – but what a brave run, everyone was very proud of her!
We left before the last in order to get to Tom and Cynthia’s home just outside Burnham Market so that we would get the chance to see around the property in what was left of the daylight. Tom and Cynthia bought their 70 acre farm in 2019, and have turned it into the most wonderful home, and small working unit. It was lovely to see them both, and their daughter Bonnie and have a quick tour around the amazing range of traditional farm buildings and his small herd of pedigree Ayrshires. A cup of tea and a catch up and then down into Burnham Market for a bite to eat – The Hoste, great atmosphere in there for a Sunday evening. A really good looking Sunday Roast sounded perfect – shame that the beef, although delicious was a tad on the tough side – but having not eaten all day, it was very welcome! We left Tom, Cynthia and Bonnie to go round the stock, feed up and milk and we headed home – a fantastic day!
Monday – Greyval came out of her race very well, came home, ate up and jogged up really well. She will be out again soon – and we won’t ask her to go tight left handed again!
The second video to come through was from Olly Murphy with an update on Itchy Feet who would be heading to Huntingdon later in the week. He was in good form.
Donald McCain decided to declare Ridin Solo in Catterick. RS had been given a nice break after his last run, as he had run up a little light after his first three runs. Catterick would offer about the best ground around for January and we felt it would be good to get him going again on some decent going. Brian Hughes would be in the saddle, and cheekpieces would be applied. Brian had felt that although he isn’t ungenuine, he had spent a large amount of time during his last outing looking at the scenery and not concentrating – cheekpieces would help.
With Alan King sunning himself on a Maldivian Island, his assistant Robim Smith rang with an update on Rockola and And She Was. Both in good form, Rockola would have her first piece of work since her Huntingdon win at the end of the week, and they were waiting to see if the BHA would put on a 4 yr old only fillies bumper for And She Was in place of the race she was declared in in Ludlow that was abandoned at the last minute.
Later in the morning Jason called with an update on Nevada Samba, who he had ridden himself that morning. He is very happy with him, and he will be heading into training with Alan King at the start of February. He is one that we are all a little bit excited about!
With two race reports typed and sent out to owners as well – it was all happening!
The last thing to happen on an action packed Monday morning was Dino Bellagio getting an entry in Sedgefield on Sunday 26th. Dino is another one that had a few days easy when he had his flu vac after his run on Boxing Day, and he is now ready to run again. Dino has been frustrating this term, but we think we understand why, and we will change things up for his next run – he needs to get his confidence back – and when he does he is alarmingly well handicapped!
With all that done and dusted it was time to head out on a little road trip. First stop Doncaster – up there for 6.00pm – staying in ‘The Earl’ once again – a lovely catch up with a couple of friends in the bar and then we headed up to The Salutation, a pub just up the road that has a good Thai restaurant above it. We had heard a fair bit about this restaurant but never been – so we gave it a try. Now, I’m a Thai fan – and they were right – this is a good one – it’s hard to beat our local – Siam Heaven in Bedford – and it didn’t quite manage that, but it was good – worth a visit if you’re in town.
Tuesday morning, Goffs UK sale – a mixed sale of Horses In Training – National Hunt yearlings and breeding stock. A cold damp, typically January day, and a tricky trade, but good to catch up with plenty of folks. Apart form a busy day with the horseboxes, undoubtably the best thing to happen all day was finally finding the right home for Maria’s Flame. She has been with Connor Brace since she was retired with a pelvis injury late last year – and is now ready to go to a new home – but with the appetite for National Hunt breeding at an all time low in the UK, finding her the right home has been a long process. But we have kept on trying, and the dogged determination finally paid off. Maria will head to a lovely farm in the Midlands where she will spend her days with a small herd of other broodmares, and a large flock of sheep, and receive the very best of care from a very good stockman. Her new owner will put her in foal to a UK based stallion this spring. We will stay in touch with Maria, and I am sure we will enjoy seeing her sons and daughters on the track in the future, who knows they may even be in the Black Red and White!
Olly Murphy declared Itchy Feet in the valuable Pertemps Qualifier in Huntingdon on Thursday – a race he won two years ago. He is in great form but would his 11 yr old legs still get him there – we would find out.
After the sale I headed further north into Yorkshire and a return to The Aldwark Hotel near Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire. I stayed here in December and was impressed, so, with Ridin Solo due to run in Catterick on Wednesday it made sense to head back for another stay. Once again, I was impressed. Great room, and delicious food! With a Spa and Golf Course – something for everyone here – highly recommended!
Wednesday morning – having dined so well the previous evening, breakfast was out of the question!
The first job of the day was to organise badges for those members of The Sherington Partnership that would be heading to Huntingdon to see Itchy Feet on Thursday. One down side of this particular stay at The Aldwark – the wifi connection would keep dropping out – very frequently!
Olly gave Tintagel Queen and entry in Chepstow for next Tuesday (28th) this run will determine her future. Having started her career in such a positive way with a short head second on her second start in bumpers, she ran a lovely race on hurdles debut the following autumn, only to suffer a nasty facture after that run. Although she has made a complete recovery and works as well as ever at home, she doesn’t seem to want to push herself into the ‘red zone’ in her races anymore – fearful of another painful experience. We will see if she has regained any of her confidence in this race, and if there are no signs of her doing so, she will be retired and head off for a career at stud. We are not in the business of wasting people’s money or asking horses to do things that they are clearly not willing to do any more. TQ has an outstanding pedigree and will make a wonderful broodmare.
Jason Maguire sent through a video of Nevada Samba cantering on the deep sand – he simply does everything very easily – can’t wait to see him in training at Barbury Castle!
With the work done I headed up to Catterick – arriving early, I had a few people to see about horseboxes when I arrived, and I got a good chance to have a look round the new developments at the track. They really have done a fantastic job, a new facility, with bar, seating and a hot food outlet. It is very good indeed! Well done Catterick!
Ridin Solo contesting a very competitive handicap hurdle. He looked fantastic in the paddock – the break had done him the world of good. Brian was keen to make plenty of use of him over this trip around this sharp track, and he bounced him out in front once again. As ever RS jumped like an absolute buck and was loving life leading the field along. As they turned for home it looked like the field would swamp him, but to his credit he battled on out in front and despite getting in a little tight to the last he landed just in front. Sadly, he couldn’t quite maintain his position, eventually going down by 2 lengths and finishing 5th. This was a really good performance, and one he will build on. He will have another start over hurdles, but given the way he jumps, a switch to chasing is not far away!
Thursday – Ridin Solo came out of his race well, jogging up sound first thing. Having had a full-on week – I was keen to catch up with a bit of work – so I sat down and got a couple of Race Reports out as soon as I could – such a shame that I had already done one of them! Greyvals owners were a little confused to receive a second, having had one emailed earlier in the week – but also nice to hear that they thought the second edition was an improvement!
It was a short hop to Huntingdon later, to see Itchy Feet run. Now 11, his legs are getting no younger, and he was the outsider of the field in the decent handicap. Sean Bowen once again in the plate, would keep him out wide where the ground was appreciably better – and where IF likes to be. This race would determine the path forward with him – were he to run well, he could continue to contest these sort of races, should he find that his legs can’t quite keep him in races like this anymore we could switch him out of hurdles and into something a bit different. Itchy did what Itchy does, he travelled away fine, but when the pace quickened, he just couldn’t go with them. When the race was over, he did stay on through beaten horses, to finish 6th in the end. Off of his rating of 138 he just can’t quite cut it in the company he finds himself in anymore, and to see a former Grade 1 winner being asked to keep turning out and running as the outsider in fields like this isn’t fair on him, and it makes both his owners and trainer look insensitive and uncaring. Itchy is certainly a fair way down the 18th in terms of his career, and we would like to see him finish it out in a nice way – so the chances are he will now switch to Hunter Chases for the remainder of the season before heading off into retirement. He has been a great horse in his day and a wonderful addition to our team, taking his owners to some of the best meetings in the calendar – we owe it to him to let him enjoy his final strides as a racehorse!
Thursday evening and the members of The Chicheley Partnership were treated to a video of their horse Intrepide Sud schooling over fences that morning. IS always schools over fences at home as he jumps them far better than the easy fix hurdles, and we are all looking forward to seeing him over the bigger obstacles on the track. For now, he remains in hurdles and after a spell of ill health he is now back firing on all cylinders, and will be out again in around a week or so.
Friday was a fun one – Olly sent an update through – all good with Itchy after his run the day before.
Alan Kings assistant Robin Smith called again to say that he had entered And She Was in a mares bumper in Wincanton next Thursday – we would look at the field, and discuss the entry with Alan when he returned from holiday.
I got a bit of work done before a group of us headed up to The Bridge Hotel in Huntingdon for an annual lunch party. This is always a fun one – great company – good food and good wine! Plenty of laughs were had, and we all left there having had another fantastic lunch – the hotel was very busy – the lunch service in the restaurant was pretty much full – a super atmosphere!
Saturday – a day in Cheltenham for Trials Day. Constitution Hill top of the bill, and despite a scare at the last he won very easily. Good to see Fergal have a nice winner in the last, the team at Ravenswell have worked really hard through a difficult time.
Good to see a bronzed Alan King in Cheltenham - Alan had sent a video of And She was breezing that morning - she went very well!Today I am heading up to Villa Park – our annual trip there to see the Villains take on the mighty West Ham – guests as always of Olly Murphy. No matter the result it is always a fun afternoon, and hopefully West Ham can come away with a win – I’ll be sitting on my hands throughout – just in case they happen to score!
Around the rest of the team, Chevelle is full of herself as she continues her recuperation from a back problem at Ivy Lodge Farm. She will head back to Ravenswell Farm and full training at the start of next month. Cloud Dancer is very well – and has come out of his recent 4th place in Wincanton in good order. I will be chatting with Josh next week about a possible route to the final of the Challenger Stayers Hurdle Final in Haydock in April – he is likely to have just one more run between now and that Final. Up at Bank House, Old Blue Eyes is in rude health after a short break. He will have another run in a bumper on better ground, and after which we will know which way to go with him.
Next week – Chepstow on Tuesday – Tintagel Queen declared as I type. Lewis Stones rides – fingers crossed she can get her confidence back at a track that she has run very well at before.
There is a sale in Fairyhouse on Tuesday – I will be in Chepstow – but our man in Ireland has been asked to have a look at a few yearlings in case there is a bit of value to be had. Thursday we could be in Wincanton – so a fun filled week ahead!!
COYI!!!
