Of All The Bars In All The World.....
This week’s news starts last Sunday – shortly after publishing last weeks missives, I had a call from Alan King and we discussed the options for Rockola later in the week. With entries in Ludlow and Bangor on Dee, we decided that the preferred route would be to stay in mares’ company and head to Ludlow on Wednesday.
With all the Sunday morning jobs weighed in – it was good to get a lift up to Market Rasen with Olly, to see Chevelle make her second hurdles start. It was great to be able to spend a bit of time with Olly – he has had shares in a number of horses with us for (we worked out) 18 years – and we really do not see enough of him or his family these days. It was good to reminisce all the way up to North Lincolnshire and back!
We arrived in Market Rasen in good time – and were directed to their new Owners & Trainers facility in the main stand. They have moved the O&T’s a few times in the last 10 years, but this is by far the best move they have made – it is a huge improvement on the small bar it was in, and is now one of the best ‘small course’ O&T facilities in the country – credit where it is due – great job by the team at Market Rasen – it is very good!
Sadly, Chevelle was less good. A gorgeous daughter of The Grey Gatsby, we had high hopes for her when we bought her in France, even though she was far from expensive we had hoped that she could win a few fillies juvenile hurdles. All started well – she schooled brilliantly at Jason Maguires and started life a Ravenswell in great order – Johnny riding her in a couple of bits of work and really liking her. From there, things unravelled slightly, she developed a breathing issue after a few weeks at the yard, which led to a sub par hurdles debut. She had an operation to help her wind and when she was rehabbing from that she was discovered to have chipped a bone in her back – it went from bad to worse as she returned from that period on the sidelines needing more attention to her wind. So, it has been a challenge with her, and we were just looking for an improved performance on this return to the track. She looked fantastic in the paddock and went to post nicely. The plan on the day was to get her jumping better than she had on debut and see her run through the line. The plan was going perfectly, and just as we were getting excited that she could quicken and make a challenge she faded to finish a well beaten 6th.
Jack was very honest in his debrief – despite giving him the feel that she has all the ability to win in that grade – her wind simply will not allow her to do so. As she is fit and well – we will give her a run on the flat in the next couple of weeks to see if she can get away with her problem on the level – and if not, sadly we will have to move on from her and she can go and do another job that will not put so much stress on her breathing. Such a shame as she is a gorgeous, scopey filly that we had high hopes for – fingers crossed the switch to the flat can see her in a better light as she certainly has the ability to be a racehorse!
Chevelle post race
Monday – Rockola had a spin up the all weather, and a skip up the hurdles – in great form – Alan declared her in Ludlow on Wednesday. She would be burdened with top weight, but it looked the right option.
Chevelle came out of her run in Market Rasen OK – a little stiff behind but otherwise OK – she was assessed again in the afternoon and was much better. Neil, race planner at Ravenswell, would chat to the flat handicapper on Tuesday morning and see what rating she would get in the UK – judged on her French flat rating she should get a mark of around 60.
Tuesday – yesterday we thought Chevelle would get a rating of 60, based on the fact that she last ran off of a French mark of 31, which usually equates to a UK flat rating of 62 – and as she was beaten that day (even though it was not a handicap) looking at all her collateral form we had expected her to get a UK rating a couple of pounds below that - you can imagine our reaction when the handicapper stated that he would ‘ Give her 68 and start from there’ – bloody ridiculous. We had mulled over giving her an entry in Windsor next week – but decided to give her a few more days – firstly to fully recover from her run in Market Rasen – and secondly to give us a few more days to try and convince the handicapper that he was very wrong with his interpretation of her French mark!
On a bright, warm sunny morning – Nevada Samba moved to the field that he will spend the next three months in – his holiday home – with a new friend, although looking at the video – they will need to gel!
Later in the day I headed over to Pidley to drop off my car at Atacanter Horseboxes – get a lift to the train station and head up to Doncaster for their Breeze Up sales that would be taking place over the course of the next two days – with the breezes on Wednesday and the sale on Thursday. I headed up on the train as I would be driving back the new model Theault Horsebox that we had on the stand at the sales. Brand new and left hand drive (right hand drive models not available for another couple of months) – I would be concentrating!
I had a lovely stroll from the station to the hotel at the racecourse – there are some very interesting sights in the town centre – even at 4.30pm!
After a couple of thirst quenchers at the sales complex, we headed up to Vivo’s for the usual fantastic Italian dinner. Chef Patron, George and his son Pino in great form – once again – superb food, and great to sit and chat with George about all things Italian Sport after dinner.
Wednesday – the 2 yr olds started breezing over 2 furlongs of the Doncaster home straight at 8.30am – we headed down to the sales complex after breakfast and set up the stand, nipping over to see the last few breeze
.
Back over to the sales complex at lunchtime, and a quiet afternoon before we settled down to watch Rockola run in the 4.10pm in Ludlow. As I was in Doncaster, Debbie stepped in to host in Ludlow – although she had been to the track before – this would be her first days racing there as the first time she went to the Shropshire track was when racing was abandoned due to a frozen track 30 minutes after the intended off time of the first race.
Rockola looked fantastic in the paddock – the short break she had at Jamie Magee’s after her last run had done her the world of good. She had put on a good bit of weight, and those at the track felt she was definitely stronger. This race looked like the best option for her, the drop back down in trip was perfect as she can be a little keen and would likely be so after her break. Running against her own sex, and in the same grade that she had won two in over the winter were both factors that we felt outweighed her preference for going the other way round.
Rockola ran a blinder, a little keen early, she jumped well, although she did hang slightly down the back straight. She was caught flat footed as the pace lifted and as a result found herself in a tricky spot on the crown of the bend and met some interference before being switched wide and staying on very well all the way up the straight finishing a close third in the end. A little unlucky – but proof that she can win off of her current mark. She will appreciate a slight step up in trip and a left handed track – so there were plenty of positives to take from her run.
The huge advantage of having Debbie on duty at the races is that we get to see her wonderful photographs – she excelled herself once again in Ludlow!
The number of Rockola's owners who were heading over to Ludlow was lower than usual as a few of them were away - imagine the shock when four of them literally bumped into one another in the same bar in Spain shortly after the race! Of all the bars in all the world..... What an amazing coincidence - I hate to think what the odds of running into friends in the same bar in another country are - let alone it only happening a couple of hours after a horse that they both have shares in had run in a race in Ludlow!! Neither couple had any idea the other was in the same country, least of all the same town!!
A couple of pints late in the afternoon to ‘lay the dust’ ahead of another lovely meal in Vivo’s – if you are ever in Doncaster you have to try it – authentic Italian – delicious food – all scratch cooked - and great staff and service.
Thursday – sale day – nearly 200 precociously bred, speedy two year olds to go through the ring. Some lovely horses on show – Goffs really have increased the quality of their draft in recent years. Progeny of Mehmas proving popular in the ring, sire of the top three lots and a total of 4 of the top 10 offered. All records shattered when lot 168 walked into the ring – a son of Mehmas from Katie Walsh – the hammer eventually falling at a cool £1m!
It was a busy day with the horseboxes – plenty of interest in the new Renault chassis – and lots of quotes to do.
During the day I chatted with Donald McCain and got an update on Dino Bellagio who he is delighted with. Dino has come out of his flat debut in Ripon really well – probably better than any of his previous runs. He will have another run in an all-age maiden and then head into handicaps. Being a 6 yr old he isn’t easy to place until he has a handicap mark – and we have to be patient to wait for a suitable race for him – he will be out again at the end of May after which he will have his mark, and we can get to work with him. He will have another run over 1m4f and then step up to staying trips for the rest of the summer, when he will hopefully be contesting some really nice staying handicaps. A single share remains in Dino – No capital cost – monthly fees just £110/month – get in touch and grab the last share – lots of prize money to run for and plenty of fun to be had with Dino! Old Blue Eyes will be out in the field in the next few days, and Ridin Solo is already looking fantastic on his summer holidays
I had to have my wits about me driving back a brand new (expensive) left hand drive horsebox from Doncaster to Pidley – but we got back safe and sound. A late home – but a fun and productive couple of days in Doncaster. We will be back there next month for the Spring Sale of National Hunt Stores, Point to Pointers and Horses in Training. Three days of selling spread over 4 days – always a fun week – very busy – one of the weeks of the year!
Friday – office day – a quieter day for sure, a little break before I knuckled down and got the work done that needed to be weighed in before Punchestown next week.
Good to see the Olly Murphy yard continue in the very best of form – 4 winners on the day in Perth. Four more for the exceptional Sean Bowen – who would be crowned Champion Jockey in Sandown the following day.
Saturday – Jason Maguire sent through a few videos of ‘Finbar’ and ‘Gatsby’ both of whom had made the trip down to Tom George’s for a spin up his woodchip gallop. Both are in great shape and progressing really well. Finbar will have another trip down to Toms next week before a short break in the field. He has gone through ‘secondary’ school very well and looks like being a lot of fun for his owners when he heads into training with Fergal O’Brien in July. Jason is very happy with him. Gatsby is a different model to Finbar – he is an absolute tank of a horse, very strong and athletic – he goes very well, and I am sure that Olly Murphy will love him when he gets to Warren Chase in July. Olly finished the 2024/25 season with a stunning 141 winners at a strike rate of 25% winning over £1.7m in prize money - a superb season for a young trainer that is going to the very top of his profession!
‘Gatsby’ will remain in light work between now and the day he leaves for Warren Chase – he is a horse that ‘does’ himself very well – and we will go steadily with him all summer to keep a level of fitness with him, and not let him off, to get fat in the field, something that will happen very quickly with him! The aim is to have him running in the junior bumpers from October onwards – and both Jason and I felt that this is the best way for him to get to there. One thing for sure is that he is a lovely horse – he has size, scope and strength – along with tremendous athleticism and as you can see from the video – he really does cover the ground. There are still a couple of shares left in him – have a look at him on the FOR SALE PAGE and get in touch.
The third one of the 3 yr olds at Ivy Lodge Farm, ‘Floyd’ is now doing much better than he was. He had been struggling mentally and physically this term – and could well have been a bit under the weather since his arrival. He has now turned the corner, he has his appetite back and is taking his work better. He still needs to put on a bit of weight, and Jason will keep him in work a little longer so that he heads to the field with a good bit of weight on him. Floyd will be a slightly longer-term project than the other two – but as a half brother to bumper winners, Dino Bellagio and Old Blue Eyes and to the hugely exciting Nevada Samba he will be well worth the wait! Floyd is a lovely horse too, and a lovely prospect – he will be syndicated around the turn of the year – keep your eyes out for him – the family is already very good – and has the potential to ‘explode’ very soon!
In the afternoon I settled down to watch the racing from Sandown. The culmination of the Trainers Championship – Willie Mullins nicking it from the grasp of Dan Skelton on the last day of the season! Congratulations to the Closutton team – a fantastic effort - to win a championship in your own country is a monster effort, to do so in another country – for two years on the trot - is nothing short of exceptional! Dan Skelton will come back next year even more determined to win that illusive first title!
Sean Bowen crowned Champion Jockey – and capped the season off with a fantastic win in the Bet 365 Chase! Huge congratulations to Sean – we have not seen a Champion like him since AP Mcoy and in my opinion, he is better than AP – Sean is a very special talent and is a great man to boot!
Sean and Olly ater Resplendent Grey's win in the Bet 365 Chase.
Debbie on hand yesterday to capture a great win for Olly and Sean, thanks to her for the photos.
Around the remainder of the team – And She Was is back doing faster work and should be making her second start in May. Intrepide Sud is back healthy again, and will be running again in the next couple of weeks – he has been suffering a bit this spring – the hope is that he is back to his best and can get back to the firm that he showed in the autumn when he was an easy winner on debut, in a race that is starting to work out very nicely. Cloud Dancer is into the rehab programme that we have set out for him. It will be a long, slow process with him – but he will be well worth the wait. We saw a son of Jukebox Jury in Il Etait Temps win the Grade 1 Celebration Chase in Sandown yesterday – and we believe that Cloud Dancer, well handicapped over hurdles, will be even better over fences when he returns to action!
Next weeks news will be a day later as we will be on the road on Sunday. Have a great week – enjoy the sunshine – and some great racing from Punchestown!
