It's All In The Name
A few in great form at home, one trip to HQ and some future plans mapped out.
When the weekly ramble was ‘weighed in’ and published last week – I nipped up to Huntingdon to see Paul’s mare Kaydence have a crack at the Listed Bumper that closed the card.
Huntingdon’s big day – Peterborough Chase day, and although this race never attracts the biggest of fields, it is always won by a nice one. So good to see Edwardstone run such a fine race for Alan King. Stepped up to 2m4f for just the second time, he settled well on this occasion and ran a cracker to be second.
Kaydence, a winner of a Uttoxeter bumper deserved to take her chance in the finale, although it was a tall order for her to win it, the hope was that she would run well enough to sneak into the places and pick up a little bit of valuable ‘black type’. She is a nice mare, but the track was never going to play to her strengths, although turning for home, for one second, we all started to think that something special was on the cards, but in the end a few of the speedier types got by her, and she finished 8th, but only beaten 10 lengths off of the front – a really good run. She will now head over hurdles.
Thankfully, Huntingdon is just 30 minutes up the road, so even after waiting for a good while to avoid the traffic jam getting out, I was still home in good time. On checking the racing results when I got in, it was good to see The Grey Gatsby have yet another Graded winner in Auteil with Isis D’inor winning the Grade 2 Prix Leon Olry Roederer Hurdle. More proof (if it was needed) that The Grey Gatsby is very much a sire to keep an eye on in the jumps sphere. When the 2026 Weatherbys Stallion Book arrived in the post this week, it was very interesting to see him listed in both the flat and jumps editions. Regular ‘victims’ will know that I have been a huge fan of the sire for a long time, and his name will feature a lot this week!
Monday – first things first – update all of the members of the And She Was syndicate that their filly had been allotted an opening handicap mark of 96 – only six days after this was published – but in my defence, I had been suffering the after effects of the HWPA Awards lunch when they were first released last Tuesday morning!! 96 is a nice mark to be starting her handicap career on – we should be having a fair bit of fun with her going forward – there is a share available in her if you would like to get involved – all the hard work has been done, she starts life in handicaps on a lovely mark, and will be making her handicap debut very soon. The share is a free lease, with no capital outlay – have a look at her details on the For Sale Page and get in touch – now is the time!
https://www.nickbrownracing.co.uk/ForSale/8201/and-she-was
I then headed over to Oxfordshire for a quick visit to see our unnamed 3yr old gelding by (you guessed it), The Grey Gatsby do a piece of work at Robert Waley Cohen’s, Upton Viva Stud. It is a lovely spot to watch work, and four horses galloped in glorious winter sunshine. Twice up, first time a swinging canter, second at a more serious pace. This work was another step in the education of this young horse – his work to this point has only been in ‘third gear’ – this exercise was to teach him that he had a ‘fourth’ and how to use it.
As you can see from the clip, he did it very easily. Working along side an unraced 4 yr old filly, ‘Gatsby’ looked every inch a racehorse. He has the most fantastic, long, low, raking stride and really covers the ground. He did everything very easily, and Champion Amateur Jockey, James King who rode him was very impressed with him and liked him a lot. As they were cooling off he said that he felt the horse needed to do a similar piece of work in around ten days, this time with a better work mate – he had gone into that ‘fourth gear’ nicely, and now needed to learn that there was a’ fifth’ – hopefully there is an overdrive in there too! He certainly looked the part in this piece of work, and if all goes to plan and he comes through his next serious piece of work well, eats up and retains his condition, he should be making his racecourse debut very soon.
You already know all about the sire – he is becoming very fashionable in the jumps ranks – he gets talented, tough individuals, and this horse looks to be typical of his stock.
There are still a couple of shares available in him – if you are quick, you will get the chance to name him too, ( he will be named tomorrow – Monday 15th), and you can take advantage of a bargain price too!
Click the link – and give me a call 0n 07909 518902 or email nickbrownracing@gmail.com This is a horse I have always liked – and his work on Monday did nothing to put me off of him – in fact – I liked him even more!
https://www.nickbrownracing.co.uk/ForSale/8143/the-grey-gatsby-x-tucupita
Later in the morning Alan King sent through a clip of Ghost Dancing schooling. GD made her hurdles debut last month, and to be honest had a bit of a baptism of fire. She took on experienced fillies from the flat on that day, in a race that was run in very stormy conditions. She acquitted herself well, finishing fourth, but there is an awful lot more to come from her, and she will have learned plenty from the experience!
Tuesday – work mornings – and great to see Greyval put in an impressive shift up the Ravenswell Hill. The added bonus, she was working with Molly’s Lad – two for the price of one! Greyval went really well – she really is a spectacular worker – and she certainly made ML pull out the stops, but in fairness to him, he is not at the same stage as her and would have badly needed it. Greyval would be heading to Cheltenham on Saturday for a very hot looking mares’ handicap chase, that has been the plan for a while, whereas Molly’s Lad would not be running until New Years Day, when he too heads to Cheltenham for their Listed Bumper. Speaking to Fergal after the work, he was delighted with both of them – Greyval really ready to run, and Molly’s Lad just where he needs him at this stage.
A Tuesday morning with a slightly less fuzzy head – so on the ball with the weekly handicap amendments – typical – no changes!
I was tracking declarations in Newcastle, where Ridin Solo held an entry in a novices’ handicap chase. With just 2 declared at 9.30am it looked like it could be an opportunity for him, but in the end, we swerved it, feeling that it just came soon enough after his Uttoxeter run and we were better off giving him a little more time. He worked at home instead and went well.
Another good piece of news from Donald was that the vets had re-examined Old Blue Eyes that morning and were happy for him to resume trotting. He has been on the walker for the past 4 weeks, after picking up a very small injury, but they are really happy with him now and he can resume ridden exercise. The vets will look at him again in 2 weeks when hopefully he will be given the all clear to resume cantering. It has been a bit of a frustrating time with him, but we know from his homework, and the form of his two bumper runs, he is a horse with well above average ability, and one to look forward too for sure!
Wednesday – schooling at Ravenswell – thanks to Fergal for sending through a couple of videos of Greyval schooling over fences. She is very good over the bigger obstacles, and Fergal was very sweet on her chances in Cheltenham at the weekend. Hopefully she could make it back into the winners circle there and give her owners another special day as she had done in April.
Olly Murphy called to chat over plans with ‘Gatsby’ – he. like the rest of us was very pleased with his work at Waley Cohen’s on Monday – and as James King had suggested, he would give the horse another away day in around 10 days and that piece of work would determine the short-term plans with him. One thing is for sure he will be needing a name fairly soon – so I started the process of getting him named. All of his owners put forward their suggestion for a name, and then they all get to vote, but, for obvious reasons, barred from voting for their own suggestion. The name with the most votes wins!
Another one who we started the ‘name game’ with this week was the Saxon Warrior colt, currently in training with Sir Mark Prescott in Newmarket. Sir Mark likes all of his new intake of horses to have official names by the end of the year – so we needed to kick on with this one too.
There will be one further name ‘in the hat’ when the lists are sent out on Monday – Spencer the latest to purchase a share and join this very special syndicate. Spencer has had shares in horses with us before and we wish him the very best of luck with his new horse.
Just a single share remains in this very exclusive syndicate – your chance to have a horse in training with the ‘legendary’ Sir Mark Prescott. It is not every day that the chance to have a share in a horse at Heath House comes along – and we are very lucky to be able to offer you the chance. This yearling looks like he was very well bought and from what Sir Mark and the team have seen of him up to this point he looks like a horse that will do very well! Details on the link!
https://www.nickbrownracing.co.uk/ForSale/8274/sir-mark-prescott-bt
Both ‘Gatsby’ and the Saxon Warrior will have official names by the close of play on Tuesday!
Debbie got the November newsletter out to the members of the Alan King Racing Club on Wednesday – a nice one to put together, 2 winners from three runners – it was a very good month!
There are very few shares left in the Club now – just £2,000 all inc – three horses, two winners this season – 1 flat, 2 jumps – the Club term runs through to July 31st 2026 – so there is plenty of fun to be had – membership makes a fantastic Christmas present – and you can avoid the chaos of the shops! Click the link and sign up – you will not be disappointed!
https://alankingracing.co.uk/racing-club/
Thursday, Greyval declared in Cheltenham – a fiercely competitive mares handicap, a big ask on just her second start over fences, but Fergal very much looking forward to running her.
Alan King gave Ghost Dancing an entry in Ludlow, a Fillies National Hunt Junior Hurdle. With the experience of her debut under her belt, and in a field of fillies with an equal level of racecourse experience, she should find this task a little easier, and should she run, she should run a nice race.
Nevada Samba headed down the road to a vets in Gloucestershire, who specialise in the problem that he has been suffering with for the last few weeks. Hopefully they can get to the bottom of it. Being a new patient to them, they started from scratch and looked into every possible cause. By the afternoon, they had identified one area that may be causing an issue and that was dealt with. This is the first step, and should that not rectify the issue he will return for more tests and be treated accordingly. He is a horse that we have always held in the very highest regard, and there will be no corners cut in a bid to get him back on track.
Fergal sent through another schooling clip in the afternoon – this one of Molly’s Lad schooling on turf for the first time. He simply loves jumping and will be lots of fun when he is switched to hurdles. He will run on New Years Day and depending on how that goes he will either stay in bumpers for the rest of the season or make the switch to hurdles. Molly’s Lad has aways been a natural from day one, and Fergal is very clever in using schooling sessions to train his mind as well as his body. He can be a sharp one, and a little pop over hurdles on his easy days keeps him engaged and stops him messing around!
Friday – Nevada Samba home and fine after his day at the vets on Thursday. Alan still awaiting the full results of the tests that were carried out – but when he has them, they will be sent to his owners.
I didn’t make it down to Cheltenham – but watched the day racing on TV.
Donald McCain called with an update on the two currently in training at Bankhouse. Old Blue Eyes back trotting – he is very fresh and well and delighted to be back at work – the good news is that he is moving really well again – and hopefully we can crack on with him now!
Ridin Solo had worked great earlier in the day, and he is ready to run. We will look for some suitable races for him. He will be out in the next couple of weeks.
Again – still shares available in him – another way to avoid Christmas shopping!!
https://www.redsashracing.co.uk/Shop/18/ridin-solo-
Saturday – and we headed to Cheltenham. A large contingent of Greyval’s owners there to see her run.
As you have seen, her work had been very good as always, and she had schooled really well on Wednesday. With 16 runners this was always going to be a big ask on just her second start over fences, but we were there to give it a go!
Greyval looked superb in the paddock, slightly on her toes as always, but that is normal for her. Once Johnny was on board she went to post nicely.
Sadly, our race was run as early as the first fence. She met it on a slightly awkward stride and was slow over it, the same thing at fences two and three, and we were really on the back foot. Greyval was simply not enjoying the experience at all and was never going to get out of third gear. In the end she ran a disappointing race finishing 12th. We were all a bit deflated, we had such high hopes for her over fences judging on her homework and her schooling, but the fact of the matter is, she has not taken to the larger obstacles and will now revert to hurdles once again. It did not take me long to think of a cunning plan, and before I left the track I knew exactly where she would be going and how to get there!
Good to catch up with Alan King on course and he had been thrilled with how his horses had worked in the morning. He confirmed his intention to declare Ghost Dancing in Ludlow on Wednesday, she had worked very well with a nice bunch.
And She Was could get an entry in Hereford next Saturday she had put in an impressive shift earlier in the day.
I’d Go Maniac, a winner last time out in Wolverhampton, could well retune there next Saturday for a similar race. Alan very pleased with where he has him at the moment.
Thank goodness Wolves is a bit later – I can get to both Hereford and Wolverhampton should they both run – should be a fun day!
Uhtred Ragnarson has come out of his last run in good order and will be out again in the next 2/3 weeks.
Sunday – Alan called for his Sunday morning chat – he’s happy with the team – with the obvious exception of Nevada Samba, but we are where we are with him, and as I have said, no stone will be left unturned in an effort to get him right. He was busy selling shares in his Racing Club in Cheltenham yesterday and has two more new members – we are down to the last knockings now – so don’t delay – don’t miss out – it’s a small exclusive Club – with three lovely horses to run for you – and a great bunch to enjoy a days racing with!
Greyval jogged up sound this morning - she will enjoy not having to jump fences again!!
Next week – looks like we will have a few runners, we will get two horses named, which is always fun, and hopefully there will be some exciting news from the yards about future plans!
Around the remainder of the team – the Saxon Warrior colt continues to do everything very easily in Newmarket. Last week was Zig Zag week – and this week the yearlings moved on to more routine work on Warren Hill. Their work will now be stepped up gradually week on week, until they are striding on nicely around the middle of January. It is at this stage when Sir Mark will be able to assess when each horse is likely to be able to run, some will be early types and be trained earlier, some of the more later maturing types will be sent away for a while, and return to Heath House in the summer in preparation for a few runs from September onwards.
Down at Ivy Lodge Farm – Dino is living his best life – he will be back to work on January 1st! Intrepide Sud will resume work on the same day.
At Timmy Murphy’s – Cloud Dancer, the Golden Horn 2 yr old, and the Falco 3 yr old are all very well.
It was very good to see foals by Nirvana Du Berlais in such demand at the Goffs December sale in Ireland. We are very pleased with our own filly by the sire, who could be sold as a three year old, or retained to race for a syndicate. Plenty of time to decide that, and to some extent it will depend on what Savingforvegas produces next year – a colt or a filly. Nice to have something that someone might like though!
More action packed fun to report next week – see you then!
