For The Future
A week that was all about the future. One made his racecourse debut – one made his hurdles debut and one qualified for the valuable final she won last year – dropping in the handicap in the process. I managed to shake off the worst of the cold – amazed I didn’t catch another one – Carlisle and Doncaster were Baltic! All in all, it was a good week.
Monday – Fergal was a busy boy – two videos from Ravenswell. A piece put together by Louis Gill of MOLLY’S LAD’s preparation for his hurdles debut later in the week. He has an entry in Doncaster on Thursday – in what would be his first start over hurdles. ML has plenty of ability, we were thrilled with his second on debut in Aintree, and if I am honest, a little disappointed with his fifth in a Listed Bumper in Cheltenham on New Years Day – we felt that he had once again run green and not shown his full potential. He has always relished jumping, and the expectation is that he will enjoy the switch to hurdling.
Fergal also sent through a clip of GREYVAL having a pop over hurdles. She had been declared in the Mares Handicap Hurdle in Ludlow on Wednesday – a qualifier for the Mares Challenger Series Final in Cheltenham in April, a race that she won last year. We had hoped that she would make up into a nice chaser this term, but that didn’t quite pan out – so we have changed tack – and made the final in April her season target race. She is in good order – and will have to finish in the first eight on Wednesday to qualify for the final.
The rest of the morning was spent organising badges for Carlisle on Tuesday, where JIMMY GATZ had been declared to make his racecourse debut in the concluding bumper – and Ludlow on Wednesday. Wednesday’s quota didn’t take too long – for the first time in 26 years of syndication – there would be no syndicate members on track – poor GREYVAL!!
With the work done – we headed to a funeral in the village – a special lady – who made it to 100 years and 1 month – the 1 month was very important.
Back from the funeral – a catch up with the action from the rescheduled second day of the Dublin Racing Festival, Romeo Coolio winning the three runner Irish Arkle, adding to his Grade 1 haul. We are honoured to have played a small part in his life story. I purchased him as a foal and sold him as a 3yr old for one of our pinhooking syndicates. It has been a pleasure to see him develop into an absolute superstar!
Tuesday – on the road to Carlisle. A long trip – the thick end of 5 hours to see JIMMY GATZ make his debut in the bumper.
While I was on the motorway – Debbie was in at Barbury Castle to get some photos and videos of some of the horses there. A couple are on short breaks, and one on light duties – but she got to see NEVADA SAMBA
And GHOST DANCING.
The long trip to Carlisle - a good opportunity to do some thinking – the precarious state of the UK National Hunt Breeding scene has had me seriously considering my future as a very small-scale breeder – and it was a chance to mull over some options. Breeding is an awfully expensive hobby, which keeps getting more costly – it is not viable at the moment!
MOLLY’S LAD was declared to make his hurdles debut in Doncaster on Thursday. Fern O’Brien would ride and take off a valuable 5lbs – Fern has done an awful lot of the work on ‘Finbar’ at home and has done an awful lot of the schooling on him – she was the right pilot to steer him round.
I spent a good chunk of the trip north on the phone – and hadn’t noticed the temperature drop the further north I got. I certainly noticed when I got out of the car – it was absolutely bloody freezing! We were due to be a group of 7 but two ended up not getting there due to car issues – so 7 became 5.
It was the right afternoon to spend some time in the bar and have a good chat with Jason Maguire. It was a very productive hour, and we chatted over a few things for the future. Jason is keen to work more closely with NBR, which will mean some exciting developments over the next few months. Make sure you keep up to date with everything on this News Page – there will be some fun days out over the summer!
We were all frozen, but keen to see JIMMY GATZ make his racecourse debut. Olly had called me on the way up and said that he was very much looking forward to running this gorgeous grey – the inner track at Carlisle not ideal – and the unseasonably Good to Soft ground at the track was likely to be not soft enough, but he was ready to run and running against horses of his own age was very important. He would certainly improve for it – and with luck he would stay on past horses on the climb to the line and win. James Bowen had ridden him in his last piece of work in Lambourn and he was making the long trip north for just the one ride – surely a positive!
JG– red hooded in the paddock as many of Olly’s are – was very well behaved, and although he looked well in the paddock – you could tell that Olly had left a little bit to work on – he would tighten up for sure. James planned to settle him in rear and come with one long run from 3 furlongs out, pass horses and hopefully that one run would take him to the winning line in front. The race pretty much went to plan – the front four pulled clear, and it looked like JG would stay on up the outside the ‘petrol guage’ started to flash empty and he was unable to sustain his run – in the end finishing a close fourth. It was a very satisfactory first run – James was very taken with him – saying how much he liked him and that he felt with the improvement that was sure to come from him – he was very likely to win a bumper.
Speaking to Olly on the way home – he felt that the fact that his away days had not gone entirely to plan had left him a little way short of full fitness and that there was a great deal more to come from him – so all in all it bodes very well for the future. Add into the mix the fact that JG is an absolute natural over hurdles and will be even better when faced with an obstacle and the future looks very bright for him!
Once again – there is still a share available in him – have a look on the FOR SALE PAGE and get in touch – he is a horse that has above average ability and will give all of his owners a lot of fun going forward!
https://www.nickbrownracing.co.uk/ForSale/8143/jimmy-gatz
It was a shorter trip to my overnight digs – The Cholmondeley Arms close to Donald McCains – but it was still 2hrs 40minutes!! I arrived at 7.45pm – checked into my very comfortable room and headed over to the restaurant for a spot of dinner – Devilled Kidneys to start – Pulled beef, Chilli Con Carne for main – washed down with a few pints of Hofmeister – which is now my favourite larger.
Back to the room – catch up on emails, and an early night – it had been a long day!
Wednesday - A bit of snow overnight, but most had cleared by the time I got to Donald McCains at 7.30am. It had been a while since I had last been to Bankhouse – and I was looking forward to seeing both OLD BLUE EYES and RIDIN SOLO. OBE had a small setback late last year, just as he was getting entries to make his hurdles debut. That put him off games for a couple of months – but thankfully everything has healed well, and he is back in full work. Wednesdays are a quieter day with Donald – the horses work on a Tuesday, so have an easier time of things the following day – but OBE still did a good canter on the deep sand, round gallop and was moving really well.
Donald and I discussed how the remainder of the season looked for him – and we are both very keen to retain his novice status over hurdles – as this will mean far more opportunities for him next season. The form of his last run in an Aintree bumper could not have worked out better – and he has the makings of a very nice novice hurdler next term – it is important that those races are still open to him. It is very likely that we will make use of his remaining bumper run, and he will start back in that sphere when he returns to the track.
RIDIN SOLO, suffered almost the same injury as OLD BLUE EYES, and has also been on the easy list. He had been due to be back in ridden work by now, but the vets decided the right thing to do was to give him an extra couple of weeks of box rest for the injury site to properly heal – he is now back on the walker and will be in ridden exercise again very soon.
While at Donald’s – Fergal sent through a video of MOLLY’S LAD schooling on grass in preparation for his hurdles debut in Doncaster tomorrow – he is very good and as always – loved it!
From Donald’s I made the short trip down through Shropshire to Ludlow – a trip that literally took me through snow-capped mountain passes! Ludlow was bright and not as chilly as Carlisle. GREYVAL running in the mares’ handicap hurdle. The tight track and very soft ground were far from ideal – but she had to run to qualify for the Mares’ Challenger Final that she won last year in Cheltenham. This had not been the plan at the start of the season – but a failed attempt at chasing with her has led us here. The first 8 in these ‘heats’ qualify – so despite nothing being in her favour she just needed to finish better than 9th. A quiet day for me – as I say – for the first time ever – no syndicate members at the races to see their horse – the excellent roast dinner couldn’t even tempt them! GREYVAL looked fabulous as always – kept away from the hustle and bustle of the paddock for as long as possible – she went nicely to post. Johnny’s plan to sit mid div on the outer, hunt away, get her confidence back over hurdles (it had been dented after her two runs over fences) and finish in the first 8. In fairness to GREYVAL, she hated every minute of the race, the track and the ground certainly not for her, and at one stage it looked like she may not even make the first 8, but in the end as they straightened for home – she stayed on into 5th. Job done. She would now get a few days away at Ivy Lodge Farm – and then have two more runs this season – both races she won last term in Chepstow and Cheltenham – although she may bypass Chepstow and head straight to Cheltenham if the ground is very soft at the former come race day. She will drop a couple of pounds for her run on Wednesday, taking her back to the mark that she won the final off last season, the spring sunshine, the better ground and a return to Cheltenham will suit her well, and we think we can eek out a little bit of improvement from her, even form last years’ performance so we are very much looking forward to finishing the season well with her.
On my way home I called Jason Maguire to sort out a few lose ends. DINO BELLAGIO should have been back with Donald a couple of weeks ago, but he had a nasty reaction to something after he had been clipped, and had come out in a rash – Jason had to let that settle down before sending him back into training – and although it is nothing contagious or nasty – Jason was just not happy to send him back like it. With plans in place for tuns in April and May, we decided that it was time for him to head back into training – so he would make the trip back up to Cheshire the following day. Jason also confirmed that he had a local man coming to see INTREPIDE SUD on Friday, to assess him for retraining as a hunter. Suddy would be ideal for that – and with next season in mind, he would have the whole of the summer to rid himself of his remaining aches and pains and be ready for some fun times next autumn/winter.
I had planned to head over for another night in the excellent Falcon, in Long Whatton, near Loughborough, saving myself a bit of time the following day by shortening my trip to Doncaster, but in the end, I headed home to get a bit of work done in the evening.
Thursday – the all too familiar trip up the A1 to Doncaster. A good turn out of MOLLY’S LAD’s owners there to see him make his hurdles debut. Oversubscribed for badges – but thanks to Doanld (who’s allocation I borrowed a few off) everyone in the O&T’s with lunch. I thought Carlisle was cold on Tuesday – Donny equally Baltic! With added sleet and snow! The ground certainly nothing like the ground given – it was soft – which was no bad thing. ML taking on two smart prospects from top yards – but with Fern O’Brien taking off a valuable 5lbs both the previous winners would have to be conceding plenty of weight to him. Fern the obvious jockey booking, with Johnny in Huntingdon – she has done a lot of work with ML and had earned the ride after putting up with his antics when he first arrived at Ravenswell. ML took all the prelims in his stride and was relaxed in the paddock. Fern’s plan to get a lead, get him popping away over the first few and ride a race from turning in. It all went to plan – ML excellent as expected over the first, and with hurdles in front of him he actually engaged his brain and was not dossing about as he had in both of his bumpers. By the time he had jumped the next he had jumped his way into a share of the lead, and Fern had to just take a pull to sit in second. As planned they started to race as they straightened for home and it was very quickly apparent that the race only involved the front 3 who were pulling miles clear – ML jumped great all the way – but in the end he just couldn’t stick with the two in front of him and he finished third (with just the 62 lengths back to the 4th). This was an excellent start to his hurdling career. He had jumped really well and had put it up to two very talented horses that had already shown a decent level of form and won over hurdles. We were all delighted!
This was a very decent start – in a race that the experts were rating quite highly afterwards – it did not escape Mick Fitzgerald and Mike Carttermole’s attention what nice prospects the first three were. This is possibly the best of these Junior National Hunt Hurdles ever to be run – time will tell – but we are thrilled with ML.
One very sad post-script – this week I heard from the mother of one of MOLLY’S LAD owners, Jack, who had to pass on the sad news that Jack had passed away. I had never met Jack – but he was a keen member of the NBR family, and a huge supporter of all the horses and owners in the team. We pass on our thoughts and condolences to his family and friends at this very difficult time.
Good to see Fergal in Donny – he sent me a clip of GREYVAL jogging up sound first thing – she will now have a few days to freshen up down at Ivy Lodge Farm.
Friday – MOLLY’S LAD jogged up fine after his run – he was very fresh! He will have another couple of runs in these Junior National Hunt Hurdles for experience. He is well capable of winning one – but you will not see the best of him until he steps up in trip next season – and for that reason we will stick to theses races because even if he wins one, he remains a novice for next year – that will open up lots of nice race options for him over intermediate trips and beyond.
Good to catch up with Alan King mid-morning. He had been really pleased with NEVADA SAMBA earlier in the day when he had done two good canters up Sharpridge in absolutely awful weather. It really looks like we have turned the corner with him – and he will do his first proper piece of work since his set back next week – fingers crossed he comes through it with no ill effects or relapses and we will soon see him make his debut. Alan had not videoed any work as the weather was horrendous, but he gave a full update on all the team at Barbury.
Alan King Racing Club horses all well – UHTRED RAGNARSON would not enjoy the deep winter ground, so he is having a short break with Jamie Magee. AND SHE WAS is also over the hill with Jamie – she too will be back on better ground – she just can’t handle this winter muck! GHOST DANCING is being prepped for a spring/summer campaign and looked great when Debbie popped in to see her on Tuesday. I’D GO MANIAC has completed the course of antibiotics he was on after being found to be suffering a respiratory infection after a poor run in Kempton last time out. He is back in work – and will be scoped on Tuesday next week – if all is well, he will be back on track very soon.
After chatting with Kingy it was time to fire out the latest to the members of The Alan King Racing Club before heading out for lunch at The Elm in Abbots Ripton near Huntingdon. A great lunch – Ham hock starter, followed by a venison ragu and pasta – rounded off with an excellent sticky toffee pudding. All washed down with a few pints of ‘plain’! A fun get-together with friends!
While at lunch – Jason called to confirm that the man had been in to see INTREPIDE SUD, and that he would be leaving for his new home on Monday. He will be heading to his new owners Mother who will continue his rehab and have him spot on for a seasons’ hunting in the autumn. Always good to be able to find these lovely horses a good home after racing – huge thanks to Jason for his help with this one!
Saturday – after a hectic week – I was in the office – good to get the first of the race reports typed and emailed to JIMMY GAT’S owners. He has come out of his race fine – and judging by the reaction of both jockey and trainer after his debut, he has a lovely future ahead of him. You have seen him run, heard their comments – this horse is highly recommended – what is not to like – get one of the remaining shares in him – he can win a bumper and judging by the way he loves his jumping – he (a lot like MOLLY’S LAD) will be even better with 8 flights of hurdles in front of him!
GREYVAL arrived down at Ivy Lodge Farm for her Spa Break – a few relaxing days away from the daily grind at Ravenswell will do her the power of good!
The other two with Jason are both fine – CLOUD DANCER continues on his rehab plan – and the 4 yr old ‘FLOYD’ is really impressing Jason – he was very complimentary about him when we chatted in Carlisle – he is another homebred off the SAVINGFORVEGAS production line that looks well above average. I can’t wait to have a little look ‘under the bonnet’ with him in around 6 weeks – and see what we have – I will be disappointed if he isn’t a nice one!
PENSELWOOD has recovered well from his gelding op and is another one on a break at Ivy Lodge Farm. He will have a few months there to get over all that he has been through in the last 6 months and will return to training in May – starting with Jason before heading back to Newmarket.
I have a share left in this exciting young horse – your chance to be involved with a horse in training with Sir Mark Prescott – and just to make things even better – I will cover the keep costs for that share until PENSELWOOD returns to training – so no monthly fees to pay until MAY! After which the monthly fees are divided into 10% shares each month and a statement emailed to members. This is the fairest way of dealing with the training fees as some months will be more that others, but to give you a rough idea – the average monthly cost will be in the region of £350-£380 per 10% shareholding. Not everyone can have a horse in training with the Great Man – it is a special place and a special syndicate – get involved! nickbrownracing@gmail.com or call/text me on 07909 518902
https://www.nickbrownracing.co.uk/ForSale/8274/penselwood
Next week – not so far to travel – but I will be heading down to Barbury Castle to see the team there – I have not been able to get there in 2026 – a visit is overdue!
This made me laugh! I know - so very childish!!
