Last Minute Decision
Normality has been resumed! The weekly rambling is back in its usual spot on a Sunday!
This was a week of, no planes, some trains and no automobile. The car persisting with its issue – although the problem has now been identified and she should be back on the road by tomorrow afternoon!
Monday – kicked off out of sync – I wrote last weeks blog! Having spent last weekend gadding about – the news was delayed until Monday. It was a good job the start of the week was quiet!
The Alan King Racing Club’s, I’d Go Maniac had a couple of entries on Wednesday – both handicaps – 1m4f in Lingfield on Wednesday afternoon, and 2m in Kempton in the evening. Having spoken to Alan the previous Saturday in Newbury, it was clear that he favoured heading to Lingfield, and the shorter trip. Luke Catton who had ridden him the last few times had suggested that IGM may appreciate a step up in trip, Alan was less sure and was very keen to get Rossa Ryan back in the saddle and get his thoughts on what would be the best trip for him. Rossa was riding in Lingfield, so that is where IGM was declared. When declarations closed, it looked a trappy little heat – but I’d Go Maniac did get stall drawn in stall 2 which would help him.
In the afternoon I was watching the racing on the TV and was very interested to see how Lucy the Wire would run on her handicap debut in Kempton. LTW had been a long way behind Molly’s Lad when they met in Carlisle, and the thought was that she had not run her race that day – I was keen to see how she would go in Kempton. She ran very well, a little on and off the bridle, but she stayed on very well to finish a close second – adding depth to the form of the Carlisle race.
Tuesday – in the office for the day – the joys of having no transport! Lingfield badges to organise, and a chance to go through some race options for the team going forwards. There are just two Junior National Hunt Hurdles remaining in the calendar this season – next week in Bangor on Dee and Chepstow on the 11th of April. We have two horses that I would like to run in those races, and as there is a couple of their owners who have shares in both it made sense to not run them against each other in the same race. One would head to Bangor on Dee, the other to Chepstow. The two horses are Molly’s Lad and Jimmy Gatz – ML has had two runs in these races – JG would be making his hurdles debut. I felt that ML would be well suited to Chepstow, the stiff, galloping track would bring out the best in him, as it would JG, but he would be making his hurdles debut, and as a result it would matter less where he ran. JG has always been the most natural jumper and has shown that he has a decent level of ability in bumpers, although he did get stuck in the mud in Ffos Las, the form of his debut in Carlisle looks decent now. In my mind I favoured running Molly’s Lad in Chepstow and heading to Bangor on Dee with Jimmy Gatz. Hopefully the trainers felt the same – Olly Murphy was happy to go to either track – but would not run JG on watered ground. When I rang Fergal, who was over in Ireland, he thought that Chepstow would be the best option for Molly’s Lad, ( great minds and all that), although I did suggest that he entered Molly’s Lad in Bangor on Dee to keep all options open – if Jimmy Gatz didn’t make it there for whatever reason, and the race cut up to very few runners and was a winnable heat – we could make a late call and declare there instead of waiting for Chepstow.
Fergal also reported that Greyval was in fine form – and the preparations for her run in Cheltenham in April were going very smoothly. It is a shame that she couldn’t run in Chepstow as planned earlier this month – but it is not the end of the world – she goes very well fresh and loves the springtime and the sun on her back. She is down to a winning mark – and we are all very much looking forward to seeing her attempt to retain her crown!
Wednesday – as planned Jimmy Gatz and Molly’s Lad both entered in Bangor on Dee next Tuesday.
With no car I did something I have never done before, I caught a train to the races! It is an option I rarely consider – so it would be interesting to see how the trip went. Thankfully, Lingfield has a station a short walk from the track so it would be fairly straightforward with just one change on the way down and a couple on the return leg. AKRC member, Phil would also be heading down by train so it would be a good chance to catch up – we hadn’t had a chance for a good chat for a long time. The advantage of driving is that I always have the ‘Cardrobe’ with me – a selection of jackets and coats for all weathers, so I am never caught out when in typically English fashion, we get four seasons in one day. A careful study of the weather forecast showed that we were odds on to get a heavy shower or two, and that the temperatures would be far from warm. I decided on a top coat!
The trip down was easy – and we arrived in good time – I was glad of the coat it was far from warm – the wind had a real bite to it. I’d Go Maniac looked well in the paddock – and with Alan back at home hosting a visit from a large syndicate group – it was Sarah and George at the races. I’d Go Maniac is easy to do at the races – so I didn’t mind lending a hand to Sarah to saddle – it’s the lively ones I try and avoid! Rossa Ryan in the plate, and he was in good form having ridden the winner of the opener. Rossa is one of the best in the weighing room, and his feedback is always spot on – Alan keen to get his thoughts on IGM. Drawn 2, the plan to break well and get a good sit in the box seat and travel away in a good rhythm. His last run had been very disappointing, he had never travelled a yard, and was beaten after half a mile, but there had been reasons for that, and the hope was that he would get back on track once again. IGM broke well, but they went a furious early gallop and Rossa was happy to sit and travel where the horse was happiest. The pair were shuffled back into the last pair but were travelling fine as they came down the hill. The race developed as they swung for home, and now IGM needed to stay on well, and get the breaks. He did his best but just couldn’t peg them back. For a brief moment it looked like he would stay on into a place, but his run petered out and he tired to finish sixth. It was an improvement from Kempton, and back to somewhere near his best form, so it would be interesting to see what Rossa thought. He was happy enough with the run and one interesting thing he said is that IGM was on absolute ‘vapours’ in the last ½ furlong – there was nothing left in the tank, and Rossa advised trying a drop back to 1m2f on turf, applying some headgear and making the running on him. I’d Go Maniac is at the limit of his handicap mark, and dropping a couple of pounds will do no harm. It was good to see him run his race this time – after a poor show in Kempton, but he will need to take another step forward the next day.
The trip home very simple and all in all my first attempt at going racing on the rattler was a success. I will do it again – it was good to be able to catch up with Phil.
On the way back Jason Maguire sent through a clip of our Golden Horn 3yr old, ‘George’ arriving at Ivy Lodge Farm from Timmy Murphy’s where he has wintered under cover. He looks fantastic and has developed into a lovely young horse! He will spend the next 2 months in work and be readied for an autumn campaign where he will debut in a junior bumper, and then hopefully head to Cheltenham on New Years Day. You know that is a race I like to target!
Thursday – back in the office. Bills to pay! Fergal sent through a video of Molly’s Lad schooling under Johnny Burke. ML in great form, and he is ready to run as and when we decide the time is right.
Alan King called to confirm that I’d Go Maniac had come out of his race in good order. He will try and find a suitable race for him over a slightly shorter trip next time, and we will see if a combination of a new trip and the application of some headgear can eek out that little bit of improvement he needs to get his head in front again.
We also chatted through the rest of the team – And She Was would be returning to Barbury Castle on Friday – she has been in ridden work over a Jamie Magee’s and looks really well. She will not take long to get back up to full fitness, and we will soon see her on the track. She has shown glimpses on the track of the form she shows at home, but in fairness she needs to show a bit more when she does get going again. She will be far more at home on the summer ground, which will suit her well, but if she doesn’t run well in her next couple of starts, she could well be on the transfer list, and we will move on.
Uhtred Ragnarson is back in quicker work and 2/3 weeks off a run. Alan says he is very well and he is looking forward to getting going with him on the spring/summer ground.
Ghost Dancing was a bit bashed about after her run in Fakenham, which Alan is furious with himself about! He admits that it was pure ‘trainer error’ in running her after the heavy overnight rain – he should have not run her and waited for a race on better ground. He has given her a good break after it to help her get over it.
Nevada Samba has come out of his win in Wincanton really well. The plan at this stage is to give him one more run this spring – but only if the ground is suitable. He will not be risked on anything that we deem to be unsuitable. This horse has a big future and the last thing we want to do is bugger it up now! His owners have been in it for the long haul and have had to be patient this year – so we will continue with the ‘slowly slowly’ approach. He will have one more run in a bumper this term and then head over hurdles next season. We know he jumps really well as he did plenty of schooling as a 2yr old with Jason – so there is lots to look forward to with him in the autumn.
Friday – Alan King sent through a clip of Nevada Samba back in faster work up the Sharpridge hill. He is looking really well and moving great – hopefully the weather and ground will play ball, and we get to see him one more time this term.
I am always looking forward – and to that end I had a couple of productive chats with breeders about the possibility of leasing a couple of fillies to run for us. There are one or two available from some very nice families, and I will be having a meeting next week.
Sadly, one that won’t be on the team next season is our 4yr old homebred, ‘Floyd’. Much to everyone’s surprise, he is not going to cut it as a racehorse. He is the most gorgeous boy – with some lovely athletic paces and we all envisaged him to be a very nice prospect – but he is just not cut out to be a racehorse, and he will be found a nice home and another discipline.
Later in the morning Olly Murphy called, Jimmy Gatz would not be able to run in Bangor on Dee on Tuesday – he had pulled a muscle while schooling that morning and was quite sore behind. Hopefully he would not be sidelined for long – but he certainly couldn’t make his hurdles debut in 5 days’ time. On a positive note – Olly said, ‘Bugger me he can jump!’ – he had seen what we saw when he schooled at Ivy Lodge Farm as a 2yr old – he is very good over an obstacle and absolutely loves it! He has plenty of ability – as he has shown in bumpers, and rest assured he will be better again with 8 flights of hurdles in front of him!
That would leave the door open for Molly’s Lad to run in Bangor on Dee if the race were to cut up. We would track declarations on Sunday morning and make a late decision.
Saturday – Alan King sent through a video of Uhtred Ragnarson striding on in a piece of work up the hill over at Sharpridge. He is very well!
I spoke to Jason Maguire as he was on his way to the opening meeting of the flat turf season in Doncaster. He is gutted that ‘Floyd’ will not make the cut – and he will work on getting him sold to do something he will be far better suited to. The family have all been so talented – but I suppose they can’t all be suited to racing – and this lad certainly isn’t. Like all families, the children are all different – and thankfully he is the exception and not the rule – all the rest are winners, and the ones to come have either already shown us they are useful or have the looks and pedigree to be nice horses. We will do the right thing by him.
Jason is delighted with how George (Golden Horn 3yr old) has wintered and he is very much looking forward to getting going with him!
Cloud Dancer is still in good order and moving well – he is cantering away and his rehab is very much on course.
Penselwood is also well and the hope is that he can soon go out in the field for a well-earned break. He will be back in full work in May, and return to Sir Mark Prescott’s, Heath House Stables in June. There will be a syndicate visit to see him at Ivy Lodge Farm in early June.
With a few minutes to spare and knowing that Donald McCain would be either at the races or on his way, I gave him a call. He was at Uttoxeter. He is chuffed with Dino Bellagio who is doing masses of work and remains on course for Chester in May – with a prep run around the middle of April. I am really looking forward to another fun summer with DB!
Old Blue Eyes is doing plenty of trotting work and is as fresh as can be – he will start to canter next week, as he is so full of himself, he will end up doing himself or his rider, and possibly both, some damage if he carries on like he is! It has been a frustrating season with him – as he suffered two niggling injuries at just the wrong time – the plan is to run him once before summers break and then get a full campaign with him next season.
The story is much the same with Ridin Solo, who is also doing cartwheels! He will be brought up to full fitness, but unlike OBE, he will have a summer campaign having missed most of the winter due to an injury to a hind leg.
Sunday – as I type, I have been tracking the declarations in Bangor on Dee. Fergal O’Brien on to see what I thought. We both agreed that as it looked at 8.30am – with Nicky Henderson not declaring his apparent ‘first string’ we would consider running Molly’s Lad. Nicky’s second string was a winner on debut, and could have loads of improvement in him, but he would have to concede a 7lb penalty. Molly’s Lad had finished in front of 3 of the other likely runners, so with it looking like a maximum filed of 7, at 9.56am we decided to declare and go. Fergal and I both felt that with 10lbs in hand on Racing Post Ratings, and with the field cutting up it was worth running. We could wait until Chepstow only to find that N Henderson was running a very nice one if the ground was on the soft side, or we couldn’t run as the ground had gone too quick – so Molly’s Lad heads to Bangor on Dee!
I am now off to see masses of Shetland ponies charge around an indoor arena – remember last year? It was great fun – and once again, Jason Maguire will be travelling up to Keysoe with his daughter Freya for the Shetland Grand National assessment day. Freya got to ride her pony, Fireman in a few heats over the course of last summer, winning at least one of them. The hope this year is that she will be selected for the big nights at the Horse of the Year show in London in December! This afternoon will be fun!
