Hot Days and Birthdays
Well, that was a warm one!! A week that saw temperatures soar, Birthday celebrations kicking on apace with plenty to eat and drink, and a young horse showing us that he could be another very nice one!
Sunday – as the mercury went up, West Ham went down, If I am honest, I had resigned myself to the fact they would be relegated from the Premiership, but when it actually happened it was a bit of a kick in the teeth. This will hurt the club who are in a bit of financial stress as it is – hopefully they can get through it – and quickly!
In the evening I heard from the man that purchased Greyval from us – and she had been covered by Nirvana du Berlais the previous day. It has been a quick trip from race mare to broodmare – and hopefully she will scan in foal in a couple of weeks and start of the next part of her career on the right foot.
Talking of scans – we should hear news of Savingforvegas’ 40 day scan in the next few days – to confirm that all is well with her pregnancy. SFV was covered by Kingston Hill this year. Regular readers will be fully aware of how good she has been as a broodmare – the first four foals that she had have all made the track, and have all won. We still have an available 10% share in our breeding syndicate that have leased her for this breeding cycle – so if you fancy breeding your own racehorse, and learning all about their production, development and education form the very start – click the link and get in touch. It is a wonderful journey, and you get to start it with a winner producing ‘Machine’ in Savingforvegas!
Monday a special day – a big Birthday for Cheryl! A day at home, with friends and family dropping by during the day to see the Birthday Girl. By the end of it, the house looked like a branch of Interflora! And I was sneezing!
Dino Bellagio got and entry in Chester at the end of the week, a 2m handicap. He has come out of his seasonal debut in Nottingham in good form - the ground that day had been plenty quick enough for him, and we have decided not to run him on that again if possible. We know that he acts around Chester’s tight turns as he bolted up there last September, so this looked a logical place to go next.
The Alan King Racing Clubs, I’d go Maniac held an entry in Haydock on Friday, but that meeting would be subject to an inspection at lunchtime on Tuesday after a nasty looking hole had appeared during the meeting held there the previous Saturday, and there were safety concerns about the ground and the suitability of the track to host races. We would wait and see what the outcome of that inspection would be, and see what plans the BHA put in place to possibly reschedule the meeting.
Jason Maguire sent an update in the afternoon. He had begun to lose school ‘George’, our homebred 3yr old, who had picked up jumping quickly as he has done with everything he has been asked to do throughout his life this far – and he was soon skipping round the lose school popping over poles and barrels! George is coming to the end of his ‘secondary school’ – a two-month period of education we give all of our 3 yr olds – when they learn all about what it is to be a racehorse. The schooling is always the last part, and when he has passed that test, and is schooling nicely over hurdles to Jasons satisfaction he will have a short break, and head out to the field for some R&R and to take in what he has learned, before heading back into work at Ivy Lodge Farm in July, ahead of a switch to Fergal O’Brien who will train this exciting youngster.
Tuesday – and due to a mishap with the diary, when I thought that we had a day trip planned as part of the huge and extensive (and long) Birthday celebrations, but didn’t -I managed to squeeze in a trip up to see the team at Donald McCains – all of whom are still in full work. An early start for me, and an early one at the yard – Donald had had two lots out by the time I arrived at 7.30am.
The Cholmondeley Estate is beautiful at this time of year!
Winter horees doing what winter horses do in the summer!
During hot spells, trainers do like to get the horses exercised early before the heat of the day – it is a lot more comfortable for the horses and their riders. It was great to see Debbie at the yard – for a number of reasons – mainly car related for the both of us, we hadn’t had the chance to meet up for quite a while. Debbie had been over to Ireland at the weekend for the Irish Guineas meeting and also got to visit Coolmore and photograph the stallions there- she was in at Donalds to photograph the 3yr old gelding by Pethers Moon who Donald will be syndicating shortly - a syndicate that we will be managing. This gelding is a very nice looking individual, who has been in work for a few weeks now, and Debbie would be getting some pictures of him now that he has lost his ‘puppy’ fat and is looking like the athlete that he is. I could really see the difference in him - he has grown and developed very nicely and is a good-looking young man for sure. He has a pedigree to match – and he looks like a nice young horse. Donald plans to give him a short break now, and he will be aimed at the excellent National Hunt races for 3yr olds this autumn. Details are now on Donald’s website – click the link and have a look at him!
https://www.donaldmccain.co.uk/available-shares-/
There has already been plenty of interest in shares – and we several already reserved. After a short break, Donald will resume work with him in July, and when he is back cantering, we will be organising a yard visit for those that would like to come and see him – and the syndicate will start from there. If you are interested in a share and would like to come and see him in late July/early August, please just drop me a line and I will add you to the list. (07909 518902 or email: nickbrownracing@gmail.com)
It was good to see the three NBR horses in such good order, we have mentioned Dino Bellagio, who had the entry in Chester at the weekend. As mentioned, we are trying to avoid very quick ground with DB just now, and obviously the hot, dry weather makes that a bit of a challenge. Donald and I discussed the Chester race, and whether or not he should run. After talking it over we decided that the right thing to do would be to swerve this engagement – the ground in Chester already Good to Firm in places, with a very hot and dry week forecast. The Clerk of the Course, would be watering a lot over the course of the week, but the feeling was that the ground would still be on the quick side. As this is the start of Dino’s season, we both agreed that we should be patient and wait for a drop of rain – this weather couldn’t last, could it? As a result – given the extreme temperature on Tuesday, and him not running on Saturday Donald gave Dino a bit of an easier day, and rather than work – he simply cantered on the sand gallop.
Old Blue Eyes looks really well, and he is getting very close to having an entry. He has been held up by two untimely, niggly injuries over the winter and we have not been able to run him. The plan at this stage is to run him as soon as he is fit and get him started over hurdles. He was the winner of a bumper on debut and was unsuited by the soft ground next time out in Aintree. Brian Hughes has always really liked him, and we all think he has well above average ability - but the best ‘ability’ is availability, and he hasn’t been seen in public since that run in Aintree – he needs to get going. Brian believes that he will be better suited to a sounder surface so starting him at this time of year is no bad thing. We are looking forward to seeing him out very soon! Hopefully his return to action will coincide with Brians own recovery from a broken leg. I chatted to him in Doncaster and he was hoping to be back in the saddle in the next couple of weeks.
Ridin Solo is another one who’s winter was interrupted by a small set back. Donald had taken him away for a racecourse gallop the previous weekend and he had floated around in amongst a bunch of horses very nicely. Sadly, there is no video evidence of the work, as in trying to negotiate his way around the inside of them at 30mph, avoiding all manner of obstacles while trying to film it all, led Donald to drop his phone and not get anything! Ridin Solo will be getting entries very soon and will continue on to have a summer campaign.
Haydock abandoned their 2 day fixture on Friday and Saturday. The problem with the track proving to be something that they could not overcome. Speaking to Donald, he informed me that under the track, there is a maze of drains and even a well, which one day when they were galloping horses there, his mum, Beryl actually fell down. The ground had suddenly given way and she went straight down – as Donald said, ‘It was a good job she was with someone, or she would never have been found’. It would appear that there could be some severe issues for the track in the short term – hopefully they can get them resolved ASAP. Friday’s meeting rescheduled by the BHA – would now be on the all-weather in Wolverhampton – I’d Go Maniac would be entered there. Talking of the Alan King Racing Club – we continue to take names for the next years membership which begins on August 1st. The Club has been very popular since it started last summer, and it is very much looking like it will be fully subscribed very quickly when applications open in July. Alan and I chatted over our options during the week, and he has even proposed adding another horse to the squad and increasing membership from 36 to 48 for 2026/27. If you would like to reserve yor place in the Alan King Racing Club – get in touch - £3,000 one off payment for a whole year of fun – 3-4 horses – with a mixture of flat and national hunt horses giving members year round action, with no blank months – it really is great value for money!
A lovely evening was spent at the Kings Arms in Cardington, with a special lady who was visiting from overseas. We are already looking forward to seeing her again in the autumn. The Kings Arms is a beautiful spot – especially on a warm summers evening when you can eat out on the patio – it is just a shame that the food isn’t quite up to the standard of the surroundings. Once again, it came up a little short!
Wednesday – broadband issues, meant that we had an engineer here for most of the morning, which curtailed our day out somewhat.
I’d Go Maniac was duly entered in the rerouted amateur riders handicap in Wolverhampton. Alan’s daughter Georgia had got a great tune out of him in Windsor – a race that had worked out very well with the horse that beat him winning since (and that one would win again later in the week) and the third also reaching the winners circle on its next start. Off of the same mark, and at a track that he won at late last year – it looked like the ideal race for him.
Jason had Penselwood out and about trotting around the roads. He will be heading back to Sir Mark Prescott next month.
Maguire also very pleased with George and his lose schooling. He had more turns around the lose school in the morning.
With the broadband issue rectified, we set off for a little jaunt down to the Cotswolds. To probably the most famous pub in those parts – The Farmers Dog – owned by Jeremy Clarkson. Another part of the Birthday celebrations. If I am honest, neither of us knew what to expect – but we did feel that heading there on a glorious afternoon in half term was probably not the wisest move. We had got a table booked so we did know that we would be having an early dinner – but were really not sure how busy it would be. In the end it was a fantastic experience – the whole thing works very well, and never at any stage did we feel that the place was overcrowded. We had a quick drink in the garden – and who should be there – the man himself! A nice little treat for Cheryl – as he is her secret crush! (sorry not a secret now!) The pub serves 750 covers per day – and I have to say the food is very good, and reasonably priced. All in all, it was a great afternoon out, but I must say I was very grateful to get back in an airconditioned car when we headed for home!
Thursday – I’d Go Maniac had a little breeze up the hill at Sharpridge, and was duly declared in Wolverhampton the following day.
Another one to work very well was a horse called John Harrison who has been added to the Alan King Racing Club team for the summer while Ghost Dancing has a short break. He is a horse that Alan believes will give Club members an awful lot of fun over the summer, and he is very much looking forward to getting him back on track off of his current handicap mark after gelding him over the winter!
We always do our utmost to find our horses the right homes after their racing careers are over and sometimes you have to be a bit inventive. Fortune Forever a case in point. She was a lovely mare, who was supremely consistent, but who never quite got her head in front for her syndicate of owners. When she suffered a career ending injury in the spring of 2024, it was not clear how/where we could rehome her – she needed rehab for the injury that would involve down time and costs for her new owner – how could we make it work. In the end I cut a deal with Conor Brace for him to have her, and we give him some money to cover his costs of her rehab. So, he got a free horse and a handful of money – not at all orthodox, but it was the right thing to do for the mare and her owners. On Thursday it was lovely to see the fruits of that decision when I was sent a video of Fortune Forever and her filly foal, by Kingston Hill, born in March this year. It is so rewarding to see that the right decisions make for the right outcomes – we wish her owners the very best of luck with her as a mum, and we will follow her daughter’s career with interest!
Friday – Jimmy Gatz headed back to Ivy Lodge Farm for his summer break. He has needed a bit of time to recover from a pulled muscle that ended his season one run short. But he is 100% again now and he will have a month in the field. He is a lovely horse who ran a blinder on debut in Carlisle, a race that looks decent for the grade but was then a shade disappointing in Ffos Las on very deep ground a few weeks later. Put a line through that, he is a lot better than that, and he will give his owners a lot of fun through the winter. He is the most amazing jumper he has a wonderful technique allied with the fact that he absolutely loves to do it! He will be a joy to watch over hurdles this season!
Our 3yr old Golden Horn gelding ‘George’, who had been lose schooling for most of the week – headed over to Kim Bailey and Matt Nicholls, Thorndale Farm for another away day piece of work, and as you can see – he went really nicely!
Speaking to Jason after he had ridden him in that work he was delighted with him – he said, ‘He did it really well and is a nice horse!’
Shares will go on general sale tomorrow (Monday) – and his full details will be posted on the For Sale Page! Have a look – read all about him – you have seen him work – you have heard what Jason thinks of him – he is from a wonderful family that is only going to get better, and he is great value! The progeny of Golden Horn are in high demand – one of his sons recently topping the Goffs UK Spring Store Sale at £140,000 and heading to Paul Nicholls. Once again, as he is a homebred, we are able to offer him at a price that great value – get involved (07909 518902 or email nickbrownracing@gmail.com)
His 4yr old half-brother, by Falco, ‘Floyd’ is a horse that has needed time – and as a result we have never offered shares in him as it would not be fair on a syndicate to have to wait for him to come to hand. He is still with Jason and is on a break – but it is not all paddocks and grass for him – he is having regular water treadmill sessions to strengthen him in certain areas – which he needs. He will return to pretraining in the autumn, and we will make a plan for him towards the end of the year.
In the afternoon we headed into Cambridge for another Birthday treat. This time we would be staying over in The Varsity Hotel and then heading across the common to Midsummer House – the fabulous restaurant owned by 2-Star Michelin Chef, Daniel Clifford.
Before having a drink on the roof top terrace overlooking the town we got on the ipad to watch I’d Go Maniac run in Wolverhampton. Drawn in stall 7, the plan was for Georgia to sit nearer the pace than she had done in Windsor, and with likely early pace from the two drawn inside her it looked like that could be done. IGM looked great in the paddock, and Georgia was confident that with a clear run he should run a very big race. The stalls opened and although he was not slowly away, IGM wasn’t the quickest either and as a result found himself a bit further back than we were looking for. The race was then run at a snail’s pace, which meant the field remained tightly grouped together, offering Georgia no hope of making any ground unless she were to swing very wide, which is not an option at Wolverhampton. In the end when the sprint for home began, she managed to creep up the inside and get a clear run at last, which saw IGM stay on nicely all the way to the line – to finish fourth. A nice run considering everything went wrong for him – but good to see him gallop right through the line.
Photos: Debbie Burt
After a couple of drinks on the terrace in the warm evening sunshine, we had a lovely walk over Midsummer Common to the restaurant. An evening at Midsummer House is something very special – and we were very much looking forward to meeting up with Mat and Sarah and enjoying a 11-course taster menu along with the accompanying flight of wine! Clifford richly deserves his 2 stars – the food is outstanding – the dishes were out of this world with a huge amount of thought going into their conception and an abundance of skill going into their production and delivery. The front of house staff were superb and we had an amazing evening – the last to leave! It is not somewhere you go every week – or even every month – the bill was the biggest I have ever been handed after a meal – but it is all about value – and the night was very special and worth every penny.
View from the rooftop terrace at The Varsity Hotel
Midsummer House
Saturday – an early morning stroll around Cambridge and a nice coffee to start the day.
Jason sent through a video of George schooling over the hurdles on the sand gallop. He was very good – as you would expect!
It has been a good week for George! You have seen him work very well on his away day gallop and now seen him flying over a hurdle. He is a nice one!!
After schooling, he then got a chance to cool down on the water treadmill. Which he thoroughly enjoyed!
He will have one more week of secondary school and then have a 6 week break in the field.
George, will of course be one of the horses parading at our open Day at Ivy Lodge Farm on July 26th. There has been a fantastic response to the invites I have sent out to all the Whatsapp groups this week – it looks like being a fabulous afternoon! If you have not booked your spot – please do so, so that we can get a handle on numbers for the caterers. The day is open to all – owners and syndicate members both past and present, followers and friends are also very welcome, just let me know you are coming – and we will do the rest. There will be a parade of the horses that will be in pre training at Ivy Lodge Farm – interviews with trainers and jockeys (if they are not riding) and a chance to look around the yard. There will be a buffet lunch, and hopefully the weather will be like it is now!
Alan King reported that I’d Go Maniac was fine after his run – it was bad luck how the race panned out for him – but even so it he was pleased with the performance, and he will be out again in 3-4 weeks.
Saturday evening – I cracked out the paella pan and cooked for friends. The weather was glorious and we sat out until nearly 2am enjoying a lovely night with plenty of wine!
Sunday – here we go again – it looks like I am going to see Bedford Blues contest Championship playoff final at Goldington Road. The match sold out very quickly, but having been offered a ticket last night – I have to go!! It will ease the hangover I’m sure!
Around the rest of the squad. Cloud Dancer continues to progress well through his rehab – he is still travelling to Thorndale Farm twice a week to work up the hill there. He is going very nicely, and his legs are holding up very well. He is very much on track to return to racing this autumn.
Nevada Samba is summering well at Ivy Lodge Farm. Molly’s Lad doing the same over with Timmy Murphy.
Uhtred Ragnarson is having an easy spell after being treated for a few aches and pains after hanging very badly last time out in Aintree. Put a lone through that – he is better than that!
Just one other thing – I have the chance to lease a horse with Alan King, called Vivid Pink, a mare by Sea The Moon who has been placed in a bumper and won last time out over hurdles. She has had a winter break and would be a bit of fun for the summer season. She is working very nicely, and is not far off a run – 25 shares would be leased, and set at an all inclusive £135/month. Let me know if you would like to get involved for the summer – and if I get enough interest, I will draft her onto the team for a bit of fun!
Remember – book your place for the open day ASAP – it’s going to be a great afternoon.
Right, I’m off to the Rugby – wish my liver well!! See you next week!
