End Of An Era
Meteorological summer has started a lot more cool, and wetter than the last week of meteorological spring! This week I saw another of ‘my teams’ lose – no shock there – I can really pick ‘em! I paid my respects to a wonderful lady – a force of nature for sure and we welcomed some new faces to NBR as the sales in ‘George’ our Golden Horn gelding went on sale on Monday. I ran into the man that rode our first ever runner, and there were several very exciting updates form a couple of trainers.
Sunday – and having got the weekly ramble published we headed to Goldington Road to see Bedford take on Worcester in the final of the Championship Playoffs. Bedford had beaten Worcester twice in the regular season and hopes were high that they could win their first trophy in what feels like a lifetime – and probably is!
There was a sellout crowd of 5,500 which created a fantastic atmosphere at the ground. Sadly, Bedford couldn’t quite carry on the form that had seen them play so well throughout the season, and in the end, they were outgunned and beaten. I shouldn’t have jinxed them – being one of the teams I support seems to be a guarantee of failure at the moment! West Ham – relegated. The Las Vegas Raiders – the worst team in the NFL last season, and now I have put the mockers on Bedford’s fine season by turning up! Sorry Lads! England will not want me cheering for them in the World Cup!
Monday, and shares in our latest syndicate went on sale. Lots of interest, and over half the shares either reserved or sold by the end of the day! Thanks to the existing members who have read and listened to everything me and Jason have been saying about this horse and purchased a share in him – and a warm welcome to those that are new to NBR.
‘George’ is nearing the end of his ‘secondary school’ and will soon be out in the field enjoying a short spell of R&R before heading into training ar Ravenswell Farm with Fergal O’Brien. Last week he did a very nice piece of work up Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls hill gallop, which left Jason buzzing about him, and this week, as he reaches the end of this phase of his education – it has been all about schooling – and he has done plenty of jumping as you will see.
'George' learning he has it - Jason proving that he has never lost it!
It was good to catch up with Louise at The Elms. Savingforvegas had had her 40 day scan the previous week and her pregnancy was confirmed. Once again – everything fine – she is a fantastic mare to have – and although the first draft of shares in our new breeding syndicate have sold out – I have decided to make a couple more 10% shares available. Your chance to lease a 10% share in Savingforvegas, breed your own racehorse, and own 10% of it! She is in foal to Kingston Hill, and her 2027 foal will be a half-brother/sister to 4 winners from 4 runners out of Savingforvegas to date! It is a wonderful family to be involved in – and SFV is the most straightforward of mares to have! Breeding your own racehorse is a very special thing, and a wonderful journey to go on – don’t get me wrong – it is a bloody expensive exercise now – which is why this is a wonderful opportunity to get involved at a fraction of the cost, and come on a very special journey from day 1. Click the link and get involved!
https://www.nickbrownracing.co.uk/ForSale/8316/breeding-syndicate
Debbie sent herself on an assignment for the Alan King Racing Club. After the horses had exercised, she headed over to Barbury Castle to photograph the latest addition to the squad – 3yr old John Harrison. A son of Time Test, John Harrison is a half-brother to a Listed winner and from a very speedy family. He had shown plenty of ability in his work as a 2yr old but had not quite transferred it to the track. Alan was sure that gelding him would make a huge difference, and when his owner decided to sell him before he had the ‘snip’ Alan was keen to secure him for the AKRC. With Ghost Dancing having a short break in the field, Alan drafted John Harrison onto the team so that members still have three horses to go racing with. He is a very well put together individual, who has been working very nicely – he looks sure to give Club members a huge amount of fun going forward!
Ghost Dancing on her holidays
Membership of the Alan King Racing Club renews on August 1st 2026 – it has proved to be very popular in its first year – and we are already receiving a large number of enquiries about membership for next year. As membership is limited to just 36 – it very much looks like the Club will sell out very quickly – so if you are interested in joining then please get in touch – 07909 518902 or email – alankingracingclub@gmail.com
Tuesday – in the office first thing – contracts and T&Cs to send out to those that had purchased shares in ‘George’.
More preparations made for our 2026 Open Day at Ivy Lodge Farm on Sunday July 26th. This is proving to be a very popular event with lots of owners, members friends and family coming to see a parade of horses, and to enjoy a light buffet lunch, a few drinks and the chance to chat to a few of our trainers who will be there to talk about the horses they have in their care and the plans that they have for them. It will be a fun afternoon – everyone is welcome – if you have not booked your spot – please do so by next Friday so that we have a handle on numbers for caterers etc. Thank you.
Alan King sent through a couple of clips from a busy work morning on the hill over at Sharpridge.
John Harrison is nearing a run, and he did a lovely piece of work with some 2yr olds.
And it was good to see Uhtred Ragnarson quicken up nicely. He has had an easy time since he hung away all chance of winning last time out in Aintree. He has been treated for a few aches and pains since that run and is back in good order now. He remains on a very competitive mark, and the hope is that he can capitalise on that in the near future.
Wednesday – as ever I was tracking entries and happened to notice that there was a novice handicap chase in Southwell next week that had only attracted 4 entries at that stage. From speaking to Donald McCain the previous week – I knew that our Red Sash Racing Club horse – Ridin Solo was very close to a run, and I had to fire over a message to see if this race was an option or if it came just a few days too soon. Donald had spotted it too – and was tempted to give Ridin Solo an entry in it – but he eventually decided against it – as he just felt that it came 10 days too soon. He would rather give RS another couple of bits of work at home and have him spot on for his return to the track. Donald is very happy with him – and he had worked really well that morning – the Southwell race just came a few days too soon. Ridin Solo will have entries in the next few days – it will be good to see him back!
Wednesday was also a sad day – it marked the end of an era – as Savingforvegas, her colt foal ‘Nev’ and her yearling filly, ‘Nancy’ all left The Elms for their new home at Park Wood Stud in Gloucestershire. It brought down the curtain on some hugely enjoyable times – and it was a decision that was not made lightly. There has been no falling out, and Louise and I have had some fantastic times together – but in business – sometimes very tough decisions have to be made, and in all my time in this industry – this was the hardest one I have had to make! I will always look back with great fondness at the horses that we have owned that went through The Elms. There have been some very good ones – and it is no exaggeration to say that nearly all of them have been winners. Some of them have been superstars – like Romeo Coolio, and there have been a host of Graded winners as well. Our pinhooking syndicates were great fun back in the day – and a lot of credit goes to Louise and her team at The Elms, who have looked after our broodmares and youngstock as if they were their own. I will miss the coffee and the chats!
The three left The Elms on Wednesday morning and arrived at their new home just after lunch. All three travelled down beautifully and arrived at Park Wood Stud safe and sound. Their new home is a beautiful spot in south Gloucestershire, and we are very much looking forward to popping in to see them all when we are down in the area seeing the other horses that we have in the county.
There is the added bonus that my good mate, Kev is the Chef at The Holford Arms, which is just round the corner form Park Wood Stud, and I am sure there will be some fun nights to be had in the pub going forward!
Thursday – I headed up the M6 for the funeral of Beryl McCain. Wife of Ginger, Mum to Doanld and Jo. Beryl passed away a few weeks ago – a there was sure to be a huge turnout of folks for her funeral. There was, I ran into Fergal O’Brien in the car park, and we sat together in church which was full to the brim – standing room only. It was a lovely service, with some lovely stories about Beryl and her life with Ginger and the family. She was a force of nature to be sure, backed up by some of the stories we heard both in church and at the pub afterwards. She would take no prisoners but was always fair – a strong-willed woman who was a huge part of the success that Ginger, and latterly Donald had through the years, including with the mighty Red Rum. She was always immaculately turned out at the races – and she will be missed by everyone!
At the wake afterwards I got to meet up with a man that I had not seen for over 25 years – Gary Lyons – now an equine dentist who looks after the horses’ teeth at Bankhouse. When I first met him, he was a jockey – and he rode my first ever runner – Outplacement, January 2nd 2000. An inauspicious start – and this would be the only time that Gary pulled on our red, black and white colours – but it was good to see him again – and remember some stories about the folks that were around back in the day. Gary telling one great story about riding a horse that always whipped round at the start when the tapes went up, so the trainer came up with the hugely unorthodox plan for Gary to line up at the start facing in the opposite direction, so that when the starter dropped the flag, when the horse did its usual trick and whipped round, it would be facing in the right direction. It was a tactic that Gary never used – can you imagine what it would have looked like and what would have happened if the horse didn’t do its usual trick and instead of whipping round simply set off in the wrong direction? Gary Lyons to the Stewards Room!
Lots of great stories told – and lovely to catch up with so many folks from the racing and bloodstock industries!
Friday – and a cracking clip to receive first up. ‘George’ schooling over hurdles at Ivy Lodge Farm under Jason Maguire. He is very good – earlier in the week he had a lead horse over them – on Friday he led the way – once again illustrating what a fantastic attitude he has – he is a laid back horse, who takes everything in his stride, and is a very willing pupil – he just needs to be shown something once and he is very quick to learn. Jason called afterwards to say how pleased he was with him – he had schooled earlier in the week with a lead and had been a little keen into his obstacles – he was trying to get up to his lead horse and race – so Jason was keen to pop him out in front and see how he went – as you can see he was very good – quick and accurate – Jason very pleased with him.
‘George’ is coming to the end of his secondary school and will soon be out in the field – but before that – Jason will take him over to Martin Keighleys gallop to show him somewhere different again. His gallops at Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls have been very good – and he shows plenty of ability – another gallop will put the finishing touches to this part of his education. He is a horse that Jason Maguire likes a lot – his words – ‘He goes well and is a really nice horse’ He also believes that he is an ideal candidate for the programme that we have in place for him – starting in a Junior Bumper in the autumn before heading to the Listed Bumper in Cheltenham on New Years Day. There are limited shares remaining in him now – have a look at his details on the FOR SALE Page and get in touch – he’s a nice horse!
https://www.nickbrownracing.co.uk/ForSale/8330/golden-horn-x-savingforvegas
Maguire also sent through a video of Cloud Dancer doing a lovely piece of work on Kim Baileys and Mat Nicholls gallop. His rehab has gone really well, and he is bang on schedule. He will join ‘George’ on an away day to Martin Keighleys next week, after which we will make a decision as to whether he has any more fast work at this stage or has a short break to let the site of his injury settle down – aiding the overall healing. Recent fast work is sure to have led to a degree of remodelling of the injury, and we have always planned a period of rest to allow it to calm down before cracking on with him. You have to be patient to do it – but it is the best course of action to get a good long-term response and recovery. Jason is very happy with him, he is showing all he ability he showed us before he sustained the injury – he is a nice horse that we have not seen the best of yet!
Third clip through was from Alan King. John Harrison going very nicely in a piece of work – he looks a really nice addition to the Alan King Racing Club.
Another one in good form at home is Dino Bellagio and with plenty of wet weather around this week, and an unsettled forecast into next – got an entry in Catterick on Thursday evening. We will see what the ground looks like as we go through next week – we have decided to steer clear of quick ground with him if possible – as we saw in Chester last September – it is always handy to go flat racing on soft ground with a jumps bred horse – It’s like taking a gun to a gun fight – not a knife! Dino will also have an entry in Chester next Saturday – and given the forecast he is likely to take up one of his two options.
Saturday – more video – firstly from Alan King – this time, Uhtred Ragnarson working up the hill at Sharpridge. He is on his way back up to full fitness and will have entries very soon.
Another clip – this one from Donald McCain – Old Blue Eyes working upsides with Dino Bellagio tucked in behind. Both working very well indeed. Old Blue Eyes has always been a talented individual, showing well above average ability at home. It was no shock when he won his bumper on debut, which makes this winter all the more frustrating for his owners, as he has not been seen since Boxing Day 2024. There has never been anything seriously wrong with him – just two niggly little injuries that he suffered at just the wrong time. He is very much back on song now – and is only a couple of weeks off making his reappearance. We are keen to get a run into him now and will make a decision as to the route we take with him when he has made his hurdling debut. Brian Hughes is sure that he does not want very soft ground – so running at this time of year is sure to suit and it will be good to see him back on track very soon.
It will also be good to see Brian Hughes back on track – he has completed his recovery from the broken leg he sustained in Newcastle in February and has been passed fit to resume race riding. Just in time to ride Ridin Solo and Old Blue Eyes.
Dino Bellagio did a lovely piece of work in behind. Sadly, I can’t post the video clip that Donald took directly on this page, but it is published as a short on our Youtube Channel – where you will find all of the clips that we post. Head over to our Channel – and have a look – while you are there you may want to Subscribe – it just involves clicking a button – doesn’t cost a penny and you will be notified when we upload any new content to the platform – keeping you right up to date with action from around the yards and footage of race days. You never know – we could be posting more and more content over on the page – although I feel I have more of a face for radio!
https://www.youtube.com/@nickbrownracing1
Derby day spoilt by the rain and strong winds – a lot of money and effort went into increasing the crowds this year – although up – the weather dented the numbers for sure. In my opinion – the best way to increase the attendance is to move the race back to its rightful place – the first Wednesday in June. I know from arranging badges for owners – their ability to attend in midweek is very different to the weekend. Times have changed – we can all get a day off work fairly easily now – making it easier to attend meetings in the week. At weekends, plans are made weeks and months in advance with family and friends and these are less easy to alter – move the race back to midweek – thereby making it a fantastic, stand-alone sporting event – and see the crowds come back. They will never be what they were – but they will be bigger and the race will be more of the occasion it once was.
The weather may have dampened the event slightly, but the race itself served up its share of drama and controversy – a good winner in Christmas Day – a gorgeous son of Camelot – he could be a nice jumps stallion in the future. Controversy when favourite Benvenuto Cellini was deemed a non-runner after getting his foot up on the step of the stalls as the gates opened before going on to finish 10th. I wouldn’t be an expert in betting – but the decision baffled me at the time – and continues to do so – it sets a precedent that is impossible to police – and will lead to all sorts of further debate about what constitutes a if a horse is a non-runner or not. I’m very glad that I don’t have to sort that one out!
Sunday -maybe one of my teams will win something – England on top at Lords against New Zealand!
Around the remainder – Jimmy Gatz and Nevada Samba are enjoying their holidays at Ivy Lodge Farm – Molly’s Lad doing the same with Timmy Murphy.
Penselwood is doing plenty of trotting around the lanes. He is moving really well, and it will not be long before he is back in Newmarket with Sir Mark Prescott.
Alan King Racing Club’s, I’d Go Maniac had an easy week after his run last Friday in Wolverhampton and Ghost Dancing is out in the field.
Don’t forget to book your places at the Open Day – the event is open to all – owners, members, followers and friends – come and enjoy a Sunday afternoon with some lovely horses and bring anyone that you feel would enjoy the afternoon!
