Well, that’s the 2023-24 season done and dusted now, and it was another record-breaking season for the team here at Folly House. We finished the season in 19th spot in the trainer’s championship, with 47 winners from 73 individual horses, and a brilliant £737,177 in win and place prize money. This was attained with a 19% win strike rate, 62% of our runners were in the top four, and 40% of all of our runners won. The horses have held their form from start to finish, with Guinness Affair leading the way with four novice chase wins earlier in the season; You Wear It Well winning the Listed Mares Hurdle at Wetherby on Charlie Hall Chase Day; and Colonel Harry winning the Grade 2 Towton Novice Chase. However, it was the Grade 3 (Premier) Handicaps where we really excelled this season with the highlight being Datsalrightgino winning the Coral Gold Cup (aka the Hennessy) at Newbury in December, (the most valuable handicap outside of the Grand National), whilst it was wonderful to see Ga Law back to his best winning the feature Grade 3 Handicap on Trials Day at Cheltenham. It was a personal milestone to pass the 400-career winner mark, and likewise to win both the Grand Military and Royal Artillery Gold Cups. A special mention has to go to Git Maker who was 2nd in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival, and 3rd in the Scottish National. We keep beating our previous best prize money total, and setting ourselves a higher bar to aim for each season. I am immensely proud of the whole team here at Folly House, the wonderful horses, and all the support we receive from everyone associated with us.
It was great to have another winner courtesy of Holygrove Cha Cha in the last week of the season, and I was thrilled with Ga Law, who was 2nd in the Grade 2 Oaksey Chase at Sandown on the last day of the season. It was a wonderful run, and probably a career best in all honesty – he was conceding 11lbs to the winner – but he jumped superbly, and galloped all the way through the line.
Ga Law runs a career best in the Grade 2 Oaksey Chase when 2nd, conceeding the winner 11lbs.
It was lovely to see Cindysox back on the track after a mammoth absence when she was 3rd on her hurdling debut at Huntingdon last week. She will almost certainly improve both mentally and physically for the run, and could be exciting going forwards. Goose Man was 3rd in a Hunter Chase at Ludlow, and will be winning again before long. Perhaps he will be better suited when going back into handicaps under rules.
Up for Parol also finished 3rd last week, when looking to appreciate going up in trip and I was impressed with how young Will Featherstone rode him too.
Now, we look forward to the new season beginning on Saturday!
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