Monday 3rd January 2022 - ending the year on a high with winner number 35.

We notched our 34^th jumps winner of the season (we did have a flat winner in the autumn to make 35 in total), when Representing Bob maintained his unbeaten run over fences at Catterick last week, where he seemed to relish the step up in trip.  He looks a to be improving with each race and is at the right end of the handicap to continue his upwards trajectory.

Representing Bob remains unbeaten over fences when scoring for the third time this season.

I thought Kiltealy Briggs ran a cracker in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novice Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, where he finished 3^rd.  He travelled well, and jumped superbly and will find a winning opportunity back in handicap company but we picked up over £10k for that effort, which is not to be sniffed at.  Cornicello was 2^nd on Boxing Day down at Fontwell, and having been placed in both his hurdle starts, is now eligible for a handicap mark and will be able to find an opening in the coming months. 

Kiltealy Briggs is 3rd in the Grade 1 Kauto Star.

Meanwhile, Thomas Macdonagh narrowly missed out when he was caught in the shadows of the post at Haydock last week.  He had lost his confidence over the Grand National fences earlier this season and it’s taken a while to get him back, so a huge amount of credit must go to the team at home but it was gutting to see him mugged on the line.  He doesn’t quite stay 2m6, and although the race was 2m5, the track configuration meant there was an added 127yds, and that just caught him out! 

Thomas Macdonagh is narrowly denied at Haydock.

Of our other runners over the Christmas period, Midnight Centurion was 4^th in a novice hurdle, but his jumping cost him any chance of victory.  He’ll go for a bit of extra jumping tuition over the next few weeks, and once he is jumping well again, he’ll then be able to shine again.  Stoney Mountain didn’t enjoy the soft ground at Cheltenham on New Years Day, but the handicapper should cut him a bit of slack, and he’ll now head straight back to Cheltenham for the Pertemps Final at the Festival. 

So, we head into 2022 with 34 winners on the board for the season and over £300k in prize money, which puts us inside the top 20 in the trainer’s championship, which is great.  Obviously, January is notoriously a quiet month with bad ground and the now the 6 monthly flu vac’s due too, but we have lots to look forward to the rest of the season.