31st January 2013

What a fantastic result we had yesterday with Niki Royal winning for the Daily Mirror Punters Club.  On her first start for us, she romped away to win at Towcester by a comfortable 16 lengths.  She jumped well and travelled through the race like the winner, and drew right away nicely at the end.  Needless to say we have entered her up everywhere next week.  We have only had her a month as she arrived after Christmas from Graham MacKeever's yard in Ireland.  He had found her in a field where she had been for almost a year, and he must take a lot of the credit for getting her back into shape before she arrived here.  It was a lovely way to for the Mirror Punters Club to start their season, and fingers crossed we can have a few more winners together......

I was chuffed to bits with our two bumper runners this week as well.  Houndscourt ran a blinder at Lingfield on Tuesday to finish 2nd, and Sir Gale stepped up on his promising debut where he was third, to run well yesterday staying on up the hill really well, having been outpaced early on.  Houndscourt is part of Jon Hughes' Owners for Owners initiative, and he looks a really promising individual.  He travelled well through the race, and hit the front at the 2 furlong marker pole, and strode clear, but he was just done for a bit of speed inside the final furlong, and stayed on for second.  He will make a lovely chaser, but we should have some fun with him over hurdles first - there is one remaining share for sale in him.

Niki Royal jumps the last in splendid isolation 

The Daily Mirror Punters Club in the winners enclosure afterwards.

I was chuffed to bits with our two bumper runners this week as well.  Houndscourt ran a blinder at Lingfield on Tuesday to finish 2nd, and Sir Gale stepped up on his promising debut where he was third, to run well yesterday staying on up the hill really well, having been outpaced early on.  Houndscourt is part of Jon Hughes' Owners for Owners initiative, and he looks a really promising individual.  He travelled well through the race, and hit the front at the 2 furlong marker pole, and strode clear, but he was just done for a bit of speed inside the final furlong, and stayed on for second.  He will make a lovely chaser, but we should have some fun with him over hurdles first - there is one remaining share for sale in him.