Friday 19th October 2019 - winter winners, and the first two Graded races of the season.....

After a wonderful summer, I am thrilled that the team remain in great form with another couple of recent winners making a total of 27 winners so far this season.

Legends Ryde was the most recent of winners when bolting up in her bumper at Carlisle yesterday.  She had some excellent form last season, and had strengthened over the summer into a really nice type.  Gavin gave her an excellent ride and she annihilated a good field in very taking fashion.  We may look to run her in the Listed bumper at Cheltenham in November. 

Legends Ryde bolts up to give us winner number 27 for the season so far.....

It was lovely to see Chapmanshype continue his progression this season when winning the first feature race of the month on the first Saturday at Fontwell, in turn notching up his hattrick.  He travelled with ease and jumped his way to the front at the last to win a shade cosily.  We might look at running him at Cheltenham’s October meeting. 

Hattrick Hero Chapmanshype wins the feature at Fontwell.

Chepstow’s two-day meeting last weekend signalled the start of the winter season with the first two Graded races of the season, and we were placed in both the Grade 2 Persian War, and the Grade 3 Silver Trophy.  The four-time winner, Some Day Soon was a very creditable 3^rd in the Persian War despite not really appreciating the soft ground.  He stayed the trip well, and was running through the line.  We may look to run him in the Grade 2 novice at Cheltenham’s November meeting.  Whilst, Alrightjack was 4^th in the Silver Trophy under a nice ride from Page Fuller.  He will now appreciate going up to 3 miles and we’ll look to qualify him for the Pertemps Final at the Festival. 

The first three of our ‘Winter horses’ were 2^nd earlier this month and perhaps they were just a gallop short, but now that we are on the grass gallops here in Lambourn, I feel they have come to themselves now.  However, it bodes well that they have run well but are sure to improve too.  Minella Beat was only just touched off on his hurdling debut at Fontwell, but he looked to take a blow and I know that there is a lot more to come from him.  Meanwhile, Exod’ela was 2^nd in a bumper on the same Saturday card and looks a horse to follow through this season and beyond especially when we send him over obstacles.  Monbeg Theatre filled the runner up spot on his seasonal reappearance in a novice chase, where he jumped really well but for one terrible blunder at the last open ditch which not only cost him victory, but also resulted in a broken pedal bone, which annoyingly will put him out of action until the spring.

Of our other runners, Between the Waters was a fine 2^nd at Stratford under a good ride from Ben Hicks, and Timcoda filled the same position when narrowly beaten at Uttoxeter today on his seasonal reappearance.  He should continue to improve especially when the mud is really flying. 

Both Thomas Macdonagh and Thistle Do Nicely were both 4^th at Warwick at the start of the month, and I think Thomas probably needed that run more than we thought and he can develop into a decent staying novice this season, whilst Thistle’s jumping lacked a degree of fluency on his chase debut, but that again will improve as the season progresses and I’d like to think he can develop into a horse for the novice handicap chase on the first day of the Festival – the race we won with Present View a few years ago.  Frankadore was also 4^th on his hurdling debut at Wetherby this week, and he is another sure to improve with time. 

I look forward to the weekend where another four-time winner, Pacify is looking for his 5timer when we step him up in class in the Listed Novice hurdle at Kempton on Sunday.  It looks a competitive race, but I couldn’t be happier with our chap, so fingers crossed……