With no racing in England last week, we sent a raiding party north of the border to Kelso and a lorry across the channel to France as well. Chapmanshype put in a mightily impressive performance at Kelso to win a Class 2 handicap off top weight and a mark of 142, and in turn defying a 10lbs rise from the handicapper. He deserves to step up into Graded company now, and we might think about the Grade 3 Silver Trophy at Chepstow, or perhaps stepping up in trip for the Grade 2 West Yorkshire hurdle.
Chapmanshype wins off a mark of 142.
It was a real thrill to see Ga Law jump with such aggression and assurance when winning on chasing debut at Fontwell last weekend on just his third career start. He jumped his opponents into submission and looks a talented novice chaser. He is a half brother to Val de Law, who was a Graded novice chaser for us a couple of seasons ago, and there is every chance Ga Law can follow his footsteps by going up in class now.
Ga Law wins on chasing debut.
On the same day that Chapmanshype won at Kelso, Oneofthesenights was 2nd in a Euro 38,000 conditions race at Auteuil, and picked up £7,700 in the process. It was her first run in over a year, and it was a mighty effort. She should be capable of stepping into Listed class now, but will be a lovely novice chaser too.
Oneofthesenigths is 2nd at Auteuil.
Our other runner in France was Fact of the Matter who was 4th in a Euro 35,000 cross country race at Vichy, where he picked up £2,800. He made a bad mistake at the 3rd last obstacle and he’s come back a bit sore from that. We’ll see how he is over the next week or so, but it would be nice to head back to Cheltenham in November for the cross-country race there.
Our other northern runner last week was Coole Well who ran well to be 2nd, he has now finished 2nd seven of his last eleven runs, and deserves to get his head in front soon. He did pick up a nasty cut in the race though, and so will need moment to recover.
Another to be 2nd was newcomer, Light N Strike who was just touched off on his racecourse debut in a bumper at Newton Abbot on Saturday. He is out of a bumper winner who was a half-sister to the useful Ross River. He is from the very useful staying jumper Over The Creek. He is for sale, so let’s hope we can find a buyer!
We’ve had a couple of other bumper runners recently who both finished third. Donnie Azoff has now been placed in three bumpers and will now go novice hurdling, whilst Serenisa was 3rd at Plumpton and will go hurdling now too.
Whilst, Included was 3rd in a novice handicap chase at Newton Abbot earlier this month. She seems to go best fresh, so we’ll send her off for a holiday now and look to come back for a listed race with the aim of picking up some valuable black type.
I was delighted to buy a lovely horse last week at the dispersal sale of Trevor Hemmings’ horses for a new owner of ours, Anita Gillies. We bought the Grade 3 winner Stoney Mountain who is rated 142 over hurdles, but is a novice over fences. He showed some excellent form over 3m and is built and bred to be a chaser as he is out a half-sister to The Nightingale who was a Grade 2 winner over fences. We’ll start him out in a novice chase in a couple of months, but he looks the type to progress over fences and he could be very smart.
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