Tuesday 4th August 2020 - hitting the crossbar.....

I was pleased to get onto the scoresheet early into the new season, but July was a slightly frustrating month with five 2nds, however it shows our small summer team are in good form. 

Some Day Soon won 4 novice hurdles for us last summer and was placed in a couple of graded races. He was given an opening mark of 135, which I thought was workable. Initially, we were going to go novice chasing with him, however, we decided to run him in a handicap hurdle, and he was unlucky to be 2^nd as well. Gavin did say he would’ve won if it wasn’t for an error at the last flight of hurdles. There was a gap of 11 lengths between him and the horse in 3rd, so we ran him back at Stratford before his new mark kicked in.  However, he clipped heals and all but fell at the 2^nd last when he did the splits.  He is a bit sore and will need a bit of time to recover as a result.

Some Day Soon looked the likely winner but missed the last hurdle. 

Floral Bouquet was another to be 2^nd this month when a mistake at the last cost her too.  She looked to be in control when she just reached for the last under Page Fuller, stumbled and lost valuable momentum.  It was a great shame, as she hasn’t won in a while, and the handicapper had finally given us a chance.

A mistake at the last from Floral Bouquet proved costly.

Pisgah Pike was placed on his first couple of runs for us, but I had been concerned that he wasn’t finishing his races off strongly, so we gave him a wind-op over the summer, and it certainly worked as he ran on strongly to be 2^nd in a competitive novice at Market Rasen last week.  He’ll surely be winning soon.  With the restrictions on owners going racing due to the Covid protocols, we have been producing videos for the owners much like this below:

https://youtu.be/Dcw8gwUMayc

Covid has been disruptive on a global scale, there is no doubt, but if history shows us anything the best opportunities come in the wake of disruption.  To that end, I’ve put together a partnership that has bought three ‘store horses’ with a view to selling them on once they have (hopefully) won their bumpers.  There are only two 10% shares left available in this partnership, so do shout if you are interested.  I feel that we have bought three horses of real value who not only have great pedigrees, but look quality stock:

1. Doyen ex. Bay Dove – a gorgeous 3-year-old gelding by the same sire as the Grade 1 winner Battleoverdoyen out of an unraced daughter of the champion hurdle winner, Flakey Dove.  His brother, On the Bridge is a 10-time winner (rated as high as 140) and sister Fairytale Theatre (rated 133) was listed placed. 
2. Fame and Glory ex. Newtown Dancer – a strapping 3-year-old son of Fame and Glory (the Ascot Gold Cup winner, who has already produced some decent NH performers including Kiltealy Briggs), he is out of a Black Type winning hurdler who was also placed 2nd in a Listed chase as well, whilst his brother was the high class Different Gravey (rated as high as 160) who won the Listed Sydney Banks.
3. Valirann ex. Julimark – this cracking looking 3-year-old gelding by Valirann (new Aga Khan bred sire - top rated 3yr old stayer in France in 2013), out of an unraced mare who is closely related to the black type performers The Duke's Speech (orated 130) and Bleak House (rated 128); her dam won a bumper and was out of half-sister to Grand Criterium (Grade 1) winner Danishkada.

Another horse I have recently bought is a lovely 16.2hh 4-year-old filly called Sandaroc, who won her only start in a point-to-point bumper.  She is by Shirocco (the sire of Champion hurdle winner, Annie Power) out of a bumper winner, and is a half-sister to Barranco Valley who was rated 120 before being injured.   Her dam was a half-sister to the prolific French winner Shanango.  She is for sale at £15k (plus sales costs), and with size and scope, she’ll be winning very soon:

https://youtu.be/GJSArwMTZjw