Sunday 8th December 2019 - Hogan's Height wins the Grand Sefton and is our 40th winner of the season.

It really was a great thrill to see Hogan’s Height jump from fence to fence around Aintree’s Grand National course to win with his head in his chest by 16 lengths!  We had planned to send him Hunter Chasing in the New Year with the Aintree Foxhunters as the target, but we’ll keep him under rules now and aim at the Grand National or the Topham in April depending on what the handicapper thinks!  He really took to the unique fences and was a joy to watch around there, which gives us hope to dream of heading to the big one in the Spring.  What a way to bring up our 40^th winner of the season too!

Hogan's Height wins the Grand Sefton over the Grand National fences.

Last week it was great to get Early Morning Rain back in the winners enclosure when she ran away with a novice hurdle at Lingfield under a penalty.  Page gave her a lovely ‘no nonsense’ ride as she bolted up.  She had won on hurdling debut so we quietly fancied our chances in a Listed Novice at Newbury last weekend, but it didn’t go to plan……however, she hardly had a blow that day, so we ran her back just two days later and thankfully saw the real Early Morning Rain. 

Early Morning Rain wins under a penalty at Lingfield.

It was a shame that we couldn’t quite add to our winners tally when Tractor Fred went down by the narrowest of margins at Plumpton last week.  He was beaten a nose on the line after Page had led from 3 out to the line, and again soon after the line as well!  So close, yet so far, and the handicapper will give him an unnecessary hike in the weights now too.  However, he surely deserves compensation after that.

Tractor Fred misses out by the narrowest of margains.

We’ll have a few runners now in the lead up to the Christmas period, and I’ve just entered Thebannerkingrebel in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown on 27^th December too……exciting times.