Sunday 9th January 2022 - another winner in the first week of 2022.

It was lovely to have another winner in the first week of 2022 when Git Maker bolted up at Chepstow on his racecourse debut – he looks another smart type for the team.  I was thrilled with Grade 2 winner, Anythingforlove, finishing 2nd at Sandown yesterday in a Listed event on bottomless ground…..ground that poor Datsalrightgino detested in the Grade 1 Tolworth hurdle. 

Git Maker put in a performance we had hoped to see, but never the less, it was a fabulous racecourse debut.  The way he lengthened his stride off the home turn was lovely, but he lengthened again from the back of the third last flight of hurdles, and he kept lengthening all the way to the line – Gavin said he couldn’t pull him up – it was impressive, and the Racing Post commented that it was the star performance of the day.  The race was over 6 secs quicker than the 2nd division of the race. 

Git Maker looked impressive when winning on debut under rules.

Anythingforlove ran a belter to be 2^nd in a Listed race at Sandown yesterday.  I’d say that her last two runs have been better than that Grade 2 win from last season!  She jumps so well back over hurdles, and her love affair with deep ground is obvious to see.  She was done for a bit of speed yesterday going into two out and from the back of that flight, but she stayed on resolutely to the line despite carrying a pound more than the winner, yet supposedly being 12lbs inferior to her! 

Anythingforlove is 2nd in a listed event at Sandown.

Unfortunately, Datsalrightgino hated every second of the ground in the Grade 1 Tolworth.  Nico De Boinville was reported in the paper this morning as saying “I knew within 10 strides of cantering to the start, that the horse would be happy on that ground” ……Gavin reported yesterday that “he knew within 10 strides of cantering to the start, that the horse would not be happy on that ground”.   I don’t think there is need to say too much more!  We’ll freshen him up now, and come back in the spring – and perhaps aim him for the Grade 2 at Kelso in early March. 

Of our other runners this week, I was delighted with Nikolayeva who was 2^nd on her hurdling debut at Ffos Las.  She isn’t the biggest, but she has a big heart and her jumping improved as the race went on, and she definitely showed she can be winning over jumps.

Stoney Mountain didn’t appreciate the soft ground at Cheltenham on New Years Day.  He travelled well, jumped super, and tried to get into it at the top of the hill but he couldn’t get any traction and Gavin looked after him when his chance had gone from the back of the 2nd last.  We qualified for the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival when winning at Newbury earlier this season off a mark of 138, and we’re now off 139, so we’ll freshen him up and head straight there now.