5th January 2017 - a lovely wway to start the New Year

I was delighted to start the New Year with a lovely winner as Future Gilded won well at Catterick under a fine ride from Conor O’Farrell for the very patient Owners for Owners Partnership. Future Gilded is a talented but fragile sort, who has more time off games than on games, but he has an engine and showed it on New Years Day. The Racing Post summed up the race well when they reported:

““FUTURE GILDED, effectively having his first start in 638 days, was well backed again just as he was on his Doncaster return last month when he got no further than the first fence. Always handy, he belted five out here, but it didn´t stop him and he showed real guts to out-battle the runner-up from the final fence. This was some training performance and he remains unexposed over fences.”

Future Gilded working on the grass prior to winning after effectively 638 days off the track.

It was a big team effort to get Future Gilded back in tip top shape, and credit must go to all of our team at Folly House, but also to Claire Hart who had him during his time off and early rehab, and also to Jamie Magee where he spent a long time on the water treadmill. I’d like to think we can now build on this performance and look to the future with him……

Of our other runners in 2017, Orchard Park finished 2nd at Hereford yesterday which now means he’s been 2nd three times this season! He ran well on terrible ground but having been caught out of his ground slightly was staying on all the way to the line and was only just beaten.

Orchard Park finishes 2nd again.

Between the Waters was 4th at Catterick and will now qualify for a handicap mark, and he will be seen to better effect over fences in the spring. Meanwhile, Born Naughty made his racecourse debut at Bangor and turns out to be aptly named – let’s hope the penny drops with him soon!

It was a shame that Lingfield was called off today as we looked to have found Midnight Silver another perfect opportunity to win again. She is in at Wetherby tomorrow and should certainly run well there as she is in top order and has thrived since her wind op, but it looks a more competitive affair. I am looking forward to seeing Hogan’s Height make his racecourse debut having been placed in two Irish Points. He looks a proper stayer for the future and will be a smashing chaser in a years’ time.