Wednesday 24th July 2024 - a couple more winners and the prestigious Cumbria Crystal Cup

It was lovely to start the month off with an exciting youngster winning on her racecourse debut as Queen Of The Vale put in a very polished effort under a great front running ride by Gavin to win a bumper at Worcester for a syndicate put together by Harry Whittington.  She had been bought as a store last summer, and Harry had backed her and ridden her away in her pre training before she arrived with us at Folly House.  She won quite impressively and should be able to defy a penalty in the autumn, before perhaps having a tilt at some ‘Black Type’.

Queen of the Vale wins on her racecourse debut.

I was thrilled that Sea the Clouds won the Cumbria Crystal Cup at Cartmel last weekend, which in turn put us up into the top 20 in the championship – which is great considering we have a small select summer team.  Sea the Clouds had knocked on the door on his first two runs this summer, so he deserved to get his head in front and that was his fifth win of his career…..it was also the fifth win for his young jokey, Will Featherstone, who in turn rode out his 10lbs claim when steering him to victory.

Sea the Clouds wins the prestigious Cumbria Crystal Cup.

Her Majesty The Queen and Lady Keswick’s Climbing was just touched off on his chasing/ handicap debut at Stratford.  He jumped fluently and defied his inexperience when scything through a competitive field to be 2^nd.  He should improve for the experience, and I look forward to seeing him out after the 3-week August break.

Goose Man, Top Speed and Value Added have all been 3^rd in the last month.  Goose Man isn’t getting any younger, but both Top Speed and Value Added should be winning later this summer.  Other horses who have been placed this month include Obsessedwithyou and Cindysox.

We bought two exciting horses at the Aqana sales in Deauville earlier this summer:

1. Latopix is by the ever-popular Beaumec de Houelle, out of a five-time winning French mare by Policy Maker.  This filly won an APQS bumper on her debut at Vichy, beating two subsequent winners.  She looks capable of defying a penalty in bumpers utilising her weight for age allowance, before stepping into a listed contest.

2. Marche D'Aligre is a 3-year-old gelding out of a Black type winning mare (by Rail Link), whose brother was a 141 rated hurdler in the UK. This chap is officially rated 81 on the flat in France having run 7 times, he won once and has been placed in 5 of his other 6 starts.  He is a very consistent type, who stays 1m3 on the flat and acts on soft ground – he has the perfect profile to go juvenile hurdling this winter and could develop into a serious Triumph or Boodles (Fred Winter) type for the Cheltenham Festival in March.  There are four 6th shares left for sale at £12k.

Meanwhile, we picked up another promising young horse for the Racing Club at Doncaster’s summer sale this week:

3. Handlethekettle is by the three-time Arc runner up, Youmzain, out of a three-time winner, and a half-brother to the five-time winner Curley Finger.  Handlethekettle tipped up on both his Irish Point-to-Point starts for Paul Cashman but jumped fluently when 2nd on his first start under rules in a maiden hurdle at Listowel.  The form of that race has been boosted since, and he looks certain to win a maiden hurdle in the UK, and the Grade 2 Persian War will be the target this autumn.