Monday 26th May 2025 - four more winners over the last week as the summer team are in top form.

We’ve had a terrific week, and more precisely, Doc McCoy has had a wonderful winning spree.  Having switched back over hurdles, he won last month at Fakenham, and stepped forward from that when 2^nd at Huntingdon last Tuesday, where he looked an unlucky looser.  He bounced out of that race and so we ran him again at Ffos Las on Thursday where he won well under a lovely ride from Izzi Ryder (who has recently joined us a 7lbs conditional jockey), and having escaped a penalty for that win, he duly followed up at Fontwell yesterday under Gavin.   We’ll see what the handicapper says before we look to see where he might run again, but he deserves a breather!

Doc McCoy wins under Izzi Ryder.

Doc McCoy follows up by winning at Fontwell.

It was a joy to see Hope Rising winning on her second start over hurdles under Johnny Burke at Southwell.  She jumped really well and won pretty impressively, and showed just how a hurdle can improve a horse as she hadn’t shown much on the level.  I’d like to think she can keep improving and defy a penalty on her next start.

Hope Rising wins at Southwell.

Obsessedwithyou was the second leg of a double at Ffos Las last week.  She improved for her chasing debut earlier in the month and jumped slickly and efficiently under Gavin to win well.  Having won a couple of Junior NH hurdles a couple of seasons ago, she rather lost her way, but she is a talented individual and can hopefully progress as a novice chaser on the better ground through the summer months.    

Obsessedwithyou wins at Ffos Las.

Only the Bold was beaten less than 4 lengths in the Class 2 feature chase at Aintree last week.  He found the ground a little quick, but he stayed on strongly having been outpaced, and would have won with another 50 yards! We’ll aim him for the valuable Summer Cup at Uttoxeter at the end of June. 

Having won last time out, Kitesurfer didn’t get the run of the race when 3^rd at Huntingdon but can surely get back to winning ways before long.   Hardy Du Seuil looked a bit unlucky when 3^rd at Hexham, in a slowly run contest and he will be seen to better effect on softer ground in the winter.  He’ll have a holiday now.  Dual hurdles winner, Handlethekettle was also 3^rd on his chasing debut, but he and Gavin didn’t really gel over their obstacles.  It’ll be back to the schooling ground for both.

Up For Parol went mightily close to landing the £30k handicap hurdle at Cartmel today.  He was a fast finishing 4^th, but was unfortunately last with two to jump!  Had he been a touch closer, he surely would have won well.  That has to go down as one that got away, but it was still a sterling effort and a big pot will surely come his way soon enough.