The summer team remain in top form as we sit in 5th in the championship with over £160k in prizemoney, as we head into the 3 week break from NH racing. The winter horses are pretty much all back into some light work now as we look forward to the autumn.
We started the month as we finished June with more winners to add to the tally. John Finch was one of our very first ever owners, and I was thrilled to give him another winner. His patience was very much rewarded as Realistic Optimism hadn’t been the easiest to train but he won in fine style at Stratford under a lovely ride from Gavin. Regrettably his progress was however stopped yesterday as he broke down at Uttoxeter, so very sad.
Handlethekettle has been a remarkable horse for RacingClub.com as he won for the fourth time from just six starts for us, when getting his head in front again at Worcester earlier this month. Gavin let him bowl along in front and he jumped from hurdle to hurdle and was a joy to watch. He should be capable of winning again this summer, before he has a winter holiday.
Hope Rising has been a sensation switched to hurdling this summer. She hadn’t achieved much on the flat, but has taken well to jumping, and she won impressively under a penalty at Uttoxeter earlier this month and followed up with a fine 2nd under a double penalty in a class 3 event at Stratford.
Doc McCoy had been in terrific form this spring/ summer and after three quick wins, the handicapper was quick to react with a 12lbs hike, but he ran a terrific race to be 2nd at Stratford under Izzi Ryder, only to be given another 2lbs for his efforts.
Knights Affair has improved with each run over hurdles, but after winning on debut he has hit the crossbar in 2nd on both occasions since when running under a penalty. His effort at Worcester over 2m was a brave run, and as he is improving, he will surely win after the summer break.
Jack N Jones has done very little wrong since she was 2nd on her bumper debut in the spring. However, she has let to get her head in front and has been 2nd in all three hurdle starts now. She was 2nd earlier this month on soft ground at Market Rasen and filled the runner up spot again at Worcester last week. Surely, it’s only a matter of time before she sheds her maiden tag!
Garde My Guinness has enjoyed finishing 3rd in three bumpers this summer, the latest time was another improved performance at Worcester last week. She’ll go hurdling after this summer break and can hopefully keep improving. Another horse to be 3rd this month was Roger Pol, who was back to form following an uncharacteristic flop in June. He’ll be back in action soon after the summer break too. Meanwhile, the only soft ground this year counted against Obsessedwithyou in her hat trick bid. She was 3rd at Stratford last weekend, but found the rain softened ground too much under top weight over a trip that just stretched her.
We’ve not had too many other runners through July, but we’ve been active at the Arqana sales as we bought a seriously smart juvenile prospect. Senator is by Doctor Dino (the sire of multiple Grade 1 winners including State Man, Sharjah and Sceau Royal) out of a five-time winning Martaline mare, who was a Listed jumps winner at Auteuil. The pedigree is packed full of black typed jumpers including Grade 1 winning juvenile hurdler, Porticello. Senator was 3rd in two flat races this spring over 1m4 and 1m5, on each occasion he was staying on strongly inside the final furlong. Considering he is bred to jump, he was taking on flat bred individuals, which makes his performances even better. He has schooled well over hurdles and looks a seriously smart juvenile hurdle prospect for the winter.
We popped over to Ireland in the middle of the month with the family. It was a ‘working holiday’ as we saw a few of our youngsters that we are educating in Ireland before they come over to Lambourn. Two of which travelled over to us this week – a 3 year old filly by Maxios ex Buche De Noel, and another 3 year old filly by Cokoriko ex Dona Palma.
We also went to a couple of the Coolmore jump stallion farms, where we saw some established stars like Walk in the Park, as well as future stars including Hurricane Lane, Crystal Ocean and Luxemburg. We also went down to Glenview Stud to see Blue Bresil and Old Persian among others.
Now we have three weeks of no racing so we can crack on with eh pre season build up training for many of the winter horses, whilst we give the summer jumpers a ‘mini break’, before racing resumes again later in August.
The excitement is building, and on the back of a cracking summer for Folly House, I am very much looking forward to the autumn and beyond…..to celebrate a good summer, we enjoyed a staff BBQ.
Office: +44 (0) 1488 72800
Mobile: +44 (0) 7779 497563
