Sunday 27 September 2015

Well done Adam!

As we had no runners on Saturday, I could (after all the morning yard work, office jobs and owner entertaining had been done!) enjoy an afternoon in my arm chair enjoying a good day's racing and I'm glad I could because it gave me full opportunity to catch our stable jockey Adam Beschizza's biggest win of his career when he landed the Cambridgeshire Handicap on Third Time Lucky for Richard Fahey at Newmarket. Adam made a flying start to his career as an apprentice but things have been a bit tough since he rode out his claim in recent years. However, me and my owners have always believed in him and have always supported him when we could because he is a very talented rider and a hell of a jockey. He knows how to graft too and is in riding out for us every morning. Jockeys go in and out of fashion despite them still riding perfectly well - hopefully this big race success can get Adam back in vogue again...as long as I can use him when I want to!
Adam all smiles after winning the Cambridgeshire

I'm getting this week's blog done just before hitting the road for the next six hours as I take two runners up to Hamilton for tomorrow's racing. I would normally avoid long trips like this as it isn't usually economically viable but the races we are in were just tailor made for us so it was an opportunity not to be missed.
Our main hope is Veeraya who looks to be well in for the claimer. We are gradually getting round to his way of thinking and the handicapper is giving him a chance too by dropping him in the weights. Providing the ground doesn't go soft, he will hopefully earn us the diesel money.
Accompanying him will be Silver Alliance. I was only taking him originally to keep Veeraya company but his race looks winnable too and he is the sort of horse who pops up when you least expect it. He is in good order and, although I usually give him a few weeks between runs, he seems fresh at home.
Veeraya (Mark) & Art Beat (Adam)

Whilst Poppy and I will be having a sisters' road trip to Scotland, also on Monday we have Harry Bosch at Bath. He is looking very well handicapped now and won at the track earlier in the year. It has been a bit disappointing that he hasn't followed up that success but he feels well at home and there's no reason why he shouldn't run well.
Harry Bosch (Luke) & Sheila's Heart (Ross)

Candesta has had a good break over the summer to freshen up after a long winter campaign but now he is back to full fitness and I'm looking forward to running him again at Chelmsford on Thursday. His homework has been great and he certainly looks better than what he is rated at the moment. He used to race in blinkers but his attitude at home has been faultless so I'll leave them off and hope he is back to full enthusiasm.
With him will be going Honeymoon Express. She has fallen right in the weights and has to have a good chance now off her low handicap mark. Her last run showed us she isn't quick enough for five furlongs so the step up to six furlongs is called for and I would hope she can be in the mix.
Candesta (Luke) & Duke Of Diamonds (Caitlin)

John and I will be hopping on the Eurostar on Friday afternoon to head over to Longchamp, Paris, to watch this year's Arc De Triomphe. That leaves Ross to run the show over the weekend and hopefully he can get a result for us to cheer at Wolverhampton on Friday night.
Star of the Stage makes his debut for us and I hope he can fare well. I gave him time to strengthen up after buying him in July and he has done really well physically and has been galloping great too. He isn't fully wound up so I expect more improvement to come but hopefully he can run respectably.
Also at Dunstall Park will be Limerick Lord. He is a sprinter who takes his races well and is gradually coming down to a handicap mark he can win off. As always, he will be thereabouts and might win with the rub of the green.
Star of the Stage (Adam) & Dakota City (Mark)

Horses return from exercise on Saturday morning

We have a group of fillies who have had a summer break and are now back cantering in preparation for the all-weather season.
Meddling is a reliable yard stick on the all-weather and wins a race every winter as well as getting placed plenty of times. She is in the mares' sale in December so it would be good if she could win before then and go to the auction with some form to her name. She is about a month away from running again.
Meddling (Ross)

Likewise, Serendib's Glory and Go On Gal will be aimed at a winter campaign. Both have strengthened right up for their break and look fantastic now. Go On Gal is already handicapped and looks a sure winner off her current mark. Serendib is unraced as she was a bit weak earlier in the year but looks more than ready to run very soon.
Serendib's Glory (Caitlin) & Go On Gal (Luke)



THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE

Placings from It's A Sheila Thing and Automotive have been a welcome boost to some people's points but it still doesn't make things any clearer at the top with just a point separating the leaders.
Mark Rimmer 25
Adam Beschizza 24
Jim Stevens 24
Shelley Birkett 21
Ros Cousens 19
Steve Moore 17
Julia Feilden 17
Dominic Lisle 17
Sarah Macdonald 15
Tessa Stone 15
Malc Shields 14
Poppy Feilden 14
Eddie Partridge 14
Rita Aspland 14
Paula Smith 14
Steve Clarke 14
Martyn Clark 14
Geoff Roberts 13
Barbara Walton 13
Gordon Hill 13
Megan Digby Baker 12
John Birkett 12
Kel Mansfield 12
Harry Hurst 12
Ged Turley 12
Bill Aspland 12
Julie Feilden 12
Linda Wright 11
Stephen Broadley 11
Nick Feilden 11
Liz Moore 11
Jason Coote 10
Sophie Collington 10
Chris Shirran 10
Dave Barnett 10
Lee Cousens 9
Tina 9
Ryan Moore 9
Dave Morris 9
Geoffrey Walton 8
Martin Godfrey 8
Wayne Moore 8
Michael Buckley 8
Sheila Collington 8
Matt Bisgono 8
Robert Wright 8
Adi Tuddenham 8
Sam Feilden 8
Bill Burgess 7
Brian Reilly 6
Jonathan Kinge 6
Steve Springford 6
Phil Collington 6
Rachael Shucksmith 6
Rob Weston 6
Trevor Fuller 6
Barry Hine 6
Tony Birkett 6
Lewis Richards 6
Chris Shelley 4
Sophie Feilden 4
Maureen Case 4
James Collington 4
Jane Shirran 4
Anthea Telford 4
Allan Forster 3
Zoe Fuller 2
John Wardle 2
Malcolm Roper 2
Ross Birkett 2
Tony Piller 2
Carol Bushnell 1
Kevin Case 0

Sunday 20 September 2015

Open all hours!

Thank you to everyone who came to our yard this morning as part of the Newmarket Open Day. We never expect a great number of people as we are open to the public all year round and a bit off the beaten track in Exning but this year certainly saw more people than ever before making the trip out of town to see what we offer. By far the most heard comment is how great it is that our horses get to chill out in the fields on a Sunday and get back to what they really are - horses. There were also plenty of people asking about syndicate opportunities and, although we are currently sold out of available shares, sales season is just around the corner and I will be looking to buy a couple of nice horses at the Autumn horses in training sale in October so don't spend that money on a holiday!
Open day guests enjoy some refreshments

The three-day September festival at Yarmouth is usually a great time for us with success on the track and plenty of fun off it. However, this year's meeting ended on a very damp whim as racing was abandoned halfway through day two with the final day being called off. It is very frustrating, not just because I had three runners lined up for the third day, but because all this wouldn't have happened had the course management not taken what I think was the unnecessary step of relaying the home straight to flatten it out. The old course would have handled the rain fine and there would never have been this problem. I can't see any point in racing at the track again this year, they might as well let it settle down properly to ensure it is at least raceable for the 2016 season and this embarrassment won't happen anytime soon.

Thankfully waterlogging shouldn't be too much of a problem this week as all bar one of our runners are racing on the all-weather.
Starting on Tuesday, Automotive heads to his happy hunting ground of Lingfield. He has been a bit disappointing this year but has had his excuses and is now fully fit and well handicapped. The course suits his style of racing and he usually runs well there so I hope he can return to some kind of form.
Candesta (Adam) & Automotive (Ross)

Also on Tuesday is It's A Sheila Thing at Kempton. I expected better from her on handicap debut last time but she could never get involved after a slow start. She drops into selling company this time and she looks to have a good chance at the weights, although there is a Richard Fahey horse which looks very hard to beat. She is certainly capable of winning and I hope it will be soon.
It's A Sheila Thing (Mark) & Little Orchid (Adam)

We're back to Kempton the following day as Moment To Dream makes her second visit to a racecourse. She will come into her own when qualified for handicap races after three runs so this will be another step on the education ladder for her and she will come on a bit more for the experience.
Star of the Stage (Nick) & Moment To Dream (Caitlin)

Another filly who is improving all the time is Dissertation. She is a big, rangy Juddmonte cast-off and she has really impressed me with her work. She is in a handicap for the first time at Chelmsford on Thursday and I certainly think the handicapper has given us a real chance off her new mark. She may still be a bit green and we are always learning more about her but I hope she can get her career off to a good start now.
Accompanying her will be Vastly. He has needed all of his comeback runs to get into top shape but last time showed us that he is nearly 100% again. He is still lightly raced and won't be long waiting to get in the winner's enclosure again.
Dissertation (Adam), Vastly (Mark) & The Ducking Stool (Ross)

Completing the week is good old The Ducking Stool. Her Yarmouth engagement was rained off last week so we've had to reroute her to Haydock on Friday but it is over the course and distance which she ran a gallant second over last time. She is in good order and another great run should be on the cards.

Big Bang (Sam)

Monday 14 September 2015

Open doors on Sunday

Firstly I mustn't forget to remind you all that this Sunday is the annual Newmarket Open Day. As you all know, anyone is welcome to visit our yard anytime of the year but if you've been meaning to come and see us or would like to show a friend what you've been raving about, feel free to come down. The yard will be open from 9am - 12.30pm with a wide range of refreshments on offer.
You can make a full day of it as open to visitors in the afternoon are the equine hospital, the Jockey Club Rooms, the National Horseracing Museum plus the National Stud. As well as this, from 1.30pm onwards there is a whole host of fun and games taking place on the Rowley Mile racecourse.
If you would like more info, please visit: http://www.newmarketopenweekend.co.uk/

Before then, we have the more important matter of this week's runners. There was some promising runs last week with Vastly showing signs of coming back into top form as well as Veeraya proving that he has just found his grade again after some tough assignments.
Kicking off on Monday, Attain heads down to Brighton. He has been busy lately but takes his racing well and bounced back from a poor run to finish third at Yarmouth. He has won three times already this year so the handicapper knows all about him but I hope he can earn his dinner again with some prize money.

On Tuesday Yarmouth hosts it's highlight of the season with the three-day festival. We're not there until the following day when Silver Alliance heads to the coast. He is high in the weights after a successful year so is probably racing in a grade too high but the only way to get him lower again is by running so he will be lining up to take his chance. He tries hard every time but this will probably be a bit tough.
We're back again 24 hours later for ladies' day and it looks set to be a busy one. 
I'm delighted to be able to take the legendary Ducking Stool back to her beloved Yarmouth after it has been closed for so long. All her six career wins have come at the track and she just doesn't seem to be able to get lucky anywhere else, as demonstrated when narrowly denied at Haydock last time. She is in terrific form and, although the class of race is probably a bit too high, I hope she runs with credit and does her local fans proud.
On the other end of the scale, Little Orchid will be making her racecourse debut. She has needed time to fill her frame but has been working well enough at home now to hit the track. She will get better with experience but I'm sure her owner/breeder Dick Creese will be proud to see his filly in full flight.
Likewise, Duke of Diamonds is just starting out his career and after this third run he will qualify for handicap races and that will see him to better effect.
Rounding off a busy day will be Limerick Lord at Chelmsford. He was a bit one paced at Bath on Sunday but I think he is a few pounds better on the all-weather so, providing he recovers well from his run, he will take his chance again.

Finally, on Saturday we head up to Wolverhampton. You know winter is on its way when these floodlit evening fixtures start but thankfully it isn't too cold...yet!
Honeymoon Express ran an ok comeback last week and this step down in grade will suit her. She is in the sales in December so it'd be nice to get a bit of form to her name before then.
The better chance would probably be It's A Sheila Thing. She is dropping down to selling grade in the hope that she can be competitive as she has plenty of ability but struggled in maiden races. She was slow from the stalls last time but with a better break she can do better this time around.

Sunday 6 September 2015

Into full swing

Our first owners' golf day proved to be a great success today and I can't thank those of you that came enough. The action on the course sounded competitive yet fun and the barbecue at the yard after was a good laugh. The competition was between owners and yard staff with the yard coming out on top - I hope this means I still get paid this month! The weather couldn't have come good at a better time and hopefully this day is something Ross can organise to be a regular thing.
The winning yard team receive their trophy

Hopefully the yard can come out on top this week and the owners will be winners too as we have a fair few runners to keep us busy.
First up on Monday, we head down to Brighton. The weather was atrocious the last time we were there but thankfully the ground has dried up a bit since then and that will suit our pair.
Dark Diamond has been running well all year and certainly deserves to win a race. He ran a good race at Brighton in June and the drop back to 1m2f should be ideal. It's quite a high grade race but he is feeling very well. As too is Harry Bosch. He probably isn't at his best at Brighton but that is the only track to hold 0-55 races which he is most competitive in so it should result in a good run.

I get a day at home on Tuesday before putting in the night shift at Kempton on Wednesday.
Veeraya has been struggling off a high handicap for a while now so dropping him into a claimer where you set your own weight is ideal for him. He seems to be best on the all-weather and has plenty of speed for sprinting so he could just bounce back to form.
Another that applies to is Vastly who heads to Sunbury as well. He has needed his first two runs back from injury just to get back to full fitness and now he seems to be in great form. He is rated higher on the all-weather but has his best form on it so I hope he can start to be competitive again.
Silver Alliance, Vastly, Candesta & Sheila's Heart

Another who seems to be coming back into top form is Honeymoon Express. She too was rated too high but is at a good mark now and has recovered from her lung infection which stopped her last time. She hasn't shown a lot of form on the all-weather but the firm ground has gone against her so Chelmsford on Thursday is worth a try.
Going with her will be Sheila's Heart. He has grown a lot since the time he spent with us before and seems a lot stronger. He isn't fully wound up for this run so I expect him to improve for the run but it would be nice if he could show a bit of promise for the near future.
Honeymoon Express (Caitlin) & Veeraya (Mark)

Sunday will see us heading down to Bath with a couple of raiders.
Limerick Lord ran well at the track before and I think he should be in the shake-up again this time as he is taking his racing very well. So too is Dakota City who was all at sea on the heavy ground at Epsom last Monday but a return to a better surface should suit him. He is yet to show his best form on turf so we will have to see what he can produce.

It's A Sheila Thing, Big Bang, Dutch Art filly & Little Orchid


THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE

Mark Rimmer 22
Shelley Birkett 21
Adam Beschizza 21
Jim Stevens 21
Ros Cousens 19
Steve Moore 17
Malc Shields 14
Poppy Feilden 14
Eddie Partridge 14
Rita Aspland 14
Julia Feilden 14
Paula Smith 14
Steve Clarke 14
Geoff Roberts 13
Barbara Walton 13
Gordon Hill 13
Megan Digby Baker 12
John Birkett 12
Kel Mansfield 12
Sarah Macdonald 12
Tessa Stone 12
Harry Hurst 12
Ged Turley 12
Bill Aspland 12
Linda Wright 11
Stephen Broadley 11
Martyn Clark 11
Dominic Lisle 11
Jason Coote 10
Sophie Collington 10
Chris Shirran 10
Dave Barnett 10
Julie Feilden 9
Lee Cousens 9
Tina 9
Geoffrey Walton 8
Nick Feilden 8
Martin Godfrey 8
Wayne Moore 8
Michael Buckley 8
Sheila Collington 8
Matt Bisgono 8
Robert Wright 8
Adi Tuddenham 8
Sam Feilden 7
Liz Moore 7
Bill Burgess 7
Brian Reilly 6
Jonathan Kinge 6
Steve Springford 6
Ryan Moore 6
Dave Morris 6
Phil Collington 6
Rachael Shucksmith 6
Rob Weston 6
Tony Birkett 5
Lewis Richards 5
Chris Shelley 4
Sophie Feilden 4
Maureen Case 4
James Collington 4
Jane Shirran 4
Anthea Telford 4
Allan Forster 3
Trevor Fuller 3
Barry Hine 3
Carol Bushnell 1
Zoe Fuller 1
John Wardle 1
Malcolm Roper 1
Ross Birkett 1
Tony Piller 1
Kevin Case 0