Hoping Yarmouth can be great again

Yarmouth racecourse has had a bit of an up and down time over the past 12 months but I'm happy to hear our lucky and local track is now back on the right road and ready to host racing again.
The track closed in autumn 2014 to relay the home straight after some had complained about the undulations. Not one of the many horses I ran had ever been affected by the track's ridges so right from the outset I have thought the development was unnecessary. However, in racing, when the big names complain, heaven and Earth has to be moved. The course reopened again last September but, after a heavy downpour, the relaid turf became slippery and racing was abandoned until this year. After a spring setback, the track held a gallop morning this week to test the surface and all seemed to go fine.
I sent a pair of two-year olds there for some racecourse experience and both Our Cilla and Mungo Madness thoroughly enjoyed their day out. Yarmouth are set to race again on June 8th and we have a good few pencilled in to run so let's hope the weather stays kind and we can get back to winning there.

Our Cilla (Freddy Tylicki) & Mungo Madness (Danny Brock) gallop at the Yarmouth

Luck wasn't on our side much this week with Go On Gal finishing second to a Sir Mark Prescott improver at Chelmsford and our Brighton raiders didn't fire. May is never a very fruitful month for us though so I'll be happy when June arrives this week!
Two-year old Valley Lodge made a promising debut in a hot race at Windsor last time and he hits the track again on Tuesday. He has come on for the run but will need to as it looks a competitive race. He should stay the extra furlong and I'll be happy if he can land a place.

Secret Ballerina (Chloe), Valley Lodge (Liam) & Spirit Of Sarwan (Ross)

Sabre Rock hasn't fired in two turf runs since coming back from a long lay-off and I'll be hoping that a return to the all-weather on Thursday can rekindle his form. He is stepping up to two miles which is a step into the unknown but I can imagine he will stay as all he does is gallop. It won't be the end of the world if he doesn't run well but hopefully he can show a bit of a spark this time.

Sabre Rock (Mark) & Dakota City (Caitlin)

Friday sees us making our first trip of the year down to Goodwood. Attain has two wins on the board already in 2016 but was unlucky not to add to the tally the last twice. He is pretty high in the handicap at the minute but he is still in great form at home so I hope he can be a bit more lucky this time.
Dakota City will be heading to the Downs with Attain and he too has a couple of wins on the board this year. He's had some time off after a busy winter and needs to prove he is as effective on turf as the all-weather because the two runs we gave him on the green stuff last year weren't very good.

The following day we're back on the road to Lingfield. Secret Ballerina has been running ok recently and there will be a race go her way sooner rather than later so we will take our chance.
Candesta runs in the lucky last and I hope he can be a bit luckier than last time when he probably would have won if getting a clear run. He goes fine over the course and distance so I hope he can end the week on a good note.

Our Cilla (Mark) & Champagne Reef (Liam)

The third and final mare from our yard finally had her foal this week and both are doing absolutely fine. Bushy Dell was a successful filly for owner Dick Creese and he took the decision to breed from her once retired. Hopefully this little one can be just as fast!

Bushy Dell and foal with owner Dick

THREE TO FOLLOW LEADERBOARD

Annette Hall	45
David Haddrell	37
Barbara Walton	34
Jonathan Kinge	30
Pauline Kennedy	30
Dudley Lever	28
Chris Shirran	27
Gay Chalklin	27
Maureen Case	27
Anthea Telford	27

One for the bargain buyers!

It was great to see a bargain buy win today's Irish 1000 Guineas after Jet Setting upset the odds-on favourite Minding at The Curragh. The winner was bought out of Richard Hannon's yard for just 12,000gns at Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale last October and it just goes to show you that bargains can be found for this kind of money. I think this sale in particular is a great one to buy from as the big yards often have a good clear out towards the end of the season and there can be some horses which are over-looked and sold without much thought. After today's win and the success of Makfi, who won the 2010 2000 Guineas after being sold cheaply, I carry on hoping that we will one day strike just as lucky!

Bargan buy Jet Setting gets the better of Minding in the Irish 1000 Guineas

Although not hitting the highest heights, we are still doing pretty well with our own bargains and I hope this week they can prove their worth some more.
Artbeat is declared at Leicester on Monday but she won't run unless the heavens open overnight. She has to have ground softer than good and the forecast doesn't look promising for her.

Go On Gal had a busy couple of weeks when she finished second and third and I've given her a few weeks off to recover from these exertions and she has done very well, regaining the weight she had lost. She is working nicely at home and I hope she can out in another good run at Chelmsford on Thursday. There could be a few unexposed runners in the race but we know she handles the track and is capable of running well off her current handicap mark.

Limerick Lord (Ross), Veeraya (Liam) & Go On Gal (Adam)

Brighton on Friday will hopefully see a strong raiding party from Harraton Stud as we head down to the south coast with four runners.
Veeraya is a frustrating type who struggles to get his head in front but we have worked out he runs best fresh and he is down to a good handicap mark so sooner or later things should go his way.
Kemsing has a great winter with four wins but he is high in the weights as a result. He hasn't shown much on turf but a step up to 1m4f should be ideal and his chances would be boosted by any rain.
Limerick Lord was a winner over the winter too and things really do have to go his way for him to win but a track like Brighton should suit him and I hope he can be in the money.
Rounding off the afternoon will be Harry Bosch. He ran a blinder to finish second at the track last time and he is still in flying form at home. A reproduction of that run would see him in the shake-up.

Duke Of Diamonds (Mark), Kemsing (Ross) & Serendib's Glory (Adam)

Dakota City (Mark) & Harry Bosch (Tess)

It was encouraging to see first-season sire Requinto have his first winner at York on Saturday after only two runners. We have a lovely Requinto two-year old up for syndication who, like the winner, was bought at the Breeze-Up Sales. Our horse has been moving like a dream at home and he will be out on the racetrack as soon as I can find an owner for him! Details can be found on my website: http://juliafeildenracing.com/5556.html



THREE TO FOLLOW LEADERBOARD

Annette Hall	40
David Haddrell	36
Barbara Walton	34
Jonathan Kinge	30
Pauline Kennedy	30
Dudley Lever	28
Jean Allen	26
Chris Shirran	26
Gay Chalklin	26
Maureen Case	26
Anthea Telford	26
Phil Gunning	25
Sophie Feilden	25
Eileen Turner	25
Matt Bisogno	25

Star shines again!

Star Of the Stage continued his resurgence with his second win in 2016 under a terrific ride from Adam Beschizza at Lingfield on Wednesday. It has taken a while for us to figure him out since we bought him in October but Adam and Star have really clicked now and hopefully the pair can be in the winner's enclosure again soon. It was great to bang in another winner as we try to continue the great start to the year.

Adam & Star Of The Stage return victorious at Lingfield

Spirit Of Sarwan ran a blinder on debut at Newmarket during the week too and his run reassured me that we do have some nice two-year olds this year who are all capable of winning. Another colt I like is Valley Lodge who makes his debut at Windsor on Monday. He is a super quick horse and I think he will win in the near future but probably not this time as it is a decent race and I've told his owner Dick Creese that if we win this we should go to Royal Ascot!

Valley Lodge (Liam), Veeraya (Caitlin) & Spirit Of Sarwan (Adam)

Also on Monday, we have a pair of raiders down at Brighton. Secret Ballerina ran no sort of race at Wolverhampton last time when she never looked happy on the track so I'm hoping a switch to turf can see her in a better light. There are only three runners so I can say with confidence that she will be placed!
Also by the seaside is Moment To Dream. She too was a bit below par at Wolverhampton last time but her homework since then has been nice and I certainly think she is capable of more than her previous runs have shown, if she handles the unique track.

Moment To Dream (Chloe)

Candesta is a pretty solid yardstick in the right grade and he should put up another good run at Lingfield on Tuesday. He has run well over the course and distance before and is usually in the shake-up when things go his way.

Candesta (Sam)

After a busy start, we have nothing going racing until Nottingham on Sunday. The Ducking Stool has had to have a few weeks on the easy list as she had a stubborn infection on her back leg that took a while to clear when the weather was so wet last month. She is now in much better shape but it's likely she will need the run to get back fully fit.
Dakota City has come out of his spring break in fine fettle and is aiming for a return to racing next month. We will run on the all-weather first and then see if we can persuade him to make some sort of effort on the grass next time!

The Ducking Stool (Ross) & Dakota City (Tess)

Attain has had a great time of things this year, winning twice on the all-weather already. Although most of his best form is on the sand, he did win at Nottingham last year so hopefully he can still transfer his good form across to the green stuff on Sunday.

Attain (Liam)

Little Orchid (Chloe) & Go On Gal (Caitlin)

Limerick Lord (Mark)

After a hard week, at least the boys get to chill out with each other on a Sunday!

I said last week that our two foals were establishing a pecking order and, as always, the girl was the boss but, as you can see, they have settled their differences now and have found time to give each other a scratch.

THREE TO FOLLOW LEADER BOARD

Star Of The Stage's win gave the rankings a much needed shake-up and his supporters have climbed up the standings.

Annette Hall	40
David Haddrell	36
Barbara Walton	33
Jonathan Kinge	30
Pauline Kennedy	29
Jean Allen	26
Chris Shirran	25
Gay Chalklin	25
Dudley Lever	25
Phil Gunning	24
Sophie Feilden	24
Eileen Turner	24
Matt Bisogno	24
Maureen Case	24
Anthea Telford	24
Annette Hall	24

Happy to have the sun back

Finally we can enjoy some glorious weather, just a week after getting snowed upon! The change has been a bit sudden but it is great to get some sun on the horses' backs and for them to get rid of the last of their winter coats.
With some reliable weather it also means we can properly plan the turf runners as it will be easier to predict ground conditions around the country which is just as well because we have another busy week ahead.

Starting on Monday, we have four representatives around the country.
Both Silver Alliance and Harry Bosch are more than capable of winning their races at Brighton if in the mood and I couldn't be happier with them at home. They are both wise to the game but Brighton is a course which can revitalise these older horses - as shown by Silver's six-length win there last year.

Serendib's Glory (Adam) & Silver Alliance (Ross)

Up at Wolverhampton on the same day, I hope Secret Ballerina can build on her promising debut and run another good race. She has been in top order since then at home and should be a bit sharper this time. The winner from her debut takes her on again and I hope we can reverse the two-length deficit from last time.

Accompanying her will be Serendib's Glory. She didn't fire at Thirsk last time but a return to the all-weather can hopefully see her get back into contention off a handicap mark I know she is capable of winning off.

Secret Ballerina

We'll be at a couple of meetings on Wednesday too with Star Of The Stage travelling to Lingfield. He won at Southwell earlier in the year but didn't handle the track at Bath last time. He's won at Lingfield before so I think he can get back into form with a better run.

Star Of The Stage (Mark)

Heading to York the same day will be Sabre Rock. He had a good blow-out over a mile at Ascot last time and came back safe and sound so now we can focus on some bigger targets. The step up in trip is what he needs and he still seems like a horse capable of winning off his handicap mark, despite his long lay-off. No doubt he will improve for this run again but hopefully he can get a bit more competitive this time.

Handheld (Liam) & Sabre Rock (Ross)

Newmarket town was packed to the rafters last weekend with the Guineas meeting and the track hosts another three days' racing this week, where we will have two runners on Thursday evening.
Spirit of Sarwan was one of the two colts I bought at the Ascot Breeze-Up sales last month and I've been very happy with him since arriving. The beauty of the Breeze-Ups is that the horses are already half 'race ready' so all you have to do is add the finishing touches and they are good to go. His sire Elzaam has made a great start with his first crop of babies but they have needed a run to get the hang of things. This lad might be a bit green too early on but I hope he shows promise towards the end.
Also at HQ will be Handheld. He ideally needs soft ground but there isn't much hope of getting that so he may as well have a run locally. He will be trying hard like usual but the softer ground just blunts the acceleration of his rivals.

Veeraya (Tess) & Spirit of Sarwan (Adam)

Moment To Dream (Chloe) & Candesta (Sam)

I'm also delighted with the two I bought from Tattersalls' Breeze-Up sale last week and they have settled in extremely well.
The gelding by first-season sire Requinto is a quality horse to look at - he has size and scope and looks as though anything he does this year will be improved upon next. He is going about his work in a lovely manner and I'm pleased to say that the shares in him are selling fast. If you would like to join the syndicate, a 10% share costs £1550 plus £200 per month all-inclusive training fees. Email me on juliafeilden@aol.com for more details.

Requinto two-year old available for syndication

With the good weather, the mares and foals can stay out as there is no risk of them catching a chill. This means though that a pecking order needs establishing and, as you can see, the girls always get their way!

THREE TO FOLLOW LEADERBOARD

Annette Hall	30
David Haddrell	25
Phil Gunning	24
Sophie Feilden	24
Eileen Turner	24
Matt Bisogno	24
Maureen Case	24
Anthea Telford	24
Chris Shirran	24
Gay Chalklin	24
Barbara Walton	23

Youngsters to get excited about!

The Breeze-Up sales are a great place to buy a ready-made racehorse as the horses sold at these auctions are unraced but perform a public gallop the day before they are sold so you can assess their ability and attitude. Buying from this source usually provides a quicker return on your spending as the horses, in general, are only a month or so from their first race, all being well.
I bought a pair of colts from Ascot's Breeze-Up last month and they will be running in two weeks' time, just showing you how quickly they can strut their stuff on the racecourse.

I am absolutely delighted with the two I bought this week at Newmarket's Guineas Breeze-Up sale and they look quality individuals who will shine not just this year but will improve next year too.
The first one up for syndication is a strapping son of the top-class two-year old Requinto who stands at Coolmore Stud in Ireland and has his first crop of runners this year.

He is a half-brother to a promising horse with Richard Hannon and he particularly impressed me with his attitude when breezing - you can see it here: http://www.tattersalls.com/av/bup22016/96.mp4
His pedigree is a great mix of speed and stamina with Group 1 winning juvenile Primo Valentino and Oaks winner Connaught Bridge in his immediate family.
10% shares are available for £1550 each plus £200 per month all-inclusive training fees. Email me on juliafeilden@aol.com for more details or to arrange a visit.

If you would prefer more of a feminine touch, I also bought a beautiful filly who is built like a tank and looks all quality.
She is by a reliable source of winners in Tagula who has sired a number of brilliant racehorses down the years, including Canford Cliffs, Limato and Tax Free. Her older sister was also by the same sire and she has already won a race so the signs on paper are very promising.

The only person who really knows how good a Breeze-Up horse is is the lad who rides them on the day and the jockey who rode this filly said she was the best that he rode - out of 11! (And he told me this after I had bought her!) You can see for yourself, she is a little green early on but knuckles down well at the finish: http://www.tattersalls.com/av/bup22016/194.mp4
She is available in 10% shares at a price of £1050 each plus £200 per month all-inclusive training fees. Email me on juliafeilden@aol.com for more details.

We had a busy week with lots of runners and although we couldn't get another winner, there were plenty of good runs with Artbeat going closest after a narrow second place at Thirsk. It was promising to see our first two-year old runner of the year, Secret Ballerina, run so well at Chelmsford on Thursday as this gives us a line of form for the rest of our babies. She certainly looks capable of winning a race very soon and I think most of the others will too. It's exciting to have such a great bunch of two-year olds.

Secret Ballerina at Chelmsford

Whilst Ballerina may be in action again next week, I hope to have two of my colts making their debut at Newmarket next week. They will be running in the same race, which is not ideal, but it will be a good introduction to racing for them and I think they could run big races.

Valley Lodge (Nick) & Veeraya (Mark)

Elzaam colt (Adam)

The horsebox had a quiet weekend but it'll be back on the road on Tuesday as we head up north to Catterick with Duke Of Diamonds. He ran really well on his seasonal comeback and I think the soft ground will suit him too. He is still a big baby but hopefully he can take another step in the right direction.

The following day Little Orchid goes to Chelmsford. She is in a maiden race which will be hard to win but I think the step up in trip is ideal and she could land a place before tackling handicaps next time.

Kemsing (Ross), Duke Of Diamonds (Adam) & Little Orchid (Mark)

Then on Friday, Kemsing is entered at Nottingham. He had a great winter with four wins at Southwell but now has a lot to prove back on turf off his high handicap rating. I think soft ground will be best for him and the rest we will know more about after the run.
Artbeat is entered there too but she really does need soft ground so we will wait to see what the weather does.

Handheld (Caitlin) & The Ducking Stool (Sarah)

Both Bavarica and Emma's Gift are now back at ours with their foals and it makes my day seeing them out in the field from my kitchen window. All are doing fine and seem to be enjoying their new surroundings!

Emma's Gift with her Sir Percy foal

THREE TO FOLLOW TOP 10

Annette Hall	30
David Haddrell	24
Phil Gunning	23
Sophie Feilden	23
Eileen Turner	23
Matt Bisogno	23
Maureen Case	23
Anthea Telford	23
Barbara Walton	23
Chris Shirran	23
Gay Chalklin	23