Jumpers On Target For Best Season
It has been a while since our last update from Southgate Stables but, as the months keep passing us by, we have barely had time to reflect on 2019 as we are already focused on what lays ahead in 2020.
Numerically, we had our best Flat season last year and we finished off with a rattle thanks to Private Matter and Rock On Baileys who gave us winners 21 and 22 respectively. It was very satisfactory to get both these horses into the winner’s enclosure and for different reasons. Private Matter has been somewhat frustrating due to his requirement of soft ground which is hard to come by through the summer months. However, he battled on well under Jack Mitchell having led from pillar to post to gain his first win in just over a year. Since then he has picked up a couple of placed efforts and will now head for a well earned holiday. Rock On Baileys also gained her first success of 2019 at Lingfield, however, her campaign last season had been geared towards getting her some Black Type which she achieved at Chester and Newmarket. She has been ultra consistent throughout her career and it was nice for the team to get a win for her and owner G.R. Baileys Ltd (Baileys Horse Feed). It was, however, Thegreatestshowman who got us to our season’s target of 20 under a ridiculously cool ride from George Wood. Drawn wide, George dropped the Showman onto the rail and bided his time until he was in the home straight. He then weaved his way through the field to stick his head in front at the line.
Rock On Baileys in the Lingfield winner's enclosure
As the Flat turf season draws ever closer, our targets remain on exceeding what has already been achieved. A domestic Pattern win is high on the agenda and it would be fantastic if we could reach 25 winners. We have a number of exciting unexposed three year olds to look forward to and with any luck one if not more can bring us some big race success.
We only have a small jumping contingent, but we are already well on our way to meeting our target of 10 winners for the season. Logan Rocks scored nicely at Huntingdon for The Rann Family last November on his hurdling debut under Jack Quinlan. Since then he has found things against him with the endless soft ground and we also threw him in at the deep end when running in the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle. He is a horse that we think a lot of at home and he remains an exciting prospect especially on better ground.
Logan Rocks after winning at Huntingdon
Jamessaintpatrick was another to break his maiden tag when slogging it out in desperate conditions at Warwick. Sitting in behind the leaders, Jack Quinlan took the race up coming round the home turn to go clear of the field. However, tiredness began to weigh his legs down and, hitting the last hurdle, he literally came to a standstill. Somehow or other he managed to regain his momentum to get back up in the dying strides of the race. Unbeknown to him, the now infamous umbrellagate was unfolding in front of the grandstands. I can quite honestly say that I have never been offered so many new umbrellas in one day and, thankfully, I only received one replacement.
Mercian Knight reversed the form with Terrierman who he had failed to peg back at Southwell on his seasonal debut over hurdles. It was a special win for my family as he is a homebred and the first of Carole’s Legacy’s progeny to hit the racetrack. He is still a big, raw individual that is nowhere near the finished article. His future is most certainly over fences in the coming years.
Homebred Mercian Knight with Jack Quinlan on board
Hawthorn Cottage made her way back into the winner’s enclosure at Doncaster in January under her regular rider Lucy Barry. It was another winner to take some satisfaction from as this wonderful mare had been plagued with a number of injuries during 2018/19. She then backed up this win by scoring next time out at Plumpton. In the style of Jamessaintpatrick, it was another nail biter for Melbourne 10 Racing as she had to fight her way back to lead on the line having led for the majority of the race. Emotions were running high afterwards, none more so for Lucy Barry, who just days earlier had lost her good friend James Banks. James was known to many us and his passing was very hard for some of us to take. He was a horseman through and through and the world is now a poorer place without him.
Hawthorn Cottage now a winner of 2 races in 2019/20
Marlborough Sounds won nicely at Fontwell having finished 2nd and 3rd on his first two starts over hurdles. He was bought out of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale and is an exciting prospect for the future. He ran at Kempton next time out in a Class 2 handicap but the ground was like glue and, although Jack felt he had plenty of horse underneath him two furlongs out, he was unable to pick up on the sticky going. He holds a couple of entries at the Cheltenham Festival although it is unlikely that he will run with quicker ground being the key to him.
Exciting prospect Marlborough Sounds after winning at Fontwell
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