Year off to a good start
(Mercian Prince winning under Jack Quinlan)
The new year has seen the team in good form and we started the year with our first Grade One runner, with Kalashnikov running in the Tolworth Hurdle. He ran a great race to finish second, despite hating the ground. He never looked happy on the day and ran really well to finish where he did. He has come out of that run in fabulous form and his next target is in a couple of weeks at Newbury in the Betfair Hurdle, where a solid pace should suit him down to the ground. One thing that has greatly pleased me this year has been his jumping and hopefully that will hold him in good stead, as the race will most definitely be run in a hustle and bustle.
(Kalashnikov enjoying in his time out in the field)
That day will see Mariah’s Legend contest the Listed mares hurdle at Warwick. She ran a great race at Doncaster off top weight earlier in the month and we now go in search of that all-important black type.
The Flat team have also started the year with a bang on the all-weather with three winners already in January from very few runners. Thaqaffa won on his first start over 11 furlongs at Kempton Park in early January and then followed up at the track last week, over 12 furlongs. For a son of Kodiac he stays well and it has been great for The Champagne Club which is a new ladies only syndicate that we have recently set up. With Valentine’s day just around the corner it will make an ideal present there are a few shares still remaining the in Club, which I feel gives great value, at just £99 + VAT per month.
(Thaqaffa)
Lazarus appears to have turned a corner and shown himself to be in good form. He followed up a fast finishing third at Kempton Park in mid-January, by scoring a narrow win at Chelmsford last week, he goes to Newcastle this week in the hope a galloping track will suit him. With Entertaining Ben having won before Christmas, it was great for our racing club’s other horse to have got off the mark. It will be a fun afternoon hopefully with both the racing club horses making the journey up the A1 to Newcastle on Wednesday.
Looking ahead to this weekend the plan is that all being well both Mercian Prince and Tupolev run at Wetherby. Prince gained due reward at Kempton Park on the 13th for some consistent runs. He will take his chance in a 0 to 150 class two chase, while Tupolev will run in the bumper. Fingers crossed the ground will dry out between now and then.
The turf Flat season is not long away and I am pleased with how the juveniles are coming along and there are a couple of them that are still for sale. The colt, by Equiano, is out of a dual winner, whose first foal was last season’s speedy Simmy’s Copshop, who was Stakes-placed. Our filly for sale is a daughter of the ever popular Kodiac, out of a daughter of the Gr.3 winner Whazzis. She hails from the further family of the Classic winner and star producer Rafha.
(Both of theses are for sale, Kodiac filly on the left and Equiano colt on the right)
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