Horses in Training

“Gus” is Call At Midnight’s third foal and first gelding. Call At Midnight was owned and trained by me and won her bumper, two hurdles and a chase and is full sister to both Call Me A Legend and Call Me A Star who were both multiple winning mares and winners of, or placed in, listed races and so there is plenty of black type in the family. Falco has already produced many excellent National Hunt winners, including Hitman, Peace and Co, Beau Gosse and Tahmuras. Gus is a strong stocky type and we have high hopes for his career.

Ajay was bought at the Ascot Sales and was given plenty of time to recover from an injury. He is a good looking horse who has won twice from only 12 starts, each time over chase fences at Fakenham, including most recently when he won by 12 lengths. The plan is for him to go pointing to give members of staff some racing experience and he could then well go back under rules in hunter chases.

Another Mystery (aka “Scoobie”) is a lovely, strong chaser in the making. We bought him in the summer 2023. He had clearly taken time to mature, fill his frame and strengthen up but he had won his last two starts, both over hurdles. He has yet to show himself to his best when chasing but he is continuing to improve and impress at home and we expect him to do well, whether continuing hurdling or going chasing.

Scoobie has been syndicated but a few shares remain. Please contact me for further information.

April is an unraced attractive four year old who has presence and size. Her dam is a dual hurdle winner out of a winning mare who was half-sister to a Grade 2 winner. She has only recently joined the yard but is already showing a good attitude to her training.

Danny joined us recently, having won twice on the flat and been placed on 10 other occasions. He is an attractive horse of a good size and is moving well and his jumping has been improving considerably. We are looking forward to getting him onto the track as soon as the ground improves.

Eclair is a very exciting new addition to our racing club, Yen Hall Farm Racing. He has won two bumpers, two hurdles and two chases and, at his peak, was rated 153 over fences. He has had a busy career and, when I bought him, I turned him out for three months to help him switch off. He is now back in work and is going very well and showing lots of enthusiasm and ability. He is now off a chase mark of only 124 and I would like to think that he should be able to put up a good showing off that mark.

Gold came to us as a 9 year old son of Passing Glance with a mark of 95. He ran for our racing club, Yen Hall Farm Racing, winning on his debut for the yard (and for the Club) on 9 September 2020 at Uttoxeter and has since won on a further six occasions. His rating continued to improve until, as an 11 year old, he was running off a career high handicap mark of 122! He loves his life and racing and has the energy and commitment of a horse half his age. However, like many of us, we feel that time has started to catch up with him and he can’t quite keep going at the speed he thinks he can. We have therefore decided to retire him. We had to move him away from the yard as he still became excited each time any horse was about to go racing, thinking that it was his turn again. I am pleased to say that he is now settling down and beginning to relax and to enjoy his retirement!

Gloire d’Athon (aka “Glory”) is a very good looking, tall and imposing individual. We bought him for Mrs Pitman in September 2021. He had shown significant ability (winning in France and then running 7 times in Ireland, including a win and four placed finishes) but, given his size and age, we felt that he was due a break and so he didn’t race for us until January 2022. After four hurdles races for us, where he improved in each race and was placed on three occasions, including second twice, he then went chasing in June and won five of his first six novice chases, including at Huntingdon on his debut and winning the Class 2 Josh Gifford Novice Handicap 2 1/2 mile Chase at Sandown (the season finale) and then the Sir Stanley and Lady Clarke Class 3 Chase at Uttoxeter in May 2023. He has risen significantly in the handicap but will win again once the ground improves. He has done brilliantly well but remains an exciting prospect.

Jacks Touch (aka Jet) is a tall, strong and good-looking mare. She is well-bred being by Jeremy, the leading sire at the 2021 and 2022 Cheltenham Festivals, and her sister, Dime a Dozen, ran in 20 races, winning 6 and only once being out of the first three home. Jet herself suffered from a few niggles after joining us but she is now fully recovered and has blossomed since sent chasing. She has run in six chases since her debut in October and has won three and has never failed to win prize money. She is continuing to improve and we are looking forward to running her again when the ground improves.

Milan Bridge is a lovely, big chasing sort. He has plenty of ability and won three of his first four starts over hurdles and was then 2nd in a class 2 hurdle at Aintree off a mark of 126. He then had a challenging start to his chasing career, winning a walk-over at Ascot and then being thrown in at the deep end as favourite in a novice chase at Sandown (won by Gloire d’Athon, trained by us). He was then sadly brought down at Wincanton and lost confidence before being put up for sale when we bought him in at the Doncaster Sales in May 2023. We gave him a wind operation after we bought him and he then enjoyed a good summer holiday before returning to work. After two runs to rebuild his confidence, he won well at Plumpton in December. We are confident that he will now progress and are waiting for the ground to improve before he returns to the racetrack.

My Dream (aka “Maggie”) stands 16hh and is a very striking, good looking mare. She joined the yard in 2023, having run in just two bumpers and being placed 4th of 14 runners at Chepstow on her second outing. She is not really a bumper horse and she will want three miles in time and her full brother, who is now 8 years old won four times (and has been consistently placed) once moved up to run over the longer trip. Maggie needed to strengthen and fill out when she joined us and she has done so very well. She is now back in work and we are looking forward to seeing her run in novice hurdles before going handicapping. She jumps and schools extremely well and is tough and determined and has a great attitude. She will be a lovely fun horse who should win plenty of races and give connections lots of good days out at the races.

Maggie has been syndicated but there are a few shares still available. Do contact us for more information.

Never Seen Again (aka Nelson) was beaten less than 4 lengths in his only start to date, a bumper at Roscommon. The winner of the race won on his next start and has been placed on each subsequent start. Nelson’s six half-siblings have won 25 races between them over trips ranging from 5 furlongs to 1 mile 5 furlongs. Nelson is a good looking horse who should have plenty of speed. He joined us towards the end of 2023 and we are looking forward to getting him onto the racetrack when the ground is suitable.

Nickle won in great style at Fontwell in October 2011, achieving a handicap mark of 136. The form of that race is good, with the 3rd, 4th and 5th horses being subsequent winners, two of them at least twice. He unfortunately then sustained an injury that kept him out for the rest of his novice season which was frustrating. Since first sent chasing in October 2023, he has been a superstar! He won his chase debut at Warwick by 24 lengths and followed up at Stratford by 19 lengths on soft ground that he hated. He was then 2nd in the prestigious John Francome 2 1/2 mile Grade 2 novice chase at Newbury and finishing 2nd again in the 2 mile Wayward Lad novice chase at Kempton on 27 December. We had always thought that he was better over 2 1/2 miles and so we stepped him up again to great effect, winning the Grade 1 Scilly Isles novice chase at Sandown on 3 February. We feel that he is still improving and the target is now the Manifesto novices’ chase at Aintree as part of the April Festival, although he might run in a handicap before then to keep his eye in (and to keep a lid on him!).

“Pumpkin” is Call At Midnight’s second foal. Call At Midnight was owned and trained by me and won her bumper, two hurdles and a chase and is full sister to both Call Me A Legend and Call Me A Star and so there is plenty of black type in the family. Pumpkin is starting off in the pointing field for me, giving her experience and also giving racing experience to members of staff. She jumps very well and clearly enjoys her racing.

Raqisa joined us towards the end of 2023. She had won twice on the flat at up to 1 mile 4 furlongs. Her performance to date is impressive as she has needed a serious operation on her spine. She has now recovered from that operation and is completing her recuperation before returning to full training. She has a lovely personality and we believe that she will impress when fully fit again.

“Rosie” is a lovely, big and attractive mare. She has run eleven times for us and has only failed to win prize money twice. She is continuing to improve and has a very workable handicap mark. She is sure to win before long. Shares are available for sale.

“Teddy” is a well-bred, unraced gelding with plenty of character. He is out of a winning mare whose dam and aunts were also winners and his maternal grand-dam was a Group 2 winning mare. He should have plenty of speed and he is now learning his trade on the gallops.

“Ruby” is a strong and powerful mare. Having been backed and turned away, she is now back in work and will go hurdling once the ground is right. She has an exciting future ahead of her.

Stop This Train (aka “Annie”) is a lovely young mare who we have syndicated to a group of our owners, although one share remains available. She was second in a 5 year-old mares’ maiden point to point race in Ireland in April 2022, beaten just over 2 lengths by a horse that was then sold for Euro 85,000. Annie has had to deal with a series of set-backs but has a great attitude and works and schools very well. She is well handicapped and we confidently expect her to progress and to win. She should do well in mares’ chases and we plan to run her once the weather and ground improve.

Templier (aka “Tom”) is a lovely, big old-fashioned stamp of a National Hunt horse. He has been a great player for Yen Hall Farm Racing. He has had twelve races since his first outing for us in November 2022, winning three and being placed in another six of those runs. He relishes winter ground and is a great traveller, winning as far away as Sedgefield and Ffos Las. He always gives his all and is much loved.

The Wise Traveller (aka “Sam”) runs in the colours of our racing club, Yen Hall Farm Racing. He has run twice for the club, once in a chase and then winning a hurdle race at Huntingdon. Hurdling seems to be a strength as that win took his recent tally to three wins from his last seven starts over hurdles, having been placed 2nd or 3rd in each of the others. He runs on good and good to soft ground and should therefore be a good combination with the other horses in the club, including Templier who loves soft ground and has already won this season following  his two wins for the club last season.

Vertical is a big, strong mare with a lovely nature. She has been placed on the flat at up to 1 mile 2 furlongs and her dam and half-sisters are all winners. She joined our yard after sustaining and injury but is now recovered and seems to be enjoying the yard and her work. We shall continue building up the work with a view to running her over hurdles or continuing on the flat.