Horses in Training

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. His final run before the summer break showed marked improvement and he finished 2nd at Uttoxeter.

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.

Bonaparte is another graduate of the Irish point to pointing field whom we recently bought privately through our Irish connections. He won the prestigious 4 year old geldings race at Castle Geoghegan impressively in early October 2024. He was described as “giving a superb display of fencing in front” and then, when he already had the race in his safekeeping, putting in another “spectacular leap at the last”. The Irish point to point guru says he is “a big chasing type” who “should easily develop into a smart racecourse performer over middle distances”. The horse that finished 3rd at Castle Geoghegan, beaten over 9 lenghts by Bonaparte, has already gone on to win at Damma House. Although he has only been with us for a few weeks, Bonaparte is showing that he has some class and style. He is also well-bred with winners and black type placed results by his half-siblings and plenty of black type amongst his unraced dam’s siblings.

“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.

Chandler is a very good looking gelding who is nicely bred with plenty of winners in his pedigree, both on the flat and over jumps. He moves well and he has a very good jump. He has showed promise, being placed 2nd and 3rd from just five runs to date. He joined us in the Spring of 2024 but has not yet raced for us. We expect to get him to the track at the end of this year or in early 2025.

Far Lane (aka Laney) joined us having been bought by her owner at the Tattersalls Autumn horses in training sale. He has run four times on the flat and has a mark of 68. He is half-brother to five winners on the flat, over up to 1 mile 2 furlongs and to a listed winner. He is also closely related to the smart miler, Tell.

Flamelco (aka Flame) was placed several times and won a good hurdle race in France before moving to Britain. He is versatile and is happy to run on good to soft and good ground. He has some speed and plenty of scope in his jumping but is still a maiden over fences. He joined us in May 2024 and has strengthened up well and he seems to love being in our smaller yard. Fingers crossed that he will reward our confidence with some good runs!

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 found life more difficult last season following his significant rise in handicap but has now dropped to a very workable mark. He now runs in the colours of Yen Hall Farm Racing and is an exciting prospect for the Club.

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  has run in eight chases since her chasing debut in October 2023 and has won three and has only once failed to win prize money. She is now owned by Dr Belinda Rose who has her eyes on running in hunter chases with her.

Jonquilla (aka Cilla) is a lovely, big mare with very good breeding. Her mother was placed in France (including 2nd in a listed hurdle at Auteuil) before winning three steeplechases in Britain and was half-sister to two very good horses in France. Kapgarde is, of course, a high class French jumper who has produced some very impressive jumpers, including A Plus Tard, Clan des Obeaux, Fakir D’Oudairies, Hammersly Lake and Garde La Victoire and others,  14 of whom are rated over 150. A very exciting prospect.

Lily’s Ruby (aka Ruby) is a strong and powerful mare. She has some nice speed and is a very good jumper and has a lovely attitude. She has an exciting future ahead of her.

Lyric is a lovely, strong 7 year old with a great attitude. We bought him at the sales in May 2024. He had won his point to point, a bumper and his debut novice hurdle impressively and has been placed in all but four of his 16 races under rules. He handles soft ground and is a proper winter horse. We love him and he has settled in very well and we are excited about seeing him back on the track.

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 and followed that up on his next outing with another win at the same track. He sustained an injury when moving well into contention on his following run at Uttoxeter. He has now recovered and is back in work and we can’t wait to see him racing again.

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 has only run twice for us so far and has had a couple of issues that have needed attention but those have now been dealt with. We would hope to have her back racing again soon.

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, following a set-back, we are looking forward to getting him onto the racetrack.

Nickle won his novice hurdle in great style at Fontwell in October 2021, achieving a handicap mark of 136. 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. He has now had a break and we are looking forward to continuing with him in high class handicaps and graded races.

“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.

Sacred Honour (aka May) is a good looking three year old filly by the same dam as Astroscope (see above). Her dam is a dual hurdle winner out of a winning mare who was half-sister to a Grade 2 winner. She has taken very well to her training and is a lovely personality.

An exciting graduate of the Irish point to point nursery, Synchronist (aka Ronnie) is a good looking, strong gelding with lots to like about him. He has a good attitude and jumps and works very well. He was second in his point to point in April 2024, beating the third horse by some 16 lengths. Ridden by an inexperienced young jockey, Ronnie who had led throughout the race was headed by the eventual winner at the second last and then made a bad mistake at the last that almost brought him to a standstill. Without that mistake, he would have finished much closer to the winner, Drop A Threat, who was a Euro 100,000 three year old store and sold immediately after the race for Euro 300,000. He is working and schooling well and we are looking forward to seeing him on the track before long.

The Bunt is a big, strong horse who has finished 2nd in all three of his starts in 2024. They were run on the flat and he showed a very encouraging mix of speed and stamina. He joined my yard later in the year and the plan is to run him in National Hunt races. It is notable that his unraced dam is half-sister to a number of winners over jumps, two half-siblings winning 11 jumps races between them, with seven of her half-siblings winning 22 flat races. Let’s hope that Bunt lives up to the family record!

The Wise Traveller (aka “Sam”) runs in the colours of our racing club, Yen Hall Farm Racing. He has won twice for the club. Hurdling seems to be a strength and he has proved to be consistent and regularly wins prize money. He runs on good and good to soft ground and is therefore a good combination with the other horses in the club.

Whitesocksnsandals (aka Socks) is an attractive filly. Although still on the small side, she has a presence and plenty of character. Her breeding includes a decent amount of form, both on the flat and over jumps. Socks has had just one run to date on the flat and, not surprisingly, she was reported to have been very green but will, no doubt, have learnt a lot from the experience. She has certainly taken to her new routine and enjoys her introductory jumping sessions.