Horses in Training

Another Mystery (aka “Scoobie”) is a lovely, strong chaser . 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 was frankly rather disappointing under Rules for us, although he did finish 2nd in a chase at Uttoxeter in May 2024 and again in a hurdle race at Fakenham in June 2025. It was agreed that we would take him out of racing under Rules and send him chasing to give our team a chance to learn to ride in point to point races. After a few runs between the flags, we put him back under Rules and he won a 3 mile chase at Fakenham in April 2026. His spell of point to point racing appears to have rebuilt his confidence and enthusiasm. It will be interesting to see if he can follow up.

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.

‘Billy’ is a tall, rangy gelding bought from the pointing field in Ireland. He had two educational runs coming 5^th and 6^th this spring, but being a June foal was very young and unfurnished at the time. He has had a summer at grass and has continued to grow and fill his frame and now stands 16.3hh. He schools very well will be a staying chaser in time. He is a very exciting prospect for the future.

A lovely, big grey with real presence. Dartan has won five flat races, including one on the all-weather and three hurdle races but is a maiden over fences, although already placed twice from just three starts over the larger obstacles. He is currently rated 139 over hurdles and 132 over fences. He has settled in well at the yard, having arrived in August and is now in work and showing a good attitude and pleasing ability. We hope to run him in some attractive “Saturday races” as the season progresses.

Shares in Dartan remain available.

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!

Four Towns joined us in April and will run in the Yen Hall Farm Racing club. He is versatile regarding ground and trip and will start off over hurdles where he has been consistent, before turning his hoof to chasing. He is rather cheeky and likes to keep everyone on their toes!

I bought Greatness Awaits in January 2026 as I thought that he was an interesting prospect. He is clearly tough and versatile. He has already won five times over hurdles and twice in flat races on turf (at Chepstow and Epsom). He has returned to the winners’ enclosure (ie finishing 4th or better) on 27 occasions. It seemed to me that he is just the sort to benefit from a break and a change of yard and, suitably refreshed, could make an ideal, fun horse representing real value.

‘Cash’ is a nice, fun horse who came via the Irish pointing field. He was 2^nd at Turtulla in November 2024 and received a mark of 76+. He joined us in the New Year and has had a few runs over hurdles to get a handicap mark. He will be competitive once running in his own class and will then progress over fences. He is a lovely jumper with a great attitude who will give connections a lot of fun.

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.

Lounge Lizard (aka Lizzo) is a lovely, big chaser. We bought him to run in some big handicaps and ‘Saturday’ races. He has completed over the Grand National fences and has a great and powerful jumping ability. We decided that he needed a relatively minor wind operation and his first run after that showed promise but, as is often the case in the first run after a wind op, he ran as though he was still a little concerned about his wind. The next run, at Ludlow, was very different and he was clearly enjoying himself and lead the field for most of the race. Frustratingly, he made a serious mistake at the penultimate fence and unseated his jockey (although it was recorded as a fall in the official race report). His jockey, Richie McLernon, was certain that he would have finished 2nd, which would have been an impressive result for a horse sent off as the rank outsider at 50/1. He has come out of the race very well and we hope for better luck next time!

Mars Harper is a talented horse who has run in some big races, including the Topham over the National fences. He has a lovely character and has clearly taken to life at our yard. He has had a minor wind operation after his first run for us and is working and schooling well. We have high hopes for him and look forward to seeing him on the track again soon.

Minella Crooner has won an Irish point to point, bumpers and over hurdles and steeplechase fences, mostly in Ireland, including a listed chase at Punchestown, but has also run at the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals. Dr Belinda Rose is a vet and bought him shrewdly from Gordon Elliott knowing that he would need surgery on his back. That surgery has been completed successfully and Crooner has already shown that he has real ability. He ran very well in Belinda’s colours in the cross country race at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, jumping superbly and being up with the pace until being pulled up two out. We were all  thrilled and it is clear that he should have other big and exciting days ahead!

Moon Hunter (aka Merv) was bought by John Rice as a point to point schoolmaster for his son, Niall, who works for us. Sadly, Niall had a very bad injury in 2025 (now happily fully recovered) and needed to opt out of pointing in the 2025-26 season. As a result, Merv has been diverted to racing under Rules and was successfully placed in a hurdles race at Plumpton in March. He is a lovely big horse and we are confident that we can achieve further success with him.

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.

Noble won a bumper and was third in another carrying a penalty before starting her hurdling career. She is a very athletic, lovely moving filly who just wants to please! She loves jumping and will certainly jump a fence in time. At the moment she is getting handicapped over hurdles before having a short break, and then returning for an autumn/spring campaign. She has plenty of ability and should be back in the winners enclosure soon!

Park joined us from the Goffs May Sale being formerly owned by Munir and Souede. He is a consistent hurdler, but still a maiden over fences. He has had a nice break and will return to run over both in the autumn. His preferred trip seems to be around 2m4f and he enjoys a variety of going. We are excited to have him in the yard and looking forward to seeing what he can do!

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 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.

Tigga joined us at Christmas when recovering from an injury. He is now back in full work and progressing well with the aim of running from the late summer onwards. He has been placed in hurdle races on a variety of ground and over a variety of trips and is well handicapped off a mark of 103. He is an exciting prospect to go chasing with once he has broken his maiden tag over hurdles.