Horses in Training

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.

‘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.

“Bruno” is Call At Midnight’s fourth foal and second 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. Bruno is a strong stocky type and we have high hopes for his career.

“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.

Eureka is a lovely, tough mare with a great attitude. She runs off a chasing mark of 117 and a hurdles mark of 112 and is a winter ground horse. She has had a good break and will be ready for an autumn and winter campaign. Her preferred trip is around 3 miles and that opens up plenty of exciting opportunities for her. She is a lovely fun horse who will often be in the winners enclosure!

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!

‘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.

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.

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!

‘Georgia’ is another to join us from the Irish point to point field. She is a 16.1hh good looking mare with lovely paces. She WON her point at Kirkistown in March having led all the way. The report read:

‘ The bay mare looked well in the ring beforehand. After jumping three fences, the Order Of St George mare quickly built up a 30-length lead by halfway. She kept this gallop up until her lead was significantly reduced. Holding a one-length advantage jumping the last, she found generously for pressure when joined, and managed to last home by a diminishing length. Given her style of running, races on the track over two miles will likely suit her as she has plenty of boot, jumps well and should settle for going a stronger gallop.’

She has since had a nice summer break and will run in bumpers on her return, before going hurdling. She has a lovely attitude and is a very exciting prospect going forward. 2 mile races beckon.

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!

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 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.