Horses in Training

“Annie” is a very good looking filly bought as a 3 year old at the store sales. She has been backed and is now in work. She shows a great attitude and excellent potential. She is closely related to Academy Sir Harry who was one of the leading Irish bumper horses, winning his bumper before going on to win a maiden and a novice hurdle race before his career was sadly cut short after only five runs.

“Rum” was bought as a 4 year old store. He has taken to his work very well and is an exciting prospect. He was placed in his only run to date, a point to point bumper, which he ran for experience and was very green but learnt a good deal. His dam won a bumper and over hurdles and another of her progeny, Ballymoy, won four races in a row for Nigel Twiston-Davies in 2018, including the valuable Novice Championship Final at Sandown. He has subsequently won two more races including a class 1 hurdle at Ascot in 2019 and is now rated 152. Rum’s dam is half-sister to Invictus who was a prolific winner for Alan King and had a handicap of 150 over fences.

Arcadian Sea (aka Brian) is a lovely 5 year old who has won and been placed 6 times on the flat. He stays well and will run over hurdles as well as on the flat. He ran well and was beaten just 6 lengths over 1 mile 6 furlongs at Catterick on his first start for me and has subsequently been placed on the flat and over hurdles.

Bisoubisou is a very good looking mare. Before joining the yard, she had only run on the flat but, since joining us, she has taken very well to schooling over hurdles and we have been very pleased with her. She has run for Yen Hall Farm Racing during 2018-19 and has won and been placed twice over hurdles. She jumps well and we plan to run her over chase fences.

“Brecon” is a very exciting member of the team. He is only six but has won two bumpers (one under a penalty) and has had an excellent novice hurdling season, winning twice and being placed in others, including in the valuable Dovecote at Kempton. He was second, only beaten four lengths by Brewinupastorm at Huntingdon when conceding six pounds to the winner and beat several other top novice hurdlers of the season. He finished his season at Aintree but didn’t achieve a fairy-tale ending as the unexpectedly rain-soaked ground didn’t suit him at all. As he was bought as a chaser in the making, his very successful novice hurdle campaign was a real bonus. He is now taking a break but will return in the autumn, possibly running in one or more handicap hurdles before switching to novice chasing. We are very much looking forward to running him again.

“TJ” is the first foal of Silver Lily who we used to train and who won 4 hurdle races for us and who had a great fighting spirit. His sire, Mawatheeq, is a young stallion by Danzig and part of the Nashwan family. He won several races, including the class 1 Cumberland Lodge Stakes over 1 1/2 miles at Ascot, and he has produced a good crop of winners already. TJ has now had two runs for experience, a bumper and a maiden hurdle. He is showing a good attitude and should win races once handicapping.

A seven year old bay gelding by Vision d’Etat out of Lyli Rose (by Lyphard’s Wish), “Star” is half-brother to the very useful Rolling Star, a class 1 winner who was 6th in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2013 and rated 150 over hurdles. Star has run in four races since having a wind operation and has been placed second in two of them, beaten on each occasion by very well-handicapped horses. The soft ground was very much against him on his last run. Star is a very good looking, athletic sort who is sure to win on his preferred good ground.

Local Show is a 11 year old strong, athletic gelding who joined the yard in the spring of 2017 and ran with considerable credit in the Kim Muir Chase at the Festival. He is a very classy horse who moves very well. He has been totally reinvigorated by a season’s pointing in 2018-19, running 9 times, winning 4 and placed 2nd or 3rd on three other occasions. He has been a brilliant school master for our son, William, who has been having his first season pointing. We may well decide to run Local under rules again in the autumn.

Parsonal was placed in three Irish point to points before joining the yard. Being by Oscar, he has taken time to mature and, having been placed in a bumper for me in April 2018, he ran disappointingly in December but has now had his wind sorted out and we expect him to run much better in the autumn.

An eight year old, brown mare by Robin des Pres out of a Presenting mare, “Bridget” is another who has been transformed by a wind operation last year and then a confidence boosting switch to pointing this last season. In her five runs in 2019, she has gone from strength to strength, being placed three times before winning by a distance in her last race at the end of April. She has learnt to settle and could well go back under rules in mares’ chases before long. She is well-bred and her half sister is rated 127 over hurdles and 139 over chase fences and ran in the Kim Muir Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019.

“Ruby” is a small mare with a big heart and a wonderful attitude. She loves racing over the larger obstacles and has blossomed since going chasing, winning two races at Fakenham as well as having been placed 2nd. She thinks she is at least a couple of hands bigger than she is – definitely a yard favourite!

The Happy Chappy is a lovely, big athletic gelding with enormous scope. He won both his maiden and restricted point to points in the spring of 2016 before moving to Paul Nicholls. On his first run for us he was third by 2 lengths to Step Back who is now rated 144 over fences. Chappy then won a staying hurdle race at Huntingdon in May 2017. After a summer break, he was a very good second in a beginners’ chase at Worcester on 17 October and then won with a superb round of jumping in a 3 mile 2 furlong novice chase at Sedgefield on 2 November and followed that up with a win in the feature race, a 3 mile 1 1/2 furlong race at Ludlow on 16 November. As the Racing Post commented, “he is an exciting young chaser”. After a disappointing time in 2018, he was second in the Cambridgeshire National at Huntingdon in March 2019 and followed that up with another placed result at Fontwell. We are looking forward to seeing him run again early this autumn.

“Tyson” (as yet not officially named) is younger brother to Call Me TJ (see above). He loves to spend his time lying in the sun and “playing dead”! He is shaping up into being a lovely, big, strong and athletic sort. He has now left play school is now being brought back for more serious training.

Virnon has an impressive track record, showing remarkable versatility to win twice on the flat plus two bumpers, twice over hurdles and twice over chase fences, most recently at Southwell in December 2018. As he has matured, he seems to prefer soft ground and loves chasing. We are looking forward to some exciting times with him later in the year.