Horses in Training

Ajay was bought at the Ascot Sales in May 2022. He is a good looking horse who has won twice from only 12 starts, each time over chase fences at Fakenham, most recently on 3 May when he won by 12 lengths. He looks a good fun horse – could he be a chasing version of Glimpse of Gold?

“Benny” is a big, good looking 3 year old son of Jet Away, a Juddmonte stallion who was a multiple winner over 1 mile – 1 mile 2 furlongs. Benny’s dam was a multiple winner on the flat (both on turf and on the all-weather) and also won over hurdles and she is a half-sister to Pragmatist, a triple 6-7 furlong winner at 3 and 4 years old and to Shy who won several times over 1 mile 4 furlongs on the turf. Benny had been lightly backed and then turned away when he joined us and has continued his education this Spring. In view of his breeding and his conformation, we are very much looking forward to seeing him on the racecourse this Autumn.

Homebred by us, “Cinders” is Call at Midnight’s first foal. Call at Midnight 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. Cinders’ sire, Pether’s Moon, won the Coronation Cup over 1 mile 4 furlongs at Epsom and is an up and coming NH sire. Cinders has been backed and ridden away and shows a very competitive temperament, just like her mother. She should be on the racecourse soon.

Fulgurant means dazzling and so this beautiful grey is called “Daz” at home. He is a well-built powerful sort and moves beautifully. He is also well-bred, being closely related to two French listed hurdlers/chasers. He has run in three Irish point to points, showing a lot of promise and being placed 3rd of 14 in his first run (with the 4th and 6th horses winning subsequently). His second run was disappointing but it became clear that he was badly affected by oil seed rape pollen. He was looking sure to win on his last run, 12 lengths up over the 2nd last and his jockey was perhaps too confident when he was suddenly challenged approaching the last and a change of rhythm caused him to fall over the final obstacle. The winner (who was given the same rating by the judge as Fulgurant) was subsequently sold for £200,000 to Gordon Elliott. Daz is enjoying a late Spring break and will come back into work in time to race in the autumn and winter and he is a very exciting prospect.

Gold is a 9 year old son of Passing Glance. He has joined us from Tim Vaughan’s yard and runs for our racing club, Yen Hall Farm Racing, winning on his debut for the yard (and for the Club) on 9 September at Uttoxeter. He is nicely bred, his grandmother being a full sister to Lord Windermere, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2014, and a half-sister to Sub Lieutenant. He is versatile in trip and ground and will run over both hurdles and fences and so will give club members lots of opportunities and fun.

Gloire d’Athon (aka “Glory”) is a very good looking, tall and imposing individual. Although only five, he has had a busy life, winning in France and then running 7 times in Ireland, including a win and four placed finishes. He has shown significant ability but, given his size and age, we felt that he was due a break and so he has been resting since arriving at the yard in September. He is now being brought into work and we look forward to seeing him back on the track soon.

Its Gonnahappen (aka “George”) is a strongly built, blocky horse. He is well-bred and his dam won her point to point, hurdles and chase races and is related to other successful runners, including Champion Chase winner, Special Tiara. George has only run once, at Gowran Park in March 2021, when he won in fine style by 12 lengths, going away. He has come on well since arriving at the yard and is an exciting prospect as a proper winter horse.

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 Cheltenham Festival, and her sister, Dime a Dozen, has run in 14 races, winning 4 and never being out of the first three home. Jet herself, has just run once, in a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse in March 2021, finishing 2nd beaten only 3 lengths and being a full 15 lengths ahead of the 3rd horse home. She is an exciting prospect.

“Honey” is a lovely filly with a tremendous attitude and work ethic. She joined us in the spring of 2022 and will run in bumpers during the autumn before going hurdling. Her dam was a bumper and staying hurdles winner, with plenty of quality and other winners in the family.

“Angel” is Silver Lily’s third foal. We used to train Silver Lily and she won 4 hurdle races for us and had a great fighting spirit. Angel’s sire, Nayef was top class winner at one mile to one and a half miles and was half brother to the great Nashwan. Angel is a lovely filly with an impressive frame and shares her dam’s lovely attitude. We backed her this Summer, with lots of long-reining and lunging before she was ridden away and she took to it all very well. She has now been given a break but will come back into work in the Spring. We are looking forward to continuing her education.

“Terry” stands a magnificent 17h 1″ and yet is remarkably balanced and light on his feet. He has plenty of winners in his family, including his two half-siblings, and his dam was a multiple-winning hurdler and was half-sister to a number of very successful National Hunt winners including Bobowen, Shantou Tiger and Sun King. Although Terry has only won one race from 17 starts, he has been placed in 5 of his last 6 starts and should be a fun horse for next season.

Mesbar is a stocky flat horse who has run just twice. He has taken time to grow into himself and to achieve racing fitness but he has progressed well since joining the yard and is showing promise. He will run very soon and we are keen to see how the improved performance at home is transferred to the track.

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 our for the rest of his novice season but he is now back in work and looking forward to continuing his career in the autumn of 2022.

“Pumpkin” is Call At Midnight’s second foal. She is a lovely stamp of yearling and could be very special. Clovis Du Berlais was a smart hurdler and chaser in France and half-brother to the high class Caid Du Berlais. Pumpkin is among his first crop of foals. Call At Midnight 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. She will run in the autumn of 2022.

Railway arrived in the yard in early September from Ireland. Although his form in Ireland had been moderate (2 wins from 39 starts), we thought that he was well-handicapped and decided to take a risk. He settled into the yard and its routine very quickly and showed some ability. He then won a steeplechase for us on his debut at Market Rasen on 25 September and then, despite a 12 pounds hike in the weights, won another chase at Huntingdon 10 days later on 5 October, following up seven days later with a win over hurdles at Huntingdon. Having had a winter break, Railway has continued to improve and returned to win again in April 2022 in an amateur riders’ steeplechase, giving Jack Wilmot who works for us his first win under rules. He is now off a career high mark but will provide lots of fun through the summer and autumn before the ground becomes too soft.

“Rosie” is a lovely, big filly who still has some filling out and strengthening to do. Before we bought her, she had run in three Irish point to point races, being placed each time, on the last occasion being placed second, in a mares’ 4 year old maiden, beaten only by a horse that then sold for £235,000 at the Tattersalls Sale at Cheltenham in November. She has been placed in several hurdle races this spring and now has a very workable handicap mark. She will come into her own once she starts chasing and that is the plan for her in the autumn of 2022. Shares are available for sale.

“Ruby” is a full sister to Kieran’s Angel. Having been backed and turned away in 2021, she is now back in work and will be aimed towards the new juvenile National Hunt hurdle series starting in the autumn of 2022. She has an exciting future ahead of her.

Stop This Train (aka “Ask”) is a lovely young mare and an exciting prospect, who we believe represents very good value and is available for syndication. She was second in a 5 year-old mares’ maiden point to point race in Ireland in April, beaten just over 2 lengths by a horse that was then sold for Euro 85,000. The horse that finished 5th that day has gone on to win since. Ask’s next run was a non-event as, although sent off as favourite, the jockey tumbled off at the first fence! She ran once more and was travelling very well in the lead but tired quickly after the third last fence and it seems probable that she was suffering from an oil seed rape pollen allergy and can be forgiven for a below par performance. We are very keen on her and expect her to do well.

Templier (aka “Tom”) is a lovely, big old-fashioned stamp of a National Hunt horse. He has a number of winning half-siblings who have won on the flat in France and Tom has shown himself to be versatile, having won on the flat, over hurdles and over fences, most recently at Warwick at the end of December 2021. He has a great presence and clearly relishes winter ground. He is having a late spring/early summer holiday but will come back into work in mid-summer with a view to running in the autumn.

Vintage Fashion is well-bred out of a winning mare who was placed in a group race in France and was sister to other group winners in France and closely related to a listed winner in the USA. She is a very active sort who is showing some good speed and ability and we are looking forward to getting her onto the track soon.