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 was placed under rules and during the Spring of 2022 run successfully in point to points, being placed on each occasion and being unlucky not to have won two of them under his young, amateur jockey. We look forward to seeing him progress and winning in the 2022/23 season.

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 a very exciting prospect and we look forward to him running soon.

Gold is a 9 year old son of Passing Glance. He joined us from in 2020 and runs for our racing club, Yen Hall Farm Racing, winning on his debut for the yard (and for the Club) on 9 September 2020 at Uttoxeter and has since won on a further six occasions. Despite now being an 11 year old, he is running off a career high handicap mark of 122, up from 95 when he joined us! 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 loves his life and racing and has the energy and commitment of a horse half his age. Long may he continue!

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. We bought him for Mrs Pitman in September 2021. He had shown significant ability 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 at Huntingdon on his debut. He has since followed up with a win over fences at Worcester in October 2022. He is an exciting prospect.

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. Before joining us in the Spring of 2021, George had only run once, at Gowran Park in March 2021, when he won in fine style by 12 lengths, going away. He ran disappointingly for us in the winter of 2021-22 but is now back in work and we expect him to be back on the track shortly.

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 20 races, winning 6 and only once 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 we expect him to win and to do an excellent job for Yen Hall Farm Racing.

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. 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 and so there is plenty of black type in the family. Pumpkin is a lovely stamp of filly 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.  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 worked for us his first win under rules. He is now off a career high mark but will continue to provide lots of fun.

“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 strong and powerful mare. 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 “Annie”) is a lovely young mare and an exciting prospect, who we have syndicated to a group of our owners, although one share remains available. She was second in a 5 year-old mares’ maiden point to point race in Ireland in April 2022, 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. Annie’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.