Horses in Training

“Muffin” is an engaging yearling. She is half-sister to King Carlos, also in training in the yard, nicely put together and has an attractive, cheeky personality. She has been lunged and long-reined and is learning her trade and seems to be enjoying her time in kindergarten. She will continue her education as she grows and strengthens up.

“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.

“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.

Blue came to us in the Autumn, following a tip from an Irish contact, and he has been a star. We acquired him for William to ride and he duly gave William his first win under rules, winning at Wolverhampton on 8 December. That was Blue’s first win and William’s ride that day was even selected as one of the five “Rides of the Month” by At The Races. He has also been placed 2nd and always gives his all to do as well as possible. A very genuine horse – it would be great if they all had his attitude!

“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.

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.

City came to us in the Autumn as a 3 year old with a view to giving William some rides on the flat. She is a good-looking, good-sized mare and she has proved to be a model of consistency, being placed on all three starts since we decided, after her debut for the yard, to step her up to the longer trip of 1 mile 2 furlongs. Although she is still a maiden, she is sure to win soon and is a lovely trier. She has the size and scope, and the stamina, to be tried over hurdles in due course.

Dreamboat Dave is a compact powerpack with a great attitude. He was bought for The Old Eatonians out of top Irish flat trainer, Ger Lyons’ yard in County Meath, following our Irish expedition at the end of April when William rode several lots for Ger, including this one. The horse has been placed in all five of his latest runs, over trips from 1 mile up to just over 1 mile 2 furlongs. He has shown a great attitude in his races and has settled into our yard brilliantly. He will continue to run in flat races over the summer and may well then go novice hurdling.

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.

Graineyhill is a 4 time winning 9 year old gelding by Craigsteel who has joined us from Gordon Elliott’s yard. With a highly commendable career record of 4 wins and seven places and having proved himself over distances ranging from 2 – 3 miles and on going varying from good to heavy, he is a very exciting addition to the Yen Hall Farm Racing club. He is more than capable of winning from both his hurdle and chase marks and will give a lot of fun and excellent days out to club members.

“Sean” is a gorgeous, strapping, 5 year old who ran in a bumper for experience just before the pandemic shutdown of racing.

He jumps and moves brilliantly and has a real touch of class. Although a relatively new sire, Getaway has been making a very good name for himself with excellent progeny including Verdana Blue, Talkischeap and Getaway Trump and others rated well over 140. We bought him privately on a recent expedition to Ireland. He has been well backed and schooled and has had a short holiday as we didn’t want to risk him on Summer ground. He is a very exciting prospect as a hurdler before ultimately going chasing. He is precocious and tough and a very exciting top class prospect. FOR SALE – 50% share £35,000 + vat; 10% and 25% shares also available. VAT recoverable.

Carlos came to us as an unbacked colt and, having been gelded, is going to start his career on the flat before hopefully going hurdling. He has a wonderful temperament and takes everything in his stride. His sire was a top class group winner, winning in Britain, Ireland and France, generally over 1 mile 2 furlongs and his dam is half-sister to multiple winner, Demolition, who won 9 times on turf at up to 1 mile 4 furlongs. Carlos is coming back into work and will run in the colours of Yen Hall Farm Racing.

Nickle Back is a very exciting newcomer to the yard. He was bought as a four year old after his debut in an Irish point to point race in December. He was running very strongly when tipping up at the second last. The winner scored a very impressive 93 and was subsequently sold to a top Irish training yard for £205,000. There was strong interest in Nickle Back as well but we managed to move quickly to secure the purchase for The Friday Lunch Club. He is a very good looking, athletic horse who has impressed us with his conformation and the way he moves and it has been exciting to watch him work and school over hurdles. His dam is well-bred and was a versatile, multiple winner who won on the flat over 7 furlongs as well as winning two bumpers and over hurdles as well as over steeplechase fences. She was placed 4th in the Punchestown champion bumper (beaten just 4 lengths by the subsequent winner of the champion bumper at the Cheltenham Festival) before going on to be placed 3rd in a novices hurdle at Cheltenham before winning there a year later. The plan is to send Nickle Back straight into hurdle races.

“Warrior”, who is unraced, is a strong, traditional chasing sort with excellent paces and a real stamp of class. He is well-bred, and his unraced dam came from a prolific winning family. His elder sister, Clondaw Caitlin (2015) has won 4 of her 5 starts and is already rated 135 over hurdles. He is a very exciting prospect and is currently for sale.

“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 has been lightly backed and long-reined around the farm and will now be turned away to mature further.

“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. Rum is a natural jumper and has the scope to jump both hurdles and fences. He will start off novice hurdling and is a lovely horse that we have always regarded very highly and he should have a very bright future.  25% share still available. VAT recoverable.

Whitton is an unraced four year old son of Yeats (a leading NH sire and an exceptional stayer who won the Ascot Gold Cup 4 times) out of Hazel Mist, whose only other runner to date is Our Rockstar who has won twice and been placed over hurdles. Whitton is a strong gelding who moves really well and is showing a good deal of promise. We plan to run him in a bumper or two this Autumn before progressing to novice hurdling.