Image by @mjyharris Graphics by @lu_dixon_1
CONTENTS CALENDAR
1
A BRIGHT FUTURE WITH NICKY HENDERSON
2–5
AMERICA'S CREAM CROP
5–7
THE DERBY
7–9
IN DEEP WATER
9 – 11
UNNECESSARY WASTAGE
11 – 13
GET TO THE POINT
13 – 16
LIFE AFTER RACING
17 – 20
AROUND THE WORLD
20 – 22
ROYAL ASCOT PREVIEW
23 – 24
BACKSTAGE AT THE FESTIVAL
25 – 26
POLLY ON TOUR
26 – 30
THE INVESTEC DASH
30 – 32
STAR JUMPERS
32 – 35
LIFE THROUGH THE LENS
35 – 38
THE IRISH DERBY
39
THE MAD HATTER
40 – 43
ADVERTISEMENTS AN INTERVIEW WITH NATHAN EVANS
44 45 – 46
Racing Calendar DATE
MEETING
1
Cartmel, Nottigham, Chelmsford, Ripon, Fontwell
2
Hamilton, Ffos Las, Ripon, Kempton, Lingfield
3
Catterick, Market Rasen, Bath, Doncaster, Epsom, Goodwood
4
Doncaster, Worcester, Epsom, Hexham, Lingfield, Musselburgh, Newcastle
5
Perth, Goodwood
6
Ayr, Brighton, Pontefract, Windsor
7
Southwell, Fontwell, Lingfield, Salisbury
8
Beverley, Yarmouth, Kempton, Hamilton, Haydock
9
Haydock, Nottingham, Newbury, Uttoxeter, Yarmouth
10
Aintree, Chepstow, York, Goodwood, Newton Abbot, Sandown
11
Hexham, Chester, Bath, Musselburch, Leicester, Lingfield, York, Sandown
12
Doncaster, Salisbury 13
Carlisle, Nottingham, Windsor, Thirsk
14
Beverley, Stratford, Ascot, Thirsk, Brighton
15
Hamilton, Uttoxeter, Ascot, Ripon, Chelmsford
16
Ripon, Leicester, Ascot, Chelmsford, Ffos Las, Lingfield
17
Ayr, Market Rasen, Ascot, Redcar, Newmarket, Goodwood
18
Ayr, Newmarket, Ascot, Haydock, Lingfield, Redcar
19
Hexham, Worcester, Pontefract
20
Southwell, Chepstow, Wolverhampton, Windsor
21
Beverley, Leicester, Brighton, Newton Abott
22
Carlisle, Worcester, Bath, Kempton, Salisbury
23
Hamilton, Newmarket, Newbury, Newcastle, Nottigham
24
Cartmel, Chester, Doncaster, Newmarket, Newcastle, Yarmouth
25
Doncaster, Chester, Lingfield, Newcastle, Newmarket, Windsor
26
Cartmel, Uttoxeter, Windsor
27
Musselburch, Wolverhampton, Windsor, Pontefract
28
Hamilton, Stratford, Brighton, Chepstow
29
Catterick, Worcester, Bath, Perth, Kempton
30
Haydock, Yarmouth, Epsom, Perth, Newbury
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A bright future with Nicky Henderson By Jamie Brownlow @BROWNLOWJ74
I was lucky enough attend to Nicky Henderson stable visit on Sunday 15th of May 2016. To see the string of Middleham Park Racing, (MPR) National Hunt horses up close and personal. For the coming season and some racing through the summer. The weather was fantastic with the sun shining as well, and to top it off the birds where singing through the yard of Severn Barrows. There was a lot of exciting owners of new and old to see the horses parading in front of them. Here are my thoughts of the horses that paraded on Sunday.
The first that appeared from the stable box was Quite Candid. Her coat was glimmering from the sunshine beaming down on her coat.Quite Candid has been schooling over fences, with Jeremiah McGrath and doing it very well over them and also Jeremiah McGrath knows her very well. Also she started to concentrate going, over fences as well but will see her out soon in the summer over better ground. Nicky Henderson said also though “she’s been a bit frustrating had a little set back coming back from the gallops, but seems okay from it. But will check her out etc”. But he was very happy with her and looking better that she has been as well from her coat etc. So it will be interesting how she will cope over the big fences. Page 2
Next after Quite Candid was Towering the Cheltenham winner in October last year. He’s been schooled over fences to go novice chasing this year. But he will be running over hurdles if there are races for him. Trainer said ” he’s a very good jumper” which we saw at Cheltenham, and continued to jump better every time he has raced. He has improved from his first jumping at Worcester, when he debut over them and won well in a 2 mile 7 furlong race. Nicky Henderson said ” he will stay racing distances at 3 miles because now he stays “. Which is great because I think he needs now 3 miles, racing but also could drop in trip at 2 mile 7 furlongs, so options will open for him in the coming months. But ground will be important for him. He would not like the ground to be soft, he likes decent good ground etc for him. Premier Bond joined the party in his own relax way coming round to see the owners. His coat and the rest of the team of horses, looked fantastic where you could see your reflection from the sunshine we was having. Premier Bond was looking like he wanted to go to work, but he was on a break (on his holidays). He will be having a small wind operation soon, after his rest he will come back at the stable and will be having schooling, session over the fences and will be going novice chasing in the coming season. But he looked fantastic parading in front of us. Armaan’s Wish turned up behind Premier Bond and he is a three part Denman but the trainer said about Armaan’s Wish, ” he’s a better looking horse then Denman“. Nicky Henderson was very pleased how he won at Ludlow on his first run. Also he’s a very straight forward horse in training, so that bows well on his jumping in the coming season especially over hurdles. He will be very useful on good ground and not extreme or soft ground. I won’t be surprise if he goes over hurdles very quickly in the season, also pick up some very good races along the way. He is a horse to follow through the season and the owners are going to have some very good fun with him for sure.
Click above image for redirection to the Ontoawinner website
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Divine Spear was up next to show himself off in front of the people and he looked magnificent, being very professional and he is a steeplechaser in the making. I won’t be surprise he will take the fences like duck to water. Trainer told us that Divine Spear has been schooled over fences by, Daryl Jacob and by Nico de Boinville Divine Spear has been jumping excellent over them. Now is just finding the right race for him to go at, but ground would be important for him and would be comfortable on good ground. Also Nicky Hendersonsaid ” he has a big big future in front of him”. So that is a confident trainer to say that on Divine Spear. He could do very well over the fences this coming National Hunt season. But I won’t be surprise if he could jump, an National fence in the future like running in the Topham Chace at Aintree. Last but not mean least in the glorious weather at Severn Barrows was the 4yr old Presenting gelding, which he is called now Captain Woodie. He looked a handsome horse to look at with an a distinctive white rough spot on his forehead. He has been very impress by the trainer, that he has done everything what they have ask him, to do and Captain Woodie has ticked all the boxes from his work etc. He’s got a great temperament and a lovely attitude at his work. When he went on the grass gallops he loved the drying ground which was decent and good. He worked very well against five horses, all 4yr olds and was the best out the five of them. Now he’s going to be put away for a bit then come back to the yard etc. Also Captain Woodiestill has growing to do as well, he’s not filled out yet on his backend. And he could be bigger then Divine Spear near the time when he comes back to the yard. So interesting times with him as well, also been schooled over objects but not over hurdles in anger just yet. With the ground because he’s an Presenting he would not like the ground firmer for him but good decent ground will be good for him. Horses To Follow Really it’s take your pick on the horses to follow any one of them is a very good follow indeed for the coming season or the Summer jumping season. But I will take out three out of this blog. Novice Chasing: Towering and Divine Spear Dark Horse to watch:Armaan’s Wish I hope you enjoyed reading this blog “The Future Is Bright” where I was very lucky to be at
Nicky Henderson Severn Barrows. Happy punting. There are still SHARES left with Captain Woodie and Quite Candid that I mentioned in the write up. Or if your interested into flat horses there are plenty of SHARES left in them as well. Please have a look at the website which is http://www.middlehamparkracing.net for information. Get Involved. Pictures by: Jamie Brownlow Follow me on Twitter @BROWNLOWJ74
America's Cream Crop By Matt Clarkson @MattClarkson3 The end of May. The time of year when post Guineas and pre Derby/Oaks thoughts are all we can think about. Usually we have that colt or filly that's started on the process to greatness, however this year we seem to lack that champion. We have some good 3yos, but we don't seem to have the Golden Horn or Sea The Stars of yesteryear which for me has taken some of the shine off this year's classics. Now across the pond, that's a completely different story! The Americans normally have that one horse for the Triple Crown. The horse that once he's won the Kentucky Derby the whole country gets behind and hope will go on to emulate Secretariat, Affirmed and of course, last year's hero American Pharoah. As Brits we even get excited about these 3 races providing history can be made. Unfortunately this year we won't see a Triple Crown winner, but what we will see is an unbelievable array of talented 3yos that should get people on both sides of the Atlantic really really excited! Despite getting beat in the Preakness, Nyquist has proved himself this year to be a top class colt. He was a fantastic winner of the Kentucky Derby after a good performance previous when winning the Florida Derby. He won the Breeders Cup Juvenile in his 2yo campaign and was 8/8 until his 3rd at Pimlico. Despite losing his unbeaten record his performance was sensational. He set the fastest first quarter mile fraction time, ever, with a split of 22.38 which considering the conditions were heavy mud takes some doing. Then to stay on running and finish 3rd shows he's a brilliant 3yo. Then we move on to the Preakness winner in Exaggerator. He was beaten into 2nd by Nyquist in the Kentucky Derby after a good win in the Santa Anita Derby. He was arguably given too much to do at Churchill Downs but in his favourable conditions at Pimlico he showed his undeniable quality with a convincing win.
There's Stradivari who stepped up steeply in class for the Preakness in only his 4th career start and showed his talent with a great run in fourth. The runner up that day Cherry Wine has shown a massive improvement this year. He's heading in the right direction and could have a serious say in the remaining big races. Another exciting 3yo for the campaign is Suddenbreakingnews. He was desperately unlucky in the Rebel Stakes before really showing his ability when a fine 2nd in the Arkansas Derby and then 5th in the Kentucky Derby. He's entered in the Belmont Stakes (the final leg of the Triple Crown) and I believe he has a fantastic opportunity to break his G1 duck. All these 3yo colts so far have had people talking and taking notice. They've produced better performances than our 3yo crop so far this season and that's not even the best part. The fillies are even better!! The Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia is a filly going places. She lost her perfect record when finishing 3rd in the Ashland Stakes, but she made up for that disappointment with a scintillating performance in the Oaks. I believe she's better than any 3yo filly on these shores and just to emphasize how terrific this American crop is, she's only 2nd best in the States. The simply brilliant Songbird is unlike any filly I've ever seen. I've witnessed special fillies like Rachel Alexandra, Zarkava and Black Caviar, but she could well be what's known as the female Frankel. She's a perfect 7 from 7 including an absolute mesmerizing display last time out when winning the Santa Anita Oaks in a canter. She's yet to be tested and her jockey has called her the best horse he's ever sat on. A fever robbed of us of seeing her at Kentucky but providing she makes a full recovery there's no reason why she can't go on and match the great Zenyatta with her achievements. Rachel's Valentina who's a filly by the brilliant Rachel Alexandra, Carina Mia who won the Eight Belles Stakes in a canter and the very exciting Go Maggie Go who has slipped under the radar somewhat despite 3 fantastic runs this season are other fillies that are top drawer and will contest some strong races in the future that have the potential to live long in memory. The American 3yo crop of 2007 is widely considered to be the best since the turn of the century. Featuring such stars like Street Sense, Hard Spun, Scat Daddy and the magnificent Curlin. Even Zenyatta is classed as that crop despite coming into her own in later years. But this year's 3yos has everything possible to not only rival those champion horses, but become legends in their own right and cement their places in history. Page 6
It's unfortunate that this year we won't see a horse do Guineas and Derby double, and I doubt that the Derby winner will live long in memory. We seem to lack the raw exciting ability than champion 3yos bring to the track. But if we switch our attention to the racing stateside when it matters, we can be thoroughly enthralled by some simply fantastic colts and fillies and some wonderful racing that sadly we'll miss out on this season in the UK. This year's American 3yo crop. One not to be missed!
The Derby By Daniel Hawkins @DanielHawkins12 It is the greatest flat race in the world. A race every young jockey, trainer and owner dreams of winning. With a roll of honour that includes the legendary Sea Bird, Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Shergar, Galileo and Sea the Stars, win this race and you are etched into racing history forever more. With the sponsors Investec putting up the £1.325 million in prize money to make this the richest race in Britain, we look to the Derby class of 2016 to see who can add their name to the historic list of winners. Winner of the Dante at York, Wings of Desire looks to be heading into Epsom at the head of the ante post markets. Guided by last years winning Derby trainer and jockey combination in John Gosden and Frankie Dettori. The son of Pivotal was unraced as a juvenile and made his racecourse debut in April where he finished 3rd in a maiden at Newmarket on good to soft. He was successful on his second start on the all-weather at Wolverhampton winning that maiden very easily. He then headed into the Dante at York as a 9-1 shot, with Frankie choosing to the ride Wings of Desire over the more experienced Foundation. With all eyes on favourite Midterm for Sir Michael Stoute, who never really got going in the race, Frankie made steady headway and headed Deauville close home to land the prize. The owners will have to use some of the winnings from the Dante to supplement the 3 year old for the Derby as trainer John Gosden had already withdrawn the colt from the early declarations. Aiden O’Brien will be sending US Army Ranger to Epsom with the hope to land his 6th Derby victory. The Galileo colt is unbeaten on his two runs to date. His first start was in a maiden at the Curragh with jockey Ryan Moore on-board in which he kept on well to beat Dermot Weld’s Aasheq. His latest start was the Group 3 Chester Vase in which he just held off stable mate Port Douglas to land the spoils. After that race, O’Brien and Port Douglas’s pilot Seamie Heffernan, were summoned to the Stewards room and questioned if the runner up had been ridden to the best of its ability, but no further action was taken on the matter. Even though that victory in the Chester Vase may not have been visually impressive, the winner and runner up finished a long way ahead of the rest of the field.
Connections have advised he has learnt a lot from his run at Chester and are confident he’ll run a big race and with Mr Moore on board in the Derby he could go very close. O’Brien will also be saddling Deauville for the race. Another son of Galileo from the Ballydoyle yard, he had quite a busy juvenile campaign winning 2 out of 4. After winning his maiden at Listowel on heavy ground, he then went onto land the group 3 Tyros stakes at Leopardstown. After which he was just held off for second place in the group 2 Royal Lodge at Newmarket and then ended his 2 year old campaign with a tilt at the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster in which he weakened in the final furlong to finish fifth. In his return to action as a 3 year old in the Dante at York he was just headed by Wings of Desire close home. But with a run under his belt he could well reverse the form with the Dante winner. However with Moore looking like he will choose to ride US Army Ranger over Deauville you start to question whether he is showing enough at home to beat his stable mate. Cloth of Stars is a very interesting runner for Andre Fabre with his Godolphin owners hoping for their first Derby winner. Fabre is taking the same route to Epsom as he did with Pour Mois, who was victorious in the Derby in 2011, with a win in the Group 2 Greffulhe Stake at Saint-Cloud. Cloth of Stars looked very impressive and won going away at SaintCloud in which he even reversed his juvenile form with the Ed Dunlop trained Robin of Navan, who had beaten him twice as a two year old. He looks as if he has come on leaps and bounds over the winter and connections are very hopeful of a big run. Godolphin will also be sending Moonlight Magic over from Ireland to Epsom with the hope to break their Derby duck. The Jim Bolger trained, son of Cape Cross, put his name into the Derby reckoning with victory in the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown. He stayed on well that day to beat O’Brien’s Shogun (ridden by Ryan Moore) by 1 ¼ lengths. Before that victory he had struggled in his reappearance in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown, but that run on very heavy ground can be forgiven. He’s dam is related to Sea The Stars and Galileo so Godolphin are hopeful Moonlight Magic can emulate them and take home the big prize A winner of the Derby five times, Sir Michael Stoute definitely knows what it take to win this event and he sends the unexposed Ulysses to Epsom. He only won his maiden on the 13th May but it was the way he won that maiden at Newbury under Ryan Moore which was visually very impressive and was quoted straight after that event as a 20-1 shot for the big one. However, the money has continued to come for him and is as short as 6-1 in some places as I write this. He is the son of a Derby winner (Galileo) out of an Oaks winner (Light Shift) and with the excellent Andrea Atzeni booked for the ride on 4th June, there is a good chance we see Sir Michael in the Derby winners circle for the 6th time.
The Verdict – So who will win the Derby? Having backed Ulysses (small stakes) after his maiden win, I was very happy to see Atzeni getting the leg up with Ryan Moore taking up his Ballydoyle responsibilities. I just can’t have Wings of Desire at the prices considering I believe Deauville could get the better of him next time or US Army Ranger considering how close Port Douglas got to him at Chester. I keep getting drawn to Cloth of Stars after his impressive performance in the Greffulhe and his work at ‘Breakfast with the Stars’ at Epsom but I’m going to stick with Ulysses, draw depending. To quote James Joyce from the famous novel Ulysses ‘…Longest way round is the shortest way home’, however James, if he’s drawn on the inside and up with the pace the whole way he will be very hard to beat. 1. Ulysses 2. Cloth Of Stars 3. US Army Ranger
In Deep Water By Terry Norman @tjnnorman
There are plenty of things that irritate me, people not signalling at roundabouts, queuing at supermarket checkouts and the overwatering of racetracks. It’s a policy that for many years I’ve never understood despite the plethora of repetitive reasons put forward. They range from the safety of the horses, tracks have artificial drainage systems, low water table and, the one most used, that fast ground either produces more injuries or that horses become jarred up after running on it. The first point can easily be disproved. The BHA produced a survey around 14 months ago which showed that the fatality rate was just 0.6 % more on fast ground compared with soft. The second is easily remedied. If you have a horse that might be jarred up running on fast ground during the Summer, then don’t run! A worrying trend is developing within British racing. When this ‘watering to maintain’ policy was introduced, the directive, I’m led to believe, was to produce good to firm ground, now though some tracks are watering to maintain Good. It’s creeping increasingly surreptitiously into flat racing,
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It was no surprise, therefore to me, when prime culprit, Windsor, who had watered for three days prior to the meeting to maintain GOOD ground, were forced to abandon after just three races when the forecast rain arrived and turned the bends into an impossible hazard. Bath is the only racecourse in Britain that doesn’t have a watering system. Inevitably, after a prolonged dry spell, the ground becomes very firm. A sustained spell of rain will see the ground, naturally, turn soft. Indeed, in the past three meetings, Bath have seen both extremes. Even so, runners at the track are constant (trainers know what to expect), and the safety record is second to none. The Clerk of the Course said in the last five years there has been only one case of a horse slipping when rain had arrived on firm ground and, as far as he knew, no fatalities. The surface has rarely received complaints. A bigger sin than Cynthia Payne is when tracks water even though rain is expected. The excuse often put forward for ignoring Carol Kirkwood has been that the rain might not arrive. In the past year when natural sources have arrived on an already watered surface, the going changed 13 times out of 16 (81%) within two races, two after just one event. It produces loose ground, form means diddly squat, for present and future reference, and punters, for whom supposedly it’s meant to help, get frustrated or even annoyed at the ‘strange’ results. Woe betide surfaces being quick in Summer so horses with a fast ground preference can race on their favoured ground. Pro-waterers will add that there is always the AW. Following that principal, maybe we should take it further and put down covers when rain threatens in October just so the ground doesn’t get too soft. After all, why should sodden favouring steeds have their going when their counterparts are denied it during the warmer periods. There is always Southwell! (sic). Page 10
As an experiment water a plant so that the water is to the height of the base roots. Let it dry and then place outside to be quenched by natural sources. Once the soil has completely dried (I have tried this myself) I will guarantee the roots will still be sodden for a few more days. More artificial overwatering, even after an extended period, will eventually damage the roots long term. One of the advantages of working four years at Wembley stadium in the mid-80s was the chance to see how the groundsmen produced the carpet-like surface, from seeding, fertilising and, more, importantly, how much water to use. The head groundsman was always loathed to add too much artificial precipitation for fear of making the roots brittle. So, in keeping with that familiar cry from within the industry of ‘how many winners have you ridden’ arrives after a jockey has been criticised, in this case I can say metaphorical I’ve ‘ridden’ plenty. Overwatering is a horrendous crime.
Unnecessary Wastage By Jenny Lupton @Jenny_Lupton At the beginning of May, Gloucestershire played host to Badminton Horse Trials, the most prestigious three-day event in the world calendar. Eventing is a global sport, attracting big sponsors such as Rolex and Mitsubishi. Briefly, eventing consists of an accumulation of penalties during three phases over three days: Dressage, Cross Country, and Show Jumping over unfixed fences on the last day, to prove soundness and fitness. Historically, the Thoroughbred horse with a lot of heart and stamina was ideal for the cross country day requirements of a couple of hours of roads and tracks riding, a steeplechase course of about 16f, and approximately 4 miles of cross country course. For various political reasons, the format changed, the roads and tracks and steeplechase were taken out, dressage became more significant and the XC less so, hence the hot-blooded TB horses whose strengths lie in galloping and jumping were largely overlooked. This year at Badminton, the course was more like the stamina sapping, big, galloping tracks of old with interesting results. Bearing in mind the existence of a strong European sports horse industry breeding specifically for the eventing market, it was intriguing to see four TBs in the top 12. 3rd Arctic Soul (Luso) 2003 ridden by Gemma Tattersall 7th Star Witness (Witness Box) 2005 ridden by Tina Cook, Josh Gifford’s daughter 10th Classic Moet (Classic) 2003 ridden by Jonelle Price 12th Galley Light (Turtle Island) 2003 ridden by Ben Way All the above are in what is considered the veteran stage of their lives racing, yet Star Witness is still considered a very young horse for top level eventing. Two of these, Galley Light and Arctic Soul, are essentially throw-outs from racing, both too slow, yet here they
are, 3rd and 12th at Badminton, in a job they were not destined for. They were lucky to be found and allowed to realise their potential in a different sphere. Once a horse leaves training, it is effectively removed from the governance of the BHA, as that body only concerns itself with horses in training. The BHA only has jurisdiction over trainers and racing owners regarding responsibility of a horse whist racing, once the horse is taken out of training the welfare safeguards vanish. Currently, horses are still abandoned at the lowgrade bloodstock sales such as Ascot (although that is denied by the auctioneers), or handed over to anyone wanting a free horse. There are no checks to see where they go, or any follow up. The welfare work I do has involved me in some horrible stories and I am working an ongoing situation relevant to unwanted horses at Ascot that just beggars belief. The RSPCA know, the BHA know, Weatherbys know, and they are doing nothing to help. Animal welfare is so poorly policed in most countries, and the laws are toothless, so when the biggest registered industry breeding horses fails to provide enough safeguards for the horses that slip thro the gaps, it should NOT be up to individuals to try and carry the can. Unfortunately, amongst those genuinely trying to help horses, there are also those that seek to profit from public generosity. Far too many charlatans set up as ex-racehorse ‘charities’, their chicanery as diverse as it is imaginative. Some take money from owners trying to do the right thing by their horses and then take them to slaughter, some plead for donations and spend the money on themselves whilst the horses are neglected on some scrubland somewhere, some use the income to improve their properties, some repassport and sell on under different names, some sell them to the meat shippers and some take them straight to the bin-end markets. Too often, the fate of the slow TB is brushed under the carpet, ignored by all the players as a dirty secret, everyone afraid to say too much in case racing ostracises them. The industry driven Deloitte report on the fate of racehorses out of racing paints an improving welfare picture, but what isn’t said is more significant than what is said. The Deloitte paper studied horses leaving racing (not those sold within racing, or going to the paddocks or the PTP circuit) trumpeting 40% of the estimated 7,000 have found new careers, and ‘only’ 8% horses leaving racing are unaccounted for. That all sounds good and well until the figures are examined a little closer. With those percentages, those compiling the report clearly know what happened to the other 52%, so why was that not detailed? Sure, it’s all good that approximately 2800 horses, the 40%, are in new homes, but where are the other 3,640 horses, the 52%, given they are considered ‘accounted for’? UK abattoirs have to return passports to Weatherbys, so those horses that have been processed in that manner will be in the 52%. For transparency, these facts must be published. More importantly, 560 horses, the 8%, just ‘disappear’ annually. The regular unregistered export of horses to slaughter on mainland Europe is common knowledge amongst welfare bodies. Lorries go out every week, full of horses of all shapes and sizes. I know, I have seen these horses at meat markets in France, and I have one in my yard right now. So, 560 horses. That’s ten a week. That’s a lorryload per week. The BHA needs to be more proactive, and funding allocations for rehabilitation of the unwanted horses at the very least needs addressing, if not given serious scrutiny as to how the money is distributed. So many horses leave racing very young, before they would even have been ridden in another discipline, and have so much to give. Certified facilities to turn horses round from being in training to becoming riding horses are needed. This is the most vital
stage of the rehabilitation of the racehorse, yet it’s the one area where the horse is mostly failed. These must be industry monitored and funded to ensure the transition period for the horse is done well, and is mindful of the horse’s previous life. The thoroughbred horse is an amazing, fragile, sentient, talented athlete. He can do any job. Even rejected from what he was bred to do, he can still take on the world’s best in their own domain, as at Badminton, and challenge them successfully. Racing should be obligated to giving these horses a realistic chance of a future.
Get To The Point By Chloe Batchelor @p2pchloeb
PARHAM 23rd April 2016 With a packed crowd, there was a thrilling card at Parham on the last weekend of April, with some surprise winners and nailbiting finishes. It was a first training win for Petra New, with the Shane Roche ridden The Ferbane Man, to take the Mens Open with the odds on favourite Adept Approach coming in a length behind. The Ladies Open saw Brenda Ansell’s Crazy Eye, winning under Tabitha Worsley after a few uninspiring runs of late, nice to see him back on the race course and winning. The Intermediate became a four horse race at the last, with the patiently ridden mare Marlpit Oak pulling away to claim victory over Merrydown Vintage for trainer James Young and Jockey Dan Sansom, this is the 2nd win this season for this mare and am intrigued to see how she does next season.
LUDLOW 23rd April 2016 Dry Weather attracted the crowds and entries to Bitterly on the 23rd April. Richard Lee’s 8 year old gelding Herefordshire came home triumphant in the first division, this is only his second start of his first season, ridden by Alex Edwards, he stormed home to take victory by 3 and a half lengths from The De Thaix. Irish Anthem went one better than 2 weeks ago to gain the win under Paddy Gerety in the Confined Hunts Race for trainer Sheila Crow. After a fall previously Western Climates win in the Restricted kicked off a double for
trainer Martin Weston, the favourite owned by Dan Lloyd won by 8 lengths showing much improvement after falling last time. The second part of his double came in the Ladies Open with the 6 year old Arthur’s Secret, ridden by Abigail Banks and owned by her mother Caroline, stormed home 25 lengths clear. Shropshire Trainer Philip Rowley also enjoyed a double, with a win in the Hunts Members with One More Tune and then Follow the Bear won in the 4,5,6 Maiden.
SOUTH DURHAM 14th May 2016 In the lovely South Durham Sun, On Vacation lived up to his name and signed off for the summer with his impressive win in the Restricted, under John Dawson for trainer Guy Brewer. Jacqueline Coward partnered odds-on favourite Roll the Dice to take victory for owners Sue Jefferson and John McGuinness, trained by Chris Pimlott. London Stockbroker Christy Furness took the Yorkshire Area Men’s Novice Championship with his 5th win of this season on Midnight Milly in the Open Maiden and Yarm farmer Paul Frank,who trains for his mother Susan bought the 7 year old mare as an unraced 4 year old.
GOLDEN VALLEY 15th May 2016 It was an emotional win for Oscar Delta’s connections on Sunday, the impressive gelding took the Hunt Members Race for trainer Katy Price, owner Karen O’Driscoll and partnered by Bradley Gibbs, and has now been retired on a high. Many may remember Oscar Delta from his dramatic exit in the 2013 Cheltenham Foxhunter, he will be missed and we all wish him a happy retirement.
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DULVERTON WEST FOXHOUNDS 15th May 2016 Firm ground at Bratton Down brought a good day for local owners and trainers, Paul Nicholls bred Tempestatefloresco took the Restricted for rider Leanda Tickle and is trained by her brother Joe. In the Members Conditions Race local owner Keith Wade watched his 7 year old What About Will come home first under a very strong ride from his daughter Vicky, for trainer Keith Cummings. Rider/Trainer Ella Pickard took the Club Members Riders Conditions Race on Cinevator.
GRAFTON HUNT 15th May 2016 Jockey Hugh Nugent scored the first of a double at Whitfield on Sunday with a dominating performance by Champagne Rian to take the Novice Race despite a late thrust by Paddycards and Katy Leahy. Trainer Fran Nimmo was delighted with the young jockey’s performance. Hugh’s double was sealed with a win in the First Restricted riding Clondaw Island also trained by Fran Nimmo, who noted this is the first time he has worn earplugs and it has obviously helped him. Sam Lee triumphed in the Open Maiden aboard his mother Kate’s Katesoneoneeight . Phil York rode his 299th career winner to take the Restricted on his father Ray’s Gersjoeycasey, who said afterwards there are no plans to retire the 50 year old jockey just yet. Happy 50th Birthday to Phil York from all at Weighed in Racing.
KNUTSFORD RACES CLUB 22nd May 2016 The first ever Knutsford Races Fixture proved to be a great success, basked in beautiful sunshine, a good day was had by all. Kilcross Boy took the opening race with his first win in 4 years under promising rider Lilly Pinchin, trainer Ray Owen bought the 11 year old at Ascot last year for £600, and tried him with cheek pieces for the first time, obviously this has helped him.
The Mixed Race went to Alan Hill, with Kings Legacy ridden by his so Joe who recorded his 15th Point to Point Win. The Featured Members Race went to Fruit Fayre in the hands of Paddy Gerety for trainer Sheila Crow. Dynamo Frankie took the Restricted in the hands of Zac Baker for Martin Wanless and the concluding Open Maiden went to the Ed Glassonbury trained and ridden Modulus.
HAYDON 22nd May 2016 On the final day of the northern season R Theveryman initiated doubles for both jockey Nick Orpwood and trainer Jacqueline Coward in the Restricted at Hexam Racecourse. On her last point to point ride before retiring to concentrate on training, Jacqueline Coward signed off with a winner aboard Battle Range in the Ladies Open, this was her 153th career winner, 12 years after her first winner on Silver Groom at Witton Castle. On behalf of everyone at Weighed in Racing, I would like to wish Jacqueline Coward all the best in her career as a trainer and happy retirement from the saddle, has been a pleasure to watch you over the years.
STABLE NEWS Exciting Times Ahead It has been a long few months in the Winter Star Racing household whilst trying to find a base for the horses so we can bring them over from Ireland, we have found somewhere, so soon hopefully we at Winter Star Racing will be a fully up and running Point to Point training establishment and are in talks with Weighed in Racing about joining the race club as well as having some very exciting horses.. I am also very pleased to announce that my partner successful amateur point to point jockey Johnny Barry will be soon be joining me over in England to join us at Winter Star Racing as our stable jockey, although he will also be looking for rides over here too.. Hope everyone has a great Bank Holiday Weekend and enjoys the last few point to point races before end of this year’s fantastic season, am excited for next season already..
Chloe xx
Life After Racing By The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre @TheTRC
In this issue we talk to Gillian Carlisle, Chief Executive of The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre, to find out more about the charity’s work and what is involved in retraining and rehoming an ex-racehorse for a long and happy second career.
For Life - After Racing with the The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre Founded in 1991, the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre (TRC) was the first charity in Britain dedicated to rehabilitating and retraining retired racehorses. Explains Gillian: “With welfare high on the agenda in racing we now find that we are able to spend most of our time retraining Thoroughbreds for a useful and rewarding life after racing. “To celebrate the charity’s 25th anniversary the TRC has evolved and has become The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre.” The TRC, based at Halton in Lancashire is a Centre of Excellence, not only for the retraining of Thoroughbreds, but also as an education centre to ensure best practice is maintained in this increasingly popular area of the equestrian pleasure industry. “We aim to help as many horses as possible each year to be rehomed, these horses either come straight from the racing industry or pre-trained equestrian homes that for many reasons can no longer cope or care for them,” she adds. “The TRC is able to offer owners and trainers peace of mind that whether the horse comes to us straight from racing and training or from private post-racing homes, we are able to provide them with a safe and secure future. When a horse is rehomed it leaves TRC on a loan agreement therefore, ownership remains with charity to ensure care for life.” Rehabilitation The centre has a block assigned solely for the rehabilitation of racehorses. The unit has larger stables and a purpose built veterinary area to facilitate the needs of the veterinary team and allows them to provide the very best care for the horses.
When each horse arrives at the centre they are fully assessed by the Head of Retraining and veterinary team. If necessary, an individual rehabilitation plan is followed before retraining commences. From then on, horses can start their training towards a valuable second career.
Retraining Retraining programmes are designed to equip the retired racehorses with the skills that will enable them to have a valuable equestrian career. “We assess the capabilities of each horse individually and find out where their strength lies and work to improve their weaknesses through a tailored training programme. We don’t try to produce superstars. Our aim is to produce good tempered, reliable horses suitable for hacking, pleasure rides and low/medium level competitions,� said Gillian.
Rehoming The TRC has a very thorough application process for potential loaners and when a horse has found an ideal loan home it receives regular checks to ensure continued well-being. Finding loaners that can provide a new life and secure future for a retired racehorse allows the TRC to continue helping more racehorses whose futures may otherwise be uncertain. It is more rewarding and offers more benefits than purchasing a horse on the open market. Before going to their potential new homes all the horses will have been retrained to an appropriate standard, received a thorough documented pre-homing vet check, including vaccinations, and carefully chosen to match the loaner to ensure the best possible outcome. All information about the horse is disclosed and discussed with the prospective loaner including past injuries or conditions and any little quirks the horses may have. Page 17
The right horse for loaner may not always be available immediately but the team work hard to find the best match for horse and loaner. If a loaner should undergo a change of circumstances that means they can no longer look after the horse properly, the horse is returned to the centre until another suitable home is found. This system ensures that no horse gifted to the TRC will ever become vulnerable. The loaning process comprises of five stages including a preliminary evaluation, visiting and talking to the team, finding the suitable horse, visits to the prospective home and references. Once these stages have been completed a contract is put in place between TRC and the loaner to safeguard all concerned, but primarily the welfare of the horse. Aftercare and Support Adds Gillian: “We pride ourselves in offering the very best continued support to our loaners and the TRC horses. We have a number of Field Officers who will visit a new loaner within the first few months of the loan and yearly thereafter. These visits provide loaners with a support network, but also ensure TRC horses continue to be loved and cared for. “We understand that people’s circumstances change and they may not be able to keep the horse. Should that happen, for whatever the reason, horses can be returned to the TRC where they will be found appropriate new homes to ensure they have a long and happy life.” A unique challenge has been launched to mark the 25th Anniversary of The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre. 2016 is a very special year for the Centre and to celebrate this occasion a nationwide initiative – Ride for Retraining - is underway to raise a massive £100,000 by riding around the equivalent of the United Kingdom coastline! The scheme will see horse riders from the length and breadth of Britain taking part and joining forces to tally up the total mileage with a target of 7,723 miles – the distance around Britain's mainland coast. All money raised will go to building a further 40 stables at the British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre in Lancashire – doubling the size of the current facility with the aim of
helping even more of the thousands of racehorses retired from the sport each year. For more information contact the TRC on 01524 812649 or visit www.britishtrc.co.uk ENDS For more information contact Joanna Coulthurst at TSM Ltd on 01724 784600.
Around The World By Gordon Millard @WeighedInRacing For this months issue I thought i'd tackle something a little bit different and have a fleeting glance at whats going on in racing Around The World.
Firstly we nip breifly acros the channel to our neighbours in France and take a look at the Group 1 action that takes place this month at Chantilly.
Prix Du Jockey Club / French Derby A 1 mile 2 ½ furlong race for 3 year olds. A race inspired by the English derby and named after the Newmarket based Jockey Club. 9 winners of this race have subsequently gone on to be victorious in the Arc, most recent of those 9 would be back in 2003 when Dalakhani managed to pull of this epic double. Last years winner was New Bay trained by A Fabre who has trained no less than 4 French Derby winners including 3 from the last 6 renewals.
Not a race completelyruled by the home trainers however as the K Ryan trained The Grey Gatsby proved when winning the race back in 2014.
Prix De Diane / French Oaks A Group 1 race for 3 year old fillies over 1 mile 2 ½ Furlongs. Established in 1843 and gets its name from the mythical Goddess Diana and was originally restricted to only French bred horses. Only 2 fillies have managed to win both this and the English version of the race and a very familiar name in Treve was the later of the 2 back in 2013. The race has been won no less than 7 times by horses owned by H.H Aga Khan IV. 3 trainers have pretty much shared the spoils of this spectacle in recent years and they are Jean Claude Rouget, Criquette Head and once more A Fabre. Their party was somewhat spoiled last year when the pairing of Gosden and Dettori decided to crash with the awesome Star Of Seville.
Next on our world tour we head off to Japan and they have two very nice looking Group 1 races on offer in the month of June in the form of the following.
Takarazuka Kinen A race run over 1 mile 3 furlongs for 3+ year olds, it is run on turf at the magnificent 139,000 capacity Hanshin racecourse, and is one of the 2 All Star Races in Japanese racing. The majority of the runners are selected via a vote from the racing fans with the remainder being made up determined ny prize monies won. Last years winner was Lovely Day ridden by Yugo Kawada and trained by Yasutoshi Ikee.
Yasuda Kinen A Group 1 race over 1 mile run at Tokyo racecourse, this race makes up the final leg of the Asian Mile Challenge the others being Futurity Stakes (Melbourne) Winner Turn Me Loose Dubai Duty Free Stakes (Meydan,Dubai) Winner Real Steal Champions Mile (Sha Tin, Hong Kong) Winner Maurice In addition the the whopping $1M dollar prize money there is another $1M bonus for any horse who can win 2 legs so keep an eye out for the winners of those 3 races looking to double up with the bonus.
Off we go again and the last stop on our tour takes us across the pond to the USA where there is a an array of G1 delights on offer including the following.
Stephen Foster Handicap run over 1 Mile and 1 Furlong for 3+ year olds and is Churchill Downs only G1 race. Trainer Mark Casse has saddled 2 from the last 5 winners incuding last years winner Noble Bird.
Acorn Stakes A 3 year old fillies race at Belmont Park. Todd Pletcher saddled the winner last year in the latest of his 3 victories in the race, not a stat that he holds all to himself with Bob Baffert having trained 3 from the last 7 winners.
Just A Game Stakes a race run at Belmont Park over 1 Mile for 4+ year olds. Prince Khalid Bin Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms have had the winner of this race on 3 occasions, the most of any owner. Jockey Javier Castellano has ridden the winner in 2 of the last 5 runnings.
Ogden Phipps Handicap First run in 1961, this fillies/mares race is run over a distance of 1 Mile ½ Furlong and is for 4+ year olds. Another race that has been won by Juddmonte farms horses on 3 occasions and also another one that Todd Pletcher has won on 3 occasions including 2 from the last 6. However more recently Godolphin have had 2 from the last 4 winners both of which trained by Kiaran Mclaughlin including last years victor Wedding Toast.
Manhattan Handicap A 1 Mile 2 Furlong race for 4+ year olds. First run in 1887 and trainer Chad Brown has won 3 of the last 4 renewals including last years with Slumber(GB).
Metropolitan Handicap First run in 1891 and another race on the Belmont card in which Todd Pletcher has had multiple winners with 2 of the last 6. Last years winner was Honour Code. And finally we move on to the Belmont feature, however I am only once again taking a fleeting glance as we have another article this month taking a more in depth look.
Belmont Stakes A 3yo race over 1 ½ Miles which makes up the 3rd and final leg of the Triple Crown, Kentucky Derby and Preakness stakes being the other two. This is not only the longest of the three races but also the oldest too. Last years winner American Pharoah became the latest of just 12 horses to complete the Triple Crown and cement his place in racing history. The course record is held by non other than Secretariat who won the race by a mamouth 31 lengths to complete his triple crown back in 1973 to add to a very impressive CV that includes Futurity Stakes, Sanford Stakes, Hopeful Stakes, Laurel Futurity, Gardn State Futurity, Bay Shore Stakes, Gotham Stakes, Arlington Invitational, Marlboro Cup, Man o War Stakes and the Canadian International. The last overseas horse to win the race was back in 1998 , Victory Gallop from Canada. Horses that Lose in the Derby then skip the Preakness tend to fare well in this race so this could be an angle when chosing the winner.
Royal Ascot Preview By Andrew Richardson @topspeedfigures
It’s the time of year that all flat fans love, the Guineas have provided much excitement, the Derby and the Oaks are just around the corner and the biggest flat racing festival of the season is almost upon us. Royal Ascot is truly becoming a more global festival as each year passes, last season saw major international raiders such as Brazen Beau and Able friend take their chance to take Royal honours and this season we have a whole host of international superstars to look forward to again. The opening race of the meeting the Queen Anne Stakes sees superstar US miler Tepin take her chance. A four-time group one winner in her home country including the renowned Breeders Cup Mile have seen her placed in the market as favourite and there will be a keen sense of intrigue to see whether the home contingent can thwart her efforts. Acapulco once again returns after her dominating win in the Queen Mary last season and is a market principle in both the King’s Stand and the Commonwealth Cup. A hard fought second to Mecca’s Angel in the Nunthorpe puts her form right up there with the best and she is sure to be a major threat in whichever race she turns up in. A Shin Hikari is potentially the most exciting of the international raiders after his destruction of a true Group 1 field in the Prix D’Ispahan and is rightly a strong favourite in the Prince of Wales. The recent display in France was visually extremely impressive and all eyes will be on whether that race fell apart or we are looking at a truly international superstar. Another raider is a familiar name for fans of Ascot as we see Undrafted return for Wesley Ward. Delivered late perfectly by Frankie Dettori last season Undrafted ran out winner in the Diamond Jubilee and will surely be primed to repeat the success. Not as strongly fancied as some other international raiders this horse could hold exceptional value at 10/1 at the time of writing given his previous quality Royal Ascot form.
Galileo Gold pic by @mjyharris Away from the international aspect of Ascot there are some intriguing domestic match ups to look forward to. None more so than the repeat clash of the English and Irish Guineas winners Awtaad and Galileo Gold in the St. James’s Palace. Throw in the French Guineas winner The Gurkha and in my opinion this is shaping up to be the best race of the festival. Three top class colts will do battle for the honour of being named the best three year old miler this season, the pull for the breeders of achieving this is huge and you can expect all three will be fully tuned up to run their best possible race. The two year old division looks wide open with no clear favourite for any of the two year old races. The seven furlong division could potentially receive the most interest with the current favourite being the first son of Frankel to hit the track, Cunco. Cunco looked impressive winning on debut staying on strongly and looked as though every inch of the seven furlongs will suit. Caravaggio is the current favourite for the two year old group races, however I think the highly exciting Yalta is the one to watch in the division in whichever race he turns up in. In terms of a strong form link to last season’s festival the most impressive horse on my figures who is returning this year is Time Test (87). The Roger Charlton colt made a winning start to the season when it was widely reported he would come on for the run. That coupled with the fact that his career best performance came at this meeting last season means for me that he’s my best bet of the meeting in whichever race he ends up running in.
Backstage At The Festival By Ian Kingston @iankingston_ian
It’s Wednesday at the Festival, whatever happens during racing this will be the busiest day of the 4 for the ground staff.
A view of the infamous Cheltenham Hill by @mjyharris As an honorary member of this elite team I have spent the night on site ready for the 7am start, as the crew arrive we already know our morning chores, Our gang of 3 are straight out to check all 8 flights of hurdles, these will be washed down from the previous days racing, straightened, trimmed and any broken hurdles taken back to the yard. Each flight will have at least 5 spare hurdles for the day ahead. Only when this is completed will we return for the bacon rolls and coffee a great incentive to get on with the task in hand. Although there are many distractions, the sight of numerous horses exercising in the mist on the Cheltenham gallops, being past by Ruby or Willie and bidding them a good morning. How can this not be something special, I also have to pinch myself to remember I am getting paid to do this. In the mess room the place is buzzing with the news that we may well be watering tonight as well as moving miles of rail to switch from the old to the new course, a task undertaken immediately racing has finished.
My race day position is very special, situated at the last flight in the home straight; no one can possibly describe the feeling, the noise as the crowd roars, the privilege of standing yards from the fences as these elite equine athletes race to the finish. Those of us who stand here, photographers, media, medics and vets are all on nodding terms, we have a respect for each other’s job but just a sheer wonderment at the speed of the horses and the bravery of the jockeys. Wednesday’s racing is over in a blink of an eye, it’s a busy day for us all in the home straight, there are the inevitable fallers, sadly i can not advise all came home, but the team of people dealt with each incident in a professional and dignified manner. Tonight immediately racing is finished the course must be changed, miles of running rail removed and replaced in the correct position, it is now just after 5.00pm and there is but 90 mins of daylight at best, however the team have also been advised we are watering tonight. By 7.30pm we have to give it best with the running rail, it has been dark for an hour and the vehicle’s headlights are not that efficient. As the group of us walk down the home straight in the dark at the end of a long day, part of Willie Mullins string is being hand walked down the gallops. All that can be heard is the sound of stable staff, talking to their charge or in some cases singing a calming song. There silhouettes shown by the lights still burning bright in the hospitality units, with the last of the race goers having one for the road. You are left thinking I wonder if they truly know what goes on just to make this festival work. For me it may of been 13 hours of work, but what a day.
Polly On Tour By Polly Rodgers @PollyRodgers Last month I visited two racing yards and of course the camera was with me to snap away at all the action! Location 1 I went to Richard Fahey’s yard, Musley Bank as part of the Richard Fahey Racing Club (www.richardfaheyracingclub.com) open morning. The yard is based in Malton, North Yorkshire, so took me just over an hour to reach the yard. As soon as I arrived you have the automatic gates that really does open you up to an
amazing layout. The horses went straight up to the gallops so it was an early trek up what can only be described as a huge hill - first thing on a morning, I wasn’t used to such exercise and really made me think how fit the staff have to be every morning to sort all the horses out! They racing world would certainly be lost without them.
After the climb up the hill, the views you can then see are so worth it. It was just so peaceful looking around the different fields in the glorious sunshine and then being able to see the gallops on the horizon, it filled me with such excitement!
The four horses from the @RFaheyRacingClub on parade were Springwood (which I had previously seen win well in a Maiden at Pontefract Racecourse in April), Full of Promise, Miss Caribbean and Wigwham. I managed to capture a view snaps as they circled the parade ring as we took a look at each horse individually, they all looked really well and a couple even posed for the camera - they certainly became my favourites! Before we knew it, it was time for them to get geared up and head to the starting point of the gallops.
In the meantime everyone moved to a viewing area where we all waited in anticipation to watch them on the gallops. My camera was poised and ready to get snapping and before you knew it they were galloping by one by one, it was a joy to watch. Here’s a little video captured whilst on the Gallops:- Enjoy! > https://youtu.be/W6fyL6HlMKM Page 25
I could certainly come every day to watch this - the sight it just amazing to see. Behind the scenes is something which I don’t think a lot of people really get to see - as the horse turn up for the races they are running in - finish the race and that’s all as racegoers we think about. Every yard visit I go to, it really makes me think about the hard work as I mentioned a little earlier and the dedication that everyone has is fantastic to witness and happy horses is all we want to see! I would just like to thanks everyone for their hospitality on the day, it was a joy to visit and really hoped everyone enjoyed my photos from the day! PR-x
Location 2 My second location I got to this month was Little Spigot, Foulrice Park Racing (Patrick Holmes) based in Leyburn, North Yorkshire (http://www.foulriceparkracing.com/). This yard is relatively new after Patrick Holmes wanted to own his own yard and ended up purchasing ‘Little Spigot’ in 2012. Before this he had a yard that he leased where he created Foulrice Park Racing in 2010. Little Spigot has gone through a total redevelopment and I must say, it truly is in a beautiful setting, the photos I managed to snap will hopefully tell its own story for you. It was great to see the wonderful team from New Beginnings set up camp to greet you as soon as you arrived. Pam and Kevin are two of the nicest people I have ever met and part of my racing family, it was lovely to have such a great catch up. I even managed to get roped into having a go on the equicizer, now for those that know me, know I’m not the fittest of people and to get on this, well all I can say is - literally everyone was staring at me making a fool of myself! - I managed to get (when my number was converted) to halfway to the starting stalls…. I was useless! Respect to all jockeys on their physical strength.. I think I will stick to being on the ground taking the photos!
By this point, the camera was set to snap away, and snap away it did. The sun was shining so bright, the horses were all loving the attention and seemed so happy to see everyone. The staff were ever so friendly telling us about each of the horses and each of their little ‘quirks’. One that did stand out for me was called Bogardus - if you didn’t give this little one attention, the door would be banged by the hoof until you gave him more cuddles… naughty or what? (He was such a cutey!) The day as a whole was lovely and nice to meet so many people that had come to visit, especially since Middleham Open Day didn’t go ahead this year, was a great idea to have this little open day to get people looking round. Another day was thoroughly enjoyed and photos of my visit will be up on Facebook - but here are a few to keep you going….
Thank you to everyone at the yard who made it such a successful day! Can’t wait to have more days like this with the team again! PR-x
More information: I mentioned New Beginnings a little earlier on, well I thought I may just give you a little insight on what they do. Their tag line is ‘Life Past the Post’ - and they do quite simply just that. The passion behind New Beginnings is to provide a safe and secure environment where former racehorses can adjust and be re-trained for their second career following racing. The dedication that goes into this charity by both Kevin and Pam and the whole team we see then they visit racecourses is quite remarkable and their efforts to each of these horses is inspirational. “We have two very special horses who will remain with us for the rest of their lives. Both Harry (Golden Hello) and Mac (Mister McGoldrick) spend part of their time representing New Beginnings around the Yorkshire racecourses. Both boys have amazing temperaments to go back to an exciting environment where they both had great success and show that there is definitely a 'Life Past the Post’.” - Don’t forget to go visit them when you’re next out and about, they keep you updated of their diary via Twitter: @NewBHorses - certainly worth a follow! You can find out further information on their website:http://newbeginningshorses.org.uk/
New Beginnings will be one of our chosen charities here at Weighed In Racing and The Weighing Room That’s all from me though folks, it’s been an absolute pleasure sharing these trips with you… Hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I did visiting them! Best Wishes, PR-x @PollyRodgers
The Investec Dash By Toonmick @toonmick70 For many Racing punters, the highlight of the month would be the Investec Derby at Epsom or Royal Ascot, with 5 fantastic days racing, i haven;t had time yet to do anything for Royal Ascot yet but i will be doing trends blogs on all of the handicaps at the meeting. Please feel free to follow me on twitter (my twitter ID is at the foot of this piece) and you can read my Trends Blogs for Royal Ascot as i release them. Page 30
For this month's issue, i have looked at a race that is run at the Epsom Derby meeting, that race is the Investec Dash (Saturday 4th June), which is a top quality sprint handicap that is run over 5 furlongs and always attracts enough runners for punters to back EW for the first 4 places, although some bookies might well offer 5 places. I have looked at 8 trends for the race, they are Age, Weight, Official Rating, Last Time Out, Last Run, Year Runs, Year Wins & Draw. As i write this article, there are still 40 horses declared to run in the race. When looking at the Age trend over the last 10 years, 8 of the last 10 winners were aged between 4 & 6, taking out the horses that do not qualify, leaves us with just 24 and eliminates 16. Looking at the Weight trend next, we can see that 9 of the last 10 winners carried 9-01 or less (This includes any jockey claim, if a horse carries 9-04 but a jockey takes 3lb off his back, then he passes the trend), taking out any horses that are set to carry 9-02 or more see's another 2 eliminated, which leaves us with 22. The Weight Trend is dependent on Steps Running as the weights will rise if he misses out and more horses could be eliminated Next up we look at Official Rating, 9 of the last 10 winners were rated 99 or lower, which gets rid of another 2, leaving us with 20, half of the field eliminated after only 3 trends. The next trend we look at is Last Time Out, 9 of the last 10 winners finished in the first 5 last time out, which gets rid of another 10, leaving just 10 horses left. The Last Run trend is the next to look at, 9 of the last 10 winners had run within the last 31 days, this gets rid of another, leaving just 9. The next trend is the Year Runs Trend, with 7 of the last 10 winners having had either 3 or 4 runs before coming here, this eliminates 5, leaving us with just 4 horses left. The 2nd last trend i have looked at is the Handicap Win trend, 8 of the last 10 winners had won at least 2 Handicaps, all of the 4 remaining horses pass this trend, which leaves us with just 4 horses. Those horses are Harry Hurricane, Roudee, Kimberella & Seve Harry Hurricane is currently weighted on 8-13 and will fail on the weight trend, should Steps miss out, unless a claiming jockey, takes enough off his back to bring his weight to 901 or lower. Roudee is currently weighted on 8-10 and will also fail on the weight trend if Steps & Monsieur Joe not run, which would mean Both of the above 2 are guaranteed a run, should connections decide to run them. Kimberella is currently weighted on 8-06 and needs at least 2 horses to come out to get a run, he will only fail on the weight trend, should the current top 4 in the weights pull out, then he will carry more than 9-01 unless being ridden by a claiming jockey. Page 31
Seve needs the top 12 top come out to fail on the weight trend, however, his biggest problem, is that he needs at least the same amount of horses to drop out to get a run At the time of writing the 4 horses were available at the following odds Harry Hurricane - 12/1 Roudee - 20/1 Kimberella - 12/1 Seve - 33/1 1 Final thing to look at is the draw, 8 of the last 10 winners were drawn in stall 8 or higher, the other 2 that weren't, were drawn in stalls 1 & 2, whilst i wouldn't be put off backing any of these horses drawn lower than 8, i would give them a massive tick if they were drawn in stalls 8 or higher. Keep an eye out for the final decs and the draw when the field is announced on Thursday June 2nd. If you love trends then please follow on twitter @Toonmick70, and you can find my Royal Ascot Trend blogs there just before and during the meeting. Good luck with your betting in June See you in July, when i will look at The John Smiths Cup at York
Star Jumpers By Joe Smith @Smithyjoe16 With the 2016-2017 flat season in full swing, the national hunt scene is steadily ticking along in the background. So let’s take a few minutes to talk about the stars of the past jumps season. Last season was one of the best I can remember and will likely be talked about for many years to come. It had everything from breakout stars, returning champions, thrills and spills and tears in the winner’s enclosures.
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STAR CHASER
Cue Card, Vautour and Don Cossack by @mjyharris Don Cossack, Cue Card and Vatour could have easily inherited this name in any normal season. Normal is far from how you would describe the winner.. Step forward Sprinter Sacre. No words can describe what he achieved last season. Two Grade 1s and two grade 2 wins have firmly put him right back at the top of the 2 mile chase division the place where he belongs. No one will ever forget that fine day in March when he and Nico brought 90% of the crowd into tears of happiness and admiration. He really is a steeplechaser from the gods We will be seeing highlight reels of Sprinter Sacre for the next 100 years and beyond.. Nicky Henderson, Nico de Boinville and all involved with the horse deserve so much credit for keeping the faith. His achievements this year are what makes the national hunt game the greatest game in the world.
STAR NOVICE CHASER A fairly easy choice by many, Douvan has been in a league of his own so far in his career. He is yet to be fully tested, although Vaniteux was pushing him hard when falling two out in the Arkle chase at the festival. Douvan has conquered all before him. He travels with zest and seems to skip over the fences like they are hurdles. There is no doubting he is a future hall of famer. Next year will be the acid test when he steps out of novice company. There has been talk of gold cups and King Georges for this horse. Or the scary thought of taking on the reborn Sprinter Sacre over two miles. Whichever path Douvan takes, fans are set for some mouth-watering clashes along the way. Page 33
STAR HURDLER
Thistlecrack by @mjyharris This was very much a matchup between Thistlecrack and Annie Power. Yes Annie Power is the champion hurdler and did so while breaking the course record but I have opted for Thistle crack as he just blows me away with every performance. He is so straightforward and dominating. His world hurdle win was just mind-blowing. The opposition might not have been as strong as in past years but he came clear of the field with ease and did so again at Aintree. It is extremely heart-warming to see the Tizzard yard have another superstar on their hands. Connections have an extremely hard decision to make for next season. Stay hurdling or go chasing. Rather them than me but it’s a nice choice to have.
STAR NOVICE HURDLER Altior has been a revelation this season and after he blew them away in the supreme novices hurdle, I instantly started thinking about champion hurdle glory for him next season. I’m heading to the staying novice division though for the title in the shape of the Albert Bartlett winner Unowhatimeanharry. Before he arrived at the Harry Fry yard his form read 1 win from 13 runs. That form was soon a distant memory. Going from strength to strength reeling off 4 wins before the Cheltenham festival, he was still a widely unfancied 12-1 shot in the staying novice hurdler. Noel Fehily was the horse’s regular partner and his patient running style was perfect for the horse. He showed a massive heart and engine to stay on dourly up the hill to outstay the opposition. It was a massive training performance from the Fry yard who saw this horse rise from 123 to the mid 150’s. We will see Unowhatimeanharry in the top staying hurdle races next season and it would be brave to write this horse off at any level.
BEST OF THE REST
We can’t talk about last season without mentioning champion foxhunter On the Fringe. In 14-15 he achieved the foxhunter treble winning at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown. That season he blew them away at Cheltenham and scrambled home at Punchestown. Fast forward to last season when he only just got his head in front at Cheltenham, many thought the treble could not be done for the successive year. How wrong they were as he finished the opposite way to the year before getting stronger by the run. This achievement of the treble treble cannot be underestimated and it shows the talent of not the only the horse but also Edna Bolger for getting the horse right for the big days but also Nina Carberry who surely must go down as the greatest female jockey ever. Richard Johnson took a no nonsense approach to the jockeys title challenge and was relentless in gaining his maiden title. His dedication and talent is highly admirable and he thoroughly deserved the title of champion jockey. To top the final day off, he won on his old friend Menorah to cap and day he will never forget. We are sure to see Dicky take a similar approach to this season as the hunger still burns bright.
Last season we waved goodbye to some favourites of the national hunt scene. Bobs Worth and Wishful Thinking both retired last season. They gave connections and fans like myself many days to remember and horses like these don’t come along very often. Happy retirement my friends.
ROLL ON THE 2016-2017 SEASON
Life Through The Lens By Michael Harris @mjyharris On March 1st, 2016, the RCA issued a statement regarding amateur photography at racecourses. Statement regarding amateur photography on racecourses As is standard practice across commercial sports and leisure venues, racecourses seek to protect their image rights in their terms and conditions of entry. These regulations are in place to ensure that any commercial income streams generated are protected and available to be reinvested into racing. Page 35
Whilst racecourses do not wish to dissuade customers from taking pictures of their day out, and sharing them on social media, this must remain at a personal and private level. Photographs published for a commercial purpose or on a large scale where they are available for download, even at no cost, cannot be considered as being for personal and private use. Consequently such photography is not permitted without accreditation. Interest in amateur photography at racecourses has greatly increased in recent times, and it is a great way to follow a passion for horses and horse racing and to enhance that experience by combining it with taking photographss of these wonderful animals and the people that look after them. It would appear to be a pretty harmless pursuit. However, many amateurs, myself included, upload their photos onto social media and 'tag' the relevant connections of the horse so that the photo gains more exposure and is seen by a wider audience, but in doing so this causes upset with the course photographers who feel that their business is being affected by such practice. It is a tricky one. Whilst respecting the position of the professionals and understanding that their livelihood depends on them selling photos, I still feel that amateur photography at racecourses is extremely good for the sport and should be encouraged and embraced by The Jockey Club and the racecourses, given that the amateurs are respectful and have due regard for the guidelines of the RCA statement. Professional racecourse photographers are only really interested in the photographs that are deemed to be 'the money shots' because it is these that are the ones that supply them with their income, which is understandable. In between races they have to upload memory cards to their laptops in the press room, and then send their photos to their employees/agencies, so they do not have time to take any photographs in the pre-parade, the paddock, or after the race. This is when the importance of amateur photography comes to the fore. Many amateurs take these kind of photographs and it's these that highlight the special bond that exists between the grooms and their horses, and the affection and dedication that they have and clearly display for the animals that they look after and for the job that they do. They work long hours, in an industry that is very short of workers, are not paid vast amounts of money, and some of the memories captured by amateur photographers on the racecourse are priceless for them and their families. I have no intention of taking anyone's business away from them, I have my own business, and I don't need an income from equine photography, but I also would like to continue pursuing my hobby and passion at racecourses up and down the country without being restricted from doing so. I have various shares in horses, I am an annual member at a handful of courses, I have many friends in racing, and I feel that I support and promote racing in a good way that is beneficial to the sport in general. At some point in their lives, every professional has started out as an amateur. This too has to be respected. I attach a few of the photos that I have taken recently at racecourses below to endorse and corroborate my views. It really helps when you photograph what you love. @mjyharris
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The Irish Derby By Sandra O Donoghue @Sandylirious The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival set to take place at the end of the month at the Curragh racecourse sets to be a thrilling affair hosting the hottest race on the irish flat racing calendar, The 151th Irish Derby, has an added incentive this year with an increase in prize money by 20%. Europe's Top horses will be lined up for the biggest prize in Irish Racing & Total prize money for the Derby which has now been boosted by â‚Ź250,000 to â‚Ź1.5m which also represents a noteworthy increase for placed horses with prize money down to 8th place. To date there are a total of 59 entries in the group one classic. Heading the field we have leading trainer Aidan O' Brien who's won this race on an impressive 10 occasions over a 27 year span. His first win came in 97' with Desert King & his most recent win was with Australia in 2014, he heads the market with a number of entries with among his winning hopes are Air Force Blue who has won 3 Class one & will be looking to improve on his disappointing run in both Guineas & recent winner in France, The Gurkha, a colt of galileo, who continued his impressive progression by destroying the field in the Poule D'essai Poulains. Jim Bolger having won previous Derby's with St Jovite & Trader Leader sets to have a decent chance with recent Derringstown Stud Derby Trial winner Moonlight magic. The race win bodes well for the trainer as that race has thrown up six Irish Derby winners and two seconds since 2000. The only other men to have trained a Derby winner in the last 20 years with Entries this year are John Oxx & Dermot Weld. Oxx who hasn't won since 2003 holds one entry with the unraced son of Sea the Stars, Glamour boy & the Weld yard have a number of entries again this year Harzard who was impressive on his last two outings & wins & Ezanak who won a class 1 in Gowran back in April. Positive stats to keep an eye out for while trying to pick is a winner is a horse trained by Aidan O' Brien or John Oxx, A horse Sired by Gailileo or Montjeu has produced an impressive 8 winners & an English Derby winner which 5 horses have managed this remarkable feat of the double in the past 20 years . A majority of Past winners have been within the Top 2 in the betting Market while negatives include failure to win a group race, not won over 7 furlongs as a two year old & less than four career starts & more than eight. Other notable stats within the last ten years include all winners bar Frozen Fire had won a Group race, all ten had run between seven and ten times bar Jack Hobbs & all ten had won over at least seven furlongs as a two-year-old.
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The Mad Hatter By Stephanie King @ms_arsenal Royal Ascot is nearly upon us and I have to say I actually feel like the Mad Hatter! I’ve been non-stop with hat appointments this past month, up until11pm some nights. I can’t complain though as I am super excited to see my fabulous clients in their lovely hats. I always see lots of requests for the pastel colours in late spring but surprisingly I've had a lot of people in this week looking for bright vibrant colours for Royal Ascot. From what I have seen this year it's all about striking designs in standout colours. Although I do think duck egg blue and mint green will make a comeback. Styles obviously vary from season to season but I always try to buy lots of cutting edge designs with quirky shapes and sizes yet of course elegant. I have recently bought some amazing 3D (Yes 3D!!) front perchers in stunning colours and they have near enough been booked out for the whole racing season already! My tip for picking a hat “Every lady is different and the best advice I could give about picking a hat/fascinator is wear what makes you feel comfortable but what makes you feel good!” I’ve had lots of enquiries about this year’s official Royal Ascot guidelines so here they are: ROYAL ENCLOSURE Ladies are kindly reminded that formal daywear is a requirement in the Royal Enclosure, defined as follows: • Dresses and skirts should be of modest length defined as falling just above the knee or longer. • Dresses and tops should have straps of one inch or greater. • Jackets and pashminas may be worn but dresses and tops underneath should still comply with the Royal Enclosure dress code. • Trouser suits are welcome. They should be of full length and of matching material and colour. • Hats should be worn; however a headpiece which has a base of 4 inches (10cm) or more in diameter is acceptable as an alternative to a hat. Ladies are kindly asked to note the following: • Strapless, off the shoulder, halter neck and spaghetti straps are not permitted. • Midriffs must be covered. • Fascinators are not permitted; neither are headpieces which do not have a base covering a sufficient area of the head (4 inches/10cm). Gentlemen are kindly reminded that it is a requirement to wear either black or grey morning dress which must include: • A waistcoat and tie (no cravats) • A black or grey top hat • Black shoes A gentleman may remove his top hat within a restaurant, a private box, a private club or
that facility’s terrace, balcony or garden. Hats may also be removed within any enclosed external seating area within the Royal Enclosure Garden. The customisation of top hats (with, for example, coloured ribbons or bands) is not permitted in the Royal Enclosure.
QUEEN ANNE ENCLOSURE Ladies within the main Queen Anne Enclosure area are encouraged to dress in a manner as befits a formal occasion and ladies are kindly asked to take note of the following: • A hat, headpiece or fascinator should be worn at all times. • Strapless or sheer strap dresses and tops are not permitted. • Trousers must be full length and worn with a top that adheres to the guidelines above. • Midriffs must be covered. • Shorts are not permitted. Gentlemen are required to wear a suit with a shirt and tie.
WINDSOR ENCLOSURE Whilst we encourage racegoers to wear smart clothes, no formal dress code applies in the Windsor Enclosure except that replica sports shirts are not permitted. GENERAL In addition to the specific guidance in this brochure, please note that fancy dress, novelty and branded / promotional clothing are not allowed on site. Ascot Racecourse recognises that there may be instances where a degree of discretion is required in determining compliance with our dress code within the Grandstand. In such instances, reasonable judgement will be exercised. Guests within Grandstand Admission are welcome to follow the Royal Enclosure dress code available at ascot.co.uk. Racing Hat Hire has over 450 stunning hats, fascinators and hatinators in a wonderful yet friendly setting. Based in the heart of horse racing HQ, we are the only hat hire company based in Newmarket. We also offer a postal service as well as Facetime/Skype appointments. Over Royal Ascot we operate on a daily racecourse collection and drop off basis. You simply: 1.Pre book your hat 2.Meet us in the Owners and Trainers carpark directly opposite the main entrance between 11-1pm 3.We will help fit your chose hat and of course provide some bubbly! 4.Go racing (and pick lots of winners) 5.Drop the hat back to us in the same place from 5:45-6:45pm More details here http://www.racinghathire.co.uk/#!raceday-collection/c10m8 Stephanie King (Racing Hat Hire)
Here are just a few of Stephanie's fantastic products on offer.
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WELL THATS IT FOR ANOTHER MONTH AND WE HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS MONTHS PUBLICATION. YOU CAN FIND US ON TWITTER RIGHT HERE @WeighedInRacing THANK YOU Gordon Millard
An Interview With Nathan Evans By Rachel Wilson @RachelEMwilson Nathan Evans is a very lucky lad. Not just because he’s riding winners like it’s the easiest thing in the world (already 14 since the turn of the year) but because he is fortunate enough to have a job at the Easterbys. Their winning streak means they are piping hot and that’s good for their apprentice, but the other plus for Nathan is that David Easterby, son of Mick and Assistant Trainer, is an excellent coach. He’s interested in the theory and philosophy of coaching in sport and he is a first-rate teacher of the practicalities of race riding. Nathan says; ‘After every ride he has me in the office and we go through the video of the race. He goes through everything with me, picking out what I’ve done well and what I need to work on.’ Nathan also has the benefit of an assigned coach, Kim Tinkler, who he meets up with at Jack Berry house in Malton for regular sessions on the equicizer. Her services are paid for by the BHA and are part of racing’s commitment to supporting young apprentices. His dedication to improving his skills, strength and ability to read races is one of the main reasons why he is very unlikely to be one of those apprentices who rattle through their claims and then get spat out by a system that has used them up. Having good guidance and a boss who has invested in your success as well as their own is the key difference between making it through to having a long career and finding yourself ride-less once your claim is gone. Having natural talent is however a great starting point and Evans has that in spades. The son of parents who run a riding school in Magherafelt, Mid-Ulster, meant that Nathan was riding as soon as he could walk. He quickly became a hugely successful show-jumper, riding for Ireland, travelling around Europe and winning 17 team and individual gold medals, all before he was 16 years old. Evans went to RACE – Ireland’s Racing school for a trial week but his cousin, jockey Paul Mulrennan, intervened and suggested instead he skip the course and go straight to work for the Easterbys at their yard in Sherriff Hutton, Yorkshire. The Easterbys liked what they saw. David told me: ‘He was a horseman. It was obvious he had done a great deal of riding before he came here and was keen to learn the very different discipline of riding racehorses rather than ponies. He is the right size and shape and he listens to feedback.’ Nathan adds; ‘Riding racehorses and riding ponies is like night and day. Everything about them is different from what they are fed to how you train them and ride them. I had to adapt.’
In his first year at the yard, he helped break in all the 2 year olds, a job he loved – which in itself tells you a good deal about his abilities. He says: ‘It was in the deep end for sure, but I really enjoy the different challenge and the Easterbys have been so good to me.’ It wasn’t long before he was put forward for his apprentice licence and in February 2015 he had his first ride, at Southwell. It was memorable for him - picking up a 3 day ban for not weighing in.. A mistake he has yet to repeat! ‘I felt bad for the Owners, so it was fantastic that I managed to ride a winner for them last week at Ripon – Curzon Line. (who runs again this Friday at Musselburgh) Before he had even reached double figure rides he rode his first winner, Among Angels, in a Class 3 handicap at Thirsk. Since then he’s ridden 26 winners to date and is busy, not just for the Easterby runners but with outside rides too. It was on an outside ride (a spare picked up on the day) for William Haggas that he rode a winner at his favourite track – York. ‘I love riding there, the whole history of the place. It’s the most fantastic racecourse, we’re so lucky to have it as our local.’ By his own admission he has things he wants to improve. ‘I want to get better at reading races, improving my style and building up my strength. So far my weight is good. I wake up at 8 stone, so that’s a bonus.’ He wants to learn to drive; at the moment he gets lifts with other jockeys. ‘The lads are good to me,’ he says. I ask him if he gets to go home and see his family: ‘At the moment I’m pretty busy and I’m very happy with it, let’s be honest I don’t want anyone slipping up my inner whilst I’m away!’ There is not much chance of that. According to David Easterby: ‘Nathan is both very confident and very laid back, both qualities you need to be a great jockey. At this stage of his career I would have to say he’s the best I’ve had.’ He will always have to keep an eye on his inner, but Nathan Evans is a sure-fire talent to keep your eye on.
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