- Monday, 03 October 2016 15:08
- Written by David Pipe
You may have noticed over the weekend a slightly different look to my website. The reason for this is the exciting news that Pond House has a new stable sponsor in the form of W&S Recycling who have signed a multi-year deal with us. A forward thinking and progressive company, I couldn’t be more pleased and we look forward to a long, successful and happy association. To find out more about W&S click on their banners either at the top or bottom of our website.
W&S Recycling take over the mantle from Bathwick Tyres with whom we enjoyed a nine year association and I would like to thank Wayne & Sarah Clifford for their support during this time and wish them continued success for the future.
Last week was a quiet one on the racing front with only a handful of runners and though we did not hit the back of the net, the runners continued to perform creditably with a second, third and three fourth places to show for our six runners. It is looking like a similar story this week with only a few entries. It is that time of the year when we are just starting to wind down with the horses you have been seeing through the summer, while those that are after a bit of winter jumping ground are still a week or two away from a run.
We have no runners today (Monday) or tomorrow, while later in the week the likes of Chic Theatre, Daklondike and Houston Dynimo have multiple entries at a permutation of Towcester, Exeter and Newton Abbot so we will take a look at their options before committing.
One race I am already prepared for though is the Cesarewitch at Newmarket on Saturday where we will run Ennistown and Starchitect. It is a race that my father won on a couple of occasions and I have finished second and third in the race before but would dearly love to add a success to my CV. We have booked former champion jockeys Ryan Moore for Ennistown and Jamie Spencer for Starchitect so they should certainly get maximum assistance from the saddle.
Ennistown (pictured above) posted an improved effort when an impressive winner of a valuable handicap hurdle over 3m1½f at Cartmel last time and he is still unexposed as a stayer on the level having never been tried beyond 1m4f on the flat. Meanwhile Starchitect proved one of the best handicap hurdlers around last jumps season before winning on the level at Salisbury. They are in good order at home and I am hopeful of a big run from both.
Stuart Machin and the Racing UK team were down last week to talk about our Cesarewitch runners and also discuss our prospects for the forthcoming jumps season so stay tuned over the coming days and weeks. It was Stuart’s first visit to Pond House and after the mandatory spin on our equicisor (pictured below), it may well be his last!
My partner Leanne and our two eldest children Jack and Sophie participated in the 5km ‘Bubble Rush Run’ in Taunton on Sunday along with one of my secretaries, Gemma in aid of the St Margaret’s Hospice. As you can see from the photograph below it wasn’t exactly good clean fun but they enjoyed themselves nonetheless and helped to raise money and awareness for this excellent cause.
Don’t forget if you haven’t already ordered your copy of our 2016/17 horses in training brochure, I still have them available and at £10 they represent good value for money. With contributions to the local air ambulance you will also be helping another good course – you can click here for further details.
Finally, as reported by Chester last week, we were greatly saddened at the passing of Brian Jennings a long-time family friend. Brian was a very good cricketer and he taught me the fundamentals of the game back when I was a youngster and we had cricket nets at Pond House. Brian would often come racing with me and my father and would regularly drive dad far and wide to the races in the early days. He will be greatly missed.
