Catching Up

Grands Crus is pictured posing nicely with his owners Roger Stanley and Yvonne Reynolds. We have another day planned for next weekend so we are once again keeping our fingers crossed for a nice day!

Tom Scu was here on Sunday and as I mentioned last week we are all delighted he will be back in the saddle at Worcester next Tuesday all things being well. Conor O’Farrell once again highlighted his talents in the saddle when riding American Art to victory at Worcester last Friday. It was great to have a winner for long serving patron of the yard Brian Kilpatrick and even more so for the horse as he missed last season through injury and is just finding his form once again. There was also controversy on the same day as Vertige Dore won the Novice’s chase on his chasing debut under Timmy Murphy only for the places to be reversed. Our boy caused momentary interference to the runner up Mad Moose and Sam Twiston-Davies before the final fence when hanging to his left.  Timmy did a fine job in keeping him straight and got Vertige Dore home in front only for the stewards to deem the interference bad enough to alter the result. I am of the opinion that Mad Moose had all the way up the straight to get his own head in front and couldn’t.  Meanwhile, my horse was idling and only ever just doing enough in front so the places should not have been reversed! Of course I am in no doubt that if I trained the other horse I would have been disappointed if they had let the result stand! That is racing however and the stewards are there to do a job and I am sure one of these days a decision like this will go in our favour! You may remember that we also had a winner reversed last season when Dan Breen went past the post first at Sandown but subsequently lost the race in the steward’s room. These things happen to everybody though and although we are disappointed I am sure Vertige Dore will be winning a Novice chase sooner rather than later.

We are racing at Newton Abbot on Tuesday afternoon and I am delighted to have a runner in the 3.45pm feature race, the Bryan Westcott Memorial Handicap Chase. The race is named in memory of Bryan who passed away recently and as well has being an owner at Pond House, he was a good friend and also did a great job for racing in the South especially in his role as being co-founder of the South West Racing Club. Bathwick Quest is my runner and I am hoping she runs well coming back after a little break. Surfboard and Tigger complete my trio of runners and our young conditional Frank Hayes is on board the latter. Frank has not had many rides over obstacles but has done lots of schooling at home and has ridden a winner on the flat and takes a very valuable ten pounds off. I am also pleased to report that we have another young rider who has just joined the Pond House team. Tom Bellamy is a very promising young amateur who despite only being 16 has had 12 winners pony racing and already had six winners point to pointing and under rules in only his first season. He joins our other amateur Kieron Edgar who I was delighted to report last week achieved his first winner on the flat over in France.

There is not much jumping action this week but recent Newton Abbot winner Bathwick Man does hold an entry on the flat at Salisbury on Thursday. There is Market Rasen on Saturday where I have an entry for new French recruit Taratata Sivola as well as Bathwick Man and My Brother Sylvest. On Sunday I have another new French mare entered, Ladyvie. She is still looking for an owner so if anyone is interested please give me a ring for more details on 01884 840715. Recent Worcester winner American Art also holds an entry on the Southwell card and I shall be finalising plans for these runners later in the week.

I have one early closing race entry to report on the Flat. Big Occasion is another new addition to the team and we have entered him in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 3) at Ascot on Saturday October 15^th.   Things are pretty busy at Pond House at the moment but that is the way I like it! I did however manage a few hours off today to play in the Jim Old charity golf day, lets just say I did okay, we had a great day and raised lots of money for a good cause...!