Franks A Lot!

African Broadway completed the double for the yard when making a winning debut over the larger obstacles in a useful looking beginners’ chase.  I have always liked him and bought him as a potential chaser a couple years ago and it was a bonus that he was able to pick up a bumper as well as a couple of hurdles along the way.  African Broadway jumped well in the main (apart from a mistake at the second last) and he stayed on really well to win by 3½ lengths.  He is another who should continue to improve and make up into a very nice staying chaser.

Talking of nice staying chasers, I have been looking forward to entering top-class staying hurdler Dynaste over fences.  Our Haydock Fixed Brush Hurdle winner is the highest rated hurdler from the yard that will be switching to fences this season and he has schooled really well at home.  I had earmarked him to make his chase debut at Worcester this week in a race that originally had a total prize fund of £6,000.  I was very disappointed to see that when the race conditions were subsequently reproduced that the race was then worth a total of £4,700.  I understand that times are financially very testing for everyone at present, but a near 22% decrease in proposed prize money is preposterous.  I feel sorry for the racegoers who are deprived of seeing quality horses such as him because Arena Leisure are not prepared to put up satisfactory funds.

Anyway, I digress…it was good to be back at the home of National Hunt racing at the weekend with the start of the new season at Cheltenham and I was delighted to welcome in a winner on Saturday when our only runner, His Excellency prevailed in the novices’ chase.  Bought reasonably at the Doncaster Sales in August, he went some way to repaying some of his price tag with a determined success from favourite Third Intention.  He hasn’t always looked the most straight forward with his tail flashing in the closing stages, but he possesses plenty of talent and it certainly doesn’t seem to stop him.

It was also Kempton’s first meeting of the new season on Sunday and I was invited to take part in a racing forum before the start of the first.  It was an enjoyable day and there was a good turnout from the crowd and they seemed pleased to see stable star Grands Crus who had won the Grade One Feltham Novices’ chase at the track on Boxing Day.  As you can see from the pictures, he is in good nick and will hopefully be on the course within the next month either for the Paddy Power at Cheltenham on 17^th November or the Betfair Chase a week later at Haydock.  I can honestly say that at present we have not decided on the best route for him, suffice to say I will have to speak to the owners and take in the best option for the horse.  The public will be informed when a decision has been reached.

  
Above right, I was interviewed as part of the Kempton Forum, as were (left): Tom Scu and Roger Stanley

Of the old brigade I have to inform you of the retirement of one of our old stalwarts, Raslan who ran his last race at the Prestbury course on Friday.  He has been a wonderful servant down the years and seemed to have a real affinity for our local track at Newton Abbot, where he twice won their valuable summer hurdle.  He hadn’t shown the same sort of enthusiasm in his last couple of starts and we felt that it was the right time to draw stumps with him.  He retires happy and sound and will be heading back north to be with his owner shortly.

Meanwhile, another old-timer Tamaribleu continues in training and is in great form at home.  Our gelding will be a teenager in January but it is amazing how much enthusiasm he retains.  He arrived at Pond House at the same sort of time as Lough Derg but this will be his final season.  Plans are fluid at present whether he has a whole season or not, we will let him tell us but we hope to see him back on the racecourse next month.  He is in rude health and it would be amazing if he could win again before retiring.

While I am on the subject of retirements, I was delighted to see Frankel retire with his undefeated record in tact.  It illustrates just what an incredible horse he is to be able to beat a horse of the calibre of Cirrus des Aigles despite just about everything going wrong for him (from missing the break at the start, to the very testing underfoot conditions).  I don’t think that this was his very best performance, but with Excelebration routing a very good field in the QE2 earlier in the day, perhaps the handicappers might retrospectively consider raising his mark to at least that of Dancing Brave.  Whatever, they choose to do with him, I am confident that he is the best I have seen and we have been privileged to witness him on the racecourse.  I would like to thank connections for allowing us to see him race on at four years of age and they should be congratulated for the manner in which they have managed everyone’s expectations of this most public of horses.

We have made entries this morning for the weekend fixtures at Aintree, Chepstow, Stratford and Wincanton and as usual you can catch up with the latest news of our runners by checking Chester’s Daily Chat.