Crus For Kempton!

I am pleased to report that as 2012 draws to a close (and we seem to have avoided the apocalypse!) the horses continue in good form and two more winners last week means that our seasonal total now stands at forty-eight winners.

Vieux Lion Rouge (pictured left) made a pleasing racecourse debut at Ffos Las on Monday when taking the newcomers’ bumper in good style under Tom Scudamore.  The ground was very testing but he saw out the trip in tenacious fashion (especially considering he is only three years old) displaying a likeable attitude and an abundance of stamina.  This was a race that we won last year with Grands Crus’ full brother Gevrey Chambertin and I hope that he can go on to improve like them.  It is always difficult to get a handle on the form of these races as they are all previously unraced, but he appears to be another exciting recruit for the stable.  We may give him just one more run this season.

With the abandonment of Exeter on Thursday it was left to Shaking Hands to do duty for the yard at Towcester and he certainly didn’t let us down.  Tom Scudamore was well pleased that he re-routed to the Northamptonshire track as he made all the running aboard our eight year old gelding to land the 3m1f handicap chase.  Towcester is an extremely stiff track and the ground was desperate but Shaking Hands has always been a thorough stayer and he kept finding under a well judged ride from Tom, continuing the good recent form of owners Brocade Racing who’s Master Overseer had been successful at Cheltenham the previous week.

It can be disappointing when you have a horse beaten at odds-on, but there were still plenty of positives to take out of the performance of our four year old bumper horse Kings Palace in the Listed bumper at Ascot on Friday.  Having won impressively on his racecourse debut at Plumpton on his previous start he was sent off a warm order here but I get the impression that he came up against a very useful rival in the Magnier owned Captain Cutter.  Our charge was a little keen in front under champion jockey A P McCoy and though he was headed in the closing stages, he stayed on well to draw well clear of the remainder.  This experience will help him learn and he could be suited by the likely quicker tempo of the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.  He was far from disgraced here and certainly wouldn’t be out of place in such company.

Although not on the scoreboard on Saturday I was very happy with the performance of Dan Breen in the feature Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle at Ascot.  Better known as a high class handicap chaser, Dan has produced three excellent efforts over timber so far this term and was beaten only 5 lengths in this (the most valuable handicap hurdle run so far this season).  Frank Hayes, who claims a handy 10lbs aboard stable runners, gets on very well with him and Dan Breen certainly deserves to land a nice race before too long.

Looking ahead to the coming few days, racing starts again on Wednesday (Boxing Day) and providing the baulk of the meetings go-ahead the stable could have upto twenty-two runners.  Of course the feature meeting is at Kempton and the highlight is the King George VI Chase, a race in which we are doubly represented with Grands Crus and Junior taking their chances.  Grands Crus (pictured right, courtesy of Bill Selwyn) has continued to please me since his wind operation and we are keeping our fingers crossed that he can run well and show us his true form.

Junior is no back number either and while he has to improve again to land this prestigious contest he will certainly be staying on in this testing ground.  His owners wished to supplement him for this race at a cost of £10,000 and a finish of fourth or better will see him more than recoup their initial outlay.  It should certainly be an interesting and informative contest.

You can keep up to date with all the other runners and news from the yard by checking Chester’s Daily Chat, so all that is left for me to do is wish you all a very happy Christmas.