- Monday, 17 June 2013 15:43
- Written by David Pipe
Last week was a quiet one with only nine runners from the stable, but Basil Fawlty kept the scoreboard ticking over with success at Worcester on Tuesday in the 2m7f handicap chase. Our ninth winner of the new campaign was atoning for an unlucky fall at Exeter on his previous start when appearing to be travelling like a winner. He made no mistake on this occasion and jumping well he stayed on dourly to deny My Mate Vinnie in a driving finish. This was only his fourth start over fences so I am sure there is further improvement in him and while he may have his limitations, there is no reason to think that he cannot pick up something similar during the course of the summer.
Lola Galli also performed with credit in the bumper on the same card, finishing a close third behind Shuil Gealach. With only two career starts to her name, she will have benefitted enormously for the experience and is another one with further improvement in her.
We also had some runners on the level during the course of the week; Street Entertainer was a short-priced favourite to follow-up his recent Nottingham success at Musselburgh on Friday but unfortunately could not repeat his previous effort. Held up in a messy affair, he failed to quicken in the manner he had the week before and finished a slightly disappointing fourth. He would certainly have been better suited to an end-to-end gallop, but it wasn’t to be on this occasion. There will be other days for him, although life will be tougher from a revised handicap mark.
War Singer was sent off favourite for the Queen Mother Cup at York on Saturday in a bid to emulate my father’s Champion Hurdle winner Make A Stand, who won the race in 1996. We were hopeful of a big run in this lady amateur riders’ race and went to the lengths of securing the services of Jane Mangan who was aboard our Irish Grade One winner The Liquidator in April. However, after slipping on the bend four furlongs out (just one of a number of similar incidents on the day), it was clear that he was never going to be involved. He can prove this running all wrong in time.
While we are on the subject of the flat, Royal Ascot starts tomorrow and I have dusted off the topper and will be spending the first three days of the meeting at the Berkshire track. We will have two runners in the Ascot Stakes, 2010 winner Junior who will be partnered by Tony Hamilton and Investissement, the mount of William Buick. They will be big prices on the day, but I would not be surprised to see either one of them belie their odds as they both need a test like this on a stiff track.
One person who will be missing from Royal Ascot will be Sir Henry Cecil who so sadly passed away last week. Enough has already been written about the great man without me adding too much other than to echo the sentiment that he was one of the finest trainers ever to have lived. He went about his business in a dignified and calm manner even through the most difficult of times and his tutelage of the incredible Frankel is a fitting final chapter to his amazing career. Royal Ascot, where Sir Henry enjoyed an incredible 75 successes have chosen to honour him by running the Queen’s Vase (a race that he won eight times) in his memory – a fitting tribute…I can only imagine what the reception will be if Lady Jane Cecil is able to produce a winner from Warren Place stables.
Above (l-r) Frank Hayes, Kieron Edgar, Mikey Ennis and Jamie Bargary in London
(pictures by kind permission of Alice Mills)
Royal Ascot and the Racing Post have been on a real PR mission to draw the public’s attention to the Royal meeting this year and this morning a whole host of jockeys from around the country, including four from Pond House descended upon London and the underground system, donned in racing silks to help raise the profile. Messrs Edgar, Bargary, Hayes and Ennis (pictured above) were on duty for Pond House and a number of interesting pictures of the boys in London have already made it onto the Racing Post’s website. Hopefully Ascot will be rewarded with a bumper turnout and good weather.
Looking to the remainder of this week, I will have one runner at Stratford tomorrow (Tuesday) when Massannie will bid to follow-up her impressive Uttoxeter success on her Pond House debut, while Purple ‘N Gold represents the yard on the level at Kempton on Wednesday. We will most likely also have some runners over the sticks at Uttoxeter on Wednesday, Ffos Las on Thursday, Market Rasen on Friday and Worcester on Sunday.
Last weekend there was next to no jump racing on, with Hexham the solitary meeting, and this weekend it is a similar story, with Saturday seeing a total lack of National Hunt racing. In its absence we have given Junior another entry on the level, this time in the marathon 2m6f Queen Alexandra. We will see how he gets on on in the Ascot Stakes before deciding whether he competes in the other event.
Finally, I attended a great event on Saturday night in the Gold Cup Suite at Cheltenham racecourse. ‘A Night Of Fun For JT’ was organised by the good folks at Cheltenham racecourse and Jackdaws Castle after the terrible fall of J T McNamara at last March’s Cheltenham Festival. There was some interesting entertainment on offer with a special ‘Mr & Mrs’ featuring Conor O’Farrell and Aidan Coleman, as well as music from a band featuring Tom Scudamore and Hadden Frost to name but a couple of the various acts. There were also a number of fantastic auction lots from members of the racing fraternity which I hope will have raised significant funds for the stricken jockey and his family. Well done to everyone involved with the organisation of this fantastic event.
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