- Tuesday, 14 January 2014 08:51
- Written by David Pipe
Last week was certainly one of up’s and downs for the stable. On the upside, we enjoyed three nice winners from three very exciting prospects for the future, while on the flip side of the coin we had the poor performance of star novice The Liquidator in the rescheduled Tolworth Hurdle at Kempton.
On Tuesday Edmund Kean showed his Cheltenham reappearance run in November to be all wrong by making a successful winning debut over fences in the 2m7½f novices’ limited handicap chase at Leicester. This looked like a decent little race by the racecourse’s standards and Edmund Kean jumped with aplomb under Tom Scudamore as you would expect from a former Irish point-to-point winner. A useful novice hurdler last season, this was only his seventh ever start so he is still open to plenty of improvement.
Talking of winning ex-Irish pointers, we followed-up at Doncaster on Wednesday with another recruit from the Emerald Isle, Western Warhorse. This talented but quite highly strung individual had thrilled us with his second over timber at Cheltenham in November but had blotted his copybook somewhat when bolting before the start at Kempton on Boxing Day. However, on Wednesday he showed what a good horse he can be when consenting to put his best foot forward. He put in an electrifying round of jumping under a positive front-running ride from Tom Scu who saved just enough to repel the late challenge of Victor Hewgo. He possesses the tactical speed for shorter and he could even drop back to two miles – he is another with a bright future ahead of him and plenty of opportunities open to him.
Our final success of the week came when Red Sherlock took his unbeaten record to five with a facile success in the EBF NH novices’ hurdle at Wetherby on Saturday. I was pleased to be able to find another decent opportunity for him, although we learnt little more about him with this success - returning at the prohibitive odds of 1/6, he won in the manner his price suggested he ought to. Even so, he is clearly one of the brightest young stars in the yard, he will get better as he acquires further experience and could go to Cheltenham for Trials day at the end of the month.
Sadly The Liquidator could not produce his best form in the rescheduled Tolworth Hurdle at Kempton later that afternoon. Although I had specified that I didn’t think the tight nature of the track at Kempton would suit as well as Sandown, I cannot give that alone as the reason for his below-par effort. For one reason or another (and he will be rigorously checked) he was unable to give his running, but he is still only young and there will be plenty of other days for him. It is still the intention to get him ready for the Cheltenham Festival in March - the one good thing we can draw from his latest start is that the run was too bad to be true.
I am also able to give you an update on Dynaste following his run in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day. He is improving steadily (but is not yet 100%) and is still receiving regular treatment from Mary Bromiley. He has been given an entry in the Ryanair Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Festival and he is still very much on target to run in one of those contests.
Looking to this week, we have no fewer than eight runners tomorrow at Exeter racecourse so it is going to be a busy day. We have three runners in the ever popular veterans’ chase, including former Royal Ascot and Cheltenham Festival winner Junior. With all of the recent rain, it certainly looks like it is going to be testing going up on top of Haldon Hill.
It could be a big weekend for the yard with entries for high profile horses such as Gevrey Chambertin who is engaged in a novices’ chase at Haydock on Saturday and recent record breaking purchase Un Temps Pour Tout who has entries in the Holloways Hurdle at Ascot (a race we won in 2010 with Mamlook) and the Supreme Trial at Haydock. As usual for all the latest news on the runners from the stable, please keep up to date by visiting Chester’s Daily Chat or by following us on Twitter @DavidPipeRacing.
