- Monday, 16 June 2014 15:11
- Written by David Pipe
Although quieter on the racing front with most of the horses now enjoying their summer breaks, the good form of the stable was maintained with the success of Lady Of Longstone (pictured above) at Worcester on Tuesday. Making her racecourse debut in the bumper, our daughter of Beneficial ground out a workmanlike victory under a good ride from Tom Scudamore. She would ideally have been suited by a stronger gallop so Scu sensibly produced her to challenge some way out and she stayed on gamely to draw away in the closing stages.
She is from a family that we know very well, being out of the good race mare Christdalo who won several races for my father, while Christdalo herself is a sister to my facile winner Broadway Buffalo. Lady Of Longstone will have learned plenty from this experience and has done enough no to earn a bit of sun on her back and has been turned out for her summer holidays. Most of all I was delighted for her enthusiastic owners Gordon and Sue who had the unsaddling enclosure in high spirits with their delirious celebrations.
Later on the same card I thought that Massannie took a step back in the right direction when a close sixth in the 2m7f handicap hurdle. It was a wide open affair and having looked a little temperamental in her last few races, I was pleased to see her produce a less quirky effort here to be beaten little over three lengths. She had demonstrated plenty of ability when winning her first three races and this gives us something to build on once again.
On Thursday I thought that Intermath ran well on his Pond House/hurdling debut in the juvenile hurdle at Uttoxeter. Having looked the likeliest winner turning in, he weakened between the last two hurdles to finish third. A smart performer at seven furlongs to a mile on the level, his stamina was not assured and so it proved here. He will be kept on the go as quicker ground should help him get home, as should an easier track – he can pick up a little race during the summer.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for some of my colleagues. Only last week we received an SOS call from a damsel in distress…it was a young lady from Kim Bailey’s office and they had a predicament. Unfortunately for them their lorry had suffered a breakdown on the M5 just a few miles from our yard and were hoping we might be able to assist. Like some sort of Scottish superhero travelling head lad Craig Wylie met box driver Leigh and quickly transferred their horse to our lorry before transporting their mare the rest of the way to Newton Abbot. It was just as well too as Amazing d’Azy went on to win the first under A P McCoy at odds of 7/4…that is another winner that McCoy owes us! I am of course only joking and was only too pleased that we were able to be of assistance.
Talking of young ladies, my secretary Gemma had quite a shock and was left scarred this week when she received an obscene photograph from one of the colourful owners of Gevrey Chambertin. Gemma had e-mailed a picture of Gevrey (below left) having a lovely time enjoying his summer holidays in the Pond House paddocks to Roger, only to receive the reply, “he looks chilled out, but not as chilled as his owner” along with the following picture...poor girl, I have booked her in for counselling!
Anyway, I digress. Onto the week ahead and we have had one runner this afternoon at Newton Abbot, where Purple ‘N Gold ran another solid race to finish third. Also, there is the small matter of Royal Ascot starting tomorrow and unusually we will not be having any runners – much as I would love to win the Ascot Stakes again, we have a different type of horse in the yard these days with more National Hunt bred store types. Hopefully, we will be back with a few runners next year.
Tomorrow I run Western Diva at Stratford in the mares’ novices’ hurdle. She disappointed me for no obvious reason last time out so I am hoping for better from her. I am hoping that the soft ground at Wetherby was a possible explanation for that performance and she will appreciate the good/firm (good in places) ground currently prevailing at Stratford. Tom Scudamore will be in the saddle.
We have a couple of entries at Uttoxeter on Wednesday, while High Ville could make his seasonal reappearance at Ffos Las on Friday. We give Hexham (the only jumps meeting) a swerve on Saturday and have a handful of entries at Worcester on Sunday.
I am currently enjoying a few days rest in France with Leanne and the children, but I am never far from the phone keeping up to date with what is going on. I will be returning to France at the end of the beginning of next month for the Arqana Summer Sale at Deauville. We have enjoyed fantastic success there over the years with the likes of Grade One winners Grands Crus and Dynaste as well as more recent recruits, Gevrey Chambertin, Dell’ Arca and Vieux Lion Rouge. I have been sifting tirelessly through the catalogues for this sale and the Derby Sale in Ireland at the end of June (which I am also attending) looking for future talent, so if you are interested in joining the ranks of owners at Pond House please do feel free to contact us for a no obligation chat to discuss your requirements.
As usual for all the latest news, do keep in touch with Chester’s Daily Chat or follow us on Twitter @DavidPipeRacing.
