- Monday, 30 June 2014 10:04
- Written by David Pipe
Kieron Edgar
Although a fairly quiet time on the racing front at the moment it has been busy in many other ways! I was in Ireland for three days last week for Tattersalls Ireland Derby sale and I am pleased to report we have six new acquisitions to the yard who are already settling in well at Pond House. Five are un-named, unbroken youngsters who are long term projects and who hopefully could be potential stars of the future! Last year’s purchases from the sale, include bumper winners and placed horses, Molo, Lady of Longstone and A Hairy Koala. This year’s horses all have nice pedigrees and could literally be anything which is the exciting part! They will now be broken in before being turned away for some grass with the view to them hopefully making their racecourse debuts in the spring of 2015.
The sales continue this week and I am off to Deauville for the Arqana summer sale. This is also a great sale with a mixture of raced and unraced horses. Previous success stories of horses from the sale include Dynaste, Grands Crus, Dell’arca, Gevrey Chambertin and Vieux Lion Rouge to name just a few. If you might be interested in buying a horse, please give the office a ring on 01884 840715 to register your interest.
As we know this time of year is when both changes are made, both equine and human to the Pond House team. While I am busy hopefully acquiring some nice horses to strengthen our team I would also like to inform you of a change of personnel. Conditional jockey Tom Bellamy is moving to pastures new shortly and joining the Alan King team. Tom has been with us for three years and has ridden 20 winners. He missed a lot of last season due to a broken leg but has come back riding winners and he is a very capable young jockey. He will be missed but I would like to wish him the best of luck with his new career challenge. Also on the jockey front I have further news to report. Kieron Edgar has just started back riding out. If you remember Kieron suffered a nasty fall at Newbury back in March when he broke his femur. Although some way off returning to race riding just yet, riding out here is another step in the right direction and he is hoping to return to racecourse action in the Autumn. He spends a lot of time currently at Oaksey House in Lambourn receiving physio and it is important to give this place a special mention for all their invaluable hard work and care that goes on here. It is such a brilliant facility that we are lucky to have for our sport. Another change on the jockey front is that Michael Heard will shortly be turning conditional. Michael is 21 and has ridden four winners under rules and 41 point to pointing. He is a good young rider who can claim 10 pounds off of 10 stone so should be able to make his mark in the professional ranks.
Reflecting on our few runners from the last few days, Top Wood was disappointing at Newton Abbot on Tuesday. Having won on his chasing debut, this was not his true showing and he did not like the quick going. He is now having a summer break and he will return later in the year when we have some rain and he will hopefully be able to reach the same heights in his chasing career to what he achieved over hurdles.
In Sunday’s action at Uttoxeter, No Secrets was a little disappointing in the feature handicap chase, leading a lot of the way before eventually fading to eighth. This was a very competitive race however and he will now have a little holiday before returning in the Autumn. Azza ran well and was beaten just under a length to finish third in a competitive handicap hurdle. She looked the likely winner approaching the last and battled all the way to the line to just be denied. This was a good return to form by our four year old and she will be kept on the go and ought to remain competitive off her current mark. Famousandfearless returned from a little break to show much his best form to date to finish third in the concluding handicap hurdle. He moved into the race nicely and but for a blunder at the final hurdle he might well have gone close to winning.
Looking ahead, things are once again fairly quiet on the racing front this week. Broadway Buffalo was entered at Stratford over fences but does not run as the ground is too quick. His Excellency holds an entry at Perth on Wednesday but a decision will not be made until tomorrow morning as to whether he travels to Scotland. There is also racing at Worcester on Wednesday and Massannie, Ainsi Fideles and High Ville are all possible runners. The next racing where we may have runners after this is on Sunday at Market Rasen so keep checking Chester’s Daily Chat for more news from the stable.
