Ticking Along

 
     Taj Badalandabad - Winner at Chepstow

We did not have that many runners during the week last week but a double at Chepstow on Thursday kept the winners tally ticking along.  Taj Badalandabad opened his account over hurdles at the second time of asking.  He finished fourth on his hurdling debut up at Wetherby in what looks to be working out as a pretty decent race and it was great to see him do the job nicely here.  He is still a bit novicey at some of his hurdles but he will improve with experience, he loves the soft ground and he should continue to provide us and owner William Frewen with some fun this winter.  Smiles For Miles was our other Chesptow winner and it was nice to finally get this one’s head in front, his first victory of any description.  The first time blinkers certainly seemed to do the trick and he travelled and jumped superbly, bar one mistake at the 4th last.  He galloped all the way to the line on what was very testing ground to score comfortably and with a hike in the weights on the cards he will be probably run again sometime this week under a penalty.  Providing the blinkers have the same effect again I hope he will be able to run well wherever he turns up, the options being Wetherby, Newbury and Doncaster.

On Thursday we were perhaps a little unlucky maybe not to have a winner at Market Rasen with Home Run.  While it is impossible to say what would have happened for sure as all of the runners were in contention but we were still certainly travelling very well when he stumbled badly on the flat before 2 out and Kieron Edgar came off.  We can all guess at what might have been but Kieron could not have been happier with how he was going at the time and unfortunately this is just the ups and down of racing!  He also loves to soft ground and should continue to be competitive in some nice 2m4f + handicap hurdles this season.

The weekend of course was the big race action with the main event being the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.  I was pleased with Dynaste’s run, he ran well to finish third on his seasonal debut and with the two rivals in front of him having already had a run this season this may have helped.  Tom Scu was happy with how he travelled a jumped although he did not enjoy the ground as much as we thought he might of.  He has come out of the race as usual, a bit stiff and sore but essentially fine and we will see how he progresses from now until then for the King George.

Of our other runners on Saturday, they all ran okay in some very competitive races.  Heath Hunter still had every chance coming to the last but was hampered badly and weakened on the run in.  He should come on from the run and am sure there is a nice prize in him at some point.  In the big fixed brush hurdle Vieux Lion Rouge maybe did not quite see out the three miles, while Katkeau ran a great race to finish fifth. He travelled well throughout and moved into contention turning for home before not quite keeping on as well as he did at Cheltenham previously.  Maybe the race came slightly too soon after Cheltenham but he still ran with great credit and he will have a little rest before we make a plan as to where he might go next.  I thought Shotavodka jumped better than ever for such a tiny horse in the three mile handicap chase and had every chance before stumbling after three out.  He did get a bit tired from there and he maybe better a trips slightly short of three miles in the future.

We had one runner at Ascot, Pleasant Company and he finished fourth in a decent novice hurdle on ground that would have been softer than ideal.  A lovely individual who will make a smashing chaser in time should hopefully be winning over hurdles very soon.  I had just the one runner at Exeter on Sunday, Obistar.  Stepping up in distance to 2m7f he again ran well to finish second.  He is only a four year old but already a thorough stayer and he will make into a lovely long distance chaser in the future.  He reminds me a little bit of the owner’s previous horse Master Overseer, who was a fantastic stayer who six chases and is now enjoying a wonderful retirement. 

This week we have quite a lot of entries, all over the country from Taunton to Musselburgh so keep an eye on Chester’s Daily blog for news of the stable runners while the big meeting of the weekend for us is of course the Hennessy at Newbury.  Ballynagour will be carrying the hopes of Pond House.  He seems very well at home and Tom Scu was in schooling him the other day and fingers crossed our Festival winner, if getting the trip, should run well.

In news away from runners I would just like to wish Mikey Ennis the best of luck.  Mikey flew out to Dubai yesterday to join the Charlie Appleby team out there for the winter.  Mikey has been mixing riding on the flat and jumps successfully of late and was offered this great opportunity to go over with Godolphin.  We look forward to welcoming him back to Pond House later in the spring.

 Later this week, on Thursday I will be making a trip to London for the Sir Peter O’Sullivan awards lunch.  Last year my father was the grateful recipient of the prize so it will be lovely to see who will receive the honour this year.  It is a great day out which raises a lot of money for charity and one I am very much looking forward to.