What an eventful week it has been! A winner over the Grand National fences, a ride of the month contender from one of our conditional jockeys and the Pond House staff Christmas party to mention just a few of the highlights. With five winners on the week our seasonal tally stands at 64 successes and means the stable is still some two weeks ahead of schedule compared with our best previous season in terms of winners.

Skylander was our first winner of the week when a ready winner of the 2m1f bumper at Sedgefield. Clearly appreciating the very testing conditions, he stayed on in the manner of an improving horse and looks a promising young stayer in the making. A winning point-to-pointer in Ireland he should improve yet further when stepped up in trip and faced with a set of obstacles. Earlier in the day Mount Haven had disappointed when a beaten favourite in the maiden hurdle but his reverse was almost certainly down to the ground, which although officially soft was extremely tacky. I am certain he will be a different proposition when faced with less demanding going.

Taj Badalandabad kept the momentum going with a battling success at Leicester on Thursday in the novices’ hurdle under a penalty. He looked as though he might be beaten when headed in the straight but he stayed on well to forge away again on the run-in under Tom Scudamore. He is another who appreciates the mud and has now won four of his five starts since joining us from the Irish point-to-point ranks.

Bladoun completed the double on the day when making a winning seasonal debut in the handicap hurdle over two miles. He had shown glimpses of promise in the past but has not been the luckiest of horses so it was good to see him jump well on his way to winning for stable sponsors Wayne and Sarah Clifford of Bathwick Tyres. He is due a hike in the handicap for this and that will certainly make things more difficult, but the hope is that he can continue to improve now that he has managed to get his head in front.

Onto Saturday and I must confess to being less than optimistic about our chances before racing started owing to the very competitive nature of the races we were engaged in. To walk away with two winners, including the Grand Sefton Chase at Aintree over the Grand National fences was far more than I could possibly have hoped for. Poole Master, having his third attempt over the legendary fences, put in an exemplary round of jumping under a positive ride from Tom Scudamore. I was delighted for Tom who followed in his grandfather Michael’s footsteps by winning over these fences, an achievement his father Peter never managed. His unbridled joy was clear for all to see and he should rightly be very proud. I was equally delighted for his owner Geoff Thompson, a good man who puts an awful lot into the sport and who has displayed enormous patience – a well-deserved victory indeed.

Our other Saturday winner was over at Chepstow and it came in the form of Bygones Sovereign (pictured right) in the staying handicap hurdle under a magnificent ride from 7lbs conditional jockey Michael Heard. Bygones isn’t the most straight forward of individuals and it appeared from an early stage that he was not on a going day but Michael (who rides him quite often at home) kept persevering with his mount and he always remained just about in touch. It wasn’t until approaching the last that he looked to have any chance of victory, but staying on strongly he pulled the race out of the fire in the shadow of the post. It was a ride A P McCoy would have been proud of and I am sure the pundits would have been eulogising it, if indeed it had been the champ on board. Michael should certainly enjoy the acclamation; he is good value for his 7lbs claim and certainly deserves to pick up more rides from outside stables.

Of our other runners last week, I thought that Amigo ran a cracker in the Welsh National Trial at Chepstow on Saturday under Hadden Frost and the Welsh National itself after Christmas is an obvious next step for him, although he may struggle to get in the race. Either way, this was a welcome return to form from him and suggests that he should be more than capable of winning further nice prizes this term.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) we will be represented at both Fontwell and Uttoxeter – Bidourey bids to extend his unbeaten record to three in the juvenile hurdle while Molo also tries to make it three from three in the novices’ hurdle – they both look to hold solid chances under Tom Scudamore. Meanwhile over at Fontwell Conor O’Farrell will be aboard Lady Of Longstone and stable newcomer Flabello.

There are a hatful of entries between tomorrow and the weekend with the highlight being the two day International meeting at Cheltenham. At the five day stage we confirmed Easter Meteor for the December Gold Cup, while exciting novice chaser Kings Palace could run in the novices’ chase at the Prestbury track on Friday.

Finally, there were a few sore heads this morning following the staff Christmas party last night at the Blue Ball in Sampford Moor (just down the road from the yard). Even so, there were no surprisingly no non-runners this morning and I am led to believe that everyone behaved themselves…and if you believe that you will believe anything!

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