- Monday, 11 May 2015 15:13
- Written by David Pipe
It was good to get off the mark for the new campaign with three winners in as many days last week while there were several other praiseworthy performances with no less than ten of our remaining fifteen runners reaching the frame. The results point to the horses remaining in rude health (which is more than can be said for many of my staff!) and with another exciting week ahead, including a trip across the Channel, long may it continue.
We had hoped to welcome Richard Farquhar last Wednesday as he completed the Taunton to Exeter leg of his incredible Walking The Courses expedition in aid of Pancreatic Cancer UK and Racing Welfare. Sadly owing to a sickness bug that has swept through a large percentage of the workforce (myself included) over the past week we felt it prudent to cancel - after all, we did not want to be the ones responsible for bringing Richard’s ambitious venture to a standstill. He is hoping to walk between every racecourse in Britain and in the process raise over £1 million for his chosen charities – we wish him well with that and look forward to seeing him another time.
Fortunately the horses still continue in good form and we were on the board with our first winner of the 2015/16 season at Exeter on Tuesday when Wayne and Sarah Clifford’s homebred mare Weather Babe put up a career best effort to land the 2m7½f handicap hurdle under Conor O’Farrell. She is now the winner of five starts since joining the Pond House team, while she has also finished a close second in a Listed contest. She is game and consistent and seems to produce her best with a little gap between starts – she will be freshened up before we try to find something similar for her, although there is also the option of chasing further down the line.
Mozo (pictured above) produced another pleasant surprise when scoring on her racecourse debut at Uttoxeter on Wednesday. Indeed, she ran out the easy five length winner of the concluding bumper and looks to be a mare with a nice future. The ground was extremely testing, but she handled it well and saw out her race in good fashion, displaying a really likeable attitude. She will have learned a great deal for this experience and can only improve. She will have a little break now but there are certainly more races to be won with her.
Vif Argent (pictured right) was our third and final success of the week when a ready winner of the selling hurdle at Worcester on Thursday. He was winning his fourth race for the stable although we had to let him go at the subsequent auction. He was bought by Andrew Reid, the UKIP treasurer – I hope he has more luck with the horse!
As I have mentioned, there were several other praiseworthy performances, not least from My Brother Sylvest who recorded a pair of highly creditable seconds in extremely competitive handicaps. He could turn out again at Market Rasen on Sunday and the faster the ground, the better it will suit him. He richly deserves a nice prize as reward for his consistency. Meanwhile Alternatif ran a great race to finish a close second in the valuable Long Distance handicap hurdle – he saw the longer trip out very well on the rain softened ground so there are plenty of new options open to him and he will be winning again before long judged on this evidence. We could try him over fences sooner rather than later - he has plenty of size and scope about him and I am sure he will make a smashing chaser.
The week ahead is looking like a busy one with three runners this afternoon at Towcester, while All Force Majeure runs at Wincanton tomorrow where he will be partnered by Tom Scudamore. Recent recruit and ex-Irish pointer Lough Derg Cruise (no relation!) also runs on Tuesday and makes her debut for the stable at Sedgefield – she will be partnered by conditional jockey Michael Heard.
On Wednesday we have a rare runner on the level when ex-French recruit Impulsive American runs in the 1m2f handicap at Bath. He will be ridden by a familiar face - Mikey Ennis. You may recall that Mikey won plenty of races while at Pond House, including the Midlands National aboard Big Occasion – he has recently moved to Newmarket on a permanent basis to pursue his flat career. It will certainly be nice to catch up with him and I am sure he will have a good spin aboard Impulsive American who has finished a good second on his last couple of starts in France.
We will be travelling across to France this weekend for their valuable two day meeting at Auteuil on Saturday and Sunday. At present we have Ballynagour and Vieux Lion Rouge engaged in the Grade 2 Prix la Barka (the French Champion Hurdle Trial) over 4300m (2m5½f) while on Sunday Katkeau and Dell’ Arca are entered in the Listed Prix Wild Risk – a 3900m hurdle. As you would expect, there is some excellent prize money on offer and the softer ground will suit. The horses travel out on Thursday and we will be hoping for a good show.
In the meantime, all the latest news from around the stable is available by visiting Chester’s Daily Chat or by following us on Twitter @DavidPipeRacing
