Three More Winners

The excellent form of the stable continued last week with three winners taking our seasonal tally to 36.  Gericault Roque (pictured above), Paricolor and Umbrigado all prevailed, whilst Make Me A Believer was only just denied on his step-up to Grade 2 company.  Despite a blank day for the team today, weather permitting there is plenty of jumps action taking place during the week ahead and we have some nice entries to look forward to.

Three More Winners!

Gericault Roque was our first winner of the week when getting the better of an exciting three-way finish to the 2m maiden hurdle at Plumpton on Wednesday.  He looks the type to improve when competing over longer distances in the future so that he was able to land a race of this nature is of great credit to him.  They went a good clip given the testing ground and after looking held in third turning into the straight, he stayed on very well in the closing stages to get up close home.  With a decent benchmark in third and a Group 3 flat horse in second place this looks a solid piece of form and marks him out as an exciting prospect for the future.

Paricolor completed an across-the-card double on the day when resuming winning ways at Leicester.  He was the easy winner of the 2m4f selling hurdle there, his fourth success of the season and his third at the track.  Given a sensible ride by Fergus Gillard on the very testing going, he kept to the the best ground and judged the fractions to perfection in coming well clear of his field.  He is weighted up to his best in handicap company, but I don’t mind if we are able to keep finding opportunities like this.

Umbrigado (pictured right) was our final winner of the week when prevailing in an exciting finish to the 2m3½f novices’ chase at Fontwell on Thursday.  His jumping was very good and challenging between the last two fences, he was always finding enough to beat his main market rival, Up The Straight in the sprint to the line.   He is a horse that I have always liked and hopefully he can continue to progress with this success under his belt.

Make Me A Believer was far from disgraced stepping up in grade for the Grade Two 2m5f Leamington novices’ hurdle at Warwick on Saturday.  Close up all the way, he was still in with every chance turning into the straight.  He was a little untidy at the last but put his head down and battled resolutely all the way to the line to be beaten less than a length.  He stayed the longer trip well and confirmed himself a very good horse.  He has a smashing temperament and will be a terrific novice chaser one day.  Before then though, there are plenty of nice races to be won with him over hurdles.

The Week Ahead

We have plenty of entries and quite a few runners over the coming days.  Although today is a blank, we have a runner at Exeter tomorrow as Astigar contests the 2m1f novices’ hurdle. He was only narrowly beaten on his racecourse debut in a Uttoxeter bumper and the winner of that race has gone on to show a smart level of form since.  Astigar is a lovely prospect and I am excited to see what he can do over hurdles.

Wednesday will be a very busy for the yard with four runners at Chepstow as well as another at Newbury.  Bumpy Johnson, Red Lion Lad, First Lord de Cuet and Little Red Lion run at Chepstow, whilst Panic Attack contests the mares’ handicap at Newbury.  Bumpy Johnson runs in the 2m novices’ hurdle.  He was the good winner of a bumper on his first start for the team before finishing a close third on his hurdles debut at Hereford.  His jumping wasn’t the best that day so it is testament to his latent ability that he finished so close – he has been schooled intensively since and should go well.

Red Lion Lad contests the 2m3½f maiden hurdle and I was very pleased with his rules debut at the track over the minimum trip last time.  A winning pointer, he is sure to benefit for that previous experience and step-up in trip.

First Lord de Cuet has finished in the frame in all four of his starts from this sort of mark this season and we look to have found him a decent opportunity in the 2m3½f handicap hurdle.  With conditions to suit he should be thereabouts once again.  He is owned by James and Jean Potter as well as my dad and my future father-in-law.  I don’t know why, but I always feel additional pressure whenever he runs!

Little Red Lion has won his last three completed starts for the David Pipe Racing Club, but he came to grief five out over fences at Wetherby when just moving into contention.  He reverts to hurdles on Wednesday where he can compete from a 5lbs lower mark and he looks to have a decent shout once again.

Over at Newbury, Panic Attack contests the mares’ handicap hurdle and she has an excellent record against her own sex.  She is 11lbs higher than when bolting up over course and distance last time but with conditions to suit she looks a worthy favourite with Tom Scudamore in the saddle.

Hugo ‘N Taz and Brinkely are entered at Wincanton on Thursday, whilst we have entries at Ffos Las and Lingfield on Friday.  Sans Logique and Ranco both hold engagements on the all-weather and we might give them a spin on the flat as the prevailing testing ground on the turf doesn’t seem to be to their liking.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of entries over the weekend, including at Taunton’s most important fixture of the season.  We will make a decision as to their participation a little later in the week.

Exciting Prospects For Sale

Finally, if you are thinking of joining the ownership ranks, we currently have a number of nice youngsters for sale, including a very exciting ex-French filly called Heure de Gloire who was the easy winner of her only start over hurdles on Christmas Eve.  Her time was extremely good, comparing favourably with the older males who raced on better ground earlier in the day and she looks like a seriously good prospect going forward.  If you fancy naming your own horse we can help with that too…we have a number of well-bred unraced horses that you can call what you like (BHA allowing!).  For more details see my horses for sale page.

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