Last Week Of Season

The final week of an exciting 2020/21 campaign is now upon us.  Despite the delayed start owing to the Coronavirus pandemic, it has been a good season for the Pond House team with another half century of winners and a respectable strike rate.  There have been plenty of Graded winners and going forward we have some lovely young horses for the future as well as the established talent.

Of course, we are always on the lookout for new talent although the ongoing pandemic has made sourcing horses much more difficult.  Online auctions are fine and the horses are already vetted, but nothing can really replicate being able to see the horse up close so you can draw your own conclusions.  We also continue to keep an eye on selling and claiming races in this country and overseas and they have proven to be a very fruitful source of quality individuals for us throughout the years (think Adagio).

New Arrival

We purchased a new horse at Auteuil (France’s premier jumps track) on Thursday.  Itacare won the four year olds chase in good style (his second success at the track) and he looks the type who can prosper in chases on this side of the Channel.  Indeed, this performance had the French pundit on Sky Racing eulogising that he could easily win a handicap at the track.  A handsome grey four year old, he is a novice over fences and there should be no shortage of opportunities for him.  He looks a good buy at £23,000 plus expenses and he is currently for sale to stay in the yard.  He is fit and ready to run and has plenty of upside so do get in touch if you would like to be involved.

Above: Auteuil winner Itacare looks a nice prospect and is for sale

Nordic Second

On the racing front we only had three runners last week and Nordic Combined fared best of those when finishing runner-up in the 2m1f handicap hurdle at Cheltenham on Wednesday, giving the attending members of the David Pipe Racing Club a real thrill.  He travelled really well until making a hash of the third last but was quickly back on terms and was in front approaching the last but could not match the finishing burst of Hooper as he idled slightly on the run-in.  Nevertheless, this was a second good run from him and shows that he handles this better ground, which opens up more options for him.

I would like to extend my grateful thanks to Cheltenham for looking after the members present so well.  In difficult circumstances due to the social distancing measures in place, they went above and beyond to make sure that everyone had a memorable time.

The Week Ahead

The prevailing dry weather (we have had no measurable rain at Pond House for over three weeks) means that the ground has dried out at most every track and hence it will be a quiet final week of the season.

Ranco runs this afternoon at Windsor in the 1m3f flat handicap.  Our four year old ran a decent race at Wolverhampton last time out in a race that has worked out well and I am hopeful he can give a good account reverting to turf on better ground.

Miss M runs at Taunton on Wednesday in the mares’ novices hurdle.  A dual winner over hurdles at Southwell last summer, she has to shoulder a double penalty for those successes but this looks to be a decent opportunity for her.

Newbury winner Iron Heart holds an entry at Worcester on Friday in the novices’ handicap hurdle.  A winner on firm going on the level at Newmarket last season, he certainly won’t mind any drying of the ground and the plan is for him to run.

The season comes to its traditional close at Sandown on Saturday where the Bet365 Gold Cup (formerly the Whitbread) is the highlight.  We did have Ramses de Teillee entered originally but have decided not to confirm him at the latest stage.  He is a real soft ground specialist and the rain just has not materialised for him.

Well Done Scu!

Congratulations to stable jockey Tom Scudamore for winning the rescheduled Scottish Grand National at Ayr on Sunday aboard Mighty Thunder.  Tom came in for the ride due to an injury to regular rider Blair Campbell and he did not let the opportunity go to waste, galvanising his mount to reel in long-time leader Dingo Dollar on the run-in.

Passing of Lorna Brooke

Finally, I must say how sorry I was to hear that amateur jockey Lorna Brooke has passed away at the age of 37 following a heavy fall at Taunton eleven days ago.  Whilst I did not know Lorna personally, racing is a very close-knit community and her tragic loss will be felt throughout the entire industry.  The prayers and deepest condolences of everyone at Pond House are with her family and friends at this incredibly sad time.  Her passing is a stark reminder of the dangers the jockeys face every time they sit aboard a thoroughbred racehorse for our entertainment.