Fab Five

Above: Exeter winner Kolisi could be Punchestown bound

As we embark on the final week of the season, I am delighted to have the horses in rude health.  Successes for Koi Dodville, Panic Attack, Kolisi, Red Happy and Grangeclare Glory last week took our tally for the current campaign to 47 and it is great to be finishing off with a flourish.  A half century of winners would be nice, but may be just out of reach, but we have beaten our prize money total from last season so that is a sound achievement in itself.

We started off the week with a trip to France and Eden du Houx was far from disgraced when fifth in the 2m3f hurdle at Compiegne on Monday, beaten only 4½ lengths.  He has had only a relatively light campaign, but needs soft ground so this could be a precursor to further trips to France (perhaps with a few others as well) over the coming months.

Five Winners

Koi Dodville was our first winner of the week when landing the 2m1f handicap hurdle at Cheltenham on Wednesday.  Given a good ride by Jack Tudor, he took up the running approaching the last and although idling a bit in front, he was always doing enough to hold on.  Purchased from a French claimer on the flat, he was landing his third success over timber (including at Grade One tracks Aintree and Cheltenham) and has proven to be yet another shrewd purchase.  He is fully effective on good ground so could be kept on the go for the timebeing.

Panic Attack made it a winner on both days of Cheltenham’s two day April fixture when successful in the mares’ Listed handicap hurdle on Thursday, the first leg of an across the card treble for the yard.  She stayed on very well to get on top in the closing stages under Tom Scudamore.  She stays further, will jump fences in time and is a lovely mare to have in the yard.

Kolisi brought up a hat-trick of wins within the space of eleven days when scoring at Exeter under Fergus Gillard.  A horse with a good amount of ability on the flat, he has really found his feet over timber in recent weeks and had no trouble seeing out the longer trip of 2m2½f on this stiff track.  He will face another rise in the weights for this, but is clearly progressing at a rate of knots and will likely now head to Punchestown for a handicap there.  He will give long-standing patron William Frewen a tremendous experience over there.

Red Happy brought up the treble (and a hat-trick of his own) when readily winning the 2m3f handicap chase under Philip Armson.  He was upsides the favourite and still going okay when his rival departed at the third last.  Another who has benefitted from better ground, he is an intended runner at Ludlow on Wednesday.  We picked him up from a French claimer earlier in the season and he is another to have done us proud.

Grangeclare Glory was our final winner of the week when comfortably landing the 3m handicap hurdle at Ffos Las on Sunday under Fergus Gillard.  A dual winner this term, he is another who could keep going during the summer.

Notable Performances

There were a number of other notable performance too, with Dell’ Arca and Lady Reset finishing runner-up at Newton Abbot and Al Roc and Bashful Boy second at Plumpton on Sunday.  The latter was beaten only a nose in the Sussex Champion Hurdle and gave his owners a real thrill.  He thrives on a quick surface and could win a nice prize during the summer months.  Cadeau d’Or also ran a race full of promise on his hurdling debut at Newton Abbot, finishing third behind a couple highly rated rival.  A winner on the flat, this was a very encouraging first effort over hurdles and bodes well for the future.

The Week Ahead

Looking to this week and we start today with a couple of runners at Chepstow.  Iron Heart has had a little break since running last September.  A winner at Newbury last season, he relishes a sound surface and should run well in the 2m3½f handicap hurdle at 2.35pm.

Abaya du Mathan is our other runner in the 2m3½f handicap chase at 5.30pm.  A winner last time at Ffos Las, he is 10lbs higher today but with conditions to suit, he must go well again under Fergus Gillard.

As previously eluded to, Red Happy turns out again under a penalty in the 2m4f handicap chase at Ludlow on Wednesday, whilst Mr Tambourine Man runs on the flat at Salisbury on Wednesday where Tom Marquand will ride.

We have plenty of entries at Taunton on Thursday, but at this stage Miss M and Kotki are our only likely runners.  Nordic Combined could be a third runner for the David Pipe Racing Club as he could contest the 2m3f handicap hurdle at Warwick,  whilst last time out winner, Morgenstern could go there or to Southwell on Friday.  Itacare, who won well at Ludlow last month could go to Chepstow on Friday.

Then it is on to the final day of the 2021/22 season and Neon Moon could run in the 2m4f handicap hurdle at Sandown, whilst we have confirmed all three of our entries, Romain de Senam, Via Dolorosa and El Paso Wood for the Bet365 Gold Cup.  How many will run, we will wait and see a little closer to the time.

It would be great to reach 50 winners for the season, but given the difficult nature of the campaign, I think it is a tremendous achievement to even be considering the possibility.  I would be very pleased for the horses to continue to run well and carry this momentum forward into next term.

Passing Of Guy Cunningham

Finally, I am extremely saddened to report the passing of Guy Cunningham last week.  Guy and his mum Jane (and his late father Sean before them) have been tremendous supporters of the yard and have had horses with us for many years.  Paricolor and Heure de Gloire have both been winners for them this season and have given them some tremendous fun.  Guy had been poorly for some time but loved his racing and kept in touch throughout, remaining ever enthusiastic about his horses.  He was a tremendous character, always good for a giggle and I will very much miss his daily (sometimes hourly!) phone calls.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Jane at this very sad time.