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Above: Romain de Senam (red colours) runs at Newton Abbot on Wednesday
Image courtesy of Kay Hornbrook

I had a great time at the Punchestown Festival last week, a trip that could only have been improved by a winner.  We travelled over on Tuesday evening and came home on Saturday night.  As always, the Irish hospitality was second to none and we were very well looked after by our hosts at the racecourse and the Kilashee House Hotel.  My grateful thanks go to them, especially Shona Dreaper, who does so much to ensure that arrangements for the overseas visitors are as manageable as possible. 

Punchestown Runners

We had three runners at Punchestown, with Thanksforthehelp performing best of them to finish a close third in the 2m4f conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle on Wednesday.  But for a couple of sloppy jumps in the closing stages, he may have finished closer still and is a smashing sort for next season.  A great, big type, he is very much a chaser in the making, but still a novice over hurdles, there are plenty of races to be won with him in that sphere first.

Adagio finished fifth in the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle on Friday, beaten less than ten lengths by the mighty Honeysuckle.  He was far from disgraced and don’t forget that he was conceding the 7lbs mares’ allowance to the defending champion.  Still only a five year old, there is still time for him to bridge the gap and remains a top prospect for all the big two mile hurdles next season.

French Foray

Our foreign excursions weren’t just limited to Ireland.  On Tuesday, Eden du Houx contested the 2m3f hurdle at Compiegne and performed creditably to finish third under James Reveley.  He picked up over €10,000 for finishing third, a figure that would have been doubled but for being beaten a nose for second.  Still, he has more than paid for his trips and could head out there again in a couple of weeks’ time.

Back on these shores, Romain de Senam (pictured above) ran a great race to finish second in the valuable staying handicap chase at Uttoxeter on Saturday.  Prominent throughout, he kept on gamely in the closing stages, backing up his good effort in the Grand National only three weeks earlier.  Meanwhile, Paricolor finished a close third on his return to chasing at Hexham.  His jumping still has a little room for improvement, but he never stopped trying and there are chases to be won with him over the coming months.

The Week Ahead

Looking to this week and we start today with runners at Kempton and Warwick.  Lady Reset contests the mares’ handicap hurdle at Kempton and this likeable sort simply does not know how to run a bad race.  A multiple winner for us on the flat and over hurdles, I am sure she will run her race again today with Tom Scudamore in the saddle.

Over at Warwick, we run Iron Heart in the 2m handicap hurdle.  He ran a great race on his first start back from an absence last time at Chepstow, just getting caught on the line.  He enjoys the prevailing good ground and whilst it is a competitive race, he should run well under Fergus Gillard.

We will have two runners in the Norfolk National at Fakenham tomorrow when Red Happy (Philip Armson) and Abaya du Mathan (Fergus Gillard) represent Judith and Fergus Wilson.  Red Happy has been in great form of late, winning three times and finishing runner-up at Ludlow last time.  This represents a big step-up in trip and he may also be better going right-handed.  Abaya du Mathan is also unproven at the trip, but has been running well recently, so we will give it our best shot.

We head to Newton Abbot and Fontwell on Wednesday.  As I have already eluded to, Romain de Senam ran a great race at Uttoxeter at the weekend and the 3m handicap at Newton looks like a good opportunity for him.  Meanwhile, over at Fontwell, Heure de Gloire will run in the 2m3f conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle and she comes here in good form having won at Ffos Las last time.  She stays this longer trip and should give another good account under Philip Armson.  Ben Lilly will be our other runner at the Sussex track when he contests the maiden hurdle.  He showed plenty of ability in his first couple of starts over timber, form that would give him every chance here with Tom Scudamore in the saddle for the members of the David Pipe Racing Club.

Miss M and Dindin are likely to be amongst our runners at Huntingdon on Thursday, whilst Via Dolorosa could head to Market Rasen on Friday for the staying handicap chase.

New Addition

We were joined at the weekend by one of our most colourful and long-standing owners, Stuart Mercer and his son Simon.  Stuart has been a patron of the yard since my father’s days in charge and he has often joked that he would have got less for murder!  Stuart currently owns Koi Dodville, who we claimed from the flat in France last season, before winning the season’s opening juvenile hurdle race at Hexham and then going on to score at Aintree and Cheltenham.

Hopefully he will be able to repeat the dose as he is the new owner of Free Chakarte, who we claimed from a race at Fontainebleau last week.  The three-year-old filly looks a progressive type on the level, winning her last couple of starts and I am looking forward to finding out more about her.

Talking of Stuart, Simon showed me a couple of pictures of one of their old favourites, Indian Jockey (pictured below), who was a prolific winner over hurdles and fences for my dad.  Indeed, he won ten times during the 1996/97 season alone.  Now 30 years old, he isn’t as quick as he used to be, and has a few more grey hairs (haven't we all) but it is great to see that he is still doing well and enjoying a long and happy retirement.

Above: Prolific winner, Indian Jockey is now 30 years old