- Monday, 06 June 2022 09:59
- Written by David Pipe
Morgenstern
one of three winners for the stable this week
Whilst Morgenstern was winning at Newton Abbot last week, we were busy buying another exciting prospect from France. Nila, a three-year-old filly from an excellent family (by a German Derby winner, out of a German Oaks third) bolted up in the 1m6f claimer at Saint Cloud on Wednesday, scoring by an easy 6½ lengths on just her fourth start. Her stamina for the jumping game looks assured and she will go straight in our loose school to be aimed at juvenile hurdles over the coming months. There was considerable interest in her post-race, but we were lucky enough to secure her and she looks great value. She is still available to buy at present, so if you have any interest please do get in touch!
Winning Week
The stable remains in good form with the successes of Morgenstern, Bashful Boy and Free Chakarte last week taking our tally for the season to ten at this comparatively early stage. Morgenstern put up a good effort when landing the 2m5½f handicap chase at Newton abbot on Wednesday. Running rather in snatches, he remained in touch thanks to the urgings of Philip Armson, but once he hit the front in the straight, he stayed on in very good style to win cleverly in the end. He looks like he would be suited by further still and we could try him over three miles at Uttoxeter later in the week. He may be a little quirky, but is very tough and should continue to do well over the summer months.
Bashful Boy also made Philip work hard when winning the 2m2½f handicap hurdle at Market Rasen on Friday. He was off the bridle from an early stage, but he is a battler and once he hit the front in the straight, he cleared right away. I was delighted to secure a first win for owners, the Milldean Racing Syndicate. Philip Armson is riding very well at present and is currently leading the conditional jockeys’ championship at this early stage with nine winners.
Bashful Boy
Free Chakarte made a winning stable and hurdling debut up at Hexham on Saturday under Tom Scudamore. This was the first three year old juvenile hurdle of the season and is a race I always try and target. Indeed we won the corresponding race last year with Koi Dodville in the same colours of winning owners Stuart and Simon Mercer. We claimed Free Chakarte after she on the flat in France at Fontainebleau at the end of April. She has really pleased us in all that she has done since arriving and has a very willing attitude in all that she does. She has taken to hurdling superbly and put that to good effect when making all and jumping well on Saturday. She has come out of that race well and will now head to Aintree for the next juvenile race on Friday, the route we followed with Koi Dodville last year. Free Chakarte is our first horse we have had at Pond House by sire Highland Reel and we believe she is perhaps his first winning jumper.
Free Chakarte
There were several other good performances too, with Via Dolorosa picking up more decent prize money when second in the veteran’s handicap chase at Cartmel on Monday. The 3m5½f trip proved just beyond him as he was collared after the last, but he ran well trying to concede weight to a well-handicapped rival and he clearly continues in good form. We will drop him back in trip now.
El Paso Wood was another to run well when runner-up in the 2m6f handicap chase at Uttoxeter on Thursday. Turned out again quickly at Worcester on Saturday he ran another fine race to finish a very close second again. Ben Lilly filled the same spot at Ffos Las the same afternoon. He went down narrowly in a close finish to give the attending David Pipe Racing Club members a thrill and his turn does not look far away. Romain De Senam travelled to Perth for the Perth Gold Cup on Sunday and was perhaps not at his best. It was a small but very competitive race and Tom Scu thought the ground was plenty lively enough for him. The race probably came soon enough after his gallant second at Cartmel last week and so we will now freshen him up for the Summer Cup which is at Uttoxter at the end of the month. On the flat, Flammarion ran okay at Chepstow, staying on for a never nearer sixth after a slow start. He will probably appreciate a bit further on the flat on this better ground so we may look to do that before we go back hurdling.
The Week Ahead
It is a fairly quiet start to the week on the runner’s front for the stable this week. Awesomedude was running at Southwell today but we pulled him out after they got quite a lot of rain over the weekend. On Wednesday we only had one entry, Port O’Clock but he does not run and will go to Worcester later in the month. Owned by the David Pipe Racing Club, he has won several times in point-to-points and was also successful in an Exeter hunter chase. A mark of 100 does not look unreasonable and I hope he can give the club members something to shout about! The club offers members a great deal of fun and many of the perks of racehorse ownership, but at only a fraction of the price. If you would like to join us, there is further information on the website.
On Thursday we are likely to have runners at Uttoxeter, while on Friday we could be at two meetings over jumps, Aintree and Newton Abbot and on the flat at Sandown. Keep checking the daily blog for more news of the stable runners.
Queen’s Jubilee
I hope everyone enjoyed the Jubilee Celebrations over the weekend, there was plenty going on in our local community and we even got to see the Red Arrows fly over on Saturday afternoon. My mother and father hosted a little party on Sunday which was good fun. While originally planned for outdoors, unfortunately the weather moved everyone inside but a good time was had by all. Thanks to my loyal team of staff once again for their continued hard work at a time when a good proportion of the country are off work and celebrating.
Jane Gerard-Pearse
Finally, I would like to bring everyone’s attention to the fundraising efforts of owner Jane Gerard-Pearse and her husband, Mike, who have agreed to participate in a 24-hour cycle around the Cotswolds, which will include many a climb up the famous Cleeve Hill which overlooks Cheltenham racecourse. They are putting themselves through all this in aid of Racing Welfare – a wonderful charity that was set up to help anyone who has ever worked within the racing industry.
If you would like to help Jane and Mike raise money for this fantastic cause, you can do so by visiting Jane’s Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jane-gerard-pearse
