Soggy September

The month of September was certainly a wet one with 73.5mm of precipitation, making it the fourth wettest September since we started recording the rainfall back in 2001.  I am sure that will have been the case for much of the remainder of the country, although it has not been enough to save the forthcoming jumps cards at Ludlow on Wednesday and Exeter on Thursday, where the ground is too firm for NH purposes.  With only 496mm of rain so far this year, that is the lowest ongoing total since 2011 and with only a few showers in the forecast over the coming week, that doesn’t appear likely to alter dramatically anytime soon.

Red Rout

The stable was back among the winners courtesy of the facile success of Red Happy in the 3m novices’ hurdle at Southwell on Tuesday.  Making most of the running under Tom Scudamore, he was never troubled to win as he pleased by 41 lengths at the prohibitive odds of 1/6, in the process landing his first race over hurdles.  We purchased him from a French claimer at the end of last year and he has proven to be another good buy as this was his fifth success since joining us.  We have a great track record with horses from France, proving time and again that you do not need to spend a King’s ransom to enjoy success.  We keep a constant eye out for value buys from this source, so if you are interested in joining the ownership ranks, I am sure we would be able to help.

More Placings

Our other runners continued to perform well, with the great majority of them reaching the frame.  d’Jango was only just denied in the staying handicap chase at Fontwell on Friday.  His jumping wasn’t as fluent as it can be and was probably the difference between winning and losing, but he battled all the way to the line and should be capable of winning something similar with a clear round.

Dindin finished third in the 2m4½f handicap chase at Soutwell on Tuesday before going one place better at Warwick on Thursday, being beaten no more than two lengths on either occasion.  He takes his racing well and is very consistent.

Katpoli was another to finish third on his debut for the stable at Uttoxeter on Sunday, whilst Ben Lilly, Cadeau d’Or and Iron Heart all finished fourth.  Ben Lilly and Cadeau d’Or have both finished in the frame on all bar one of their starts over timber and it surely only a matter of time before they get their heads in front, whilst Iron Heart looked the most likely winner at Bangor on Wednesday before appearing to not get the longer trip.  We will drop him back in distance next time.

The Week Ahead

We start this week with a couple of runners at Stratford.  Al Roc contests the 2m6½f handicap chase, whilst Master Blaze makes his seasonal appearance in the 2m2½f novices’ handicap hurdle.

Duesenberg runs on the flat at Nottingham on Wednesday in the 1m2f handicap.  He was far from disgraced in the jump jockey’s Derby at Epsom last time over 1m4f and this drop back in trip looks likely to suit.  Rossa Ryan takes the ride.

Abaya du Mathan and Red Happy are likely runners at Worcester on Thursday, whilst Iron Heart and Free Chakarte are our other entries on the card.

Professor Caroline Tisdall, who has been such an amazing patron of the yard, turns race sponsor on Friday for the ‘Professor Caroline Tisdall Supports Heroic Jumpers Veterans handicap chase’ at Chepstow on Friday.  Caroline has generously sponsored the race for a few years now and was lucky enough to win it with Vieux Lion Rouge in 2019.  We have entered the Judith Wilson owned pair, Al Roc and If The Cap Fits this time.

Adagio (pictured above at our recent open morning) is likely to be our final runner of the week.  Aside from the Cesarewitch at Newmarket on Saturday, which has been the target for some time, we have entered him in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las on Sunday.  The ground at both tracks is officially good at present and there isn’t much rain in the forecast, so we will keep an eye on the skies…

Congratulations Sir Mark

Finally, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Sir Mark Prescott and his team at Heath House Stables following the sensational success of Alpinista in yesterday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp under Luke Morris.  It was a tremendous effort and a fabulous training performance.  I couldn’t be more pleased for Sir Mark, who is an occasional visitor to Pond House and our hospitality marquee at the Cheltenham Festival.  He is a fascinating man and a wonderful character.  Luke Morris gave her a great ride to land by far the biggest race of his career and we are pleased to have booked him for the ride aboard Adagio at Newmarket.