Phantom Off the Mark

  Phantomofthepoints Winner at Chepstow

We started last week with a winner on Easter Monday at Chepstow, Phantomofthepoints.  I was delighted to get this first win over hurdles for our six year old, as he has been very consistent all season.  He finished second in a bumper on stable debut, a very close second on hurdling debut at Ayr and second at Hexham more recently.  He had just the one below par run at Ascot where going right handed was not to his advantage. 

While his task was made somewhat easier by early departure of the favourite, he was very impressive in victory, jumping well and pulling well clear of his rivals.  He doesn’t have many miles on the clock and is a lovely big ‘old fashioned’ chasing type who will be even better over fences next season but the immediate plan is for him to head to Ayr for the Scottish National meeting.  One of his owners, Kenny Alexander bred him and he is out of the mare Swing Bowler who was a very good in her day for me winning five races in her career and reaching a peak rating of 148 over hurdles.  She had a great attitude and she seems to have passed this onto Phantomofthepoints as well as her talent!

We also had two seconds on Monday as well, Via Dante at Fakenham and Castle Daragh at the Cothelstone point to point filling the runner up spot.  Via Dante is yet to win a race but achieved his best finishing position to date and is definitely capable of winning a similar race.  He is entered at Taunton this week but is unlikely to run if the ground remains soft.  Conal Kavanagh had his first ever ride in the hunt member’s point to point race at Cothelstone and finished second to a very short priced favourite.  He did well for his first outing, horse and jockey may go again this weekend at Cotley point to point as well as Lukke Morris and Moodofthemoment, and so it could be a busy Sunday ahead between the flags!

We then had no runners after Monday for the rest of the week as there were plenty of meetings abandoned because of the weather and not much jumps racing on.  Uttoxeter was the only jumps card to survive on Saturday and then we did have two runners at Exeter on Sunday.  Both were disappointing but the ground was very tacky and hard work and they did not enjoy underfoot conditions, the jockeys wisely looked after them and pulled them up.

This Week

We start this week with a busy Monday and four runners at Wincanton, Royal Mer, American Sniper, Only Fools and First Lord Du Cuet.  Fingers crossed we may start the week well and things are then a little quieter again for a few days.  Our next runners will then be at Taunton on Thursday and we have Kintaro entered on the all-weather at Southwell on Friday.  While unlikely to be represented at Aintree this week we have entries at Chepstow, Hereford and Plumpton over the weekend so keep checking the Daily News for the latest updates on the stables runners. 

Vieux Lion Rouge

Vieux Lion Rouge very much enjoyed his day out at Exeter races on Sunday where he was invited to be part of their big family day.  He had his own special stable behind the grandstand where everyone could come and meet him up close.  He loved all the attention from everyone and he will enjoy his trip to Aintree to parade this weekend.  He is part of the parade of legends and he will love being back at his favourite racecourse. He holds the record for the most Grand National fences ever jumped, 254 and competed in the big race itself five times and it probably would have been six and even more fences jumped had Covid not meant the 2020 National did not happen!  His best finishing sixth in 2017 behind One For Arthur.  He won the Becher Chase over the Grand National fences twice and won the Grade 3 Grand National Trial at Haydock.  Rated 154 at best he won 13 races and over £340,000 in prize money.  He spent his entire racing career here at Pond House from the age of three to retirement in January 2022 and after a spell of Exmoor he has enjoyed being back with us this winter.  Now 15, you wouldn’t know it by his behaviour as he is full of life and character on his daily exercise!  Julie Bellamy rides him out every day and has looked after him for all of the time since he arrived from France.  Ramses De Teillee is his partner in crime at the moment and it as great to see them both enjoying life every day and I’m pretty sure if you asked them both this weekend they would give a good account of themselves!