- Monday, 27 February 2012 16:24
- Written by David Pipe
Above: overseeing the string on the Pond House gallops (photo courtesy of Bill Selwyn)
How much excitement can one man take? I don’t mind telling you my nerves are just about shot and I’m not sleeping very much either! Not only is it only a fortnight to Cheltenham, but today is D-day, or to put it another way - the due date of my second child. Leanne is calm and relaxed about the whole thing as ever, so why am I the one having the sleepless nights?! I will of course let you know what we have after we have greeted the new arrival to our family.
I am pleased to report that as time counts down to the big one the horses remain in good heart with another six winners coming last week…long may it continue!
I don’t know what happened to Big Occasion when he was beaten on Boxing Day, but I was relieved to see him back to winning form at Carlisle last Monday. He put up a really dour staying performance to win under Tom Scudamore and I hope that he can build on this success as he looks have a bright future over marathon trips.
I was pleased to come away from my local track, Taunton, with a winner on Tuesday when Clever Dick narrowly prevailed in the handicap hurdle under a strong ride from Paddy Brennan. Paddy doesn’t ride for us that often (in fact his last winner for me came back in December 2007!) but he produced Clever Dick perfectly.
Swing Bowler (pictured right) stretched her unbeaten record to three with success at Ludlow on Wednesday. The daughter of top class racemare Lady Cricket has now won two bumpers and a hurdle and was value for far more than the official margin of ½ length. With her talent and pedigree (she is by top flat sire Galileo) she is certainly a very nice horse to have in the yard…it is too early to judge how good she could be as she has won her three races with the minimum of fuss. All I can say is, it would be lovely if she turned out to be half as good as her mother (sorry Chester)!
Faasel completed a good day for the yard by also winning at Ludlow in the veteran’s chase. He certainly has his own ideas about the game and was winning his first race since November 2008, but he is a seriously talented horse. His record speaks for itself, as well as winning twelve times now (on the flat, over hurdles and over fences) he has finished second in a Triumph Hurdle, fourth in an Arkle and runner-up in the last two renewals of the Kim Muir Chase at the Cheltenham Festival – who wouldn’t be happy with a horse like that?! It was great to get him back in the winner’s enclosure (his first time for me) and wonderful for owner Jim Ennis who has been a long standing patron of the yard. Faasel has booked his place at Cheltenham for another crack at the Kim Muir with this success.
Above: Faasel booked his place at Cheltenham with victory at Doncaster last Wednesday
I was pleasantly surprised to record a double at Chepstow on Saturday with Laflammedeglorie and Dream Esteem. Laflammedeglorie had run well on his debut for us when runner-up to a decent type in a bumper, but ran inexplicably badly next time on his first start over hurdles. This was much more like it as he scored well in the hands of Conor O’Farrell – he can go on to better things as he is an embryonic chaser in the making
Dream Esteem has been suffering at the hands of the handicapper for some time. She is too honest for her own good and kept creeping up the handicap for finishing in the frame. However, she managed to find some improvement from somewhere to defy a career high mark of 126 at the Welsh track under champion jockey A P McCoy and she may just creep into a race like the County Hurdle at the Festival now.
It is a big week for amateur jockey Mikey Ennis, who has flown across to Qatar to compete in this year’s Fegentri Series. “Fegentri” stands for the International Federation of Gentlemen and Lady Riders and is a highly coveted invitation only championship for amateur riders from all over the world. I am sure that Mikey, who joined us last year and is a very talented jockey, will acquit himself well. Danny Cook finished runner-up in the championship in 2008 when he was riding for us and it would be great if Mikey could go one better. Win, lose or draw I am sure that he will have a fantastic time – I have seen the accommodation that he is being put up in…it is a five star hotel that looks fit for royalty. I am not sure that he will want to come back!
Our other amateur attached to the stable, Kieron Edgar is having a great time point-to-pointing this season. He is being well supported by trainers and has had four winners so far and hopefully will be in with a chance of winning the national novices’ riders title at the end of the season. Both he and Mikey will hopefully be coming in for rides at Cheltenham next month.
Despite having fielded the baulk of the questions at our Press Day last week, I still inevitably have a number of interviews lined-up, as well as some further appearances on Cheltenham Preview panels. I was on the panel for Exeter’s Preview evening last week alongside fellow trainers Paul Nicholls, Philip Hobbs and Nick Williams and will also be doing my turn at Wincanton as well as via phone for Hamilton…I have Saturday 17th March pencilled in for a good night’s sleep!
