- Monday, 07 November 2022 19:56
- Written by David Pipe
Man At Work Winner on Debut at Aintree
It has been a great week for the yard on the racecourse with five winners since last writing which included Thursday and Saturday doubles. American Sniper was our first winner of the week, winning at Chepstow on Wednesday. He made all under an enterprising front running ride from Tom Scudamore. They came to challenge him up the straight but he repelled the hot favourite from the last. Bought from Doncaster Sales in May he finished second in two bumpers earlier in the summer before we gave him a little holiday. He came back in but unfortunately got no further than the first flight on his hurdling debut at Newton Abbot after stumbling on landing and getting rid of Tom Scu! Although a little green out in front at Chepstow he jumped well and showed a terrific attitude and I am sure he can progress and win another novice hurdle under a penalty. He was a first winner for Nic, Amanda and Hope Jeal who are new to the ownership ranks so it was wonderful for them and we all hope it is the first of many.
- Monday, 31 October 2022 16:19
- Written by David Pipe
We said a fond farewell to Aintree legend, Vieux Lion Rouge last Friday. The Old Red Lion was officially retired from racing back in December 2021 after contesting the aptly-named Last Fling handicap chase at Haydock, but has spent the last ten months with us at Pond House enjoying an active routine which saw him continue to be ridden out by his devoted groom, Julie Bellamy.
- Monday, 24 October 2022 14:42
- Written by David Pipe
Thomas Mor wins at Worcester on rules debut
Image courtesy of Nigel Kirby Photography
As a trainer, the hardest thing you ever have to deal with is the loss of one of the horses in your care. It is something that you never get used to and it never gets any easier – no expectant head over the stable door, eagerly awaiting breakfast, lunch or dinner. If The Cap Fits suffered a fatal fall at Aintree on Saturday, our second devastating loss following the passing of Adagio a couple of weeks ago. Racing can provide some of the most amazing highs, but also some of the most awful lows and this was a cruel blow indeed.
- Monday, 17 October 2022 15:16
- Written by David Pipe
The first Cheltenham meeting of the new season is just around the corner and that can mean only one thing…it is stable tours time again! Over the last few weeks, I have been busy conducting interviews and answering questions for various podcasts and publications with a view to the core part of the campaign, whilst we have been compiling our own popular series of horses to follow videos with some of the personalities at Pond House.
- Monday, 10 October 2022 15:02
- Written by David Pipe
There was desperately sad news last week when Adagio collapsed and died on the gallops after suffering a heart attack on Thursday morning as he was completing his preparation for Saturday’s Cesarewitch handicap at Newmarket. It is devastating to lose any horse - you get to know their personalities and traits when you see them every day and to not have them pop their heads over the door to greet you is very difficult. It is harder still to lose a horse of such rare ability – a real standard-bearer for Pond House, horses such as him simply do not come along very often and he leaves a huge void.
- Monday, 03 October 2022 15:38
- Written by David Pipe
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.
- Monday, 26 September 2022 14:28
- Written by David Pipe
It’s been an eventful week and before I go any further, I have to make reference to my son, Jack’s fantastic haul at the weekend. He went fishing to a carp lake in Hemyock and whilst he was there, he caught his biggest ever fish…a 10.9lbs carp! It took all of his strength to reel it in and land it, but he was helped by a very kind gentleman who was angling nearby. You can see how proud Jack is from the picture – he loves sport of all kinds and this will only serve to encourage him further.
