- Monday, 21 October 2024 14:16
- Written by David Pipe
We had our 20th winner of the season at Uttoxeter on Friday courtesy of Vision De Maine getting off the mark under rules on chasing debut under Jack Tudor. Our five-year-old son of Buck’s Boom is a lovely big old-fashioned chasing type and after making a pleasing debut last season in a bumper at Sedgefield behind a useful horse, things did not go to plan afterwards over hurdles. A summer at grass has done him the world of good and having schooled very well at home we were quite hopeful of a big run and being able to capitalise on his handicap mark. Everything went very smoothly during the race as he travelled kindly, jumped very neatly and kept on galloping strongly. He has come out of that race well and while we did have him entered again quickly at Plumpton, we decided not to run him with a penalty. We will see what the handicapper does to him this week but I hope there is plenty of progress to come from him.
- Monday, 14 October 2024 14:10
- Written by David Pipe
Neon Moon Winner at Chepstow
It has been a great week for the yard with three winners since last writing and 19 winners on the board for the season so far. Chemical Warfare won for the fourth time since joining us and for the second time in recent weeks up at Sedgefield. He certainly does not seem to mind the long journey and loves the track. He is versatile ground wise and put in another solid display to win comfortably in the end. We considered entering him back at Sedgefield this weekend in the Durham National and while we wait to see what the handicapper does to him on Tuesday morning, he would have been some way out of the weights so decided against it. He has come out of his race well and there are plenty more opportunities for him in the next few weeks.
- Monday, 07 October 2024 13:12
- Written by David Pipe
The last seven days have been quite quiet on the runner’s front but very busy behind the scenes back at Pond House. We had owners and visitors at the yard every day last week culminating in about 60 people here on Saturday for those involved with the syndicates we run directly here at Pond House. It was a morning well received and some welcome sunshine was an added bonus. A visit to the local Culm Valley Inn for a refreshment after the stables also proved popular!
- Monday, 30 September 2024 12:55
- Written by David Pipe
Chemical Warfare Winner at Sedgefield
We started last week how I would ideally love to start any week, with a winner! Unfortunately, we won’t be starting this week in the same manner as we were due to have runners at Newton Abbot on Monday but the meeting was abandoned due to waterlogging. Chemical Warfare made the long journey to Sedgefield last Monday and put up another gritty display to win for the third time this summer with Jack Tudor riding. He looked in a little bit of trouble leaving the back straight but responded well for pressure before getting to the front, probably a little too soon, idling and pricking his ears on the run in but always just doing enough.
- Monday, 23 September 2024 10:57
- Written by David Pipe
Amy - Will be Riding in Wincanton Charity Race
Last week was very quiet on the racecourse for us and it will continue to be so this week with jumps racing still a little limited but things do start getting going a bit more next week. We have had some rain at Pond House in the last few days but not nearly as much as some places around the country! The flat meeting at Leicester On Monday was abandoned the day before due to waterlogging with 72mm of rain falling in a relatively short space of time and a lot of courses with fixtures coming up have had dramatic changes in going descriptions. We made entries at Warwick for Tuesday the other day with the ground described as good to firm, I see this morning they have changed to good to soft following rain over the weekend and conditions will soften further with quite a bit more rain to come before racing. We did need some rain but like with everything these days we seem to go from one extreme to the other!
- Monday, 16 September 2024 14:09
- Written by David Pipe
Oceanline Winner at Worcester Again
We had our fifteenth winner of the season at Worcester last week courtesy of Oceanline winning again under a good ride from Jack Tudor. He had won at the track over 2m7f on his previous start and had been put up six pounds for that success but that was not enough to stop him and the drop back in distance to 2m4f did not inconvenience him either. Jack gave him a positive ride, he jumped well and kept galloping. Things were getting a little tense in the final half a furlong as he was being closed down but he just did enough and we were on the right side of a photo finish.
- Monday, 09 September 2024 14:28
- Written by David Pipe
New Woodchip put on the Gallops
We just had he one runner last week, Ben Lilly who ran on the flat at Goodwood. This was his first run back for a while as he had picked up an injury and he ran okay on ground that was softer than ideal. This will have put him spot on for a run over hurdles next though we will be running him again on the flat as well at some point.
- Monday, 02 September 2024 13:51
- Written by David Pipe
Watching Coldplay
Even though jumps racing has returned from its mini-break, it is still a funny time for National Hunt Racing with some meetings but it is a little sporadic with not a lot going on in between! There was racing at Worcester on Sunday but this is followed by four blank days with just Bangor on Friday and then Stratford on Saturday and Fontwell on Sunday to follow this weekend.
- Sunday, 25 August 2024 11:53
- Written by David Pipe
Sirekoff Winning Start Newton Abbot
Jumps racing returned last Monday following a three-week break and we returned to action with a bang with a winner at Worcester followed by a Newton Abbot double as well. Oceanline won his second race over hurdles at Worcester, winning the 2m7f handicap hurdle with Jack Tudor riding. Our six year old had been in fairly good form in three runs on the flat so far this summer and it was great for him to transfer this to hurdles. He was towards the front throughout but led leaving the back straight the last time and was never caught. He was idling a little on the run-in but was always just doing enough. The handicapper is putting him up six pounds for this success so there is no need to run him again too quickly with options back at Worcester in September and then we may go back to Ascot to try and win on the flat again, the race he won last year.
- Monday, 19 August 2024 13:08
- Written by David Pipe
Mr & Mrs Morgan
Jumps action returned over the weekend and we have our first runners over jumps since the mini-break at Worcester on Monday afternoon. They also race there on Wednesday this week, we have three declarations and it is a big day for young Jack with his horse, African Lady making her stable debut!
