Looking To The Flat

I see that Richard Hannon's powerful string of flat horses has increased to 231, with over 130 of them being two year olds.  Mark Johnston is the only other trainer to have a sizeable number of two year olds this season, so it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if these two fought it out for the upcoming flat trainers championship.  With Hannon having so much ammunition, I wonder if this is the year that Richard Hughes finally lands a jockey's championship?  I know that Paul Hanagan will be determined to defend his title, but plenty will depend on whether his main supplier of winners, Richard Fahey can have another stellar season.  It looks certain to be another interesting and exciting contest.  I was also pleased to see that Henry Cecil's numbers have increased to 140 on the back of his great season last year - that is the most horses he has had at Warren Place for a decade.

Speaking of Henry Cecil, I noticed that one of his old stable stars Old Vic passed away yesterday.  Old Vic was a great racehorse who won the Irish and French Derby's under Steve Cauthen in 1989 and finished the season rated the superior of Nashwan.  He didn't produce anything of great note as a stallion on the flat, although he established himself as a leading sire of jumpers with such famous offspring as Our Vic, Comply Or Die and Don't Push It.

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I thought that young Willie Twiston-Davies looked very good aboard Battlecry at Ludlow yesterday afternoon.  He was certainly getting no help from his partner and in the end he did well to finish second despite dropping his whip halfway up the run-in.  I bet he took some stick for that...or no stick if you get my drift!  As soon as half term is over, Willie will be going back to school - keep an eye out for him, he looks very useful.

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I have a couple more photographs to share with you from the gallops.  This time I have a nice shot of Chartreux jumping hurdles under Tom Scudamore, as well as a picture of our Swiss import Roi de Rose on the gallops.

  
Above left: Chartreux schools well under Tom Scudamore, while right: Roi de Rose is in action on the gallops