Looking Back 54) Junior

                        Junior

Junior was an absolute star for Pond House and did the rare double of winning at Royal Ascot and also winning at the Cheltenham Festival.  He is a 2003 born chestnut gelding by Singspiel and his dam is called For More.  He joined the Pond House team as a seven year old after David and Middleham Park Racing purchased him from Doncaster’s spring sales in May 2010 for £35,000.  He won his first start for the yard – the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot the following month!  

He began his career on the flat for Brian Meehan in 2006 and his first start was at Bath in August and he finished fifth on debut.  His first victory came on his fourth start on the level over 1m4f at Wolverhampton in October of that year before he switched codes and embarked on a hurdling career.

He made his hurdling debut at Sandown in January 2007 and he actually finished second behind our trained winner, Pauillac.  He was second next time out and then fifth, before running well to be sixth in the 2007 Fred Winter juvenile handicap hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival behind our very own Gaspara.  He returned for a run on the level after this and won a flat handicap at Newbury in April with Richard Hughes in the saddle off a mark of 77.  He then finished third at Ascot on the flat before winning at Kempton on July of that year.  After a little break he returned over hurdles at Cheltenham in January 2008 and was disappointing in what proved to be his final start for Brian Meehan.

He was moved to the stables of Alan King and made his debut for that yard finishing second in a novice hurdle at Huntingdon in February.  He finished third in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in 2008 off a mark of 133 and went on to finish seventh of 21 runners at Aintree in a Listed handicap hurdle.

He returned to action in October that year and was fifth in the Persian War novices hurdle at Chepstow and was then second at Exeter before winning a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Sandown in December 2008.  Further second placed efforts at Newbury and Doncaster followed in graded events before his finished midfield in the Ballymore novices hurdle at the 2009 Cheltenham Festival.

He was sent chasing the following season and he finished fourth on debut at Exeter and then third next time at Ffos Las.  He got his first win over fences on his third start at Doncaster.  He was placed after this before winning at Taunton on his final start for Alan King and heading to the sales in May 2010.

As I mentioned earlier he made his first start for Pond House in the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot with Seb Sanders on board.  He made all, making it a true test of stamina and quickening the pace from five furlongs out.  It was a great ride and he won unchallenged off a mark of 85.  His second start for the yard was in the Stayers race at Glorious Goodwood in July.  He posted another brave effort under top weight to finish a close second off 93.

After a summer holiday he returned to action over fences at Cheltenham in November.  He finished third this day before finishing runner up to yesterday’s horse, Ashkazar at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day 2011 over hurdles, forming part of a 1-2-3 in the race for Pond House.  It was then straight to the Cheltenham Festival in March for the Kim Muir amateur riders handicap chase with Jamie Codd booked to ride.  He put in an emphatic display to win the race in style beating stablemate Faasel into a 24 length second place.  He was well fancied and sent off the 100/30 favourite.  He tried to defend his Royal Ascot crown in June but off a ten pound higher mark he finished ninth with Ryan Moore on board.

The following season all preparations were geared for a crack at the Grand National.  He had a run over hurdles in February 2012 before the following month he finished a very close second over fences at Doncaster beaten a short head.  Next stop was the big one at Aintree in April.  We had actually had James May and the Top Gear team hear filming him in the lead up to the race – they were doing a show on real horse power! Unfortunately our dreams of a big win in the great race were short lived as he was a faller at the second fence.  He pulled up in the Scottish National after this before going on his summer holidays.

He returned in the autumn with a win in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle in December 2010.  He finished well behind in the King George that year before a fourth at Newbury in February.  He pulled up at Cheltenham in March and in the Irish National after this but returned to form with a second place at Huntingdon at the end of April.  He ran in the Queen Alexandra Stake at Royal Ascot this time but was unplaced.

His first run of the following season was in the Becher Chase at Aintree over the Grand National fences but he did not seem to enjoy the challenge and pulled up.  Further placings at Wetherby, Exeter and Ffos Las followed but in the better races he was struggling to produce his best form and at the end of that season at the age of 11 it was decided to let him have a go at point to pointing. He won a point to point in January 2015, was placed in a hunter chase and then ran in the Cheltenham Foxhunters in March where he signed off a wonderful career with a respectable tenth position of 24 runners.  We know he enjoys a lovely active retirement as there are many social media posts that keep us updated with what he is up to at 17 years young.

He is a wonderful horse with a Royal Ascot and Cheltenham Festival win on his CV, something a very elite band of horses can proudly boast.  He was a handsome individual who had great presence and I am sure he knew how good he was!  He won nine races from 53 career starts under rules and he was placed a further 22 times.  Rated 158 at best over fences and 95 on the flat he was high class under all codes winning just over £200,000 in prize money.

Watch his 2010 Royal Ascot win here: https://www.racingtv.com/racecards/ascot/122728-ascot-stakes-handicap?show_all=true&non-runner_display=false

Watch his 2011 Cheltenham festival win here: https://www.racingtv.com/racecards/cheltenham/104178-fulke-walwyn-kim-muir-challenge-cup-handicap-chase-amateur-riders?show_all=true&non-runner_display=false