12th April Bulletin
A good day at Fontwell yesterday, as Tech Eagle won the maiden hurdle and Alderbrook Girl was third, her best run in a little while. Topsy Maite could not produce a miracle at Bath, but we have been teaching him to gallop not do the doggie paddle, so that will have to be lived with. The fear at Fontwell was that the going would be fine for Tech Eagle and wrong for Alderbrook Girl, or vice versa. The worst case was a halfway house suiting neither. When asked, Roger suggested that it stay dry for the first and start raining at quarter past two. When the clouds opened at 2:16pm, he looked down and saw that it was good. If the drought continues, there could be money to be made in the rainmaking game.
Tech Eagle
Fontwell, 2 mile 1½ furlong maiden hurdle on good, 11th April
WON ridden by Tom Doyle
They say that patience is a virtue, but after the narrowest of defeats at Huntingdon and unluckily turning up in a race as hot as a Venusian's sauna at Newbury, Tech Eagle really deserved this success. Tom delivered him fairly late, and he skipped three lengths clear on the run-in to open his account in this country. Tom was delighted with the calm professionalism of Tech Eagle, and with any luck he can follow up. Although he can go on soft ground, it does appear that he is better on good and possibly a bit faster. Verbal reactions are on Tech Eagle's own page
Alderbrook Girl
Fontwell, 2 mile 6½ furlong handicap hurdle on soft, 11th April
3rd behind Here We Go, ridden by Charlie Studd
Market Rasen, 2 mile 3 furlong mares' handicap hurdle on heavy, 12th March
pulled up behind Rude Health, ridden by Tom Malone
The first of these runs proved to be a complete waste of a day. The announced going would have been soft enough for her, and the forecast omission of fences would have meant it was suitably watery. It transpired that the chase course was in perfect nick for Alderbrook Girl, but the hurdles course was much drier and very sticky. She could not act on it and Tom did not over tax her as a result.
As noted above, things were much more to her liking at Fontwell, where she was up with a strong pace in the conditions and only found one of the leaders uncrackable, plus only a single other rival staying on from off of the pace. She jumped well, but Charlie confirmed our earlier suspicion that Alderbrook Girl would be more at ease going right handed. Above all, after a couple of lacklustre efforts, this was a huge step back in the right direction for a chasing career later in the year, even if it means that we will have to sneak into Folkestone, Taunton and Towcester in the dead of night and water the course by whatever means are at our disposal!
Hazel Mere
Towcester, 2 mile novice hurdle on good, 22nd March
pulled up behind Witness Run, ridden by Jamie Goldstein
This was Hazel Mere's first hurdling experience in anger (and only her third run in all), and she had been off for a while coming into it. The run was needed for fitness, and even this two miles would be a rather genteel test for her. However, she took to the task well enough and now we have to start combining fitness and race nous to get her in a ready for serious competition.
Fin Bec
Towcester, 3 mile handicap chase on good, 22nd March
pulled up behind Would You Believe, ridden by Andrew Thornton
Exeter, 3 mile 6 furlong handicap chase on heavy, 7th March
pulled up behind Earl's Kitchen, ridden by Tom Doyle
Fin Bec is still suffering the effects of the rather harsh weight rise he received on his last run for Anthony Jones. At the age of thirteen he still has the class to bully horses in a 0-100 from a high weight (unless some thrown in bandit turns out) but he is currently forced into taking on a class or two higher than that, where younger, spritelier legs will prevail. In both of these runs Fin Bec did his best for as long as was feasible - quite a long way as it happened at Towcester - and started to drop towards a realistic mark. He certainly has a win or two still in him.
Topsy Maite
Bath, 5 furlong 2 year old maiden on good to soft , 11th April
13th behind Carson's Spirit, ridden by Liam Keniry
The benefit of experience? Topsy Maite missed the break and ran green in this race, which would normally see him improve for the education of his racing debut. However, how he will appreciate being sent to race on a cold hill in the west country, which attracted driving rain and a generally miserable atmosphere, only time will tell. On the upside, had he run in a later race, the performance would not even have been seen, as thick fog hid most of the end of the card from anyone's view. At least Topsy Maite will be fitter for it, and in time he will need a longer trip.
5th March Bulletin
New Arrivals
Upon the retirement of Anthony Jones, three new horses have joined the team. Fin Bec is a veteran that will be familiar to southern course regulars, having 55 races to his name and 9 wins. In contrast to him, the other pair have much less experience to boast, with Bedford Leader a lightly raced eight year old and Hazel Mere having run in just a couple of bumpers.
Also, there have been a couple of new arrivals for syndication. Mademoiselle is a flat winner for Barry Hills, and has very few miles on the clock. J'Adore is another import from Germany. Details are on For Sale.
Tech Eagle
Newbury, 2 mile novice handicap hurdle on good to firm, 4th March
3rd behind Wellbeing, ridden by Tom Doyle
This was overall a very pleasing effort, despite being beaten six lengths. For starters, he was well clear of the pack, and Tom's verdict was that it was only a failure to settle on the inner that cost Tech Eagle a chance to challenge the first pair in the latter stages. The winner was very well treated if finally converting his flat ability to hurdles and there was a bit of a gamble on the runner-up. With a view to the future, Tom thinks he has the making of a very decent two mile chaser.
Alderbrook Girl
Taunton, 3 mile mares' handicap hurdle on good to soft, 16th February
5th behind Lizzie Bathwick, ridden by Colin Bolger
A most unfortunate defeat as it was not Alderbrook Girl's fault at all. We were unsure if the ground, which was genuinely good to soft, was easy enough for her, and the chosen tactics were quite cautious. When the field went for home three out, Colin stuck to plan and tried to reel them in gradually, closing all the way but not fast enough. As the going was not a problem, hindsight suggests that Alderbrook Girl would have been better served by making the attack. Colin was happy with the way she travelled and jumped, and thinks she would be capable of winning a rematch.
Romney Marsh
Fontwell, 2 mile 2 furling bumper on heavy, 19th February
9th behind Paix Eternelles, ridden by Wayne Burton
The ground was in a miserable condition for this meeting, and it rained further during the card. This worked in our favour - does the Bible not say an eye for an eye, a marsh for a marsh? - and loosened up the mud so that Romney Marsh handled it well. She was running another excellent race, possibly poking her nose in front on the final turn, but weakened quickly from that point. That began from when she was bumped and lost her footing entering the straight, subsequently hanging over to the stand side. It emerged that Romney Marsh had displaced her pelvis. This has required the intervention of the chiropractor and a month or so off work.
Two Shillings
Folkestone, 2 mile 1 furlong bumper on soft, 14th February
13th behind Pangbourne, ridden by Tom Malone
The injury that Romney Marsh suffered had also hit Alderbrook Girl not so long ago, and Two Shillings was the latest mare onto the injured list with this run. She was initially up with the pace going well but dropped to the rear alarmingly rapidly. It transpired that she had been struck into, probably on the very tight turn out of the home straight. It also revealed that the infection she had suffered earlier was anaerobic and had thrived on the wound healing up and cutting off oxygen to it, so Two Shillings was back on the antibiotics as well. She ought to reappear in March at some point.
Coppermalt
Lingfield, 1m 5f banded race on the all weather, 6th February
3rd behind Go Free, ridden by Liam Keniry
Lingfield, 1m 5f handicap on the all weather, 4th March
12th behind Polish Power, ridden by Ed Creighton
The first of these was a most unfortunate defeat. With the trip a touch on the short side, the plan was to bustle along the leaders and outstay them, whilst stretching the stamina of the hold up horses. As a verbal description the plan seems as easy as pie to carry out, but it does rely on the co-operation of the others. The leaders fell into our cunning trap, went off fast and began to fade in the last quarter of a mile. Coppermalt hit the front, but was headed in the shadow of the post by a couple of runners finishing quickly, being beaten barely a length. Although the second race was a bit tougher, the plan was the same, but Ed inexplicably ad libbed an settled in midfield. Coppermalt did not get the stamina test he needs and also did not enjoy being crowded on the tight track. Oddly, Ed's suggestion was stepping him up in trip!
1st February Bulletin
The run of regular updates continues, and unlike earlier editions, the font does not vary randomly from paragraph to paragraph. It's marketing gone mad.
Jockey News
Having previously implied that he would go for an amateur's licence, Wayne Burton actually took out a conditional jockey's licence in the end, as the amateur one involved too much palaver (apparently you need a reference from a proven blood descendent of a King of Mercia, amongst other things). On the last Sunday of January he made his debut over obstacles riding Tech Eagle at Chepstow. With the mud there being so deep, he must have seemed much closer to the ground than he was expecting, but it was good to get things under way.
Tech Eagle
Huntingdon, 2 mile novice handicap hurdle on good to soft, 13th January
2nd behind Make My Hay, ridden by Tom Doyle
Chepstow, 2 mile conditionals novice handicap hurdle on soft, 28th Janaury
5th behind Spike Jones, ridden by Wayne Burton
Initially he was set to run at Newbury after Christmas, when he was so well in himself that we fancied him to run a blinder, but frost took care of that meeting, and by the time an alternative race came around he had had a touch of a runny nose in the meantime and we were slightly less confident. So near, but so far it turned out to be. At Huntingdon, Tech Eagle was beaten barely an inch and a half, so the shortest of short heads, or a genuine nose as some countries measure it. The lead must have changed hands three times in the last fifty yards and it was monumentally frustrating not to get the verdict. The performance looks solid enough as the rest of the decent side field were eleven or more lengths behind. Tech Eagle was put up five pounds for the run, but at Chepstow the problem was that the mud was far too deep for him to handle (trainer's going description was f****** awful, which is the next step below heavy) and not unlike running in a ploughed field. At least we learnt more about him from the two races {such as buy horses with fatter nostrils - Ed.}
Alderbrook Girl
Plumpton, 2 mile 5f furlong novice hurdle on soft, 1st January
5th behind Zipalong Lad, ridden by Colin Bolger
Plumpton, 3 mile 1 furlong novice handicap hurdle on soft, 16th January
6th behind Strolling Vagabond, ridden by Colin Bolger
The first of these two races was very soon after her trip to Towcester, but she seemed well enough to run and the partners had planned a big day out. The sticky ground did not help but overall the opposition was just a bit too tough in a non-handicap race and she emerged without any harm. For the next race we were hoping for a better run, inspired by the step up in trip. The performance was a let down, and the initial suspicion was that Alderbrook Girl had failed to cope with ground that we thought was just about right for her. Half an hour after the race she was clearly not right and it transpired that she had displaced a pelvis. The chiropractor has worked on it since and she should be running again in a few weeks - it is too soon for firm plans to be made - but her dancing has gone to pieces since.
Miss Defying
Taunton, 2 mile 3 furlong conditional jockeys' selling handicap hurdle on good, 9th January
9th behind Methodical, ridden by John Kington
Having suffered a mishap at the first flight on her previous visit here, Miss Defying suffered a more aesthetic misfortune on attempt number two. She had been working more sharply, including once in blinkers, the step up in trip should have helped and a better result was hoped for. The trouble was, a few people seemed not to have noticed it was a seller, and it turned out to be the race of the day, run three seconds faster than the non-selling handicap over the same trip (Methodical nearly won a non-seller at Chepstow next time). Miss Defying was unable to live with the frantic pace and John reported that the blinkers stopped having an effect when she lost touch.
Romney Marsh
Plumpton, 2 mile 2 furlong bumper on soft, 1st January
4th behind Safari Adventure, ridden by David Crosse
Southwell, 2 mile bumper on good, 30th January
6th behind Nightfly, ridden by Wayne Burton
This was a bit more like what we expected, although in both races her inexperience (she was only broken in last September) manifested itself in a less aggressive way than her attempts to kick Roger in the head on her debut. At Plumpton, the plan was to keep wide in search of better ground, which David executed perfectly. So well, that Romney Marsh took the lead passing the level crossing, but she started to tread water in the straight and faded out of the places. David reported that she was running on her nerves somewhat and it was a combination of that and astonishment at the sight before her - the motley gang of ruffians that pass for a crowd at Plumpton* has that effect on many people, especially when trying to beat the post-race rush to the bar - that provoked the loss of the places late on. He also felt she would need a decent gap between runs for now, so we waited for the end of January for another. The best ground appeared to be on the rails as in most races the field had gone along a few widths off of it, but Wayne felt that Romney Marsh was intimidated by being hemmed in, and when he managed to extricate her into some space, nerves had again cost her energy in another speedily run heat. All in all, the two runs were significant progress and when her understanding catches up (she did not eat a bean for 24 hours after Southwell) more improvement ought to be on the cards.
{* Before any regular complains, I would point out that my Mum and Dad are members there - Ed}
Two Shillings
Folkestone, 2 mile 1 furlong mares' bumper on heavy, 17th January
4th behind Colline Des Fleurs, ridden by Tom Malone
The ground was rather chopped up by the time they came to this race, and the oppo much tougher than usual for Folkestone - the runner-up had one run to her name, beaten four lengths in a E50,000 bumper at the Punchestown Festival! Tom rode to orders, sticking to the outer where the ground was less battered, and Two Shillings put in a cracking start, laying up with the leaders until a furlong out and keeping her rhythm going to hold fourth. The rest of the first five were at the head of the market and all supported at times, so there was every reason to think the form solid enough. She was due to run on the 3rd at Fontwell, but a slight infection in a cut has held her up a few days, and we are looking another week down the line.
Coppermalt
He has not run since the last bulletin. The one scheduled appearance saw him balloted out. To get in the race, he only needed two in front of him to not run, but it was not to be. Amazingly, 27 of the 28 runners entered actually declared, hinting that there is a case for more longer distances races at banded meetings.
Brostaig Ort
No, he is not back in training. Since his retirement, he has been around the yard, with Helen Kington (mother of John, who rode Miss Defying and currently most famous for being on the receiving end of Town Ender's misbehaviour caught in pictures by the Racing Post) having him as a hack. Last summer he competed in the retired racehorses 'Ridden Class,' qualifying for the final, held at the Hickstead Derby meeting. Not only did he win the veterans class, but also the overall racehorse class and thoroughbred class, to be crowned supreme champion. Helen was extremely chuffed and Brostaig Ort, who was hard to sell because people did not like his name, is hoping to return in 2006, retain his title and possibly double up in the retired racehorses 'Vehicle Maintenance class.'
Treatment Room
Saddlers Lady is back in work, and must be feeling well in herself as she shows her earlier preference to do her exercise without use of a rider. She needs decent ground, so when she is ready the long overdue downpour will surely arrive.
Cape Venus is being led out on a daily basis. Although the operation was a success, the original 50/50 assessment of her racing again has not altered at this stage.
What's In A Name?
Since we have had Tech Eagle on the go, a regular interested observer on the gallops has been a red kite. He sits on the two furlong marker, occasionally giving us a good show of his six foot wingspan. A spectacular sight, but could it be a member of the Jockey Club security team in disguise? {Last time I visited, I definitely saw Mahatma Gandhi on the gallops, but everyone else was looking the other way - upstaging Ed.}