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15th June 2010
Apologies for the more delayed than usual update. Initially, there were very few runners to deal with as those that had been suffering the summer cold were still not ready to leap into action. Just about as they were, a major reorganisational situation arose, with the withdrawal from the arrangement that had taken on Hill House yard when Paul Blockley was suspended. At the initial point in time, the racing authorities imposed some stringent conditions on Paul. In a meeting at The Jockey Club last month, they expressed concern that the original conditions were not being entirely complied with, and tightened them up further. The new conditions were not acceptable to Paul, and the best solution was to withdraw my licence from Hill House involvement entirely. This did produce more delays, as it was a couple of weeks before that could be sorted out and a new licence issued, from when entries could be made. However, the admin has been done, and the horses ready for a run can now do so.
Douglas
15th May: Uttoxeter, 2m 4½f novice hurdle on good, ridden by Mark Grant: 2nd
30th May: Uttoxeter, 2m 4½f maiden hurdle on good, ridden by Mark Grant: 4th
This was quite a sharp improvement on his bumper runs, but that was not unexpected due to the better ground that he encountered. In the first race he kept on best of rest, briefly worried winner, and then could not sustain the threat to the line. The follow-up was just as good of an effort, the decent opposition was a bit more numerous and ran up to their ability. Douglas should still progress more as he grows up and readies himself for the (chasing) job in hand.
Money Finder
15th May: Uttoxeter, 3m mares' handicap hurdle on good, ridden by Hadden Frost: 2nd
31st May: Cartmel, 3m 2f conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle on good, ridden by Hadden Frost: 3rd
Although she was beaten half a length in an eye to eye battle at Uttoxeter, Money Finder showed exemplary bravery under pressure after we had asked Hadden to make plenty of use of her and once the disappointment of a half length defeat was put aside, it was clear that she ran a very solid race. Cartmel was an even tougher ask over further, but she did well again. Hadden managed to hug the rail on the long run-in and force the opposition to challenge out a bit wide - we were just unlucky that they managed to have the pace to do it.
Mullins Way
17th May: Bath, 5½f two year olds maiden on firm, ridden by Tony Culhane: 5th
This was a bit of a nightmare run, as he was very colty, and a couple of fillies in the paddock that were coming into season distracted Mullins Way a great deal, so much that the steward's requested that he leave the paddock early. Having got himself in such a stew, it is more of the same and instead of worrying about the race, he kept a close eye on the fillies that had taken his fancy.
Beachwood Bay
18th May: Musselburgh, 5f two year olds maiden on good to firm, ridden by Kevin Ghunowa: 7th
This was his debut, and he was a little slow to break through inexperience, and that same flaw prevented him making up the difference. He will hopefully have gained some smarts from the day.
Moon Star
27th May: Wolverhampton, 2m ½f handicap on the all-weather, ridden by Neil Callan: 6th
The horse did not run at all badly, but the race did not pan out as we would have wanted, and everytime Neil did something to try and get a position he wanted, someone else made a simultaneous decision that foiled it. A bit like the huge flocks of starlings, but in the ones never a shown on film, where they all crash into each other.
Cosmic Orbit
27th May: Wolverhampton, 1m ½f handicap on the all-weather, ridden by Tony Culhane: 10th
Certainly would have needed the run for this, but was disappointing as he surely did not need it as much as the result implies.
10th May 2010
After the last bulletin, the first horses to go down with the runny nose lurgy just started to snap out of it at the beginning of this week. Having been asked to do no work for a couple of weeks or so, they will probably take that time again to get fit and ready to run. As long as they totally shake the bug off, the break will not have done any of them any harm.
Key Partners
21st Apr: Southwell, 2m novice hurdle on good, ridden by Nathan Cook: Pulled up
Proved to be the last of the runners to be zonked out on race day by the bug.
Quam Cellerime
22nd Apr: Uttoxeter, 2m maiden hurdle on good to firm, ridden by Nathan Cook: Pulled up
Broke a blood vessel - nothing additional to report.
Callisto Moon
25th Apr: Bath, 1m 5f handicap on firm, ridden by Neil Callan: 4th
4th May: Bath, 2m 1f handicap on good, ridden by Darryll Holland: WON
For the first of these the plan was, as usual, to lead, especially considering that the trip was right at the bottom of his range, but there were other front runners in the race, and the early pace was absurdly quick, which meant that Callisto Moon could not last out the race at that speed. That played into our hands on the follow up. Everyone expected Callisto to bowl along in front, so Darryll's orders were to tuck in behind the leaders and then play his hand as he saw fit. What he saw fitted like a glove (better even than an OJ Simpspon one). Having settled in third, we knew the others, all of whom were intending to tuck in behind him, had been bamboozled when they all started looking around for Callisto to take lead them on. On the far side, Darryll finally went on, got a clear lead, and the bonus of a breather for the horse, before kicking on again in the straight. Brilliant stuff from the rider, and the horse was none too shoddy either.
Baltimore Patriot
3rd May: L'Ancresse (Guernsey), 2m 1f handicap on good, ridden by Nathan Cook: 2nd
This was a pretty good run after a sea voyage to liven up Baltimore Patriot's bank holiday weekend. Nathan settled him at the back, but the winner proved to be in a different class and he could not get within striking range, so second was probably the best possible outcome, and it was duly nicked in the last few strides.
Moon Star
8th May: Warwick, 1m 7f handicap on good, ridden by Paul Hanagan: 2nd
Ran a super race on his comeback after a couple of years, and might have gone one better had the oppo not inexplicably decided to bash him up during the race. As it was side on to the watching crowd, the incident looked fairly minor, but the head on view showed that he has knocked sideways and took a little while to get things back under control. He lost considerably more than the half length margin of defeat.
Money Finder
9th May: Uttoxeter, 2m 6½f selling hurdle on good to firm, ridden by Hadden Frost: 3rd
She on the verge of being turned out for the summer, but for reasons that nobody can now remember, we decided to squeeze in one more run. And it proved to be her best yet, as she tried really hard and made the frame for the first time. But she will have a summer break now. On the other hand, there is a tempting mares handicap hurdle this weekend at Uttoxeter...
Indian Dip
11th May: Warwick, 6f two year old fillies maiden on good, ridden by Fergus Sweeney: 8th
This was a much improved run, even though the finishing position does not do it justice, as she was right in contention until fading in the last furlong. Encouraging, and her debut race has thrown up a couple of winners and some placed runners as well, so there is definitely something to work with in her.
Tamasou
11th May: Beverley, 1m ½f handicap on good to firm, ridden by Frankie McDonald: 7th
Had a long trip to Beverley, deep in the wilds of Yorkshire (and there is little wilder than the wilds of Yorkshire), and then was completely scuppered at the start. The horse near him in the stalls tried to duck under the gates as they opened, dislodging his rider. Not satisfied with the uproar this generated, it then charged erratically down the course, causing general chaos and interfering with Tamasou several times. It is a long old round trip to see his chances ended in the first five yards of the race.
20th April 2010
For most of the runners below, the same theme runs through the text - almost literally, as it has a lot to do with sore throats and snotty noses. A fair few of the horses have come down with what looks to be a short term cold-like thing, and have been off work as a result. For another subset of the team, they appeared OK but found the effort of racing took enough out of them for the symptoms to emerge very quickly. There is another small subset that so far appear to be unaffected, mostly at Hill House, but it is in the back of the mind that it may just be a matter of time, rather than some sort of super-equine constitution that they are demonstrating. A bit like Iron Man, but with less iron, and a horse-rather-than-human quality attached. So nothing like Iron Man at all.
Also on the medical list is the trainer with a cracked fibula, having been kicked by Kilcommon Pride. He is a horse that has plenty of beef to put behind any intent to cause mischief. On the other hand, nicknaming a horse Killer is not really stimulating good karma. As ye sow, so shall ye reap might be the cliché that works best here.
Babich Bay
6th Apr: Ffos Las, 5f two year old maiden on good to soft, ridden by Graham Gibbons: 6th
After being foiled from a earlier debut by the rain, he came out and did perfectly well on his debut, being a bit green. He should progress a lot for the experience.
New World Order
7th Apr: Kempton, 2m handicap on the all weather, ridden by Keiran Fallon: 11th
Dreamwalk
7th Apr: Kempton, 1m 4f handicap on the all weather, ridden by Keiran Fallon: 9th
Both New World Order and Dreamwalk were fine going into this, but gave Keiran no feel at all, and soon after the race were looking under the weather. As a precaution, we withdrew La Toya J later on, but as far as a form guide goes, these too runs can be ignored.
Rince Donn
8th Apr: Taunton, 2m 3f handicap chase on good to soft, ridden by Mark Grant: 5th
Dunkelly Castle
8th Apr: Taunton, 3m ½f handicap hurdle on good to soft, ridden by Danny Burton: 9th
The same story for Rince Donn and Dunkelly Castle as the two the previous night, and the clue came early as Rince Donn struggled to go the two and a half mile pace that he normally finds quite comfy.
Zambuka
12th Apr: Folkestone, 1m 1½f handicap on good to soft, ridden by Hayley Turner: 7th
She has shown her individuality by coming out of this race OK. The problem lay in the drying ground, as she needs soft, and the conditions were on the faster side of good to soft by the time her race came around.
Cosmic Orbit
15th Apr: Ripon, 1m maiden on good, ridden by Frankie McDonald: 9th
Caledonia Princess
15th Apr: Ripon, 5f apprentice handicap on good, ridden by John Fahy: 9th
Cosmic Orbit and Caledonia Princess also went down the sniffles.
Jat Punjabi
16th Apr: Uttoxeter, 2m 4½f maiden hurdle on good, ridden by Christian Williams: 9th
This was a satisfactory effort from Jat Punjabi, who can be a bit smug with the hurdles, and happy to kick them out of the way. However, Christian got to work on him and forced Jat Punjabi to actually jump them rather than simply annoy the groundsman. Unfortunately the going was a little bit quick for the improved technique to make a mark on the result, but it was a definite step, and indeed leap, in the right direction.
Callisto Moon
16th Apr: Cheltenham, 2m 1f handicap hurdle on good, ridden by Mark Grant: 6th
On the same day as Jat Punjabi was finding things too fast at Uttoxeter, watering meant that the opposite was true for Callisto Moon, who encountered the sort of mixed doughy and sticky circumstance that is fine raw material for a cake maker but no good at all for the horse. To be sixth in such a competitive handicap was a very decent effort, all things considered.
Street Devil
17th Apr: Thirsk, 1m handicap on good to firm, ridden by Greg Fairley: 8th
Hmmmm. He ran like he was one with the sniffles, but this looked like another case of Street Devil banditry, as he was fine after the race. He has the raw ability to be running in the lower reaches of Pattern races, but just cannot be bothered at all. If only we could get him to show his true capability once, he might just enjoy the palaver enough to want to do it again.
Douglas
17th Apr: Bangor, 2m 1f bumper on good, ridden by Nathan Cook: 6th
A nice staying chaser for the future, Douglas still needs experience in his bumpers. Having been a bit off the pace early on, he stayed on nicely and picked off a few that had raced up with the pace in the latter stages.
Money Finder
19th Apr: Plumpton, 2m 5f selling handicap hurdle on good to firm, ridden by James Davies: 8th
Writing hot on the heels of this run, it is not clear yet if the sniffles have got to her, but she did show that she needs further and softer to be competitive.
