Risk Management
Having started the day in Lincoln – now home – and then heading out again shortly after lunch – this will need to be a speedy update – apologies for, what are bound to be many spelling mistakes!
Last week started with a Bank Holiday – our first day back off of our trip to Ireland, a day to recover, and get the blog typed and published. I couldn’t quite finish the epistle on Monday – so there was the unheard of scenario of the weekly news not being published until Tuesday! I hope the tales of our travels were worth the wait! I did get a few messages late on Monday – just checking that I was OK! It is nice to know that you care – and that someone reads this!
It was great to get a video from Alan King – And She Was schooling over hurdles for the first time on the schooling strip. She was very good and handled everything really well – including being upsides for the first time!
Tuesday – photos on – and the news published.
Intrepide Sud declared in Huntingdon on Thursday – the dry spell has left many tracks battling rapidly drying ground, but IS needs a sound surface, and the return to 2 miles and a right handed track were all positives. There would be a change of tactics with him as well – and hopefully we will see a different performance from him!
Alan King sent through a video of And She Was and Rockola having a spin on the ring gallop upsides each other. Both look in fine fettle, Rockola ready to run again – and And She Was rapidly approaching a return to full fitness and her second career start. Alan phoned later in the morning just to touch base and chat through some options – And She Was had schooled so well over hurdles on Monday that running her in a mares novice hurdle instead of another bumper is very much a possibility – we will look at the programme book and see what the options are – if there are not many mares bumpers she could well head straight over hurdles. Alan is delighted with the way Rockola has come out of her Ludlow run, and she is ready to run again – she would have entries later in the week.
Louise at The Elms called to say that Savingforvegas and her foal Nancy had arrived safely back from France. She was scanned in foal a couple of weeks ago – and her return to the UK fitted in well with transport. Steve and I would get over to see them both later in the week.
As the year rolls round, it gets to the time when the annual prize money dividends are paid for each syndicate – and it was good to get going with that task on Tuesday – the payments will be made in July as usual – I just wanted to get ahead of the game a bit, and with a few owners looking at taking shares in a couple of the new horses that we have for next season – it was a good time to calculate the dividends and let them know what they have to spend!
Wednesday, we made the tough decision to retire Chevelle, she has suffered a small pelvic fracture, and after chatting through the options with Fergal we both agreed that the time and associated costs of rehabbing her, and then getting her back to full fitness were a step too far for a filly that has developed a breathing issue since her arrival from France. We had concluded after her last start in Market Rasen that she would not achieve what we had hoped over hurdles, but with a fair level of form on the flat in France, we felt that it was worth a shot to give her a run in that sphere where her problems would be less of an issue, while she was fit and well. Sadly, her latest set back means that we can’t realistically test that route and therefore the sensible decision was to retire her. She will be rehabbed with Jason Maguire and then be found a lovely home where she will continue a career in a less strenuous discipline.
Kingy gave Rockola an entry in Worcester next Tuesday – a slight drop back in trip – I would chat with him before decs.
Thursday – Jason sent through a few videos of Gatsbys away day at the Condicote gallops of Martin Keighley. Gatsby has been to Tom George’s a few times, and goes very nicely there. Martins gallop is a slightly different test – a longer gallop that would ask a few different questions of this very exciting young horse. He went up twice with a work mate and did it very nicely. As expected, he had a good look around him for a start, but Jason (who rode) him and I were both very impressed with the way that he gets his head down in a really determined manner – he goes very nicely, and we are all thrilled with him!
Jason called after the work to chat about it, and the other two 3 yr olds that are at Ivy Lodge Farm. Finbar has completed his secondary school without a bother. He was a trickly little fellow to break in last year – but this time round he has been perfect – no issues – he evidently remembered plenty from his primary school term last year and was the model pupil this time round. With a couple of spins up Tom George’s and a school or two up the hurdles he has come through the last couple of months very well – and is now in the field enjoying the sunshine and a well earned spell of R&R. He will return to work in early July, and then head into training with Fergal O’Brien, who is very much looking forward to cracking on with him. There is a share left in him – have a look at his full details on the For Sale Page. He has a cracking pedigree and looks like he will give his syndicate plenty of good days out!
Floyd has not found secondary school quite so easy – he was the model pupil last year when he was broken in – a fraction of the bother of his class mate Finbar – but this time round he has struggled slightly – and has certainly not thrived. He was not carrying the condition one would expect of a horse at Ivy Lodge Farm doing his level of exercise. He has been slow to come in his coat, and Jason has certainly not been able to get the work into him as he would have liked. There is no rush with him, we will take our time, and Jason and I both agreed that we would give him a short course of ulcer treatment and turn him out for a few weeks.
After lunch I headed to Huntingdon to meet up with a good few of Intrepide Sud’s owners. I watched the first race from home, and was slightly concerned to see that Nicky Henderson had withdrawn four of his five intended runners, due to the quick ground. IS needs a sound surface but having had leg trouble in the past he certainly didn’t need it too quick! Shortly after I arrived Fergal called to say that Johnny had called him to report that the ground was Good to Firm and ‘tight’. Now we had a decision to make – would we risk IS on that ground? I sat down with those of his owners that were at the track, and having run through the options it was clear that no one really wanted to risk him on that surface. He would be a non runner. Not too bad for me as I had only had to travel 25 minutes – but I did feel for Karen who had come down from Lancashire to see him run – thankfully those that travelled were all very understanding – and in the end it was their call not to risk it. There are a few options for him going forward, including Bangor on Dee next weekend, where there will be a far better covering of grass, and the ground is sure to be less rapid as it was in Huntingdon on Thursday. Not the tracks fault – it is basically on very free draining gravel, and trying to keep it at Good ground under these conditions is a bit like trying to fill up a colander! Different soil type in Cheshire should mean different ground!
Friday – a quick trip up to The Elms to see Vegas and Nancy – good to meet up with Steve, who co bred Nancy with me. She is an absolute cracker and has taken the trip to France and back really well. She is a precocious little madam – nothing phases her for sure! She is definitely the tallest of all the foals that Vegas has produced – and being by a very good young sire in France – Nirvana du Berlais – who had his first Grade 1 winner in Ireland last week in the shape of Lulamba – Nancy ticks all of the boxes and is a really exciting addition to the squad. Steve and I will talk over the course of the summer and set out a plan for her – with all options currently on the table – sell as a foal – sell as a 3 yr old at public auction – syndicate her – or retain her to race ourselves. A lot will depend on how her siblings fare over the course of the next few months, and where the store trade is over the summer.
Mares and foals
One that I am thrilled with is George – our 2 yr old by Golden Horn out of Savingforvegas. He has really developed into a lovely young horse, and will head down to Jason in July for primary school – when he will spend six weeks being broken in. He is a lovely model with size and substance, and with his sire firing winners in left right and centre – including East India Dock winning the Chester Cup on Friday – he has all the ingredients to be another very nice homebred!
George - 2 yr old - Golden Horn x Savingforvegas
Alan gave Rockola a further entry – this one in Fontwell next Thursday. Neither of the races she has entries in next week are confined to mares, and I would like to keep her in against her own sex if possible – but it is always worth popping them in races that suit, as they may cut up to very few runners and end up being a winnable opportunity – keep the plates spinning! I would be chatting to Alan on Sunday morning ahead of declarations for the first of her options in Worcester on Tuesday.
Saturday – Fergal sent through a lovely video of Greyval enjoying her holiday – sadly I can’t post it on here as it arrived in the wrong format – but I can post a photo from it – Greyval looks fantastic – and has let herself down very nicely. She will return to her stable in early July – and we have an exciting little programme mapped out for her in the autumn.
Greyval
We wish Chris, Lucy and Olly the very best of luck with their new horse! Chris has taken one of the shares in Gatsby – Chris has had shares in plenty of horses with us over the last few years and have had enormous fun with the likes of Itchy Feet, Greyval and Mamoon Star – it is great to see them take a share in this lovely young horse – and thank them for their continued trust and support.
With the work done in the morning – we packed the posh suit and headed up the A1 to Lincoln for a charity ball, that was being held in the Engine Shed in the city. Always good to have a night out with lovely friends and their family – the Engine Shed is a lovely modern venue on the University campus – a really good night was had by all – just a shame it ended quite so early!
It has been an age since I have been into Lincoln – I am often around the ring road – but they really have done a fantastic job of developing the river front – which was really buzzing in the early evening sunshine!
This morning, we headed home, but not before I had had the chat with Alan King re Rockola. We were both a little unsure about the drop back in trip, so decided that we would bypass Worcester on Tuesday. We have the option of Fontwell on Thursday over a slightly more suitable trip or waiting a few days and heading to Worcester against the mares – although that too would be a drop back in trip. The joys of race planning – but happy not be dropping in trip and taking on the geldings on Tuesday!
Jason sent through a couple of videos – Gatsby having a jump in the arena – Jason called to say how pleased he is with him. He simply loves jumping and is very good as you can see. Now that he has shifted a bit of the weight that he carried over winter and is getting his figure his work gets better and better and Jason believes he is back where he had him last year – and he is showing him everything he did back then – he looks like a nice one.
Floyd – after jumping out of his paddock last week – took the opportunity to jump clean out of the lose jumping lane this morning – he is unbelievable as the fence he took on is one made of solid board and is as tall as he is! Thankfully he has only a little scrape to a hind leg, and Jason was able to pop him over a hurdle in the arena afterwards.
A quick couple of hours to get this collection of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors published – and then out to Milton Keynes to see Rob Beckett – never seen him live before – looking forward to a few laughs!
Around the rest if the team – Cloud Dancer is being hand walked every day – as part of the comprehensive rehab programme that has been put in place for him. No corners will be cut – he is a lovely horse who we are yet to see the best of! Dino Bellagio is in great form, and it will not be long before he makes his second flat start! The remainder are all out on their holidays – Nevada Samba, Ridin Solo and Old Blue Eyes are all fine.
