Do Not Be Late
Long held ambition – all of us, through our lives, have those things that we dream about. Places that we long to visit, things that we hope to see, people we want to meet and targets that we wish to achieve. This week I was lucky enough to have had the chance to do something that I have wanted to do for a very long time. They say you should never meet your heroes – well I met one of mine, and it was an experience I will never forget!
Sunday – having got the weekly ramble weighed in - we jumped in a horsebox and headed up the A1 to Doncaster for their Summer Sale on Monday. Luckily, I was not driving, so I could keep up to speed with the Open Championship on the ipad. In the end that was a bit of a one-horse race, Scottie Scheffler winning comfortably and without too much drama.
I also had a keen eye on the results from Redcar – and it was very good to see Dino Bellagio’s form get a boost, when, Chillhi, who was a well beaten 14 lengths behind Dino in Southwell was sent off the 5/4 fav in the 2m handicap and was narrowly beaten on the line. This would not be the last time that Dino’s Southwell form would be tested during the week – and it is safe to say that it has a very solid feel to it!
Sunday night was a quiet one in the Hilton.
Monday – not an overly early start, the sale not kicking off until 11.00am. A mixed sale – horses in training, point to pointers and a group of national hunt stores to finish. After breakfast it was good to receive a couple of videos from Donald McCain’s team. Ridin Solo looking fantastic as he warmed up ahead of his canter. Ridin Solo looks fantastic – he has summered really well, and now that we have changed his regime, and treated him for ulcers, he should really thrive through the season – and we are sure that it is going to be a very good year for him!
It is safe to say that Dino Bellagio has come out of his Southwell win in great order. The video I received was grabbed at the last minute and filmed in a way which means that I cannot publish it on here – but I have grabbed a few screen shots to illustrate what he was like as he headed back to the yard after exercise.
Sit Tight!!
To say that he is in great form would be an understatement! He is absolutely full of himself, and I am sure that he knows he won last time out! One of the first people I saw as we walked to the sales complex from the hotel was Donald – well, when I say saw – he actually made a detour and tried to run us over!! Donald was in good form, and I had a good chat with him about an hour later when we had set up, and he had looked at the horses he wanted to see. Donald had considered entering Dino in Chester that morning – just in case they got a fair bit of rain through the week, but I felt that the step back to 1m4f wasn’t ideal – especially around Chester. Dino is obviously in great order, the form of his race already had a solid look (and would get even better through the week) so we will stay at trips of around 2 miles, and try to find the most suitable option for him, where we are likely to get a track that suits, a trip that he is effective over, and the services of Paul Mulrennan.
Dino’s win had not gone unnoticed, the worlds winning most point to point jockey, Derek O’Connor came over to have a chat about his success – he had watched it, and was delighted to see Dino get his head in front again – he said ‘He deserved it’. Always good to chat with Derek, he is a very clever man, and someone that I find very interesting to talk to – I always feel like I come away from a chat with Derek knowing more than I did before we started – it would be a theme for the week!
The sale was a little quiet to be honest – a tricky trade – but we ticked over with ‘horsebox business’ – a steady stream of folks popping onto the stand to have a chat. The highlight of the day was receiving some videos from Jason Maguire – ‘George’, our Golden Horn 2 yr old is being broken in at Ivy Lodge Farm – and it was great to get the latest update on his progress. To say that he is the model pupil is an understatement! These early stages have shown Jason that he has a great mind, and a fabulous work ethic! Having bred him – we obviously know the family well – and we are very fortunate that all of his half brothers and sisters have well above average ability. The first three foals that Savingforvegas produced have now all reached the track – and are all winners. The fourth is Nevada Samba, and you will all have an inkling of what we think of him! ‘George’, being by Golden Horn has probably the most exciting pedigree of all of them, so it is very pleasing to see that he has a very good attitude to life – he looks to have a very bright future ahead of him.
The one good thing about a poor sale in Doncaster is that you usually get home in good time. A blessing, as Tuesday morning was an early start – a trip down to Alan King’s for first lot. Rockola had an entry in Uttoxeter on Friday and would do her final piece of work ahead of that run, Nevada Samba is back at Barbury Castle and is being eased into work – he is still trotting around the estate, and And She Was is still out in the field on her break.
Alan and his team were all in great form, and after third lot Debbie and I sat down with him and did some more work on an exciting project that we are putting together – the framework for which is in place – now we just have to sort out all of the promotional material both for Alan’s website and hard copy – well, when I say ‘We’ I clearly mean Debbie – this is her area of expertise!! The good news is that NBR owners, members and followers will be the first to know about what we have planned – and as it will be a very exclusive ‘offering’ being at the front of the queue will be very advantageous I can assure you! The venture will launch in August – so keep logging on – you won’t want to miss out!
While watching first lot warm up – I just about had enough service (The stable yard is a black hole for 4/5G) to check on what the handicapper had ‘done’ to Dino Bellagio. His rating adjustments are published on a Tuesday morning – and I had expected Dino to go up between 7-10lbs – in fact he put him up 6 to a new rating of 73! We will take that!
Timmy Murphy sent through a video of ‘Floyd’ (Falco x Savingforvegas) who is spending the summer at his Cildara Stud. The dry summer has not been great for anyone’s grass growth – but Timmy has been feeding twice a day, and Floyd is getting a good supply of quality hay – so he looks really well. He was a little under the weather in the spring, so we cut short his ‘secondary school’ term and let him get over what was ailing him. He is a very nice horse, who is the spitting image of his half brother, Nevada Samba – he will return to work in the autumn – and head into training in the spring. He will be syndicated at that stage – and judging by his looks, and his great attitude when he was broken in last year – he will be a fantastic addition to the racing team!
When I got back from Barbury Castle it was back to the office for more admin work – this is a very busy time of year – with annual dividend payments etc – and trying to do it with a half dead computer isn’t easy! I did manage to see a race from Musselburgh – another boost to Dino’s form – Trojan Sun winning for the third time at the track – Trojan Sun had been 23 lengths behind Dino in Southwell!! Having been raised 6lb in the morning – I will be checking to see what his mark is at 8.00am this coming Tuesday – the way the form is working out – I can see him going up a touch more!
Wednesday – Rockola declared in Uttoxeter on Friday – this would be her toughest assignment to date – a 0-120 handicap against the geldings. Her work over the last couple of weeks had been very good – and her work rider, when we were in there on Tuesday had said she ‘felt fantastic and needs to run’! With a break in the jumps calendar around the corner and very few alternative options for her – our hand was forced a little bit – we would have to give it a go. One thing for sure – she would run her race – hopefully that would be good enough!
Having sorted the declaration out and informed her owners – one important thing had to be done – I had to polish my boots – where I was heading meant I needed to be very well ‘turned out’
My destination was Newmarket – to Heath House for evening stables with Sir Mark Prescott. A visit very kindly arranged by Debbie who was Sir Mark’s secretary for a couple of years. Debbie knew that Sir Mark was a ‘bit of a hero’ to me and when she visited the yard earlier in the year – she started the ball rolling on arranging a time for me to meet the great man and see the yard. Wednesday was that day – Debbie and I headed to Newmarket where we were booked in at the Heath Court Hotel next to the stables. The one thing to avoid with Sir Mark – is being late – he is a stickler for time keeping, which meant that we were both in town well ahead of our 4.20pm appointment. A cup of tea, cake and a chat with Sir Mark preceded evening stables – a tour of the yard and an introduction to all of the horses and staff as he inspected each horse individually. When all of the horses had been looked over, their wellbeing assessed and Sir Mark had felt all of their legs for the slightest signs of injury we were treated to a full tour of the premises – the covered ride, the swimming pool and the treadmill, before Sir Mark headed out for a dinner with the Royal Ascot Racing Club, and Debbie and I headed out with his assistant trainer and business partner William Butler and his wife Claude. A table at The Pack Horse in Malton – a very nice meal – great atmosphere, staff and food – a lovely night was had!
Thursday morning, after a very comfortable night in the hotel where Debbie and I both received upgrades (Sir Mark booked the rooms) we were up early and at the yard at 6.20am. We would be seeing first and second lot before breakfast back at the hotel. A fascinating couple of hours – I have been to a great many yards, but I have never seen a yard that operates to such a level of detail as Heath House. Nothing misses the eyes pf the ever vigilant trainer or William – the horses, apart from one mare who according to Sir Mark is just miserable and very tricky – were all immaculately behaved and above all – obviously happy and content! They all looked fantastic in their coats and were turned out to the highest of standards. His staff were all very friendly and welcoming too – the yard had a very special atmosphere. First lot was made up of the older horses, second lot were mainly 2 yr olds. The bulk of them did one canter up Warren Hill before striding out along Side Hill. Both lots then headed to the woods where they all get their heads down for a pick of grass – a wonderful sight to see – and a scene that has been consistent for hundreds of years – very special. Sir Mark doesn’t just do this because it looks nice – for him it as a vital part of his horses routine – when they go to the woods and are allowed a pick of grass – they get to realise that their work is over, and that they can relax as they know that their next steps will be back to the yard and their stables. It means that his horses switch off and are not jig jogging back to the yard.
Thursday morning was very special – to watch two lots in the company of Sir Mark, to hear his stories, and to have him explain a few of his training methods was very special – and I am hugely grateful for Debbie for organising the visit. I was a lucky boy!
I have been very fortunate to have had the chance to visit Heath House, and it got me thinking – I cannot be alone in having dreamt about visiting the yard and meeting Sir Mark Precott Bt. So – there has to be a way of making it possible for those that, like me, have always wanted to see the yard, meet ‘the man’ and achieve what would seem even more unattainable - have a horse in training at the yard. Heath House only has 50 stables, so the opportunity to have a horse in training there doesn’t come around every day – and given that it seems that I have successfully negotiated my ‘interview’ with Sir Mark – it very much looks like we have the chance of having our colours hanging in the colours tack room at Heath House! I have a number of options going forward – all of which will need to be discussed with Sir Mark and William in the next few weeks – but at this stage – it looks like I will be setting up a 10 member syndicate which will own a horse in training at the yard. As this is almost a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity – I am sure there will be no shortage of interest – the syndicate will be run slightly differently to our usual model – the capital cost is likely to be in the region of £4-5k – training fees will be split equally among the group – but instead of paying a fixed amount by standing order each month – the invoices will be emailed to all shareholders – who will be asked to settle their share of the total each month. The way that Sir Mark campaigns his horses means that some months will be quiet, and others will be very busy – so charges can vary considerably – and rather than charge a monthly fee to accommodate these fluctuations – I feel that it is far fairer to work on a month by month basis. With only 10 shares available – there is sure to be lots of interest – please let me know if you would like to be part of this exciting opportunity – nickbrownracing@gmail.com – or phone/message me on 07909 518902 to book your place. The chance to be in a syndicate at Heath House is unbelievably rare – don’t miss out!!
On the way home I stopped by Hinchingbrook Hospital in Huntingdon to see a very special lady who in her own words ‘isn’t her best’. I did at least put a smile on her face – hopefully she will be out of hospital very soon!
Rockola badges to organise in the afternoon – a good team of her owners heading to Uttoxeter.
Friday – and my first thought was to confirm that the email that requested the badges for Rockola’s owners had been sent. I know they had trouble there recently, the man on the gate told me – and as I was in a hurry to get the list of yesterday, and I sent it from a half dead computer, I had to check that the email had been sent. Thankfully it had.
The problems that Uttoxeter have had stems from the fact that the email that is sent out to owners after declarations contains a link to an email address that either doesn’t work, or nobody looks at – you would have thought they would have sorted it after the first time there was an issue – but no! Dave and Diane, the first to arrive at the track just as I was leaving home – there was no list of names on the gate – AGAIN! A quick couple of phone calls and the problem was resolved – but it is unnecessary – they only have to change the linked email address to one that someone receives and acts upon. I had a similar situation with Southwell – who’s linked email address is actually misspelt with a ? instead of a . I had spotted it and manged to contact the right person to arrange badges for Dino’s owners a couple of weeks ago to avoid problems on the day – hopefully someone will see to it that they are altered for the future – but I don’t hold my breath!
With my departure delayed – I was a little late getting to the track – Friday traffic is never fun! A warm afternoon – Ladies Day – Rockola had won in Worcester on their Ladies Day – could she double up? She looked really well in the paddock and was keen to get on with things as ever. Tom Bellamy was in the saddle, and his plan was to settle her on the inner early, track his main danger and then set sail from the home bend and challenge late as she doesn’t do a lot when she hits the front. All went to plan early, Rockola settled nicely and jumped superbly. She clipped heels and was almost turned sideways towards the end of the back straight, but thankfully she remained upright and was travelling well as they turned for home. Here her luck ran out – gaps closed – she switched, only to find that gap closing too – and she got no luck all the way to the line. In the end she finished 8th but considering the rough passage she had endured – the fact that she stuck her head down and battled to the line was a real testament to her toughness and resilience. It was not her day – but she seemed fine after the race, and we will go again with her – hopefully in slightly calmer waters.
An update from Jason in the afternoon - George is being a 'Christian' he is so well behaved and loves every new thing he does - Jason really likes him!!
Saturday -great to hear from Kingy that Rockola seemed fine after her run – a slight cut just below her hock, but nothing sinister, and she will be fine going forward. We will look for a race for her when jump racing returns after the August break.
I settled down to craft a document for the new enterprise that Debbie and I are working on with Alan – and was so engrossed in that – I forgot about the second Lions test in Australia! Thankfully Fergal reminded me when he called just before kick off. I had not heard from Ferg for a while and had told his assistant Max Kendrick to get him to call me when I had seen him in Uttoxeter the previous day – I had been expecting an update on the progress of Intrepide Sud, as he had been due to be scanned last week with a view to returning to work. Having spoken to Max – there seemed to be a slight confusion as to where we were with him – Thankfully the news from Fergal was better than the news from Max – Max said that IS needed 3 more weeks walking before being ridden again – Fergal yesterday said the vets report indicayed that he could be ridden again from Monday! So good news – it will be great to see him back cantering very soon!
Fergal is also delighted with Greyval – Evie who rides him every day – and has done so for the last couple of seasons says that she has never felt her moving so well!! There was also a very positive update on ‘Finbar’ – who has progressed to the hill and did his first canter up that gallop yesterday. Fergal is very pleased with him – he is going really well – and every day shows just how tough he is! He likes him!
Luckily Ferg was off the phone in time for kick off in Melbourne – what a rugby match – my prediction of an undefeated tour looked very unlikely with 30 minutes played – but the Lions emerged victorious in a thriller – a game that will live long in the memory – fantastic!
Fran and Sheridan looking very smart in Ascot - proving you are never further than 50 yards from an NBR member! A great photo by Debbie!
The rest of the team are well – Old Blue Eyes is cantering away with the rest of the winter horses at McCains – Cloud Dancer continues his rehab with Maguire, who also has the 3 yr old ‘Gatsby’ back in full work and doing plenty of cantering. Jason is really pleased with him – he continues to progress and is developing into a stunning young horse – who goes as well as he looks!
After what was a very special week last week the upcoming week will be slightly less exciting – I will be settling the annual syndicate dividends on Monday and Tuesday – along with settling the Red Sash Racing accounts after the restructure – I have all my fingers and toes crossed that the laptop survives until I have completed the tasks!
Don’t forget the opportunity to join the syndicate with Sir Mark Prescott – I can’t tell you how fortunate we are to have the chance to have a horse in training with him – at 77 years of age – he will not be training forever – this is almost a once in a lifetime chance – reserve your spot – when I have filled the syndicate I will decide the path forward – which could mean heading out to Germany for their big yearling sale – or exploring another avenue! Get in touch!
