Prepare and Pray
I had it all planned – it was always going to be a busy week – there was an Open Day to organise – annual prize money dividends to do – so that they can be sent out to syndicate members and owners next week, and the prize money paid. It is also the year end for the Alan King Racing Club, so there is a lot of work to do to calculate prize money, allocate to members, and get their individual statements out to them. Thankfully, with two of the three horses having run last week – there would be no more runners before the end of the month, and I could crack on.
Monday morning – still hot! So up early and on with the first task of the day – the AKRC member statements – all prize money calculated and allocated to individual members. Then it happened – Alan entered Uhtred Ragnarson in Uttoxeter on Sunday. All of my work that morning was for nought! With Uhtred having run so well last time out, when he was left at the start and only beaten a length in Stratford, and with him being in rude health at home, it is not unreasonable to expect that he will add to the prize money total for the AKRC before the end of the first year on July 31st – the calculations would have to be redone next week! The good news is that there has been a fantastic uptake in Club membership for next year, from both existing and new members. Places are sure to be few and far between when I have sent out statements to all the current membership, so if you would like to join, please email alankingracingclub@gmail.com A fun Club – all year-round action with a mixture of flat and national hunt horses. Four horses on the team – with 3 always in training and running. It really is outstanding value, and well worth joining!
After this frustrating start to the day – it was back to Open Day tasks. The marquee would be going up on Friday – a few details needed to be finalised with the caterers, and I needed to work out how much booze we may need for the afternoon! I hope you’re thirsty!
With the Open Day fast approaching, it was time for the last couple to come in from the field. ‘George’ our Golden Horn 3 yr old and Cloud Dancer had been in work later into the summer, so they had been allowed to stay in the field a bit longer than the others. They both returned to their stables and will have a week on the walker with tack on before being ridden next Monday.
Another one to come in from the field on Monday was ‘Floyd’ our homebred 4 yr old. He will not be returning to work straight away, as he needs a bit of time to strengthen and mature. He is in so that we can parade him on the Open Day and outline some plans for him – after that he will be back in the field next week, returning to work in the autumn.
Those already back in form the field had begun their pretraining. Jimmy Gatz and Nevada Samba both trotting in the school.
Jimmy Gatz has summered well – even though he was kept to paddocks with minimum grass so that he didn’t get too fat! He knows how to pile on the pounds that one! He does look really well – and Jason and the team have done a fantastic job with him!
Nevada Samba has also summered well and really matured. He is moving great, and the hope is that, after a frustrating season last term, he can build on his debut win in a Wincanton bumper and climb the ranks this time round!
Another one back ridden on Monday was Molly’s Lad – who seemed to be quite excited by the prospect of another season at Ravenswell, judged by the snorting he was doing! He has always been a bit exuberant shall we say – he was not the easiest to break in – but when he is in full work, he is fine – and behaves himself. Jason will not be trotting him for long as he thinks he might just explode! He will be cantering on the deep sand by mid week! It will be safer for himself and his jockey!
Sir Mark Prescott’s assistant and business partner, William Butler called later in the morning. I usually get a call every Sunday from Heath House, but William had been in France on Sunday – so it was Monday for this weeks update. All well with Penselwood. He was doing everything asked of him and doing it well. He would be asked to step up a gear in mid-week and just go a shade quicker in his canters on Warren Hill. As Sir Mark had said last week when I saw him at the races. ‘A thoroughly likeable horse’.
Tuesday – handicap ratings, and with a couple of runners last week – it would be interesting to see what the handicapper thought of them. I’d Go Maniac dropped 1lb after finishing third in the Lady Amateur Riders Derby in Epsom. John Harrison unchanged after his third place in a handicap on the July Course on Saturday – I thought he might just have eased him a pound as well.
In the afternoon we headed over to Costco to buy the booze for Sunday! That was a very heavy trolley to push back to the car!
We received sad news in the afternoon - RIP Ann, our thoughts and condolences with Ian, the family and her friends. Ann had been taken ill a couple of days prior, which in itself had been a huge shock as we had been out to dinner with them the week before. She will be missed!
At the Thoroughbred Breeders Association, National Hunt Awards evening near Cirencester, Alan King along with the owners announced the retirement of yard star, Edwardstone. It was an emotional moment, but Eddie will now, at the age of 12, have an active retirement away from the racecourse. I think if you asked Edwardstone he wouldn’t want to retire, he came up the hill every morning with as much enthusiasm as he did at 4, but I think that the pressure of watching him run had got a bit too much for his owners and his trainer. Should he suffer an accident – they would never forgive themselves, and I think watching him run had become more tortuous than fun – so the right decision made! He will be a hard horse to replace, but Alan has a lovely bunch of young horses – hopefully one can step into his big boots!
Wednesday – time to get the race report for John Harrisons run in Newmarket written and sent to members of the AKRC. He had come out of his race fine, and when we get a drop of rain, he will be hard to beat off of his mark – even though I thought he may have been let off a pound after Saturday!
Donald called with an update on the team at Bankhouse. Dino Bellagio is in fine form and is ready to run as soon as there is any rain around. Being a bit further north, it looks as though there could be more rain up there than down south at the weekend, so we will keep an eye on the forecast and ground up there for him. Like everyone, I want it to rain, just not over Birdlip on Sunday please!
Old Blue Eyes, is still recuperating from his latest little set back, and Ridin Solo is very well. Donald did watch the races over the weekend and ask himself should we have run – but admitted that it was the right thing to do to stay at home – the ground in Cartmel, not ideal. With the break in the National Hunt programme from Sunday through until mid August, he will have an easy week and be prepared for a run when chases return.
Bankhouse Thoroughbred’s 3 yr old Pethers Moon gelding is back cantering, and we have arranged a visit for those that have purchased shares and those that are interested to come to see him canter on Saturday 15th August. If you would like to come along to Donald McCains – let me know.
Jason sent through a clip of the ‘new boy’ cantering on the deep sand. Every time I see this horse he impresses more and more. He floats around the deep sand as if it is good ground and is fairly effortless in everything he does. Jason and I can’t wait to parade him on Sunday – he is a lovely horse! The new syndicate will be something a little different from what we usually do – although he will run in the black, red and white colours, this will be a collaboration between myself and Jason Maguire, who will be a big part of the syndicate going forward – it will be a lot of fun!
Alan King sent through a clip of Uhtred Ragnarson working very well up the hill over at Sharpridge. He is in great order and is likely to run on Sunday. Sadly, Debbie, Alan and I won’t be there, as we will be otherwise engaged entertaining guests at Ivy Lodge Farm!
Thursday – and Sir Mark Prescott has his team in fantastic form. Confirmed with another double on the day. Sir Mark’s string always seems to ‘hit their straps’ at this time of year and it could well be a very productive few days for the yard. We could be having a fantastic time of things this time next year. Sir Mark is an absolute genius when it comes to the programme book and plotting a path through the summers with his handicappers. Fast forward 12 months and we could be seeing plenty of Penselwood on the track!
Friday – the team that would be erecting the marquee for the Open Day, were at Ivy Lodge Farm early, and cracked on getting it put up. The Party Tent Company came recommended and have proved great to deal with. Very straightforward, and I have to say, excellent value! If you ever need a marquee for a function, give them a call! Having spent all week watching every weather forecast going, it would appear that Sunday will be cooler than recent weeks, and we may catch a very light shower, although I am reasonably confident that we will remain dry for the afternoon! So, we left the sides off the marquee for a bit more ventilation!
Alan declared Uhtred Ragnarson in Uttoxeter. He will be stepping up to 2m4f for the first time. He has to go left-handed, and he will not be sent to post quite so early this time. He was left at the start last time out and did very well to finish where he did – with a different pre-race routine, and a good start, he is on a winnable mark. Tom Bellamy rides.
It is always lovely to catch up with our ‘Old Boys and ‘Old Girls’. We believe that the day a horse retires is equally as important as the day we buy/breed it – and work very hard to find all of our retirees the very best of homes and follow on careers. In the afternoon, John, who now owns Volkovka sent a clip through of her at his stud in the Cotswolds. She had an unfortunate start to her broodmare career, losing her first foal mid term after being spooked by fireworks, but as you can see, she has gone on to produce a lovely filly foal by Postponed, and is back in foal to Frontiersman. We will follow this little lady going forward.
If the booze we had bought earlier in the week wasn’t enough, we had ordered another load from Majestic Wine to add to the tally. By mid afternoon it had not arrived, and when a confused delivery driver rang to say there was no one at home, things seemed a little off kilter, as I was sitting in the lounge looking out at the front of the house with no wine in sight! It turns out the depot had put the delivery address down as the last one on our account, which was a gift sent to the Cotswolds – the poor girl was near Cheltenham! It is a shame that Wendy wasn’t home as she could have taken delivery and brought it with her on Sunday as she is coming to the Open Day! Instead, the poor delivery girl had to come all the way back to Thurleigh to drop it off! It was a long day for her!
Saturday – plenty of video updates from Jason.
Cloud Dancer, back cantering on the deep sand – he is very well and all is good with his injury. We just have to keep our fingers crossed now that he can make it back to the track in one piece! We have cut no corners with his rehab, and therefore he has as good a chance as he can to make it back to the winners’ enclosure!
Nevada Samba warmed up with a trot in the school before heading up the lane for a bit of road work, after which he had a trot on the round gallop. He is fresh and well and will be back to Barbury Castle next week.
Jimmy Gatz is doing plenty of trotting too, and he will continue to do so for another couple of weeks – returning to Olly Murphy next week. I am really looking forward to seeing this young horse over hurdles this winter. Ever since he started schooling at 2 – he has always loved jumping. Thankfully, he is far from the ‘enthusiastic amateur’ – he is very good at it too – so it will be fun watching his career develop as the season progresses.
Later in the morning we headed off to Ivy Lodge ourselves – a stop off on the way to buy a few things for Sunday. I think we cornered the market on sunflowers – stripping every supermarket between Buckinghamshire and Gloucestershire of their long yellow stems – we were like locusts!
Ivy Lodge Farm looked great – the marquee up, the tables and chairs all set out already all that was needed was to unload half a ton of booze from the car - for Cheryl to sort the table decorations, and me to put up the gazebo that would keep the weather off of the PA equipment that would be arriving in the morning. With that done – it was time for a quick beer with Jason, and then we headed to our digs for the next 2 nights – the Premier Inn at the bottom of the hill. A quiet night – keeping everything crossed that the wind didn’t pick up, and that it was going to stay dry on Sunday!
