News
Sushi off the mark
- Wednesday, 05 September 2012
This afternoon at Lingfield clever Sushi was our second three year old filly of the week to break her duck, scoring pretty readily under top jockey William Buick. We know that we have a winner on paper if William's agent Michael 'seen and not heard' Haggas feels the need to pick up the phone, and so it proved, as the Hightailers' pride and joy took the race with the minimum of fuss, showing that she had improved on each of her runs to date.
Breeders John and Helen Warboys will be delighted with this success and well done them for keeping the faith. Also congratulations to Holly who has been riding Sushi and took her to the races today. 30 winners now for the season.
Headline News post first win to take yard to 29
- Tuesday, 04 September 2012
The Chestnuts' Headline News posted a convincing first success at Leicester this afternoon under Chris Catlin. She is a delicate horse who has benefitted from careful and conservative training and she ran really well this afternoon. Although she was a bit green and free throughout the race, she was always going to win provided she got a run. She appears to be the sort to repay patience and improve with time, so you would hope for further progression.
Well done to her owners the Chestnuts - namely Derek Willis, Peter Sakal, Pauline Donald, Lynn Lambert and Val Beeson who have helped the yard to this 29th winner of the year. Also well done to Maxi, who looks after her and (sorry) me who normally rides her. 29 winners for the year!
Wahay, Cufflink gets us there at last
- Friday, 31 August 2012
It has seemed like a long time since win number 27 although it was only 11 days ago, so it was great to see Cufflink end the waiting in style at Wolverhampton this evening, posting a convincing 2 1/2 length win over red hot favourite Medhyaar under jockey Chris Catlin. Although Cufflink was keen enough through the race, Chris settled her as well as he could in a wide third and turning into the straight the second and third obligingly parted like the Red Sea to let her post her first win on her fourth start.
Cufflink is owned and bred by Soham builder Colin Murfitt from his first horse, Fred's Dream. It has been a good week for Colin's Pantile Stud homebreds, as on Wednesday he sold another yearling filly by Dutch Art out of Petong's Pet for £110,000 at Doncaster Bloodstock Sales. Many congratulations to Colin and his family. Also a big well done to Bo Hicks-Little, who used to work in the office here at Chestnut Tree Stables and now manages Pantile Stud, looking after many of our horses in training and clients' broodmares.
Oh and I nearly forgot - 28 (27 in England and Mirza in Ireland) marks Rae's best total ever for one year!
First Class takes yard to best total
- Monday, 20 August 2012
Brian and Elaine Cooper's First Class relished the sounder surface at Doncaster on Saturday night to help the yard to 27 winners, our best equal total, last achieved back in 2001. So just one more needed for a best ever year numerically and still one or two horses who look as though they can add to the total. The strike rate of 22% also bears scrutiny compared to many very successful trainers' 2012 totals (for illustration Sir Henry Cecil 35 winners 18% strike rate/Jeremy Noseda 22 winners, 16% strike rate/Sir Mark Prescott 24 winners, 18% strike rate).
Anyway, the yard's achievement should not dilute the significance of First Class's third win of 2012, a massive step up on where he was a year ago. He was a bit of a slow learner but is a horse who has shown consistent improvement since the penny dropped earlier this year. Owner/breeders Brian and Elaine adore 'Ronnie' and it is good to see him repaying their faith in him. Congratulations to them.
Another great double as Princess returns to form
- Sunday, 12 August 2012