News Bulletin ...

HOT OFF THE PRESS ... DONALD McCAIN AND LAWNEY HILL JOIN OUR TEAM OF TRAINERS

We are delighted that Donald McCain is training our three year old Generous filly, Diligent.  See "Our Trainers" page for more details and a link to his website. 

Following a series of disappointing runs from Baily Storm we decided a change of scenery was needed and he has now joined Lawney Hill at Watlington in Oxfordshire where he has settled in well.  He has had one run since joining Lawney and you can see the details below under Results.  He is a fast ground horse and is now enjoying his seasonal break and will be back in work early in 2012.

Having six trainers based in Devon, Dorset, Wales, Oxfordshire, Cheshire and Yorkshire really does mean that all our members have a stable within reach and their horses really will be racing nationwide.  We are really looking forward to arranging our stable visits to the famous McCain yard and also see the beautiful setting where Lawney Hill is based.

Results for Last Season

We had a good 2010/2011 season - Baily Storm won three, Mibleu and Douryna won one each and overall we finished 2nd six times and came 3rd in three.  This gave us a win-to-run percentage of 15% and we achieved prize money in 19 of the 34 races we ran in, giving us a 56% success rate - a really excellent result.  Total prize money for the season totalled over £30,000.

Club Horses ... Entries and Updates

Club Horses ... Results!  (in date order, most recent first)

4TH WIN THIS SEASON!  Diligent ran in a classy Bumper at Doncaster on Saturday 28th January 2012, ridden by Adrian Lane (stable jockey for Donald McCain).  Donald has worked hard on our filly and she looked a picture - fit, gleaming but very relaxed before the start.  Adrian dropped her in at the back of the field and she settled well, moving up smoothly - and with about 3 furlongs to go she changed gear and forged up and went shoulder to shoulder with the leader, Lady Sinatra who had led all the way.  The pair battled it out gamely but our lass just managed to get up and won by a neck!  Absolutely tremendous result and well done to Donald and his team and, of course, congrats to Adrian!  This was her first ever run and she did run quite green so should improve a lot for the run and could be a real star. 

Ruby Bay ran in his first chase at Uttoxeter on Saturday 28th January, ridden by Christian Williams.  The ground was heavy and there was only a field of five, and these races can often be tricky as strategy plays a major role.  Ruby Bay ran well and jumped very nicely but made a couple of errors which probably cost him the race.  He finished in 2nd place but we are sure he will come on a bomb for this run. 

Present M'Lord made his long awaited return to the tracks at Newbury on 18th January 2012 with Daryl Jacob riding in a 3 mile Handicap Chase.  It was 451 days since his last run and we were all concerned about him, but he thoroughly enjoyed his day out and settled well in the race, jumping well throughout.  Daryl was delighted with him and Nick Williams reported that his legs were ice cold afterwards and he ate up well and trotted out sound next morning.  His next outing will be Newcastle at the end of February.

Jumps Road ran in a Grade 2 Novice Hurdle at Warwick on Saturday 14th January in a field of 8 up against top horses a couple of classes above his previous competition, and also the distance was 5 furlongs further.  Before the race Colin Tizzard stated that maybe the jump in class was a little early, but he likes the horse and wanted to see how he did.  The ground at Warwick was dead as it was drying out after heavy rain a week earlier.  Jumps Road jumped big over the first few hurdles but after that settled well.  He couldn't go the pace down the back straight but stayed on well and finished strongly, taking 5th and only 4 lengths behind the favourite, Highland Lodge trained by Emma Lavelle.  Bearing in mind that the winner, Cotton Mill, is an ex-Flat horse that has been in training since he was 2 and the horses in 2nd and 3rd were both a year older than Jumps Road, and as they all carried the same weight, this was a good performance and we should be proud of him.  He has come out of the race well and should run again early February.

Douryna ran at Hereford on Sunday 8th January in a 2m6f Handicap Chase, ridden by Brendan Powell who claims 7 lb.  She jumped exceptionally well and briefly took the lead two out but unfortunately Niceonefrankie acted better on the dead ground and she finished a very good 2nd, winning £788 in prize money.  Colin was delighted with her and she should be out again in 2-3 weeks time.

Chadford ran at Chepstow in the Coral Future Champtions Group 1 Finale Hurdle on Tuesday 27th December.  The ground was extremely testing and he couldn't act on it but finished a creditable sixth and even picked up some prize money.  He came out of the race well and will run again towards the end of January or early February to prepare him for the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival.

3rd WIN THIS SEASON!  Jumps Road ran a great race at Ffos Las on Wednesday 21st December, ridden by Joe Tizzard.  There was field of 12, the going was heavy but Jumps Road settled well, jumped very nicely and crept through the field to beat Ashbrittle by a length and Charm School 3rd (both very nice horses).  We are delighted with our boy and look forward to seeing him out again in a few weeks time.

Mibleu ran at Taunton on Thursday 8th December in a 2 mile 110 yard Handicap Chase in a field of six.  He ran and jumped well and looked to be in contention three fences out under a good ride from Richard Johnson, but then found nothing.  Richard said that although the horse appeared to be going well, he was never really enjoying the sticky ground and decided to pull him up as the best option.  He will now have a well earned rest, having been on the go for a long time and hopefully, although he will be 12 next year, he will give us some great fun from April to October.

Greywell Boy ran slightly disappointingly on Friday 2nd December at Exeter when he finished 5^th beaten 21 lengths after setting the pace for the majority of the race and then finding little from 3 hurdles out.  Nick Williams said he needs 2½ miles but was hoping to make the first 4 to qualify for the final of this hurdle series and unfortunately we missed out on that.  It may be that Nick ran him too soon after his last race 12 days before and he will have a six/eight week break before he races again.  I am confident that he will prove to be a great success for us, he is only 4 years of age and needs a bit of time. 

2nd WIN THIS SEASON! Chadford put up a great performance to win at Catterick on his first appearance for Chasing Gold.  The ground was not ideal for him, being good, good to firm in places and he would prefer it much softer but he was always travelling well and apart from hitting one hurdle he jumped very well and once he took the lead he always looked the winner.  He has come out of the race very well and Tim Walford is sure his confidence is growing.          

Greywell Boy ran at Exeter on Sunday 20th November, ridden by James Reveley, in a 2m1f Novice Hurdle and finished 3rd of 15.  He ran very well and we were delighted with his performance as the first two in the race were very decent types.  He has come out of the race well and we expect to see him back in a few weeks.  As he is a young horse he will not have too heavy a campaign this year and in time we hope he will turn into a nice chaser.

Ruby Bay ran at Hereford on Monday 7th November, ridden by Daryl Jacob, in a 2m6½f Novice Hurdle and finished 4th of 7.  After a lay-off of 267 days this was a good result.  Daryl settled him into a good rhythm, he jumped well, and showed some speed at the end to stay on for 4th.  We were very pleased with this result and look forward to seeing him out again soon.  We believe he'll make a great chaser.

Mibleu  ran at Ffos Las on Sunday 6th November in a 2m Handicap Chase on soft ground, ridden by Joe Tizzard.  We know that Mibleu prefers fast ground but Colin Tizzard was keen to try him on soft and he ran very well indeed, jumping well throughout, and finished a very creditable 3rd beaten only 5½ lengths.   We are delighted with his performance.

Douryna ran at Wincanton on Saturday 5th November in a 2m5f Handicap Chase on good to soft ground ridden by Joe Tizzard.  There were 13 runners and interestingly only 7 finished - 3 fell and 3 pulled up - so the going was testing.  Douryna pecked on landing at the first and didn't really enjoy her run.  Joe popped her round safely and we hope the handicapper will drop her a few pounds as he put her up so much for her win at Huntingdon and 3rd in the Listed event at Newbury earlier this year.

Jumps Road  also ran at Chepstow on Tuesday 25th October in the second division of the Novice Hurdle - and also making his hurdling debut.  Colin Tizzard was very enthusiastic about him as he has worked really well at home, and Joe Tizzard kept him in 2nd or 3rd place throughout.  He jumped beautifully and two from home was going very easily when he slipped and come down.  We were extremely disappointed and we are sure he would have made the frame.  He was fine after the race and will hopefully run quite soon.

Greywell Boy ran at Chepstow on Tuesday 25th October - making his hurdling debut.  He had schooled well at home and Nick Williams was very optimistic but there were some top horses in the race.  James Reveley gave him a lovely ride and he finished in 3rd place, only beaten 7 lengths by Paul Nicholls top performer Prospect Wells.  Very exciting - and a super introduction to hurdling.

Mibleu ran at Aintree on Sunday 23rd October, ridden by Aidan Coleman.  It was a Class 2 Handicap Chase over 2 miles and he was up against quality opposition.  Aidan managed to steady him at the back of the field and he stayed on well, finishing 4th and winning £675, but only narrowly missing out on 3rd place.  We were delighted with his performance as this was probably his toughest race yet.  What a boy!

Douryna ran at Chepstow on Saturday 22nd October, ridden by Joe Tizzard.  She ran well and was in contention but could not push on at the end and finished 6th.  We were very pleased with her performance, but in hindsight the race may have come a little too soon after her run at Wetherby.

Douryna ran at Wetherby on Wednesday 12th October, ridden by Daryl Jacob.  This was her first run of the season and she finished fourth in ground that was probably too soft for her as Wetherby had torrential rain in the 24 hours before the race.  She jumped and travelled well throughout but just couldn't take third place.  She has come out of the race well and we hope to run her within a couple of weeks.

Baily Storm ran at Ludlow on Wednesday 5th October, ridden by Daryl Jacob.  He jumped well and was moving through the field when he slipped and fell on the final bend.  Daryl reported after the race that he was travelling well and believed he would have finished either 2nd or 3rd but would not have been able to catch the winner. 

Mibleu ran at Ffos Las on Thursday 25th August in a valuable 2 mile Handicap Chase, ridden by Aidan Coleman.  There were six runners and West with the Wind, who won the race last year, soon had a 6 length lead.  Mibleu jumped the first two fences with style, but due to the small field he found himself in 2nd place and set off in pursuit of the leader.   He hit the 3rd fence very hard but held 2nd place until four fences from home when his earlier error slowed him down and he finally finished 5th, but still won members over £400.  He was a little sore after the race but apparently suffered no serious damage.

Baily Storm ran at Worcester on Tuesday 16th August competing in a 2 mile 7 furlong Handicap Chase ridden by Daryl Jacob.  He settled in 2nd place and ran well but sadly hit the second last fence which bought him down.  He was a little stiff next day but is basically fit and well and we are currently considering our next move.

1st WIN THIS SEASON!  Mibleu ran in a very competitive 11 runner Class 2 two mile 110 yard Handicap Chase at Newton Abbot on Tuesday 9th August, ridden for the first time by Aidan Coleman, and won in great style.  Throughout the race Aidan kept him handily placed, and Mibleu settled well to his task and jumped beautifully.  He jumped into the lead three fences from the finish and it was a joy to see the rest of the field really under pressure.  He stayed on well and finally won by 2¾ lengths.  This was the best performance of his career - can he really be improving at 11 years of age?

Mibleu ran at Worcester on Tuesday 26th July, ridden by Joe Tizzard over 2 miles.  The ground was good to firm which was ideal and he raced well, jumping superbly.  At the third last he jumped into the lead, but Oceana Gold fought back and pulled away on the run-in so we finished 2nd.  It was good to see that the race was run in a very quick time, less than a second outside Mibleu's track record which still stands.

Mibleu ran at Newton Abbot on Wednesday 25th May, ridden by Joe Tizzard over 2 miles.  The ground was perfect for him and he raced fluently but was up against the winner of his previous race whose handicap mark had not been adjusted for his win.  He finished a creditable 3rd, but was carrying 20 lbs more than the horse that finished 2nd.

Mibleu ran at Stratford on Sunday 15th May ridden by Joe Tizzard over 2 miles 1½ furlongs.  He ran well and jumped beautifully but lost 2nd place on the run in, finishing 4th.  Turning into the home straight Joe thought he was the winner, but the extra 1½ furlongs made all the difference. 

Douryna ran at Hereford on Thursday 28th April where she ran prominently but was beaten about 4½ lengths into 2nd.  Her jockey, Joe Tizzard, said she wasn't happy on the ground which was too quick for her.  Due to the lack of rain and fast ground conditions generally we have roughed her off and she is now out at grass for a well earned rest and will return to training in July/August.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR 2010/2011 SEASON ...

3rd PLACE IN LISTED RACE  Douryna ran very well at Newbury in a Class 1 Listed Chase on Saturday 26th March, ridden by Colin Tizzard's amateur jockey, Robbie Henderson.  She raced prominently, leading for a distance, and jumped very well throughout.  After the last jump she stayed on well and finished third, beaten by about 11 lengths.  We were delighted with her performance, and winnings of over £2,500.  We had good support from Club members who enjoyed a glass of champagne with the Newbury stewards after the race.  All in all, a very exciting day.

5th WIN OF LAST SEASON - Douryna won in emphatic style at Huntingdon on Sunday 6th March, ridden by Daryl Jacob.  There were 10 runners and Daryl dropped her in just behind the leader but she took over from the 7th and went on, jumping beautifully and ultimately winning by 13 lengths.  There were about 10 members present and we made plenty of noise when she cleared the last!  This was a brilliant run as we have always believed she would excel at chasing, it has just taken a while for the penny to drop!

4th WIN OF LAST SEASON - Mibleu also ran at Worcester on Wednesday 23rd June, ridden by Keiran Burke.  Mibleu was held up at the back of the field for the first half of the race, but with six fences to go Keiran could hold him no longer and he surged into third place before taking the lead 3 out and after jumping the final fence Keiran repeatedly looked back to see if any of the opposition were in sight!  He finished the race 0.2 seconds slower than last year when we broke the track record.  It was a superb performance from horse, jockey and trainer.

3rd WIN OF LAST SEASON - Baily Storm ran at Worcester on Wednesday 23rd June, ridden by Daryl Jacob, in a very competitive 2 mile 7 furlong Novice Chase.  Daryl kept him tucked in third but took up the lead two from home and stayed on well to win by 14 lengths.  Another fantastic performance.

2nd WIN OF LAST SEASON - Baily Storm ran at Hexham on Saturday 5th June, ridden by Daryl Jacob, in a 5 horse Novice Chase over 2 miles 4½ furlongs.  He jumped well and kept up with the leader but the pace was slow which did not suit him.  He took up the lead but idled in front, giving a chance to the horse in second.   It was a close finish, but he battled it out and just did enough to take first. 

1st WIN OF LAST SEASON - Baily Storm, ridden for the first time by Daryl Jacob, won  a 2 mile Novice Chase at Stratford on Sunday 16th May.  This was his first time in a chase and he ran a fantastic race.  There were only three runners, but he was up against tough opposition from Mumbles Pier and Classic Swain, ridden by AP McCoy.  Mumbles Pier fell two out, badly hampering Baily Storm, and leaving Classic Swain with a four length lead, but at the last fence our boy had made up the ground and they were in the air together.  Baily Storm was ridden out to win by a head.  This was a tremendous achievement and terrifically exciting to watch.