Yesterday was a massive day! Ben Buie won “readily” at Leicester under a super ride from Sam Twiston-Davies and became our 35th winner of the season passing our previous best of 10 seasons ago. Huge thanks to everyone that has helped this happen – and there are so many of you including all our wonderful owners, family and friends but most of all the Team at home who have worked so hard in all weathers ensuring our horses have kept their form all season.
Ben Buie has been a revelation since an operation for kissing spines a while ago and followed up yesterday a good win at Hereford at the end of November to the delight of his owners, Martin Keighley Racing Partnership 10 who only switched to leasing him at the end of October so after two runs he retains his 100% strike rate for them! What a fun group of people they are and huge thanks to Paul Davis, once again, who runs the Partnership so fabulously. He is so organised and, after missing Hereford, it was super that he was there yesterday to celebrate with us all. Well done to Paddy too who looks after him and rides him in most of his work at home.
Who would have thought, after all the problems we have had with him, that Ben Buie would have been the horse to beat our own previous seasonal best?! So satisfying and I’m so pleased I never lost the faith in him and managed to persuade some others to also not lose the faith! He’s paying us back in spades! More important news is that he’s trotted up sound this morning and seems very pleased with himself – and so he should be! I wonder if his owners are feeling as bright as him this morning?!
Whilst our Racing Post article on Tuesday was behind the ‘Member’s wall’ so non members were unable to read it, the report on Ben Buie isn’t and can be read HERE.
Our Statistics this season make me very happy too: 24% strike-rate, 35 winners from 38 individual horses, +£30.94 to a £1 stake which is the best return in the top 50 jump trainers and our horses running over fences have a massive 32% strike rate!
Meanwhile in London Freddie and his shetland pony Blackie are settled into The London International Horse Show. His stable is decorated (well done Belinda!) and rehearsals completed. He missed this afternoon’s race so makes his debut tonight and is having a wonderful time. ITV London’s cameras were there to interview him and some of his shetland jockey friends so if you are in the London area it’s apparently on at around 6.20pm tonight. They race twice a day (afternoon and evening) from now on apart from Saturday evening and they cannot wait to get going. Good luck Freddie & Blackie!
