I was so impressed with Brorson’s facile win yesterday in the feature race at Southwell under a motionless Sean Bowen for David Maughan who was at Southwell with his wife Lorraine. Before the race I hoped the bookies were correct as he was so short in the market and some of his opponents were smart enough but right they were as he jumped for fun and was heavily eased to win by 16 lengths with his head in his chest. Exciting plans ahead and absolutely thrilled to register our 37th winner of the season. We’ve had just 38 individual horses run so to get to 37 winners is fantastic.
With our 6 runners yesterday all very well supported it did feel as if we literally had half of the crowd at the fixture which had been a late addition but which had promised good ground according to the various weather forecasts I rely upon. However an unwanted 16/17mm fell overnight and as I drove in through endless large puddles my hopes for quite a few of my runners diminished.
Ben Buie had arrived at Leicester last week only for the fixture to be abandoned due to the hurdles course being waterlogged but, as the chase course is so different there (the hurdles course is watered all summer for the flat) they were still promising good ground and we were the first chase. That was disappointing as that would have suited him. However he still ran a blinder to finish 3rd and will now have a holiday until the ground dries up later in the spring. Cut And Run also ran in the same race and gradually gained confidence on her second chasing start and ran well to finish 6th and we can hopefully build on that.
Found On was next and ran a huge race on her chasing debut for a long way but the softening ground, the extra distance and the lack of a recent run told and she finished tired. She’ll come on a lot for that and we will probably drop her back in trip next time. She’s a lovely mare.
I was very worried about the ground for Debden Bank, being later in the day, as he enjoys as sounder surface but he was in good form and was always going to have a bit of a break after his run. I was really pleased with how he jumped back over hurdles after jumping disappointingly over fences last time but he dropped out of contention and James sensibly pulled him up before 2 out. They’ll be other days for him.
Finally Kazontherazz ran another blinder under 7lb claimer Finn Lambert, who comes in regularly to ride out. She’s one tough mare and, like half brothers Back On The Lash and Pinnacle Peak, doesn’t know when she’s beat. She was frustratingly boxed in all the way around the turn for home and then wasn’t very fluent over the last however stuck at it to just go down by a neck where it mattered … and was in front strides afterwards where it didn’t! A bit frustrating, as I say, but she’s giving owners The Meagher Family so much fun and another really solid run. She’ll have a break now too after two tough races and there will no doubt be plenty more fun to have with her.
All of the horses seem A1 this morning and trotted up well. Great to get our 1st winner of 2022 under our belts and a good 2nd and 3rd as well. A last family day too before the boys go back to school tomorrow. They’ve had two really good days racing at Cheltenham on Saturday and then Southwell yesterday.