An early start for the team with four runners at Catterick Racecourse so we’ll be busy in North Yorkshire today, all partnered by our Conditional Jockey Patrick Cowley.
Enforcement kicks off proceedings with in the 2m 3f Handicap Chase and it’s his first run since a wind operation. He is now in the colours of our Racing Club having been generously leased to the Club by owners Jon & Jack Hughes. He has a visor for the first time and he seems to enjoy jumping fences so he will hopefully be bang there again.
Lucky Circle is our next runner making her debut for us and her hurdling debut too. She had no form on the flat but is a nice size and seems to have a good attitude. She was purchased by Cheltenham Racecourse’s Lee Moulson from breeder Roger Brookhouse and in Lee’s ‘Lucky Circle’ Syndicate is a group of fantastic racing enthusiasts. The dream is still very much alive for them all and, although she will need to improve vastly for a hurdle…. who knows?!
Forecast makes his chasing debut in the new colours of The Tenovus Partnership who does include many of his previous owners. He’s sometimes a little chancy at his hurdles but has an engine and if he takes to fences and respects them he has a big chance today.
Finally we run Mr Mafia who needs no introduction at all and he runs in the 3m 1f Handicap Chase. It’s the big race of the day so unsuprisingly a competitive affair however if he puts his disappointing run at Cheltenham behind him, where he hated the ground that day, he should be thereabouts again. What a fun horse he has been winning 7 times for us in under two years and hard to believe he will be turning 11 in a month – don’t tell him!
My family are from Yorkshire so our runners will have plenty of support today as lots of them are heading North.
Back on the Lash hated the gluey ground yesterday at Market Rasen and, although he never knows when he is beaten and is one of the toughest horses I’ve trained, he had no luck in running either. Although only beaten 10 lengths he was well down the field but you can put a line through that run and he’ll bounce back. He’s A1 this morning.
Jon & Jack Hughes and Paul Davis and Pip Frankish are on duty for us at Ascot Racecourse today where Ascot are putting on Discover Racehorse Ownership Weekend and we have a stand there. Do go along and see them today if you are at Ascot. Tomorrow I’m taking Belinda & the boys there and manning the stall ourselves and we are also parading Black Prince so call and see us tomorrow too – if the boys’ haven’t eaten them all, there will be sweets too!