Who wouldn’t love a Mr Mafia?! What a super horse he is and what pleasure he has brought us all. Yesterday was another brave run and he was so gutsy and gave everything for Harry Stock, who gets on so well with him, at Fontwell and didn’t deserve to get beaten going down by 1/2 a length with 45 lengths back to the third and 65 lengths back to the fourth. Picked up for just £5000 for John Abernethy and Peter Boggis at the end of 2017, we didn’t run him until the end of May but since then he’s won four times, finished 2nd twice and finished 3rd once picking up over £24,000 – what a star he is. John and Peter would love to run him at Cheltenham at the end of the month and he deserves his chance stepping up in class. He’s eaten up and is A1 this morning and physio Hannah Ashton was in and saw him trot up and was pleased with him as well.
Much needed rain arrived overnight and a foul morning for the team to ride out in this morning. Not the best morning for visitors either but Sophie Kopanski brought her parents and sister here for a Morning on the Gallops with breakfast and fizz – an Auction Prize she bid for and it was fantastic to meet them all. Luckily hardened country folk and not bothered by the lashing rain – it’s still stunning here on a wet day and they were able to watch 2nd lot in the warmth of our Owners’ Room with it’s huge viewing window where they watched the horses canter around the loop whilst enjoying their breakfast & fizz.
Chris Dee was in with Wendy Carter to watch Chris’s Pirate Look who heads to Stratford on Monday over hurdles.
No runners today but tomorrow we are excited that Reve makes his debut for us and over hurdles at Uttoxeter for big supporter Ollie Ryan. He’s been castrated since he came over from France in the Spring and has benefited from Ollie’s patience in not running him earlier in the year. As with all of ours, he has been extensively schooled, however you never quite know until they run how they will take to hurdles but he’s a big imposing type, is working well and we think quite a lot of him.