A brilliant day at Hereford yesterday and especially for Nigel McAllen who part owns Prairie Diamond with us. Nigel, who has not only named him but whose colours he runs in, was understandably nervous watching him make his racecourse debut having only been backed and ridden away at Martin Jones’ Redmarley base at the end of May last year.
He’d needn’t have worried as Prairie Diamond was a complete pro the whole day and, given a lovely ride from Sean Bowen, the combination took it up in the final furlong and galloped through the line to win by 1/2 a length with Sean unable to pull him up for quite some way! Nigel followed the lorry home so he was here to greet him into his box and give him plenty of polos! Prairie Diamond is bright and well this morning and hopefully Nigel’s head isn’t too bad too!
Two meetings today with two at Leicester and one at Sandown Park. Heading to Leicester are two half brothers, Ben Buie and Dreamsundermyfeet who we have had since youngsters from PJ Colville too and who both, after plenty of time, have won plenty of races between them. Ben Buie is partnered by David Bass whose positive riding style should suit him and he boasts the best form of any horse in my yard I think with form figures of 321311 recently. He seems in very good heart and if he shows the resolution he did last time out then he should take some beating.
Dreamsundermyfeet is also ultra consistent with form figures of 33332 but it would be great to get his head back in front. Rex Dingle, who has won on him before, is in the saddle and if he jumps as well as he can do then he will be thereabouts too as he’s in great form at home.
At Sandown Spanish Present re-appears after a wind operation for David Maughan. It’s a red hot race but hopefully with an improvement in his wind he will be able to finish his races better and will run a solid race although sometimes it does take a run for them to have confidence in their breathing. We’ve always thought a lot of him so I am hopeful he’ll start to show on the track what he does at home.