Batgirl (pictured at the start, alongside the Seb Sanders-ridden Spirit Of Xaar) covered herself in glory at Yarmouth on Monday (even if she didn't quite manage to win the race) which was a great way for us to have our first Flat turf runner of the year. Ridden typically excellently (ie smoothly and confidently) by Frankie Dettori, she came with what looked like a perfectly-timed winning run, only to find herself just unable to get past Barwick, who carried her halfway across the track in the final furlong, from the centre
to end up on the far rail, and thus was able to maintain his neck advantage all the way to the line. In many countries she would have got the race, but not in this one, where disqualifications or demotions are very rare nowadays. William Buick got a suspension for allowing Barwick (pictured at the start, between the Dave Morris-trained Zaheeb and Brett Doyle on the Clive Brittain-owned and -trained Afkar) to cause the interference
to Batgirl, but that was the limit of the stewards' actions. Still, overall we came away not ruing our misfortune, but extremely happy that this lovely mare had started her season in such great heart with such a good run. (And, of course, one can't be unhappy to lose a race when one's neighbour wins it, Barwick being trained round the corner by Mark Tompkins, who is an excellent neighbour and one who, I am sure, is always as pleased to see this stable do well as I am always pleased to see success for his yard). Batgirl and Frankie really are made for each other:
like so many horses, the more confidence she has, the better she runs, and Frankie gives her all the confidence in the world. He was so nice to her, and so nice to all the connections too, most obviously by removing the two sets of goggles from his helmet after the race and giving one to Tony Fordham's boy Archie and one to Anthony. These will, as you can imagine, be very much cherished, and I think that we can take it that they'll be atop Anthony while he's atop these horses, as he was atop Ex Con (pictured) on Tuesday morning before he went back to his mum's.
If I was pleased by Batgirl's run (which I was), then I was over the moon by the performance of another horse on Monday: Grey Panel, formerly of this stable, won the concluding race on the card at Les Landes in Jersey, thus becoming the first winner whom I have bred. This was really, really exciting, and when the horse's owner/trainer Tony Le Brocq rang me with the news, I found myself with tears in my eyes. Grey Panel is the first foal of my mare Minnie's Mystery, whom I bought at Doncaster October Sale in
1999 for 800 gns (or possibly 700 gns, I forget), and then sold to and trained for Tony as a two-year-old before she went out to Jersey, where she proved a real star, winning 11 races including the Jersey Derby and Jersey Guineas, usually ridden by either Ray McGhin or Kevin Bradshaw. Anyway, when she eventually retired, Tony very kindly gave her to me. I had her covered during her first season by the only horse whom I've trained who has gone on to stand as a stallion (Largesse) and then sent her over to France towards the end of that year (2007) so that she could be covered by Gold Away. Grey Panel
(pictured as a yearling at the stud in April 2009, and then as a two-year-old on the Severals being broken in in March 2010) was thus born in France, as have been all her subsequent foals, as she has remained there, at Haras de la Cauviniere. Her extended stay there is the reason why I never have any money because she swallows up what small living I make from training horses and from my various journalistic commitments - but I can almost say that the excitement with which I greeted the news of Grey Panel's victory (under Sir Mark Prescott's very nice Jersey-born apprentice Tim Clark, which added another nice dimension to the win) made the project worth every euro. So that's wonderful that her first foal has now won (aged four). The second foal is the Ian McInnes-traine Dream Walker (by the aforementioned
Gold Away, and pictured as a foal with his mum in April 2009 at la Cauviniere) while her third foal is here, still in my ownership: Roy Rocket, a gelded son of Layman (pictured being ridden by Terri yesterday). With the first one having won, the next ones in line have a target to aim at now, so let's hope that this victory has opened the floodgates. ("Dream on!", you might be forgiven for saying). Anyway, that really was a very, very special victory for me - and, I believe, for Tony, as it would have been lovely to see him following in his mother's very distinguished footsteps by passing the Les Landes winning post in front.
Batgirl (pictured at the start, alongside the Seb Sanders-ridden Spirit Of Xaar) covered herself in glory at Yarmouth on Monday (even if she didn't quite manage to win the race) which was a great way for us to have our first Flat turf runner of the year. Ridden typically excellently (ie smoothly and confidently) by Frankie Dettori, she came with what looked like a perfectly-timed winning run, only to find herself just unable to get past Barwick, who carried her halfway across the track in the final furlong, from the centre 
to end up on the far rail, and thus was able to maintain his neck advantage all the way to the line. In many countries she would have got the race, but not in this one, where disqualifications or demotions are very rare nowadays. William Buick got a suspension for allowing Barwick (pictured at the start, between the Dave Morris-trained Zaheeb and Brett Doyle on the Clive Brittain-owned and -trained Afkar) to cause the interference 
to Batgirl, but that was the limit of the stewards' actions. Still, overall we came away not ruing our misfortune, but extremely happy that this lovely mare had started her season in such great heart with such a good run. (And, of course, one can't be unhappy to lose a race when one's neighbour wins it, Barwick being trained round the corner by Mark Tompkins, who is an excellent neighbour and one who, I am sure, is always as pleased to see this stable do well as I am always pleased to see success for his yard). Batgirl and Frankie really are made for each other: 
like so many horses, the more confidence she has, the better she runs, and Frankie gives her all the confidence in the world. He was so nice to her, and so nice to all the connections too, most obviously by removing the two sets of goggles from his helmet after the race and giving one to Tony Fordham's boy Archie and one to Anthony. These will, as you can imagine, be very much cherished, and I think that we can take it that they'll be atop Anthony while he's atop these horses, as he was atop Ex Con (pictured) on Tuesday morning before he went back to his mum's.
If I was pleased by Batgirl's run (which I was), then I was over the moon by the performance of another horse on Monday: Grey Panel, formerly of this stable, won the concluding race on the card at Les Landes in Jersey, thus becoming the first winner whom I have bred. This was really, really exciting, and when the horse's owner/trainer Tony Le Brocq rang me with the news, I found myself with tears in my eyes. Grey Panel is the first foal of my mare Minnie's Mystery, whom I bought at Doncaster October Sale in 
1999 for 800 gns (or possibly 700 gns, I forget), and then sold to and trained for Tony as a two-year-old before she went out to Jersey, where she proved a real star, winning 11 races including the Jersey Derby and Jersey Guineas, usually ridden by either Ray McGhin or Kevin Bradshaw. Anyway, when she eventually retired, Tony very kindly gave her to me. I had her covered during her first season by the only horse whom I've trained who has gone on to stand as a stallion (Largesse) and then sent her over to France towards the end of that year (2007) so that she could be covered by Gold Away. Grey Panel 
(pictured as a yearling at the stud in April 2009, and then as a two-year-old on the Severals being broken in in March 2010) was thus born in France, as have been all her subsequent foals, as she has remained there, at Haras de la Cauviniere. Her extended stay there is the reason why I never have any money because she swallows up what small living I make from training horses and from my various journalistic commitments - but I can almost say that the excitement with which I greeted the news of Grey Panel's victory (under Sir Mark Prescott's very nice Jersey-born apprentice Tim Clark, which added another nice dimension to the win) made the project worth every euro. So that's wonderful that her first foal has now won (aged four). The second foal is the Ian McInnes-traine Dream Walker (by the aforementioned
Gold Away, and pictured as a foal with his mum in April 2009 at la Cauviniere) while her third foal is here, still in my ownership: Roy Rocket, a gelded son of Layman (pictured being ridden by Terri yesterday). With the first one having won, the next ones in line have a target to aim at now, so let's hope that this victory has opened the floodgates. ("Dream on!", you might be forgiven for saying). Anyway, that really was a very, very special victory for me - and, I believe, for Tony, as it would have been lovely to see him following in his mother's very distinguished footsteps by passing the Les Landes winning post in front.
2 comments:
lovely photos john, watched batgirl's race and she was always travelling well and it was a good performance. I thought Frankie Dettori gave the horse a great ride and he is in my opinion still the best around. Looking forward to a good flat season for the stable and also the up and coming aintree meeting,
regards
Ian
Cheers, Ian. Indeed Frankie still sets the standard for excellence for the others to aim at.
Great start to Aintree today: first three races all Grade Ones, and four Grade Ones on the day in total. It's as good a meeting as Cheltenham, really.
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