Horse Racing News


	Kelso Races
	6th March 2010 Primrose Time ran in the two mile one furlong novice handicap chase at Kelso, she was ridden by Alex Voy. Having been covered in snow and frozen for quite a bit of the previous week the ground was a pretty grim mixture of Heavy / Soft but all the jockeys reported that it was riding really testing and holding, like riding through cold porridge. Although the two mile trip was always going to be on the short side for her, we were desperate to get a run into her as she has had so many missed races due to the weather and Alex was hoping to get a good start from her, as in previous races, and make her stamina work against the others, however that plan was scuppered early on as the starter told all the jockeys to take a turn before he would let them go and Alex went and turned her around and as she was almost facing the wrong way around he let them go so she was almost fifteen lengths behind the others, not ideal, especially over two miles. After this she was always trying to play catch up and was having to go faster than she would have liked and therefore she did start jumping to her right, just to put herself right at the fences. Pretty soon it was obvious that her chance was gone so Alex just let her jump round and when the pressure was off her she jumped well and galloped home nicely. Very frustrating but hopefully there will be lots of racing now that the snow is gone. She will run over a longer trip next time out.

	Wolverhampton Races
	5th March 2010 Agricultural ran in the one mile maiden stakes at Wolverhampton under the flood lights on Friday evening at 8.05pm. He was ridden by Barry McHugh and the going was Standard to Fast, this was his first run on the all weather. He was a bit slow out of the stalls but was then up in the mid division all the way, and the pace throughout was pretty quick. He was caught for a bit of toe turning into the home straight and then weakened over the last couple of furlongs. However in his previous races when he has come off the bridle he has found nothing and almost pulled himself up this time he kept galloping on strongly so will be upped in trip next time out. He is now eligible for handicap races which will make his life a bit easier.

	Kelso Races
	18th February 2010 Kelso had to pass a couple of course inspections and the going was Heavy. Portway Girl was running in the two mile Mares only bumper, ridden by Alex Voy. Alex managed to get a great start and was twenty lengths clear passing the stands with a circuit to go. She was still well clear down the back straight and even when the field got within a couple of lengths of her she still managed to keep up the relentless gallop and WON having never seen another horse. This was a great run and she was certainly helped by having previous racecourse experience, she is still a big raw horse who will grow and fill out further and so there will be more improvement to come. It was great that so many members of the LBN Racing Club were there to see her winning. New members are welcome to join the club at any time !!!

	Musselburgh Races
	17th February 2010 Musselburgh had to pass several course inspections due to frozen ground, however just an hour before the first race the meeting finally got the go-ahead. The going was Good, good to soft in places. We had two runners both ridden by Alex Voy. Strobewas running in the two mile four furlong novice handicap chase, he had schooled really well since his fall last time out, and in his usual customary style jumped off in the front and was really happy and jumping well. However coming to the eleventh fence a horse just came upsides him and /i think upset his concentration and he just clipped the top of the fence and sadly parted company with Alex. This was a great shame as he didnt really make a mistake and he had been travelling better than in any of his recent races, very frustrating but there will be other days for him. Ballet DAnges was making his racecourse debut in the bumper, the two mile National Hunt flat race. This course would not be his ideal track but his has been waiting to run for ages and has even twice been on the horsebox on the way racing only for the meetings to be called off, so we couldnt miss this opportunity. He is a lovely big horse who has a certain presence about him. The pace was very slow for the first three quarters of a mile and Alex had trouble settling him, but there were many others in the same boat. The pace increased down the back straight and he was able to use his big long stride to get up with the leaders, he lost a few places coming around the tight home bend and he just galloped strongly up to finish in sixth place. He was very green and will have learnt such a lot from that run but it was a great first run.

	Newcastle Races
	16th February 2010 The going at Newcastle was Heavy. We had one runner in what turned out to be a very eventful race, the two mile six furlong mares maiden hurdle, Euphemia who was ridden by Alex Voy. She was settled on the outside towards the back of the field, which turned out to be a good place to be, when passing the finishing post first time out some of the leading jockeys went the wrong side of a rail. By the time the mistake was realised it was too late for some of the field and others lost many lengths. Thankfully Alex was on the outside and was able to keep on the right side of the marker. This decimated the field quite a lot and left Euphemia with the leaders, she jumped really nicely but just found the very heavy ground a bit too much for her but she still ran a great race and finished sixth. Alex rode a very nice winner, on Mister Pete for Chris Grant in the final race of the day, the two and a half mile hurdle, he made all the running and battled on well at the finish.

	Musselburgh Races.
	27th January 2010 We had six runners at Musselburgh where the ground was Good to Soft, Soft in places. Parsons Punch ridden by Alex Voy was running in the first division of the two mile novices hurdle. He has been quite free in his previous races and Alex settled him well at the back of the field and he was a bit keen over the first couple of hurdles but then warmed to the task before just blowing up in the home straight. It was his first run since September and he will come on for the outing. Euphimia ran in the two mile four furlong mares only novice hurdle and she was ridden by Alex Voy. She was held up towards the back of the field, and made a move down the back straight before hitting a bit of a flat spot just as the pace increased but she did stay on really strongly over the final couple of furlongs to finish in fifth place. She will be better over a longer trip and is now eligible to run in handicaps which might be easier for her. Agricultural ran in the second division of the two mile novices hurdle and he was ridden by Alex Voy. He was the winner of the best turned out award. He pulls quite hard in the early stages of the race but his jumping is foot perfect however he just does not seem to stay the two mile trip, this might be due to immaturity as he is still quite a baby or he may be better suited to running on the flat. Strobe was running in the two mile four furlong handicap chase, ridden by Alex Voy. He had taken up his usual front running position and was jumping for fun and enjoying himself when he just landed a bit steeply over the ninth fence and could not get his feet out quick enough and took quite a heavy fall, thankfully both horse and jockey were quickly on their feet. Hugely frustrating but at least they will both live to fight another day. Lochore ridden by Campbell Gillies and Sunnyside ridden by Alex Voy were both running in the two mile bumper, the last race of the day. In typical bumper fashion the early pace was nothing too fancy and Sunnyside was up in the first three or four horses Lochore was a bit keen but settled well after a couple of furlongs. The pace increased strongly over the last half mile and Sunnyside was still with the leaders until he just blew up over the last furlong and Lochore was not quite able to get involved. Lochore is a lovely big horse who is still a real baby and will be more suited to running over hurdles and fences in the future when he has matured mentally and physically. Sunnyside only joined us a couple of days ago and we had not really been able to assess his fitness before this run but showed that there is a huge amount of promise and he is a very exciting prospect for the future.

	Sedgefield Races
	26th January 2010 Wow we are back racing .... after such a long time its great to get onto the track again and Portway Girl is our first runner of the New Year and the first runner since 15th December. She was running in the two mile mares only bumper and was ridden by Alex Voy, she was also the winner of the best turned out award. The going was Soft to Heavy. Alex jumped her off in the front and she led the field along at a good pace and seemed to be really contented at the head of the race, she was still in front turning into the home straight where three horses had pulled clear of the rest of the field. Two horses did get in front of her and she stayed on well to finish in third place. This was a great result and especially as we were really held up during the snow, for quite a long time we just had to potter around in the snow, which the horses really enjoyed but it did change our training routine and therefore we did not know how fit they would be when they got back onto the racetrack.

	Catterick Races
	15th December 2009 Frith ridden by Alex Voy was running in the two mile handicap chase, he looked really well in the parade ring and seemed to be really enjoying himself. The going was Good to Soft. Frith was able to be up with the pace over the first couple of fences and was really jumping so well and travelling strongly, he does always hit a bit of a flat spot at some stage in a race and so he dropped back a little but then made up some ground coming around the home turn but it may be that he now needs a longer trip as he was just unable to get back up with the leaders but he travelled well to the line but may just now lack the finishing burst of speed that is needed for two miles.

	Hexham Races
	9th December 2009 Stormont Dawn was running in the three mile handicap chase and the going was Heavy, there had been quite a bit of rain and it was testing to say the least. She was ridden by Alex Voy. She jumped nicely throughout the race she can occasionally hit the odd fence but this time was foot perfect and she chased the leading bunch for the first two and a half miles. She just began to weaken coming up the hill and was not able to get into contention and was rightly pulled up before the last fence. She can be quite a stuffy horse and perhaps had been a bit lazy at home recently !

	Musselburgh Races
	7th December 2009 Strobe was running in the two and a half mile novice handicap chase and was ridden by Alex Voy. The going was Soft, Good to Soft in places and for Musselburgh which is normally pretty quick going it was riding as quite tiring. Strobe was not quite able to get the start that Alex wanted, the tapes went back when he was not lined up so he never got to the front of the field which seems to be where he really likes to be. However he settled well in second place and jumped really nicely on his second start over fences. He was disputing third place but still travelling well when the horse beside him fell and hampered Strobe who had to manoeuvre around the fallen horses legs and he was lucky not to be brought down at this stage, it did lose him any chance of getting back to the leaders and Alex popped him over the last two fences and he finished in third place. A nice result for his second start over fences and he does seem to be enjoying chasing.

	Wetherby Races
	5th December 2009 Lochore ridden by Alex Voy was making his racecourse debut in the junior bumper at Wetherby. Junior bumpers are restricted to three year old horses only, or four year olds after New Year and are run over one mile and five furlongs only instead of two miles. The going at Wetherby was Heavy, Soft down the back straight, and the course had to pass an inspection early on Saturday morning. Much of the track had been waterlogged for much of the previous week, so the going was pretty testing. This was the first time that Lochore had been to the racecourse and he took it all in his stride and was very well behaved in all the preliminaries and although a bit on his toes down at the start, he really looked the part. He was a bit keen in the early stages of the race but the pace early on was sensible given the ground conditions and he did then settle and was up with the leading bunch throughout the race. He weakened coming up the home straight and Alex was not over hard on him in the final couple of furlongs when he was not going to catch the leaders. He finished in eighth place which was a very nice result for such a big baby who should have a decent future ahead of him but as a three year old he will not be pushed too hard.

	Ayr Races.
	2nd December 2009 We had four runners at Ayr today. The going had dried up slightly from what was expected earlier in the week and it was officially Soft, Good to Soft in places. Needless to say this was the first jumps meeting of the season at Ayr so the ground was nicely covered with fresh grass. All four were ridden by Alex Voy and three of the four runners were awarded the Best Turned Out Awards Portway Girl may also have got it but she was a bit late into the parade ring, so we will never quite know about that. Primrose Time was running in the two mile novice chase, and again was meeting Bedlam Boy, who beat her at Carlisle last time out. She jumped off in front but was soon battling for the lead with Bedlam Boy, a high class two miler and so she settled nicely in second place. She was just a bit put off by the horse in front at the fourth fence and almost over jumped it and came down very steeply, Alex was shot up her neck but she managed to get him back in the saddle and she jumped brilliantly until the third last fence where she just put in a short stride so brushed through the top of it but again jumped the final two fences foot perfect. She finished a very good second beaten only by six lengths. I think her novicey mistakes were due to travelling at two mile speed and not three mile speed so she was just a bit out of her comfort zone, but a great effort all the same. The trip of two miles was always going to be too short for her but she is so well at home and we wanted to get a run into her, there are other opportunities for her later on in the week but the weather is a bit unpredictable and there is an ideal race for her back at Ayr in twelve days time, and novice handicap over a longer trip and we wanted to give her a run but also have enough time between races so we decided to run her today. Shambery was running in the three mile handicap hurdle. She settled and jumped really well and led for much of the race and was taking the field along nicely. She hit a flat spot down the back and then when Alex asked her for another effort there was no response which is unlike her, however she went wrong just after the line and was attended to by the racecourse vets. It may be that she was feeling something during the race but we will never know. She is such a lovely horse and it was a great shame that she picked up this injury. Frith was running in the two mile handicap chase. He put in a rather lacklustre race at Sedgefield last time and we could not really find an excuse for that, however he seemed much happier at the track today and jumped so much more fluently, almost foot perfect, however he always hits a flat spot during his races and then comes with a finishing burst but just as he was about to deliver his run he clipped the top of the fourth last fence, his only mistake, and it practically stopped him in his tracks and almost lost his jockey so his chance was gone. He did manage to finish fourth, it does seem to take him a run or two to find his feet after his holidays but he certainly was much happier in himself today. Portway Girl was running in the junior bumper, it is run over a mile and six furlongs and is for three year olds only. This was her second ever race and she just struggled with the very stiff hill at Carlisle on her previous run. She led the field from the start until just about three furlongs from home, she was even about four lengths clear of the field coming into the home straight but she was collared by horses with a bit more speed over the final two furlongs and at one stage she dropped back to about sixth but she battled on very gamely and finished in fourth place. A nice improvement from her last run and it shows that she has certainly learnt from that run.

	Musselburgh Races
	22nd November 2009 It was the first jumps meeting of the season at Musselburgh and we had three runners, despite all the recent rain the going at Musselburgh was Good to Soft, all three runners were ridden by Alex Voy. Strobe was making his debut over fences, in the three mile beginners chase. He really seems to like Musselburgh and having been a bit frustrating so far this season we had decided it was time to send him over fences. He had schooled really well over the bigger obstacles at home but it is always a nervous moment watching as they come to jump the first fence in public, however there was never a nervous moment to be had as he jumped brilliantly and travelled well throughout the race. There were a couple of fences where Alex made him run down the fence, just to get a good stride rather than meet it on a wrong stride and crash through it and for a horse jumping fences for a first time was very sensible. He led the field for over two and a half miles of the three mile race and even when headed he still battled on, something he has not been doing much of this season. He finished a very creditable fourth albeit behind some very top class hurdlers, so he should be able to find some easier opposition in due course. A very nice start to his chasing career, and he seemed really happy which is very important, he won the best turned out award too. Balmacara Boy ran in the two mile four furlong novices hurdle, and while he settles brilliantly at home he just does not seem to do so in his races, so it is back to the drawing board now, it may be that he would benefit from doing something different. He is such a smart looking little horse that I think some time doing something else might just be the making of him. Dinnae Tell Gaz was having her first appearance on the racecourse in the two mile bumper. She has a flat based pedigree so it was always going to be a question of whether she was able to stay a trip and this was something that she was not able to do, weakening at half way.

	Newcastle Races
	13th November 2009 Shambery was our only runner at Newcastle, where the ground had changed from the anticipated Good to Soft, to Soft, Heavy in places. She was running in the two and a half mile mares maiden hurdle and was ridden by Alex Voy. She led the field for almost the whole race and with her ears pricked she jumped for fun and was very happy galloping through the mud, coming to the third last she just began to tire and Alex just let her come home in her own time, although having got her second wind she galloped strongly up the home straight even though she was well off the leaders. Like many of ours she will have benefited enormously from her first run, but it was really nice to see her so happy and jumping with such enthusiasm, she has been waiting for some cut in the ground and it was great to get her back onto the track after her summer holiday, she will in due course be stepped up to three miles and will be going over fences as well. She is available for lease if anyone is interested in some fun at the races this season.