| Date |
|
| 31/12/2005 |
A relatively quiet day today sees just two Yorkshire
trained winners, both at Wolverhampton. First up Karl
Burke's Boo was a handy winner of the £11,447
Betdirect Freephone Handicap by 2 1/2 lengths from Tim
Easterby's Mizz Tee whilst in the next, and
last, race Malcolm Jefferson's I'll Do
It Today finally lived up to his name, at the fourth time
of asking. |
| 30/12/2005 |
After some uncertainty it is now looking more likely
that Doncaster Bloodstock Sales will remain somewhere
adjacent to Town Moor, although nothing has been signed
yet. The final decision should be made by the end of
January. |
| 27/12/2005 |
Sue Smith cemented her position as
the leading Yorkshire jumps trainer of the season to date
today when landing a treble at Wetherby including a
valuable win for Mister McGoldrick in the Castleford
Chase Gd2. He's actually won
this race twice this year - as the 2004 renewal was
actually run in January 2005! Furthermore this was his
seventh victory at the West Yorkshire track, the Victor
Chandler Chase and Queen Mother Champion Chase are now on
the agenda. Smith's other winners were Oso Magic and
Rebel Rhythm and Middleham trainer Micky Hammond also
had a winner in the opener with Jimmy Bond. At Chepstow Tim
Easterby's consistent Edmo Yewkay was second in
the £9,683 At The Races Red Button Betting Handicap
Chase, whilst there were winners on Southwell's all
weather track for Bryan Smart (Aegean
Dancer) and George Moore (Greenbelt). |
| 26/12/2005 |
The usual crowded Boxing Day schedule sees eight
winners for Yorkshire trainers. Ferdy Murphy leads
the way with a double at Sedgefield (New Alco and Ivoire
de Beaulieu) - where Mick Easterby also
had a winner (Bang And Blame) - and a winner in the last
at Towcester (Senora Snoopy). At local track Wetherby
there were wins for George Moore (Sir
Storm) and Micky Hammond (Aston Lad),
whilst Robert Gray (El Andaluz) had a
winner at Market Rasen. All weather racing at
Wolverhampton sees a winner for Karl Burke (Atlantic
Quest). |
| 23/12/2005 |
Eight year old Baldaquin, bred at the Garrowby Stud, won the Jebel Ali
Stakes L in Dubai today. |
| 22/12/2005 |
The last day of racing before Boxing Day sees Malcolm
Jefferson's Brooklyn Brownie win at Fakenham,
and Karl Burke's Khanjar at Southwell. |
| 20/12/2005 |
Just one winner today with Mark Johnston's Spitting
Image winning at Wolverhampton. |
| 19/12/2005 |
Yorkshire trained horses win the first four races at
Wolverhampton today courtesy of Tim Easterby,
Kevin Ryan, Richard Fahey and Alan
Swinbank whilst Ferdy Murphy and
Alan Swinbank both have winners at
Doncaster. |
| 18/12/2005 |
At Musselburgh today Richard Fahey's Saif
Sareea wins the main race of the day, the £7,495 Famous
Grouse Handicap Hurdle, whilst at Southwell John
Balding's Largs wins the opener. |
| 17/12/2005 |
With todays meetings at frosty Windsor and Newcastle
cancelled opportunities are limited today and the Tykes
best results come at Haydock where Sue Smith's appropriately
named Arctic Jack is second in the £13,506 Tim Molony
Handicap Chase (beaten only a neck) and Ferdy
Murphy's Haut de Gamme is third in the £13,585
Totescoop6 Handicap Hurdle. |
| 16/12/2005 |
A solitary winner today when Kevin Ryan's Blue
Patrick wins the penultimate race at Wolverhampton. |
| 15/12/2005 |
The first jumps winner since the weekend when Micky
Hammond's Mexican wins at Catterick, whilst Sally
Hall has her first winner since April when Blue
Opal comes home in front at Southwell. Confirmation that
Doncaster's St Leger meeting will be moved to super-sub
track York next season, which will result in a temporary
re-jigging of some of York's September fixtures - but at
least the meeting and race are staying in Yorkshire! The
Lincoln incidentally will be run at Redcar, and the
Racing Post Trophy at Newbury. |
| 12/12/2005 |
Three Yorkshire winners today with David
Chapman's Gem Bien and Bryan Smart's Shankly
Bond winning at Wolverhampton, and Robin
Bastiman's Desert Fury at Southwell. |
| 10/12/2005 |
Not a bad Saturday for Yorkshire trainers with Ferdy
Murphy striking again, this time with a one-two
courtesy of You're Special and Tribal Venture in the
£13,949 Neville Crump Memorial Handicap Chase at
Doncaster where earlier Malcolm Jefferson's Classic
Capers had won the second race. Tim Easterby's Tribal
Dispute was second in the £12,150 Jenny Mould Memorial
Handicap Chase at Cheltenham and David Barron's Trance
won on the all-weather at Southwell. Evening racing at
Wolverhampton saw a winner for Karl Burke with
Boo, who was also York based jockey Robert
Winston's first winner since his return from
injury. |
| 09/12/2005 |
After a couple of quiet days the Tykes bounced back
today with Ferdy Murphy's recent French
purchase Ivoire de Beaulieu winning the £15,294 Sporting
Index Cross Country Handicap Chase at Cheltenham by two
and a half lengths. Murphy also had a
winner closer to home at Doncaster where Patrick
Haslam also scored. |
| 06/12/2005 |
Just the one winner today with Tim Easterby's
Eborarry winning the last at Sedgefield. |
| 05/12/2005 |
Five Yorkshire trained winners up at Newcastle today
with a double for Malcolm Jefferson and
wins for Ferdy Murphy, Patrick Haslam and
Tom Tate. Down at Wolverhampton Noel
Wilson has a winner at the 'Regional' meeting. |
| 04/12/2005 |
Wins today at Kelso for Micky Hammond (Serbelloni)
and Mick Easterby (One Five Eight) and Sue
Smith's Undeniable is only denied by a short
head in the cards main race, the £11,179 Eastwood
Bookmakers Champion Handicap Chase. |
| 03/12/2005 |
The locals were completely dominant at Wetherby this
afternoon winning six of the seven races, with the
highlight being Ferdy Murphy's Leading
Man in the £10,765 One Man Novices' Chase. Earlier Murphy's
Nine de Sivola had won the opener and there were
also winners for Edwin Tuer (Euro
American), Tim Easterby (Edmo Yewkay and
Silver Knight) and Alan Swinbank (Alfie
Flits). Across the 'border' at Haydock Robert
Gray's Nowator won the second race. Even racing
at Wolverhampton saw a win for Kevin Ryan's Mystic
Man in the second. |
| 02/12/2005 |
James Bethell's Ocean Of Dreams
makes in three wins in a row when taking the Nursery at
Wolverhampton and Ian McInness' Willheconquertoo
lands the following race. |
| 30/11/2005 |
Four local winners at Catterick today courtesy of Fred
Kirby, John Quinn, Sue Smith and the in-form Malcolm
Jefferson. Tattersalls have now moved on to the
'Mares etc.' section of their December Sales and today
saw the Theakston Stud's
6-year-old mare Polish Pink, in foal to Haafhd, fetch
70,000gns to the bid of Murayama Bloodstock, by far the
highest price for a Yorkshire filly or mare at this years
sale. |
| 29/11/2005 |
Just the one Yorkshire winner today when Karl
Burke's Romil Star takes the second race at
Southwell. |
| 28/11/2005 |
Yorkshire winners in the first three races at
Wolverhampton today thanks to John Weymes,
Malcolm Jefferson and Jedd O'Keefee,
so successful in fact that the opposition was running
scared and the rest of the card cancelled after the third
race! Richard Whitaker scored a winner
at Southwell's 'Regional' meeting. |
| 27/11/2005 |
Local winners galore at Doncaster with victories for Peter
Beaumont, James Hetherton, Tim Easterby and
Chris Fairhurst. Further afield down at
Leicester Ferdy Murphy and Malcolm
Jefferson make the trip home with winners. |
| 26/11/2005 |
A good day for Sue Smith with Town
Crier winning the £21,921 UK Hygiene Handicap Chase at
Newbury (where later Ferdy Murphy's Europa
was second in the £31,315 ladbrokes.com Handicap Chase)
and Oso Magic winning at Newcastle where her Little Big
Horse was also a decent third in the Pagebet Rehearsal
Handicap Chase L. Patrick
Haslam had to travel to Towcester to continue
his winning run with Heraldry winning the bumper. Evening
racing at Wolverhampton sees a winner for Kevin
Ryan with Tedstale. The final part of the foal
section of the December Sales at Tattersalls today and
the highest price from a Yorkshire stud is the 25,000gns
achieved by Manor House Stud
for a son of Hawk Wing and Dances With Dreams, owned by
Dr Anne Gillespie, who bred multiple Group One winner
Dark Moondancer (Dances With Dreams 1/2 brother) at the
stud. |
| 25/11/2005 |
The Irish duo of Donohoe and Mcnamara are on a roll
at Musselburgh today, but the Tykes manage to get a brief
look in as well with winners for Patrick Haslam and
Richard Fahey. The Theakston Stud was the only
Yorkshire stud selling at the December Sales and the
highest priced of their three lots was a son of Clodovil
and Blandish, who fetched 8,000gns. |
| 24/11/2005 |
A quiet day but there are winners at Carlisle for Tim
Easterby and George Moore. Today's
highest price at Tattersalls from a Yorkshire vendor was
the 16,000gns fetched by Foston Stud's son of
Spinning World and Seven Wonders. |
| 23/11/2005 |
The locals have a good day at Wetherby today with
winners for Jedd O'Keeffe, Malcolm Jefferson and
Sue Smith. The sale at Newmarket
continues, and as now moved on to foals. Of the Yorkshire
studs represented today the best price was achieved by Hellwood Stud who's son
of Namid and Keen Melody fetched 21,000gns. |
| 22/11/2005 |
Four winners for the Yorkshire trainers at Sedgefield
today with the Middleham duo of Micky Hammond and
Geoff Harker being joined by Edwin
Tuer and Mick Easterby. At the
flat at Southwell the winners were provided by John
Balding and David Barron. |
| 21/11/2005 |
Winners on the all-weather at Southwell for Mick
Easterby, Chris Fairhurst and Karl
Burke. The first day of Tattersalls marathon
December Sales concentrates on yearlings and the highest
price from a Yorkshire stud (excluding buy backs) is the
7,000gns achieved by the Manor
House Stud for a son of Best of The Bests who will
pass his former home on the way to the gallops as the
purchaser was Mark Johnston ! |
| 20/11/2005 |
Patrick Haslam's excellent run
continues when his Fiori is second in the £37,578 Grand
Sefton Handicap Chase at Aintree today. |
| 19/11/2005 |
The best that can be said about today is that it was
a good one for Sue Smith who's
St.Matthew just held on to take the £43,841
betfairpoker.com Handicap Hurdle at Haydock by a neck,
having earlier had a winner at Huntingdon with Undeniable
in the second. |
| 18/11/2005 |
Even less action on the track today. However it was
announced that Andrew Spalding's Hedgeholme Stud is
to stand two potentially excellent stallions next season
in the form of Beckett and Indian Lodge, both at fees of
£2,500. This follows the earlier announcement that
Danroad is also to be based at Hedgeholme next season. |
| 17/11/2005 |
A much quieter day, with Lyn Siddall's Lazy
Lena providing the only Yorkshire winner at Market Rasen. |
| 16/11/2005 |
Winners galore today; over the sticks at Hexham they
are provided by Tom Tate (Gardasee), Sue
Smith (Supreme Breeze in the £13,127
Northumberland National Handicap Chase), Andy
Crook (Ornella Speed) and Geoff Harker (Red
Poker). Meanwhile on the all-weather at Southwell the
successful trainers are John Weymes (Woodwee),
David Barker (the Burns Farm Stud bred Celtic
Mill in the £13,340 Littlewoods Bet Direct Handicap) and
Brian Ellison (Bethanys Boy). |
| 15/11/2005 |
Two Yorkshire winners down the road at Southwell
today thanks to Kevin Ryan's Countrywide
Belle and Richard Fahey's George's
Flyer. |
| 14/11/2005 |
A solitary winner over jumps today when Patrick
Haslam's Zando takes the Selling Hurdle at
Leicester, and it's the same tally on the flat with Bryan
Smart's Scorchio winning at Wolverhampton. |
| 12/11/2005 |
No luck in the big races today but quite a few
winners for the Yorkshire stable with Ferdy
Murphy's Nine de Sivola and John Quinn's
Jake Black both winner at Wetherby to keep the
locals happy. Further afield Murphy's High
Day won the opener at Uttoxeter to make it two wins in
eight days. Earlier at the lunchtime meeting at Southwell
Patrick Haslam's Blushing Russian had
won the claimer. Evening racing at Wolverhampton yielded
a winner for Julie Camacho who's
Entranced won the two-year-old maiden. |
| 11/11/2005 |
Godolphin today announced the result of their annual
swoop on the ranks of top class horses from other yards
and depressingly this years haul includes both Kevin
Ryan's Racing Post Trophy G1 winner
Palace Episode and Mark Johnston's Winged
Cupid, second in the same race. Another winner for James
Bethell (Tupgill must be agreeing with him!)
when Ocean Of Dreams makes it two in a row when winning
at Wolverhampton. |
| 10/11/2005 |
Not many Yorkshire trained runners today but Tim
Easterby's Mizz Tee wins the £9,607 EBF Fillies
Handicap at Lingfield Park. |
| 09/11/2005 |
Just the one winner today with Karl Burke's He's
A Rocket winning the opener at Wolverhampton. |
| 08/11/2005 |
Winner at Sedgefield for Ferdy Murphy (Dead
Mans Dante) and Geoff Harker (Custom
Design) whilst James Hetherton has his
second win in as many days when Ace Club wins at
Southwell's 'Regional' meeting. |
| 07/11/2005 |
I seem to remember saying I wasn't going to detail
every single winner this year. Oh well. At Wolverhampton
today James Bethell's good run continued
when faithful servant Stretton (entered but withdrawn
from the Newmarket sales) won the 1 1/2 mile handicap
whilst James Hetherton's Qualitair Wings
later won the 1m1f handicap. |
| 06/11/2005 |
A single winner at each of today's meeting for
theYorkshire trainers with John Wainwright's Ivana
Illyich taking the opener at Market Rasen, Micky
Hammond's Aston Lad winning at Ayr and Ferdy
Murphy's Underwriter all the way down at
Hereford. |
| 05/11/2005 |
The last day of the (turf) flat season and the locals
were in excellent form at Doncaster. Man of the moment Kevin
Ryan gave the day the right sort of start when
his Cardinal Venture won the opening apprentice handicap.
A couple of races later it was the turn of John
Quinn when Don't Call Me Derek took the £13,265
Stratstone Land Rover Handicap. James Bethell,
newly installed at Tupgill Stables, had an excellent
house warming gift when Strawberry Dale won the EBF
Gillies Fillies' Stakes L - his first
stakes winner since Rich Ground scored in Group company
in 1996. The big race of the day was the £34,432
November Handicap and in this Karl Burke's Akarem
was second, albeit seven lengths behind the winner. The
final race of the season was the Selby Stakes L and
this went to Mark Johnston's Crosspeace
who won by a mere 14 lengths. Over jumps at Kelso the Ferdy
Murphy winning machine continued thanks to King
Of Confusion and there was also a winner for Sue
Smith with Sharp Belline. Meanwhile Patrick
Haslam's Alfred The Great made a winning debut
over hurdles at Sandown. Evening racing on the
all-weather at Wolverhampton saw Mark Johnston win
the last with Spitting Image. |
| 04/11/2005 |
Team Middleham dominated proceedings at Hexham today
where there was a double for Ferdy Murphy (Devondale
and High Day) as well as winners for Patrick
Haslam (Maunby Rocker) and Geoff Harker (Zaffie
Parson). |
| 03/11/2005 |
Mark Johnston was the man in form at
Musselburgh today with the Duke of Roxburghe's Kindling
winning the Willie Park Stakes L from
stablemate Hearthstead Wings, with the same teams Cote
d'Argent having won the opener. |
| 02/11/2005 |
Two Yorkshire winners at Nottingham today with Anne
Duffield's Haifa taking division two of the
maiden, and John Wainwright's Time To
Regret winning the last. |
| 01/11/2005 |
And so into November, and the flat season's end is
almost upon us. But what's this, it couldn't possibly be
yet another Kevin Ryan group winning
juvenille? Yes it could!. Today it was the turn of the
Hambleton trainers Balthazar's Gift to add to his
incredible tally for the year when he took the Criterium
de Maisons-Laffitte G2 at
Maisons-Laffitte by a neck and two and a half lengths
under Jamie Spencer. Locally there was just one Yorkshire
winner at Catterick - Richard Fahey's Wyatt
Earp. |
| 30/10/2005 |
Sue Smith won Carlisle's richest
race today when the constantly improving Ross Comm took
the £27,352 Totetentofollow Cumberland Handicap Chase by
an tidy 23 lengths. |
| 29/10/2005 |
I stay at home and the Tykes promptly dominate at
Wetherby, the opening Wensleydale Juvenile Novices'
Hurdle L is won by George
Moore's Aviation with Ann Duffield's Finland
back in third, Sue Smith's St Matthew
wins the next - the Weatherbys Bank Handicap Chase L,
George Moore makes it a double with
Spring Gamble and Brian Ellison takes
the last with Mister Arjay. Unfortunately however the
locals make no impression on the two main races of the
day - the West Yorkshire Hurdle Gd2
and the Charlie Hall Chase Gd2.
Down at Newmarket Mark Johnston's Doctor
Scott dissapoints yet again but David Barron's Zero
Tolerance wins the £17,400 Newmarket Mile Handicap for
the second year in a row and Tim Easterby's Game
Lad takes the last. Up at Ayr it's also a good day with Mick
Easterby's The History Man winning the nursery, James
Bethell's Little Bob the next and Richard
Fahey's Namroud the main race on the card, the
£10,681 John Smith's Handicap, making it an
across-the-card double as his Medjugorje Message had
earlier won at Southwell. Back up at Ayr James
Bethell also registers a double with Scotland
The Brave winning the fillies' handicap and Kevin
Ryan joins the party whem Raymond's Pride wins
the penultimate race. Evening racing at Wolverhampton saw
a winner for Richard Whitaker when
Nevada Desert took the main race on the card, this has
been a quietly successful season for Whitaker and he will
hopefully make twenty winners before the end of the year. |
| 28/10/2005 |
My presence at Wetherby fails to inspire the locals
(?!) and there are no Yorkshire winners. At better day on
the flat at Newmarket with Tim Etherington's Fullandby
winning the sprint to give the Malton trainer his first
win at HQ, and Tim Easterby's consistent
filly Gallery Girl earning yet more black type by
finishing second in the Bosra Sham Fillies Stakes
L. Having been dormant for a few weeks
Newmarket's October Yearling Sales springs back into life
with part three and the best priced lot from a Yorkshire
stud is the 9,000gns paid for Merryvale Stud's filly
by Silver Patriarch out of a 1/2 sister to Paddy's
Return.
|
|
| Fifth race, eventual winner Blame The Ref
is the Chestnut in blue. |
Third race, winner Ursis in front from
second placed Kentucky Blue |
|
| 26/10/2005 |
After a lean couple of days Yorkshire trainers win
the last two races at Sedgefield this afternoon courtesy
of Celtic Blaze (Brian Rothwell) and
According To Pete (Malcolm Jefferson). |
| 25/10/2005 |
Collier Hill was bought in by a new partnership
comprising original part owner Russell Hall (50%), David
Abell (25%, owner of record breaking Branston Abby) and a
new, as yet unnamed, partner. Thankfully the
money-spinning gelding will be returning to Alan
Swinbank's stable. Meanwhile Bobby O'Ryan, well
known on the Yorkshire circuit, has paid 260,000gns at
today's sales for Moss Vale, acting as agent for Lady
O'Reilly. The four year old Group placed winner of 5
races (including 3 listed events) will go into training
with David Nicholls. |
| 24/10/2005 |
The Earl of Halifax's Garrowby
Stud has been revealed as one of the shareholders in
the Motivator syndicate, and Alan Swinbank's Collier
Hill fetched 97,000gns at the Newmarket
Horses-in-Training Sale, to the bid of renowned
bloodstock agent Peter Doyle, acting for .... who
know's?!? |
| 23/10/2005 |
Not a particularly good day with Kinnaird unplaced in
Italy and non of the domestic runners scoring. |
| 22/10/2005 |
And so the last domestic Group One race of the
season, billed as a trainers title fight decider between
Aidan O'Brien and Sir Michael Stoute. However as event's
unfolded it became obvious that Doncaster's Racing Post
Trophy G1 was going to be much more of a
local affair with Kevin Ryan's Palace
Episode coming home ahead of Mark Johnston's front
running Winged Cupid. The bookies had allowed Ryan's
horse to set off at 20-1 (only my second bet of the year,
albeit 'only' each way!) but he came home gamely in
bottomless ground to give the trainer his second Group
One victory of the season .... and his career! How Ryan
will top this next season remains to be seen, but he now
appears to be firmly rooted in the top flight. In the
eighties there were three Yorkshire trained Group One
wins, followed by seven in the nineties, and yet we are
only just over half way through this decade and already
we are on the twenty-three (possibly more with Kinnaird
running in Italy tomorrow) mark, surely an indisputable
guide to the health of Yorkshire racing. Earlier the
result had been almost the other way around when Johnston's
Desert d'Argent won the opening £14,138 Jock
Murray Memorial Nursery Handicap, with Ryan's North
Walk back in third, Ryan cemented his excellent day when
Wigwam Willie took the last. Tim Etherington had
a double at Wolverhampton's 'Regional' meeting with
Soviet Legend and Colloseum and David Chapman also
came back with a winner courtesy of On The Trial. Over
jumps the only Yorkshire winners of the day were both
provided by Ferdy Murphy with New Alco
winning at Aintree and King Of Confusion taking the last
at Kelso. In a surprising twist to the Collier Hill story
Alan Swinbank's star has been entered in
Monday's Horse-In-Training Sale at Newmarket, following a
dispute between the partners in the Group One winning
gelding. |
| 21/10/2005 |
As the likes of York and Newcastle fight for the
honour of hosting Doncaster's big races next season when
Town Moor is closed for redevelopment (sound familiar
...?!?) it's business as usual on the track and there are
three local winners headed by David Barron's Skhilling
Spirit who lands the £21,055 DBS October Yearling Stakes
from Kevin Ryan's Guto. The other
winners hail from Middleham namely George Moore's
Toldo and Karl Burke's Daring
Affair. In the sales ring potential winners of next years
sales race were Melbourne
Hall's son of Sugarfoot and Laena, who made 30,000gns
and Providence Stud's
son of sire-of-the-moment Bertolini and North Pine who
fetched 20,000gns to the bid of Wetherby trainer Robin
Bastiman. |
| 20/10/2005 |
A quiet day on the track with Anne Duffield's
Finland the only Yorkshire winner, over hurdles
at Haydock. The October Sales continue at Doncaster and
the highest priced lots from a Yorkshire nursery today
came from Norton Grove Stud
who's colts by Presidium and Indian Lodge each made
6,500gns. |
| 19/10/2005 |
Whilst the journey from Kingsley House to the Floors
Stud near Kelso will has been made by Attraction there is
another good filly who could also be making the same trip
and that is the Duke Of Roxburghe's filly Kindling who
picked up some valuable black type for Mark
Johnston today when third in the Prix Vulcain L
at Deauville. Johnston has a
winner at Nottingham with Sound Breeze (his fourth win in
a row) whilst at Newcastle there is a double for Tim
Easterby with Collateral Damage and Robinzal and
also a winner for Patrick Haslam with
Alfred The Great. The Doncaster October Yearling Sales
started today and the highest priced lot from a Yorkshire
stud was achieved by Melbourne
Hall Stud for their son of former Nigel
Tinkler charge Sugarfoot and mare She's A
Breeze, who fetched 10,500gns. |
| 18/10/2005 |
James Bethell provided the only
Yorkshire trained winner today when landing the maiden at
Southwell with Ocean Of Dreams. |
| 17/10/2005 |
Another good juvenille performer for Mark
Johnston when his Nakheel wins the totesport.com
Silver Tankard Stakes L at Pontefract
today by an impressive four lengths with Bryan
Smart's conistent Startori (raised at the Evelyn Stud) back in
third. The other local winners on the card were Jedd
O'Keeffe's Prince of Love and Tim
Easterby's Misphire. |
| 16/10/2005 |
Yorkshire trainers win both main races at Musselburgh
today with Karl Burke's Triskaidekaphobia
taking the £11,020 Weatherbys Bank Nursery Handicap and Tim
Easterby's King's Gait the £11,201 GNER Mallard
Sprint Handicap from Tim Etherington's Fullandby.
There was a double for Tim Easterby as
his Game Lad was also a winner up in Scotland as was Mark
Johnston's Three Thieves. At Market Rasen it was
Sue Smith who headed back to Yorkshire
with a double thanks to the combined exploits of Bushido
and Darina's Boy. |
| 15/10/2005 |
The two main Yorkshire challengers at Newmarket
today, Somnus and Palace Episode, both ran below par to
be fifth in their repective races. It wasn't all doom at
'HQ' however as Patrick Haslam's King
Revo was only just caught in the closing stages of the
£75,400 Cesarewitch Handicap to finish second, one place
ahead of Tim Fitzgerald's Inchnadamph.
The day has started well with John Balding's Cark
winning at Lingfield and there were wins at Catterick for
Mark Johnston, Bryan Smart, Noel Wilson and
Tim Easterby. |
| 14/10/2005 |
Tom Tate won the main race at
Newmarket today, in the process grabbing his first ever
group winner, when stablestar Welsh Emperor was a
comfortable winner of the Bentinck Stakes G3.
The son of Emperor Jones seems to do well towards the end
of the season and looks likely to go for a similar prize
in France next. Meanwhile closer to home at Redcar there
were winners for local trainers Mark Johnston,
Kevin Ryan and Bryan Smart. The
last named was the buyer of the highest priced Yorkshire
lot at the October Sales today when paying 52,000gns for
a Tobougg filly from the Evelyn Stud, a 1/2
sister to the smart Startori, who Smart trains. |
| 13/10/2005 |
David Barker's duo of Sierra Vista
and Mecca's Mate not only share a trainer but also an
owner and a breeder, the later being the late Cherry
Tagart of Melbourne Hall
Stud. It was therefore a brave decision to run both
of them in the £11,920 Strutt & Parker Handicap at
Newmarket today, but the tactic was rewarded with first
and second place, with Sierra Vista coming home ahead of
her stablemate. Today's only other Yorkshire trained
winner was Richard Whitaker's Desertina
at Southwell. The really big spenders have left Newmarket
and today's highest price from a Yorkshire stud is
achieved by Burton Agnes Stud
who's son of Compton Place fetches 24,000gns. |
| 12/10/2005 |
Just the one Yorkshire trained winner today - Patrick
Haslam's The Pen in the Juvenile Novices Hurdle
at Wetherby. Another good day at Newmarket for the Garrowby Stud, selling a son of
Desert Prince for 45,000gns. |
| 11/10/2005 |
More winners today, although probably not as many as
would have been the case if Ayr had not been abandoned,
with James Bethell scoring in the last
at Leicester and Richard Whitaker also
winning the last at Southwell. A good day at Part Two of
Tattersalls October Yearling Sales at Newmarket for Garrowby Stud, the only Yorkshire
nursery selling today, who sold a son of Marju for
115,00gns and a son of Alhaarth for 60,000gns. |
| 10/10/2005 |
Patrick Haslam, Kevin Ryan and John
Quinn all had winners at Ayr this afternoon
whilst David Barron scored at
Wolverhampton and also at Windsor where Mark
Johnston was also amongst the winners. |
| 09/10/2005 |
A good day at Newcastle today with winners for Mark
Johnston, Chris Thornton and Richard
Whitaker, whilst John Quinn lands
the claimer at Bath. |
| 08/10/2005 |
It's been a busy year for York and today's last
meeting of the season on the Knavesmire sees Kevin
Ryan's excellent season continue when
Balthazaar's Gift scores a facile win in the opening race
the Rockingham Stakes L., his first run
for the Hambleton trainer. Later on the same card, the
track now approaching quagmire status, Wetherby trainer Robin
Bastiman has the biggest victory of his career
when Borderlescott just hangs on to win the £19,500
Coral Sprint Trophy Handicap, with the two bottom weights
David Nicholls' Machinist in second and David
Barron's Rising Shadow in third. Mark
Johnston's Austrian wins the last. Earlier John
Balding's Larg won the opener at Warwick. Over
jumps there are wins at Hexham for Jedd O'Keeffe,
Micky Hammond and John Quinn (actually
not strictly over jumps as it's a National Hunt flat
race!) and at Bangor for Ann Duffield (Prairie
Sun in the £10,332 Numark Handicap Hurdle). |
| 07/10/2005 |
Richard Fahey has a 1-2 in the
£10,265 Garbutt & Elliot Handicap at York today with
Realism getting the better of Instructor in a messy
contest. Later on the same card Alan Swinbank had
another big win when Hartshead wins the £13,759 TSG
Handicap and Tim Easterby's Tcherina
wins the last. At Carlisle there are winners over sticks
for Mick Easterby and Sue Smith.
At Tattersalls today the bidding stopped at 125,000gns on
the daughter of Sadler's Wells offered by Mark Dwyer's Oaks Farm but
she was unsold at this price, however they still picked
up the top price for a Yorkshire stud today thanks to the
72,000gns achievied by their son of Namid, out of a half
sister to Rakti. |
| 06/10/2005 |
A major payout at the sales today for Bolton Grange Stud
who's Kyllachy 1/2 sister to their star filly Wunders
Dream fetched a more than useful 300,000gns bid from none
other than Kyllachy's owners Cheveley Park Stud. This is
on top of the 215,000gns Bolton Grange received yesterday
for their pinhooked son of Johannesburg, although he cost
them 200,000gns as a foal! Only a few minutes earlier Manor House Stud had sold a
Rock Of Gibraltar 1/2 sister to Mountain Song and
Raindancing for 105,000gns to renowned agent Margaret
O'Toole. |
| 05/10/2005 |
At Tattersalls today the plaudits go to Oaks Farm Stables
who sold a daughter of Sadler's Wells and top racemare
and producer Infamy for 475,000gns to Pegasus Farms Ltd.
Earlier Bishop Wilton Stud
had conducted some profitable business when they sold a
son of Barathea and Ermine for 65,000gns, having bought
the foal 'in utero' for 30,000gns at the December Sales
of 2003, the mare is therefore, effectively, free! No
Yorkshire trained winners today. A new trophy for
conditional jockeys will be awarded in memory of the late
Tom Halliday who died in a fall at Market Rasen earlier
this year. Points will be awarded for placings (and
finishes) in conditional races at Wetherby, Catterick and
Doncaster, with the winner receiving the Tom Halliday
Memorial Trophy in the summer. |
| 04/10/2005 |
Day One of the October Yearling Sales at Tattersalls
in Newmarket. Top lot from a Yorkshire stud was the
40,000gns achieved by Manor
House Stud for their son of Royal Applause and Border
Minstral, her first foal. Early the same stud had 'sold'
a Selkirk filly for 50,000gns, but this was a vendor
buyback. Winners at Catterick today for Nigel
Tinkler and John Quinn. |
| 03/10/2005 |
Winners at Pontefract for Julie Camacho (Rio
Riva in the £9,359 Blanchisseuse Handicap) and Karl
Burke today. |
| 02/10/2005 |
It's hardly believable but for the third time in two
weeks (and the second time in three days) yet another
Yorkshire trainer has won their first ever Group One
race! This time it is Middleham trainer Patrick
Haslam's turn to carve his name into the racing
history books when his top filly Kinnaird lands the Prix
de l'Opera G1 at Longchamp on Arc day
under a confident ride from Kevin Darley. The four year
old, who was a top class two year old, had not won a race
since the May Hill Stakes G2 on the 11th
September 2003, although she had achieved some decent
placings in group company both this year and last. A
crack at l'Opera seemed like a hopeless dream, which was
reflected in her PMU odds of 70-1, but connections were
reasonably confident that she would put up a good show in
her favoured soft ground, and they were proved to be
correct in spectacular style! Kinnaird may now go for the
EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine. Many congratulations to the
whole Haslam team. In the previous race David
Nicholls' Fire Up The Band also ran a cracking
race to return to top class form when third in the Prix
de 'Abbaye G1 to cement a monumental
three days for Tyke racing ! On his day of glory Patrick
Haslam was, typically, up a Kelso where he had a
hurdling double with Kerry's Blade and Good Investment
and Jedd O'Keeffe's Sir Night was also a
winner at the Scottish track. At Uttoxeter John
Quinn's Crow Wood had a promising hurdle debut
when winning the opener and Alan Swinbank's Midnight
Creek was later a winner on the same card. |
| 01/10/2005 |
The start of an excellent weekend of racing. With Kevin
Ryan having garnered all the plaudits yesterday
today it was the turn of his next door neighbour Bryan
Smart who landed an excellent juvenile double
with Misu Bond winning the £111,360 Totepool
Two-Year-Old Trophy L at Redcar and
Startori (raised at the Evelyn
Stud) the £22,475 EBF Jersey Lily Fillies' Nursery
Handicap at Newmarket by a short head. There must be
something in those Hambleton gallops at this time of
year! Not to be kept out of the action completely Ryan's
My Paris was a good third in the Cambridgeshire
Handicap later on the Newmarket card, picking up £14,300
for his efforts and finishing one place ahead of Mark
Johnston's Crosspeace. Johnston may
not have won any of the big races today but he certainly
showed he is the man in form by winning the first three
races at Epsom with Baan, Kindling and Adoration (in the
£11,178 32red.com Handicap) - two of these winners
ridden by stable apprentice Greg Fairley who has ridden
twenty winners this season and looks like stepping into
the shoes of the former Kingsley House star apprentice
Keith Dalgleish. Richard Whitaker's Steel
Blue also won at Epsom to give the Yorkshire raiders four
of the races on the card. Johnston had
also earlier won the opener at Redcar with Coalpark
(ridden by former stable jockey Dean McKeown). Also at
Redcar Ann Duffield gained the most
valuable win of her training career when Jubilee Street
won the £17,400 Carlsberg-Redcar Straight-Mile
Championship Handicap Final from David Barron's Flipando
and James Bethell's Granston. Out of
luck today was Tim Easterby who's star
sprinters Somnus and Fayr Jag each ran disappointingly,
at Longchamp and Redcar respectively, although there was
some compensation as his Gallery Girl picked up £22,120
(and yet more black type) by finishing third in Misu
Bond's Redcar race. Arguably Somnus was unlucky as he was
finishing fast to be sixth, beaten only three lengths, he
may now try to gain his first win of the season in the
Challenge Stakes at Newmarket. |
| 30/09/2005 |
Incredibly for the second time in the space of two
weeks yet another Yorkshire trainer saddles his first
ever Group One winner when Kevin Ryan's stable
star Amadeus Wolf is a comfortable winner of the Middle
Park Stakes G1 under stable jockey Neil
Callan. Although a force to be reckoned with for a number
of years Ryan seems to have made an appreciable step up
the training ladder this season and long may it continue
for the likeable Hambleton trainer. Amadeus Wolf will
presumably now be aimed at the 2,000 Guineas and although
he is perhaps a doubtful stayer he is certainly as tough
as they come and it would be foolish to completely
dismiss him from the Newmarket reckoning. Ryan now joins David
Barron, Tim Easterby, Mick Easterby,
Mark Johnston, David Nicholls and Alan
Swinbank as active Yorkshire
trainers who have trained a Group One winner, in addition
Bryan Smart has previously won at this
level whilst training in Lambourn. Mark
Johnston's Prince Of Light is a disappointing
fifth in the same race and connections will possibly be
wishing they'd held out for the Dewhurst over the extra
furlong. There are winners over jumps at Hexham today for
Micky Hammond and Sue Smith. |
| 29/09/2005 |
Day one of the Newmarket Cambridgeshire meeting and
it gets off to a promising start for Kevin Ryan when
his Blades Girl (bred by the owners Crown Select at the Beechwood Grange Stud)
collects a cool £50,120 for finishing second in the
£250,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes, with Tim
Easterby's Mishpire taking home £15,036 for
fourth place. Later on the card Mark Johnston's Stepping
Up manages to take third in the Somerville Tattersall
Stakes G3 despite being boxed in and
running fairly green, he is surely open to much
improvement. Up at Ayr Brian Ellison landed
a nice winner courtesy of Artistic Style who won by seven
lengths. |
| 28/09/2005 |
A double at Newcastle for the most definitely in form
Mark Johnston and also winners for Tim
Easterby and David Nicholls, in
the deep south Kevin Ryan scores at
Salisbury. |
| 27/09/2005 |
The dream is over. Mark Johnston's star
filly Attraction is to be retired immediately after
coming up lame behind. Although only a minor ailment
connections have, understandably, decided not to risk her
on the track again (specifically in the Sun Chariot on
Saturday) and she will be returning to her birthplace at
Floors Castle near Kelso in a week or so. Undefeated in
five races at two Attraction was named champion
two-year-old filly in Europe that year. Last year she won
her first three races - the previously unprecedented
'Fillies Mile Triple Crown' of the 1,000 Guineas G1,
Irish 1,000 Guineas G1 and Coronation
Stakes G1. Attraction was then an
honourable second to Soviet Song in the Falmouth Stakes G1
before a poor run in the soft at Deauville. She
bounced back from her French run with a second in the
Matron Stakes G1 (again to Soviet Song)
before ending the season on a high by landing the Sun
Chariot Stakes G1 and was again Champion
of her age and sex. This year she had a terrible start in
Hong Kong, followed by reasonable domestic comeback when
fourth in the Hungerford Stakes when not quite back to
her best and, as it transpired, her last run was a
marvellous win in the Matron Stakes G1 in
her trademark front running style. In total she won 10
races from 15 starts, including 5 Group One wins, 2 other
Group wins and two Group One second places, accruing a
whisker under £900,000 in win and place prize money.
No luck on the flat for the Yorkshire trainers today but
there are wins over sticks at Sedgefield for Sue
Smith, Micky Hammond, Sharon Watt and Patrick
Haslam. |
| 26/09/2005 |
A 1588-1 four timer for Yorkshire based jockey Kevin
Darley at Hamilton includes wins for Yorkshire
trainers Mark Johnston (Regal Connection
in the maiden and Hearthstead Wings in the £11,020
Totepool Handicap) and Tim Easterby (Brave
Bear in the opener). |
| 25/09/2005 |
A better performance by the Yorkshire trainers at
Newmarket today with Kevin Ryan's Palace
Episode running creditably to be third in the Royal Lodge
Stakes G2. This was followed by Tim
Easterby's Fayr Jag putting up his best display
of the season so far when narrowly beaten into second
place by a neck in the Diadem Stakes G2.
Yorkshire finally registered a winner for the meeting
when Alan Swinbank's Ouninpohja made it
five in a row when taking the £15,190 Totesport
Handicap. Swinbank had an across the card double with Red
Romeo victorious at Musselburgh, but this was a badly
needed tonic as stable star Collier Hill is suffering
from arthritis and will not make this years Melbourne
Cup. Over jumps Jedd O'Keefe's United
Spirit won the Novices' Hurdle at Huntingdon. |
| 24/09/2005 |
A sign of the changing seasons today as the best
Yorkshire result of the day came over fences at Market
Rasen when Sue Smith's Little Big Horse
won the £23,906 Blue Square Handicap Chase. There were
no Yorkshire winners on day one of the big meeting at
Newmarket, or at Haydock for that matter, but it was a
different story closer to home at Ripon where Mark
Johnston, Tom Tate and Kevin
Ryan all had winners. Earlier Robin
Bastiman had won the opener at Brighton's
'regional' meeting, and across the water Johnston's
Maria's Magic earned some valuable black type by
finishing third in the Oppenheim Pramerica Steher- Preis L
at Cologne, beaten only a short head and a neck.
|
| 22/09/2005 |
A Day of doubles with the Tim Easterby duo
of Damelza and Go Tech winning at Pontefract (the later
in the £12,122 Dalby Screw-Driver Handicap) and Geoff
Harker's pair of Top Style and Balamory Dan
scoring at Perth, where Ann Duffield also
had a winner with Constable Burton. |
| 18/09/2005 |
Another good day in Ireland for the Yorkshire raiders
with Richard Fahey's Kings Point winning
the Solonaway Stakes L and Patrick
Haslam's Kinnaird back to form when finishing
third in the Blandford Stakes G2,
hopefully she will win a race before the end of the
season. At Hamilton Park the Mark Johnston hot
pot Nakheel did win on his debut, but perhaps not as
convincingly as the market and his pedigree (by Sadler's
Wells out of Irish 1000 Guineas winner Matiya) indicated.
John Quinn's Master Nimbus clocked up
another win over hurdles at Uttoxeter. |
| 17/09/2005 |
One week on from Attraction and the Yorkshire raiders
do it again when Alan Swinbank's tough
Collier Hill comes with a nicely timed run to win the
Irish St Leger G1 at The Curragh. This
is Swinbank's well-deserved first Group One win, and
pushes his charges earnings towards the £500,000 mark.
I'd hazard that there aren't many Group One winners who
started their racing careers in a National Hunt flat race
at Catterick! If we keep chalking up Group One wins at
this rate Yorkshire may yet beat last seasons total! At
Ayr Ian McInnes registered the biggest
win of his career when stable star Lord Of The East won
the £11,442 Keyline Builders Merchants Handicap. The
next was the Firth Of Clyde Stakes G3 and
in this Tim Easterby's Gallery Girl was
a good second, picking up some valuable black type. Richard
Fahey's Fonthill Road was the only one of the
many Yorkshire runners to trouble the judge in the tight
finish to the Tote Ayr Gold Cup and picks up £26,551 for
his hard fought second place. Fahey also
managed a winner with Shaydreambeliever winning the next,
the £11,159 Ayr-racecourse.co.uk Nursery Handicap, and Chris
Thornton's best horse Lets Roll won the
penultimate £8,346 Turftours.com Handicap. At Newbury Bryan
Smart's Sir Xaar was a decent second in the Mill
Reef Stakes G2 and Mark
Johnston's charge Crosspeace added £11,000 to
his tally when third in the John Smith's Heritage
Handicap. Johnston registered a winner
closer to home with Desert d'Argent at Catterick where Alan
Swinbank had yet another winner with Beaumont
Girl and David Chapman's Cadogen Square
(bred by the trainer) won the last. Anne
Duffield's Pauvic had earlier won the opener on
the all-weather at Lingfield, whilst later on David
Chapman made it a double for the day when Desert
Opal won the closing race at Wolverhampton.
After the past seven days it seems a good time to
re-visit the Top 10 Yorkshire Trained Horses of all time
by winnings, with horses still in training in bold.
| Horse |
Trainer |
Amount |
Best Performances |
| Attraction |
Mark Johnston |
£899,596 |
1,000 Guineas G1, Irish
1,000 Guineas G1, Coronation
S G1, Sun Chariot S G1,
Matron S G1, Cherry Hinton S G2,
Queen Mary S G3, 2nd.Matron
Stakes G1, Falmouth S G1
etc. |
| Teleprompter |
Bill Watts |
£758,536 |
Arlington Million G1, Queen
Elizabeth II S G2, Prix Quincey G3,
Desmond S G3, Pacemaker
International S. G3 (x2),
2nd.Queen Elizabeth II S. G2
(x2), Lockinge S G2, 3rd.Eclipse
S. G1 |
| Yavana's Pace |
Mark Johnston |
£722,656 |
Credit Suisse Private Banking Pokal G1,
Prix du Conseil de Paris G2, Prix
Gladiateur G3, 2nd.WGZ
Bank-Deutschlandpreis G1, Preis
von Europa G1, Irish St Leger G1
etc. |
| Somnus |
Tim Easterby |
£669,548 |
Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup G1,
Prix Maurice de Gheest G1, Prix
de la Foret G1, betabet Two Year
Old Trophy, £200,000 St Leger Yearling Sales
Stakes, 2nd.Sprint Cup G1 |
| Fruits Of Love |
Mark Johnston |
£607,115 |
Hardwicke S G2 (x2), Dubai
Turf Classic, Princess of Wales's S G2,
2nd.Canadian Int'l G1, 3rd.King
George VI & Queen Elizabeth II S. G1,
Grosser Preis von Baden G1 |
| Double Trigger |
Mark Johnston |
£559,100 |
Ascot Gold Cup G1, Goodwood
Cup G3 (x3), Doncaster Cup G3
(x2), Henry II S G3 (x2), Sagaro
S G3 (x2), St.Leger Italiano G3,
2nd.Ascot Gold Cup G1 (x2),
3rd.St Leger G1 |
| Bandari |
Mark Johnston |
£531,844 |
Hardwicke Stakes G2,
Princess of Wales's S G2, Great
Voltigeur S G2, Gordon S G3,
Brigadier Gerard S G3, Lingfield
Derby Trial G3,
2nd.Rheinland-Pokal G1, 3rd.St
Leger G1 |
| Scott's View |
Mark Johnston |
£524,228 |
Magnolia S L, Serlby S L,
3rd.Queen Elizabeth II Cup G1,
Dubai Sheema Classic G1, Grosser
Mercedes-Benz Preis G2 etc. |
| Bollin Eric |
Tim Easterby |
£506,196 |
St.Leger G1, Lonsdale S G3,
2nd.Hardwicke S G2, King Edward
VII S G2, Dante S G2,
3rd.Yorkshire Cup G2, 4th.King
George VI & Queen Elizabeth II Diamond S.G1 |
| Collier Hill |
Alan Swinbank |
£481,918 |
Irish St Leger G1,
Gerling-Preis G2, Stockholm Cup
International G3, Elnadim H, Old
Newton Cup H., 2nd.Deutschlandpreis Preis G1,
3rd.Dubai Sheema Classic G1 |
|
| 16/09/2005 |
Richard Whitaker's Tabaret ran
slightly dissapointingly in the opening Harry Rosebery
Stakes L at Ayr, but still managed to
pick up more black type by finishing third. The next was
the £17,400 Ayr Silver Cup Handicap and this fell to the
'Sprint King' Dandy Nicholls with his
Machinist. Later on the card there were victories for David
Barron (Blonde Streak) and Mark Johnston
(Rule For Ever). Johnston made
is an across-the-card double when Winged Cupid was an
impressive winner of the £11,745 Haynes, Hanson &
Clark Conditions Stakes at Newbury, a race which has
thrown up some top quality horses in the past. The Racing
Post Trophy now seems likely, although if it is the usual
quagmire at Doncaster it is perhaps debatable how well
this son of In The Wings would handle the going. |
| 15/09/2005 |
After a couple of quiet days it's winners galore
today with victories at Ayr for Mark Johnston,
David Nicholls, Noel Wilson and Alan
Swinbank (Isidore Bonheur in the £12,432
Totesport.com Handicap) and at Pontefract for John
Quinn and Mark Johnston. The
Yorkshire trainers were not biting at Keeneland today (or
not in their own names anyway) but Yorkshire agent James
Delahooke,who also bought two yesterday, bought
four horses for a total of $615,000. |
| 14/09/2005 |
The select sessions at Keeneland have ended but Mark
Johnston has again been busy buying a Giant's
Causeway colt (1/2 brother to a group winner) for $95,000
and a Gulch colt (out of Irish G3 winner Tadwiga) for
$50,000. Richard Fahey added to his
shopping basket with an $85,000 Stravisnky colt (an own
brother to the winner of $500,000). Only one local winner
at Beverley today with Kevin Ryan's King
Alfie finally breaking his maiden. |
| 13/09/2005 |
A rare winner at Yarmouth for Richard Fahey with
Able Charlie, whilst at Thirsk there were wins for Neville
Bycroft (Efidium) and John Balding (My
Rascal). The big guns ruled at Keeneland today with a
Storm Cat colt falling to Sheikh Mohammed for a mere
$9.7m, Mark Johnston confined himself to
a Danehill colt (out of a full sister to Kingmambo) for
$170,000 and a Fusaichi Pegasus colt for $95,000. |
| 12/09/2005 |
After a few seasons of stability the Middleham
training yard merry-go-round has been kicked off again
with the announcement that James Bethell has
negotiated with the Incisa family in Italy to purchase
the Thorngill Stables which, until his recent death, had
previously been occupied by Don Enrico Incisa.
The property (which judging by my last visit three years
ago is in a somewhat poor state of repair although
perfectly sound and wonderfully situated) comprises a
sizeable main house, four cottages, a flat, 34 loose
boxes and at least 25 acres of paddocks. Bethell hopes to
make the move by the new year and will be partially
funding this purchase by selling his home Clarendon
House, which overlooks the main square in Middleham,
possibly this will lead to a renaming of his highly
successful Clarendon syndicates. More crucially Colin
Armstrong's Tupgill Stables will again be empty and it
will be interesting to see who rents the property. With Patrick
Haslam, Bethell himself and, more recently, Karl
Burke and Bryan Smart having in
recent years made the journey from the Beautiful South to
Yorkshire (or more accurately back to Yorkshire in the
case of Bethell and Smart - both Yorkshire bred) it will
be interesting to see if yet another well established
southern trainer decides to relocate to God's Own County.
Unfortunately there was no Bethell winner today to
celebrate with, but Nigel Tinkler (Feelin
Ire), Mick Easterby (Wayward Shot) and Mark
Johnston (Bendarshaan) all came back from
Musselburgh with winners whilst closer to home there were
wins at Redcar for Alan Swinbank (The
Terrier) and Julie Camacho (Monda,
homebred by her mother). In other news it now seems
likely that Mark Johnston's Attraction
will head for the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket (with
the $400,000 Winstar Galaxy Stakes G2 over
a mile on the turf at Keeneland, Kentucky as an alternate
race eight days later if the going is soft) followed by a
race in California (presumably the $150,000 Las Palmas
Handicap G2 at Santa Anita). She will
then remain in the USA to be covered by an American based
sire. More US related news - Day One of the Keeneland
September Yearling Sales in Kentucky sees Mark
Johnston pay $100,000 for a son of Cozzene, and Richard
Fahey $130,000 for a son of Sadler's Wells. |
| 11/09/2005 |
The calm after the storm. Three Yorkshire trained
winners at Carlisle today thanks to Richard
Fahey's Bo McGinty (trainer in the US sampling
the delights of Keeneland's September Yearling Sales for
the first time), Tim Easterby's Brave
Bear and James Bethell's Abstract Folly.
At Stratford John Wainwright's Little
Task won his hurdle race by two and twenty lengths,
whilst Kariana Key's Mister Moussac
could 'only' win by a mere eight lengths, although it was
his second win in seven days. Robin Bastiman came
close to the biggest win of his career when his
Borderlessscot was second in the £15,440 Neap Handicap
at Goodwood. |
| 10/09/2005 |
She came, it rained, she ran, she led, she won.
Despite many pundits expectations Mark Johnston's
Attraction braved the sodden (but allegedly
still reasonably firm) track at Leopardstown to register
an impressive win in the Matron Stakes G1.
The daughter of Efisio made all the running and held on
to beat (the perhaps somewhat unlucky) Chic. All doubts
about Attraction seem to have been blown away and she
will now head for either one or both of the Queen
Elizabeth II Stakes or the Sun Chariot Stakes (which she
won last year), before a possible trip to America, and
thence to stud. Hopefully somewhere on this trail her
earnings will go over the magical £1m mark. This was
Yorkshire first Group One win since Shamardal's victory
in the Dewhurst Stakes last October, indeed last year
Yorkshire trained horses won a total of nine Group One
races, so in many respect it could be argued that this
season has been poor ... although it's far from over yet!
Another Middleham trainer had cause to celebrate at
Leopardstown with Karl Burke's filly
Angel Voices finishing third in the Irish Breeders Foal
Levy Stakes, collecting £17,201 for her efforts . There
were no local runners in the St Leger at Doncaster which
was won by Scorpion, but there were plenty of Yorkshire
winners on the card with Mark Johnston's Leo's
Luckyman winning the opening £17,400 ladbrokes.com
Handicap, Kevin Ryan's My Paris (by Beechwood Grange
stallion Paris House) taking the second race (by a neck
from Johnston's Royal Island) which was
the £17,400 Porcelanosa Handicap and Bryan
Smart's Misu Bond winning a two-year-old race
later on the card. Smart had earlier won
at Musselburgh with Startori where Mark
Johnston's Spirit Of France won the £14,829
Totetrifecta Handicap. Shortly afterwards Johnston
registered his fourth win of the day (at four
different tracks in two countries and each worth more
than £12,000!) when Nero's Return won the £12,476
Mirror Image Handicap, the Kingsley House team is
certainly in top form at the moment. At Chester David
Nicholls' Trinculo won the sprint handicap (his
fourth victory from his last five starts) whilst David
Barker's Sierra Vista (bred at Melbourne Hall Stud) was
second in the Henry Gee Fillies Stakes L,
this was the Ricmond trainers second 'black type'
performance in three days. At Wolverhampton's lunchtime
meeting Nigel Tinkler registered a win
with Hello Roberto. Phew, what a day! |
| 09/09/2005 |
Another good day at Doncaster for the locals with a
Yorkshire trained 1-2-3 in the second race, the £27,000
DBS St Leger Yearling Sales Stakes where Tim
Easterby's Princess Cleo (raised at Evelyn Stud) won from David
Barron's Sir Orpen and Karl Burke's Hill
Of Almhium. The Troy Stakes L saw Mark
Johnston's Brahmny Kite finish second, although
with only two runners that didn't really tell us much! Johnston's
Elliots World ran his usual game race to take
the last. There were also winners over hurdles at Bangor
for Patrick Haslam and Noel
Wilson. At the sales today the best price from a
Yorkshire stud was achieved by Richard Whitaker's Hellwood Stud who sold a
Bahamian Bounty colt on behalf of the breeders for
47,000gns the winning bidder being ..... Richard
Whitaker! |
| 08/09/2005 |
A better day on the track at Doncaster today with
events starting off well when Richard Fahey's Anna
Pavlova wins the opening £18,103 Queen's Own Yorkshire
Dragoons Ladies Day Handicap. In the next David
Barker's Celtic Mill (homebred at Burns Farm Stud) is almost
back to top form when third in the Scarbrough Stakes L.
There is then a slight lull until Mark Johnston's
consistent Nufoos is second in the penultimate
race, the Sceptre Stakes L and then in
the last Ian McInness' Lord Of The East
wins the £7,522 Ralph Raper Memorial Prince Of Wales Cup
Handicap. Johnston has a winner at Bath
thanks to Love Angel, ridden by rising apprentice star
Greg Fairley. |
| 07/09/2005 |
No local winners at Catterick yesterday, but today is
much more serious with no Yorkshire trained winners on
Day One of Doncaster's St Leger meeting. The consolation
prizes were Tim Easterby's Gallery Girl
picking up £8,000 for finishing second in the opening
EBF Carrie Red Fillies Nursery Handicap and a Dandy
Nicholls 2-3 in the £29,000 Portland Handicap courtesy
of Pieter Brughel and Continent who collected £11,000
and £5,500 respectively. Mark Johnston's sole
runner at Epsom today, Linas Selection, was however a
winner. Johnston's star filly Attraction will be diverted
to the Atto Mile at Woodbine a week on Sunday should the
going at Leopardstown on Saturday (where she is entered
in the Matron Stakes) be any softer than good, her jockey
Kevin Darley has been named as the new 'standby' jockey
for Derby winner Motivator. There were only two lots from
Yorkshire studs at todays Doncaster St Leger Sales, both
from Oaks Farm
Stables, but one of these, a Danehill Dancer colt,
hit the headlines when fetching a bid of 100,000gns from
bloodstock agent Ross Doyle (bidding on behalf of Richard
Hannon), the colt having originally been bought as a foal
for 40,000gns. |
| 06/09/2005 |
Day one of Doncaster's famous St Leger Yearling Sales
and the highest price achieved by a Yorkshire stud is the
33,000gns obtained by Star Cottage Stud
for it's Efisio half brother to Kiralkik and River Belle,
consigned by Oaks
Farm Stables (who incidentally have some very nice
lots for the Tattersalls October Sales). Further evidence
(if indeed it was needed) that Yorkshire truly is the
Historic Home of the Thoroughbred has been provided by recent research which shows that in 95%
of thoroughbreds the 'Y' chromosome can be traced back
directly to the Darley Arabian, who stood at Thomas
Darley's Aldby Park, Buttercrambe, near York. |
| 04/09/2005 |
Five wins for the locals today at York with the
winning horses trained by Tom Tate, Richard
Fahey, Richard Whitaker, Garry Woodward and Mark
Johnston. Mark Johnston's Investment Wings was
second (beaten a head) in the Swiss St Leger at Lucerne. |
| 03/09/2005 |
Another excellent days racing for Yorkshire
connections. The main race of the day was the Sprint Cup G1
at Haydock and here Yorkshire bred (by Guy Reed
at Copgrove Stud) La Cucaracha
proved her doubters wrong by finishing a good second.
Further back the Tim Easterby duo of
Somnus and Fayr Jag each ran arguably their best races of
the season to be fourth and fifth respectively - what
odds Somnus for the Diadem or Foret if the going is soft?
Earlier on the same card the David Barker trained
Sierra Vista (bred at the Melbourne
Stud) had won the opening £18,662 Be Friendly
Handicap, and Tim Easterby's Jeepstar
and Mark Johnston's Bay Story were
second and third respectively in the close finish to the
£48,750 Old Borough Cup Handicap. Later David
Chapman's Quito ran his usual
game race to be third in the William Hill Superior Mile L
and Lynda Ramsden's Halla San
won the last. Down at Newmarket there was more good news
with the Kevin Ryan trained Mutamared
winning the opener and the Mark Johnston trained
(and High
Bramley Grange Stud bred) Prince Of Light making a
comfortable step up to group company to win the Sirenia
Stakes G3, later Johnston's Bandari was
a disappointing fourth in the September Stakes G3.
The local meeting at Thirsk saw winners for John
Quinn, James Bethell, Mick
Easterby (Sporting Gesture in the historic
Hambleton Cup) and Kevin Ryan. Evening
racing at Wolverhampton sees winners for David
Chapman and Brian Ellison. |
| 31/08/2005 |
Mark Johnston's improving Crosspeace
enjoys a quick return to the track and rewards
connections by finishing second in the Furstenberg-Rennen
G3 at Baden-Baden this afternoon. At the
Knavesmire there are winners for Tim Easterby and
John Quinn. |
| 30/08/2005 |
Post-Bank Holiday Blues are averted by a continuation
of the Ripon meeting where there are four local winners
courtesy of Kevin Ryan (a double
including Wahoo Sam in the £7,699 City Of Ripon
Handicap), Karl Burke and Lynda
Ramsden, in addition Dandy Nicholls claims
Henry Cecil's Kabis Amigos, winner of the claimer, for
15,000gns. Patrick Haslam scores a
double over the sticks at Sedgefield. |
| 29/08/2005 |
A typical Bank Holiday Monday with 15 winners for the
Yorkshire trained runners. The highlight (although Mark
Johnston might disagree!) came at Ripon where Bryan
Smart's Sir Xaar edged out Dandy
Nicholls' Johannes to take the Ripon Champion
Two Year Old Trophy L. The locals in
fact went through the card at Yorkshire's 'Garden
Racecourse' with the other wins being provided by Richard
Fahey, Robin Bastiman, James Bethell (Granston
in the £12,380 Ripon Rowels Handicap), Tom Tate and
Mick Easterby. Up the road at Newcastle
Yorkshire trained horses won the first four races thanks
to Dandy Nicholls, Richard Fahey
(with Anna Pavlova in the £12,285 Blaydon
Nursery to give him an across the card double) and a
double scoring Mark Johnston who's wins
with Lightning Affair in the opener and photo finish
victory from Marias Magic in the fourth mean that for the
12th season in a row he has achieved a century of
winners. Considering the previous record with 9
consecutive centuries (held by Henry Cecil) this is an
incredible achievement. Dandy Nicholls also
gained an across-the-card- double with a winner at Epsom
and there were winners over the sticks at Cartmel for Sue
Smith, Micky Hammond, George Moore and
Noel Wilson. |
| 28/08/2005 |
Eisteddfod, another top class horse bred by the Elite
Racing Club at Star Cottage Stud, wins a group race at
his first attempt when taking the Prix de Meautry G3
at Deauville this afternoon. Closer to home at
Beverley the locals win the first four races on the card
thanks to Alan Dickman, Mark
Johnston (with Road To Love by former Kingsley
House resident Fruits Of Love), Julie Camacho and
John Quinn who's Grazeon Gold Blend won
the main race on the card, the £10,628 Britannia Rescue
Nursery Handicap. Grazeon Gold Blend was bred at Melbourne Hall Stud by
Mrs E.McKee and is by Beechwood
Grange stallion Paris House who is having an
excellent season with his runners. |
| 27/08/2005 |
Only two local winners on Timeform Day at York (moved
from June due to Royal Ascot at York) but these included
the main race when Dandy Nicholls' Tax
Free crossed the £100,000 earnings mark by winning the
£56,306 William Hill Trophy. Later on Julie
Camacho's Sir Nod was victorious in the £8,002
Charles Henry Memorial Handicap. It was a similar story
at Newmarket with a Yorkshire 1-2 in the main race, the
Hopeful Stakes L, with David
Chapman's Quito coming home ahead of Dandy
Nicholls' Lafi. There were three Yorkshire
winners over hurdles at Cartmel thanks to John
Quinn, Micky Hammond and George
Moore and a similar tally at Market Rasen's
evening meeting courtesy of Patrick Haslam,
Alan Swinbank and Robin
Bastiman. Evening racing at Windsor saw the Bishop Wilton Stud bred
Frank Sonata accrue yet more 'black type' when coming a
vaguely disappointing third in the August Stakes L. |
| 26/08/2005 |
Winners galore for the locals this afternoon at
Thirsk with doubles for Mark Johnston (including
Muzdaher winning the main race, the £9,884 Adrian Tate
Handicap) and Tim Easterby and wins for George
Moore and Chris Fairhurst (with
his homebred The Thrifty Bear). A short trip up the A1
for the evening meeting at Newcastle sees wins for John
Wainwright and Richard Fahey. |
| 21/08/2005 |
Mark Johnston's Crosspeace made a
promising group debut to be third in the Marit Sveaas
Minnelop G3 at Ovrevoll, Norway whilst
stable companion Secret History flopped in Germany. Lynn
Siddall's Super Boston was a winner over jumps
at Southwell. |
| 20/08/2005 |
Beverley's biggest meeting of the year with two main
races - the Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes L
in which the David Barker trained
Mecca's Mate (bred at Melbourne
Hall Stud) is third, and the £29,000 Totescoop6
Heritage Handicap which is won by the Brian
Ellison trained Ashkal Way, with Mark
Johnston's Tarraman in second. Amongst the other
winners at Beverley are man of the moment Kevin
Ryan and Richard Fahey. In
Chester's big race the East Yorkshire trainer Ian
McInnees has one of the best results of his
nascent career when his bottom-weighted H Harrison is
second in the £29,000 Blue Square Heritage Handicap. David
Barron wins the opener at Redcar's evening
meeting whilst Richard Fahey doubles up
for the day later on the card and his brother-in-law Tim
Easterby also has a winner. |
| 19/08/2005 |
The calm after the storm it may be, but the Yorkshire
trainers are still in good form with wins at Chester for Richard
Fahey and James Bethell. Also
on the Roodeye another Elite Racing bred (at Star Cottage Stud)
horse won a decent race when Oceans Apart took the
£12,093 EBF Combermere Fillies Conditions Stakes. At Ayr
there was another winner for Richard Fahey as
well as wins for Tim Etherington and David
Barron. All-weather racing at Wolverhampton saw
success for Karl Burke and John
Weymes. |
| 18/08/2005 |
The third and final (and best from a local
perspective, although Kevin Ryan may
disagree!) day of York's famous Ebor meeting. The opening
race saw David Chapman's stable star
Quito run his usual game race to finish second in the
City Of York Stakes L. The next was the
Lowther Stakes G2 and although not bred
or trained in Yorkshire the second placed horse is owned
by Yorkshireman Sir Robert Ogden and will hopefully
retire to his Sicklinghall
Stud when her racing days are over. The next race
however was the highlight of the meeting when Guy Reed's Copgrove Stud provided the winner
of the Nunthorpe Stakes G1 in the shape
of the rapidly improving filly La Cucaracha who prevailed
by a head. It is nearly forty years since Guy Reed first
ventured into breeding (initially at Nidd
Hall Stud) and although he has had many good horses
in that time this was his first success at Group One
level, that it should come on his favourite course at
York will no doubt be icing on the cake. It's just a pity
the horse wasn't also trained in Yorkshire, but that
would really be nit-picking! La Cucaracha is also the
third Yorkshire bred Group One winner of the year
following on from Soviet Song and Cape Of Good Hope.
Sixth place in this race was Tim Easterby's Fayr
Jag and this is one of his better runs of the season over
a distance short of his best. Mark Johnston's Elliot's
World was second in the next, the £26,587 Persimmon
Homes Handicap and the same stable provided the winner of
the last race, the £15,470 Malton Nursery Handicap, in
the shape of the progressive Nihal. Elsewhere there were
wins for Karl Burke and John
Quinn at Chester with the later named taking the
£12,402 Betbluesq.com Handicap with Melalchrist, bred by
Andrew Spalding at his Hedgeholme Stud. |
| 17/08/2005 |
Day two, and what a day it was for the locals. Events
started well with Richard Fahey's Realism
taking the £19,958 Royal & Sun Alliance Handicap in
good style. Kevin Ryan's week then went
into overdrive when Amadeus Wolf put up a fantastic
performance to win the Gimcrack Stakes G2
by 1 1/2 lengths - what a team of juvenilles he has this
year! This was Ryan's first domestic group winner, and
his first anywhere since Eastern Purple scored in Irish
Group Three company in both 1999 and 2000. Next up was
the Ebor itself and although there was no local winner
the second place was filled by Brian Ellison's Carte
Diamond, who picks up £40,000 for his efforts.
Incredibly there were two more local juvenille winners to
come with Richard Whitaker's Taberet
(bred as a boarder at Whitaker's Hellwood Stud) recovering
from his poor run last time to win the Roses Stakes L,
and David Nicholls' Johannes winning the
£17,631 Convivial Maiden Stakes - surely the most
valuable maiden race of the year!? Phew, can it get
better tomorrow with one of the three Yorkshire trained
(or one Yorkshire bred) horses winning the Nunthorpe??
There were winners elsewhere with Mark Johnston scoring
at Epsom's evening meeting and also at Carlisle where Anne
Duffield and George Moore also
picked up winners. At Nottingham's evening meeting there
were wins for John Quinn and James
Bethell. |
| 16/08/2005 |
Day one of the Ebor Meeting at York. It's an up and
down day for the locals with Richard Fahey's Sualda
third in the opening £22,367 Knavesmire Handicap, but
the Mark Johnston duo of Brahminy Kite
and Melrose Avenue well beaten when filling the last two
places in the Great Voltigeur Stakes G2,
with the later named veering badly in the closing stages.
Two races later however Kevin Ryan registers
potentially one of the most significant victories of his
short training career when Palace Episode wins the high
profile Acomb Stakes L. This son of
Machiavellian is a classier (for which read more
expensive at $100,000 a a yearling although unsold for
44,000gns at the Breeze-Ups) type of individual than Ryan
is normally sent and hopefully marks the start of an even
higher profile for the successful Hambleton trainer.
There is another win the next when Mark
Johnston's Prince Of Light takes the £14,885
Irwin Mitchell Solicitors Nursery Handicap. The last
today is the £15,418 Patrington Haven Leisure Park
Handicap and in this Richard Fahey's Bo
McGinty is second with Brian Ellison's Doric
back in third. Mark Johnston completed
an across-the-card treble by registering a double at
Hamilton where there were also winners for Richard
Fahey and David Nicholls. |
| 15/08/2005 |
This site has now been moved to a new server.
Hopefully the benefits of this will include speed and
availability, it certain seems a lot faster. Almost as
importantly however we now have more than 10 times as
much disk space at our disposal - so expect lots of new
pictures on the site in the near future. Please let me know
if you are experiencing any problems with the site. |
| 14/08/2005 |
Things you think you'll never have to say ..... Mark
Johnston's Bandari was out-run by the Czech
raider in the Rheinland-Pokal der Sparkasse KolnBonn G1
at Cologne today, will he ever win a group one
race?? Closer to home at Pontefract there were winners
for John Quinn, Alan Swinbank and Lynda
Ramsden whilst Noel Wilson was
on the mark at Stratford. At Bath Mick Easterby's
Sporting Gesture was second in the £17,277
Bathwick Tyres Lady Riders' Derby Handicap, ridden by
Serena Brotherton. Serena is daughter of Jockey Club
member David Brotherton (who also bred Astonished,
Surprised and Bishops Court - from the same mare) and
grand-daughter of Lurline Brotherton (Champion Jumps
owner in 49/50 and owner of Bobby Renton trained
Grand National winner Freebooter as well as a young Red
Rum and the Mick Easterby trained
Workboy) and niece of Anne Henson (who owned Ayr Gold Cup
winner Able Albert, trained by Peter Easterby)
- a strong Yorkshire racing family indeed! |
| 13/08/2005 |
The going and the weight were both against Mark
Johnston's stable star Attraction who struggled
with both in the final stages of the Hungerford Stakes G3
at Newbury today, having made most of the
running. She was eventually fourth, and probably needed
the run, whether this effort means she is back to her
absolute best remains to be seen, but it's certainly a
huge improvement on the Sha Tin effort and she at least
appears to have retained her enthusiasm for the game.
Connections seemed reasonably pleased, expect her to put
up a much better showing next time. Closer to home at
Ripon David Nicholls finally landed the
long-coveted £29,000 Great St Wilfrid Handicap with Ice
Planet (bred at West Moor
Stud), with stablemate Pieter Brueghel picking up
£11,000 for finishing second, furthermore both horses
are owned by long-standing Nicholls patron David
Faulkner. The only other local winner at Ripon was Karl
Burke's Surely Truly, but at Newmarket the
Yorkshire raiders landed the main race on that card when Tim
Easterby's King's Gait, back after two months
off with sore shins, won the £17,400 NGK Spark Plugs
Anniversary Handicap. Meanwhile at Bangor John
Quinn won the last two races over hurdles with
Kirkham Abbey and Goldstar Dancer. It was announced today
that the stallion Keen, who has stood at Beechwood Grange Stud
for the last 9 years, died on Wednesday of a heart
attack. This full-brother to Kris and Diesis sired the
dual-Group One winning River Keen as well as a number of
good horses in Australia and remained popular with
breeders this season at the age of 24. |
| 12/08/2005 |
A rare across-the-card double for John Weymes
today with Simply St Lucia scoring at Newcastle
and stablemate Linden's Lady at Catterick's evening
meeting. With his winner on Monday the young Middleham
trainer has now got three winners from his last six
runners and is certainly the man in form. Lynda
Ramsden and Julie Camacho also
had winners at Newcastle whilst Robin Bastiman's long
trip to Folkestone with Valiant Romeo paid off when he
came home in front. The other local winners at Catterick
came from the stables of David Barron and,
not quite so local, John Balding. |
| 07/08/2005 |
The Tim Easterby sprint duo didn't
trouble the judge today, but it was a good day at
Leicester where James Bethell registered
a valuable double courtesy of Granston and Snowed Under
and Mark Johnston's well-bred (and well
bought at 55,000gns) Atlantic Waves made a very promising
debut to run away with the second division of the maiden,
he holds some ineresting entries. Johnston also
won a maiden at Redcar, this time with Sunday Smile
whilst Robin Bastiman's Borderlescott
and Richard Whitaker's Kaymich Perfecto
provided the other Yorkshire winners on Teeside. |
| 06/08/2005 |
The Yorkshire stables were on form at Newmarket today
with Tim Fitzgerald landing the most
valuable win of his short career when Inchnadamph won the
£9,627 Silks Bistro At Swynford Handicap. Kevin
Ryan's My Paris (by Beechwood Grange
resident Paris House) came out on top in a very tight
finish to claim the £17,400 Letheby & Christopher
Silver Salver Handicap later on the same card. Mark
Johnston's Royal Island won the £14,130 Casino
36 Classic Handicap at Haydock whilst there were wins at
Redcar for Linda Stubbs and Nevile
Bycroft. Evening racing at Ayr sees winners for Mark
Johnston, Richard Fahey and Kevin
Ryan but the card is abandoned with two races
remaining. Tomorrow sees the Tim Easterby duo
of Somnus and Fayr Jag in action in France and Ireland
respectively and we are hopefully only a week away from
Attraction's seasonal domestic debut at Newbury. And then
we have the Ebor meeting at York. |
| 02/08/2005 |
Following the sale of the historic Highfield Stables
in Malton the incumbent trainer Andy Turnell is
to return south to train near Swindon, taking over Jeff
King's (former stable jockey to Turnell's father Bob)
yard. Previous owner John Hollowood has sold the property
to his former school friend John Fairley, who lives
nearby and is well known in racing circles as the
Chairman of Highflyer Productions who produce racing
programs for Channel 4, Racing UK and RTE. Fairley, in
turn, will be renting the property to local trainer John
Quinn. Quinn will continue with his Bellwood
Cottage Stables nearby at Settrington, but this new
arrangement means that he will now be able to expand his
string as Highfield will give him an extra 30 boxes in
the main yard, with another 10 nearby, as well as an
indoor school, horse walker and 20 acres of paddocks. The
guide price for the property was £1.5m and Fairley plans
to move into the 6 bedroom house, whilst Quinn will have
use of the staff cottage. Hollowood bought Highfield from
the Hetherton family who had owned it
for 12 years and prior to that was the base of Bill
and Charles Elsey who between
them trained eight classic winners there between 1949 and
1973. |
| 01/08/2005 |
Sandhutton trainer Allan Dickman had
one of the biggest wins of his career when Inter Vision
won the £10,645 Armstrong Memorial Handicap at Ripon
today, where Mick Easterby also had a
winner. Evening racing at Carlisle saw winners for Tim
Easterby and Noel Wilson. |
| 31/07/2005 |
Wins at Chester for James Bethell and
Lynda Ramsden (Tanforan in the £9,787
Halliwell Jones BMW Handicap) but the best run came from Tim
Easterby's Fayr Jag who had arguably his best
result for over a year when third in the Queensferry
Stakes L, hopefully he will be back to
his peak form soon. Over jumps at Market Rasen there were
winners for Tim Walford, Malcolm Jefferson and
Julie Camacho. Over the water in Galway Kevin
Ryan's faithful servant brings home his biggest
ever prize when winning the £46,170 Michael McNamara
& Co. Builders Premier Handicap. |
| 30/07/2005 |
A fantastic result to the £58,000 Stewards Cup at
Goodwood today when there is a Yorkshire 1-2-3-4 courtesy
of Gift Horse (David Nicholls), Fonthill
Road (Richard Fahey), Fantasy Believer (John
Quinn) and Merlin's Dancer (David
Nicholls again). Better still the winner was
bred no distance from Dandy Nicholls' stable at the Theakston Stud! The collective
effort of this fantastic result must have sapped the
Yorkshire talent as otherwise it was a poor day for the
Tykes with no local winners at Doncaster and only one, Kevin
Ryan's High Curragh in the nursery, at Thirsk.
More winners eventually came at Hamilton courtesy of Richard
Fahey and Alan Swinbank. |
| 29/07/2005 |
At very close finish to the £87,000 Totesport Mile
Heritage Handicap at Goodwood today saw Mark
Johnston's Crosspeace pick up £33,000 for
second place, beaten only a neck, with stablemate Elliots
World a further neck and a head back in fourth. The next
race saw Tim Easterby's Mullaad take a
step up in class to contest the Richmond Stakes G2
and he did very well to be third, only a head
behind the second horse home. The following race saw at
only Yorkshire winner at Goodwood today when Mark
Johnston's Always Baileys took the Nursery. At
Thirsk there were winners for John Wainwright (who
later doubled up with a win at Bangor), Chris
Fairhurst and David Barker. |
| 28/07/2005 |
Day three, and it's another excellent one for the
Yorkshire raiders. The best result comes in the second
race when David Nicholls' Fire Up The
Band follows the example of his half brother and
stablemate, Strike Up The Band, by posting an excellent
winning victory, in this case in the King George Stakes G3.
The next is the Goodwood Cup G2 and here
Mark Johnston's Golden Quest, having his
second run of the meeting, picks up £22,000 for
finishing second. He will now be aimed at the Ebor and,
eventually, the Melbourne Cup. In the next Brian
Ellison also picks up £22,000 for a second
place when his Ashkal Way fills that position in the
ladbrokes.com Handicap. Finally the following race throws
up another Yorkshire winner when Richard Fahey's Tagula
Sunrise, the bottom weight, wins the £23,200 De Boer
Handicap. Pretty much the same trainers were on the mark
at Carlisle where there was a double for Richard
Fahey and also winners for David
Nicholls and Brian Ellison.
Evening racing sees an across-the-cards treble for David
Nicholls when Lord Of The East wins the claimer
at Epsom and a win for Kevin Ryan at
Musselburgh, where Ian McInnes' excellent
run continued when H Harrison won the last, having scored
at the same venue yesterday!. Unsurprisingly Mark
Johnston's Attraction has been scratched from
the Prix d'Astarte due to the rain. |
| 27/07/2005 |
Goodwood day two, and 'only' one Yorkshire winner
today, but first things first. The second race saw the
closest finish of the meeting to date when Mark
Johnston's Black Charmer was beaten into third
place by a neck and a short head in the Vintage Stakes G2,
he may now go for the Gimcrack at York. The next was the
Sussex Stakes G1 and this saw the
Yorkshire bred (at Star Cottage Stud)
Soviet Star, the hot favourite, beaten into second place
by Proclamation. It transpired that Yorkshire had to wait
till the final race, the £10,725 Zuhair Handicap for
victory. This race has been dominated by David
Nicholls' in recent years but this time it was a
different David who came back with the winner when David
Barker's Sierra Vista beat John Quinn's Pomfret
Lad by half a length. Victories at Musselburgh for Mark
Johnston and Alan Swinbank and
also a double for East Riding trainer Ian
McInnes. |
| 26/07/2005 |
So called 'Glorious' (it poured down!) Goodwood, Day
One, and an excellent one for the Yorkshire raiders,
taking three races. In the first contest, the £29,000
Summer Heritage Handicap, Mark Johnston's Nero's
Return was a fair third, whilst the following race, the
Gordon Stakes G3, saw the same stables
Brahminy Kite finish a faintly disappointing third. The
fourth race of the day was the Molecomb Stakes G3
and this saw David Nicholls' star
two-year-old Strike Up The Band posting the first Tyke
victory of the meeting in grand style. There is now talk
of a possible tilt at the Richmond Stakes later in the
meeting. The next was the £15,993 Tatler Summer Season
Handicap and this was won by the Mark
Johnston/Joe Fanning combo when Golden Quest
prevailed by a short head. Again this horse could well
reappear later in the week, in this case in the Goodwood
Cup. The next race was a valuable maiden and the same Johnston/Fanning
team struck again, this time with Prince Of
Light, a promising son of Fantastic Light who was bred
by, but not at, High Bramley
Grange Stud. Here's hoping the meeting continues in
the same vein! Johnston had an
across-the-card treble when River Lena won at Beverely
where there were also wins for Kevin Ryan,
Alan Swinbank and John Norton. |
| 24/07/2005 |
Alan Swinbank's talismanic Collier
Hill was in action at Dusseldorf this afternoon and ran
his usual excellent race to be second in the
Deutschlandpreis - Preis der Freunde und Forderer G1,
picking up £24,823 for his efforts. On the domestic
front Mark Johnston won the main race at
Pontefract when Sound Breeze took the £12,180 Pomfret
Handicap, whilst David Barker took the
main supporting race, the £9,405 St Johns Ambulance
Handicap, with Peter Asquith's Mr.Wolf, homebred by him
at Burns Farm Stud. Down
at Newbury David Nicholls sounded a
pre-Goodwood warning shot when his duo of Lafi and
Wanchai Lad were second and third respectively in the
valuable Hong Kong Jockey Club Sprint Handicap. |
| 23/07/2005 |
At York today the main race was the £32,500 Skybet
Dash Heritage Handicap and this was won by Guy Reed's La
Cucaracha (bred at his Copgrove
Stud), trained in Lambourn, who was effectively
dropped in class as this was the first time the Group
Three winner had run in a handicap. The following race
was the £10,401 Skybet Interactive Betting Handicap and
this fell to Breaking Shadow, trained in Middleham by Karl
Burke. Mick Easterby's Sporting Gesture won the
last. The day's major meeting was at Newbury (standing in
for Ascot) and here David Barron's Partners
In Jazz picked up a useful £16,500 when finishing third
in the Totesport International Heritage Handicap and Mark
Johnston's Bay Story won the last, the £10,823
Monty Charles Diamond Stakes. Meanwhile at Newcastle
there were wins for Kevin Ryan (Uhoomagoo
in the £11,011 Beeswing Handicap) and David
Nicholls. |
| 18/07/2005 |
A poignant day at Ayr today as the David
Barker trained Mecca's Mate wins the Land
O'Burns Fillies Stakes L. This
progressive filly was bred by the late Cherry Tagart at
her Melbourne Hall Stud,
and Ms.Tagart's funeral is tomorrow. She would have been
especially pleased at this particular victory as the dam
is by her former resident stallion Clantime. There was a Mark
Johnston double at Ayr today (featuring the
impressive Sound Breeze who won by 5 lengths), which he
followed up with another double at Beverley's evening
meeting, and David Chapman also came
back from Scotland with a win. The penultimate race at
Beverley saw a 1-2 for Patrick Haslam, and
the last a 1-2 for Richard Fahey! |
| 17/07/2005 |
Mark Johnston's Black Charmer is a
very decent second in the Anglesey Stakes G3 at
The Curragh this afternoon. Black Charmer holds an entry
in the Gimcrack where hopefully he can go one better! The
main race at Redcar today was the Carlsberg Straight Mile
Championship Handicap and this saw Alan
Swinbank's Go Solo come home a head in front of Tim
Easterby's Tough Love. Other Yorkshire winners
on that card were provided by Karl Burke, an
in form Nigel Tinkler and John
Balding. |
| 16/7/2005 |
Today's big winner was Tom Tate who's
Another Bottle won the £26,100 ladbrokes.com Heritage
Handicap at Newbury. Later on the same card Tim
Easterby's Fayr Jag had his most promising run
of the season to date when finishing fourth in the
Hackwood Stakes L. Easterby won the main
race at Ripon with Most Definitely taking the £11,113
Bell-Ringer Handicap, earlier Nigel Tinkler had
a 1-2 in the seller courtesy of Dancing Edge and Charlie
Hather, with wife Kim luckily aboard the right one! Over
jumps it was Market Rasen's big mid-summer meeting and John
Quinn's Hilltime was an excellent second in the
£20,300 Totescoop6 Summer Handicap Hurdle. |
| 15/07/2005 |
The day's big race is the £18,340 Tennents Scottish
Stewards Cup Handicap at Hamilton's evening meeting and
the finish is dominated by Yorkshire trained horses as Mark
Johnston's Spirit Of France comes home a neck
and half a length in front of John Quinn's Fantasy
Believer and Richard Fahey's Bo McGinty.
This also marked an across the card treble for Johnston
who also had winners at Carlisle and Pontefract. |
| 09/07/2005 |
Karl Burke's Triskaidekaphobia wins
the opening nursery at York whilst the next race sees Tim
Easterby's Artie finish a good second. In the
big one, the £97,500 John Smith's Cup, the Yorkshire duo
of John Quinn's Crow Wood and Richard
Fahey's Realism are beaten into the minor places
by Aidan O'Brien's Mullins Bay, although at least it is
Lady Manton who collects the winners trophy on behalf of
connections! Richard Fahey's Namroud
provides the biggest local win of the day when coming
home ahead in the £10,738 John Smith's Cask Handicap. At
Lingfield the Mark Johnston duo of
Golden Chance and Swift Sailor are second and third
respectively in the £29,000 ladbrokespoker.com Heritage
Handicap whilst at Chester David Nicholls' Fire
Up The Band fades from the lead to finish third in the
Chester City Wall Stakes L. Nicholls,
Johnston, Geoff Harker and David Barron all
have winners at Hamilton's evening meeting. |
| 08/07/2005 |
The racing circus moves to York. For some reason the
locals always seem to do well on this first day, and
today proves to be no exception when David
Barker's good week continues with Mecca's Mate
winning the opening £9,186 Grampian Country Food Group
Handicap. The next is the Hearthstead Homes Handicap and
this sees David Barron's Dispol Katie
come home ahead of Tim Etherington's Fullandby.
The third race is the £11,630 John West Tuna Handicap
and this time it is Richard Fahey who
does the honours when his Ski Jump, wins with stablemate
Sualda back in third. There are no Yorkshire placings in
the main race of the day, the Cuisine de France Summer
Stakes G3 but Guy Reed's La Cucaracha
(homebred at Copgrove Stud)
runs another good race to be second. Things go equally
well for the Tykes at Chester's evening meeting with David
Barron getting a double for the day thanks to
Brace Of Doves in the opener. The next is the £9,096
Littlewoods Bet Direct Conditions Stakes and here Tim
Easterby's Mullaad gets the better of Kevin
Ryan's Amadeus Wolf, who was placed in the
Coventry last time out. Richard Fahey also
makes it a double for the day when Torrens takes one of
the later races on the card. |
| 07/07/2005 |
Yet again James Bethell's stablestar
Mine comes good when it matters and takes the £45,500
Bunbury Cup Handicap at Newmarket for the second time, to
take his career prize money over the £277,000 mark. It
was an incredibly close finish with just two short heads
and a neck in it at the finish. There wasn't much else to
cheer Yorkshire hearts at Newmarket today, with Somnus
being especially disappointing, although Brian
Ellison's Ashkal Boy was third in the opener,
and Kevin Ryan's Tedstale second in the
last race. |
| 06/07/2005 |
The only Yorkshire winner down at Newmarket today is David
Barker's Sierra Vista who wins the last. Earlier
Mark Johnston's Black Charmer had
finished a good third in the July Stakes G2,
and the same stables Elliots World filled the same
position in the £29,000 Blandford Bloodstock Joss
Collins Handicap. |
| 05/07/2005 |
First day of Newmarket's July meeting and things go
according to plan in the second race, the £34,800
totesport.com Heritage Handicap, when David
Nicholls' extremely promising young sprinter Tax
Free grabs the first prize - his third win in only four
career starts. The next race is the Falmouth Stakes G1
and whilst there is no Attraction (now aiming for France)
it is still a good result for Yorkshire with the Star Cottage Stud raised
Soviet Song making an impressive winning return to form. David
Nicholls also had a double at Pontefract with
his Pieter Brueghel winning the main race on that card,
the £10,582 King Richard II Handicap. |
| 04/07/2005 |
Conditional jockey Tom Halliday, attached to Sue
Smith's Bingley stable, was killed on Sunday after
sustaining severe damage to his head in a fall at Market
Rasen. Our sympathy goes to Tom's family and friends. Tom
was son of Willie Halliday, whom anyone associated with
the Northern showjumping circuit will have heard of. |
| 02/07/2005 |
Drama in the opening race at Sandown, the
Laurent-Perrier Champagne Sprint Stakes G3,
when the David Barker trained Celtic
Mill stumbles and rolls, leading to his pilot Frankie
Dettori being out of action for at least 4 weeks, in the
same race however David Nicholls' Lafi
ran his best race since last years Wokingham by finishing
second. Nicholls also has a good day at Beverley when his
Trinculo wins the main race on the card, the £12,649
Coachman Caravans Quality Handicap. At Haydock Mark
Johnston's Heartstead Wings is third in the July
Trophy L, whilst at Carlisle Whitethorne
gives Richard Fahey his third win in two
days. |
| 01/07/2005 |
Mark Johnston has winners at
Beverley, Haydock and Sandown today with the most
valuable coming at the later track when I'm So Lucky wins
the £12,231 K2 Advisors Handicap. |
| 30/06/2005 |
Lot's of Yorkshire winners so far this week and today
sees it's fair share with the best result coming from John
Quinn's Fantasy Believer who wins the £10,055
Clear Channel Handicap at Epsom's evening meeting. |
| 26/06/2005 |
No Yorkshire winners following the raid on the
Curragh this afternoon but Mark Johnston's Brahminy
Kite is a more than respectable fourth in the Irish Derby
G1 and later on the card Richard
Fahey's King's Point runs a good race to be
second in the Celebration Stakes L. |
| 25/06/2005 |
Northumberland Plate day at Newcastle, but the best
Yorkshire could manage in the big race itself was Far
Pavilions in fourth. In the opening race however David
Chapman's Quito ran his usual game race to be
second in the Chipchase Stakes G3, whilst
in the race prior to the Plate David Barker's Sierra
Vista put up a game performance to take, by a neck, the
£17,400 Northern Sprint Handicap for the second year in
a row, with David Barron's Rising Shadow
back in third. Barron had an even closer call when his
Partners In Jazz was second in the Journal 'Good Morning'
Handicap, whilst Mark Johnston and Tom
Tate increased the winning tally later on the
card with Crime Scene and Dancer's Serenade. Down at
Newmarket Tim Easterby's Sykelady took a
huge leap in form to be second in the Empress Stakes L,
(which was won by Burns
Farm's homebred Dixie Belle) whilst the same trainers
Game Lad was also second in the following race. Plenty of
placings for the Yorkshire trainers over at Chester, but
the best performance came in the last race which was won
by David Nicholls' Handsome Cross.
Evening racing at Doncaster sees wins for David
Nicholls and Tim Easterby. Look
out for Brahminy Kite in the Irish Derby at the Curragh
tomorrow, although Yorkshire also has an unusually large
number of entries in the supporting races as well, from
which a winner is more likely to come. |
| 22/06/2005 |
One of the big days in Carlisle's racing year and one
of the two main races is the historic £16,884 Carlisle
Bell Handicap and this is won by Yorkshire raider
Hartshead, trained by Alan Swinbank, who
is having an excellent season. |
| 18/06/2005 |
The final day of Royal Ascot at York (well, for this
year anyway .....) and whilst Somnus is withdrawn due to
unsuitable going (pray for rain in Deauville and
Newmarket) it is still, by far, the best day of the
meeting for the local horses. The opening race is the
Windsor Castle Stakes L and incredibly
this sees a Yorkshire trained 1-2-3 with Bryan
Smart's Titus Alone coming home ahead of David
Nicholl's Strike Up The Band (his second such
placing of the meeting) and Richard Whitaker's Tabaret.
The next is the Hardwicke Stakes G2 and
in this Mark Johnston's enigmatic
Bandari finally returns to form to cling on for victory
under Willie Supple, taking the six-year-old's career
earnings over the £500,000 mark, indeed he now creeps up
to ninth place in the list of winningmost Yorkshire
trained horses. The next is the big one, the Golden
Jubilee Stakes G1, and here the winner
is the Hong Kong trained Cape Of Good Hope (fourth on
Tuesday) who was bred just down the road from the
Knavesmire at Melbourne
Hall Stud. There is no Yorkshire involvement in the
Wokingham, but John Quinn's Crow Wood is
only just denied victory in the Duke of Edinburgh
Handicap, picking up second place. The horse Bandari
overtook for ninth place in the winningmost list is
stablemate Royal Rebel who ran in the last race at York,
but was sadly unplaced - it is now possible that he will
be retired, although connections were keen for him to go
out with a win, hence the drop in class today. Elsewhere Bryan
Smart's excellent day continued with Bond City
winning the £11,953 Stan James Handicap at Newmarket and
the Hambleton trainer also recorded a double at Redcar,
where Tim Easterby obtained some
consolation for Somnus when Go Tech won the £14,027
Totesport.com Handicap and Molly Marie won the maiden. Up
at Ayr Chris Thornton's Lets Roll won
the £9,377 Freephone Stanleybet Handicap and Noel
Wilson had one of the biggest wins of his short
career when Acomb won the £10,316 Stanleybet June
Meeting Handicap. The evening action switches to Warwick
where there is even more good news for Mark
Johnston when his Nufoos finally wins her black
type race when taking the Eternal Stakes L.
Phew, what a day! |
| 17/06/2005 |
It would have been depressing to say the least if
Royal Ascot at York had passed without a local winner,
luckily this potential travesty was averted this
afternoon when the Mark Johnston trained
Melrose Avenue, under a driving ride from Kevin Darley,
won the Queen's Vase G3. Perhaps more
significant in the long run was the earlier performance
of another Johnston horse when his Brahminy Kite was an
excellent second in the King Edward VII Stakes G2,
especially as he ran very green and this was his first
race in 301 days, roll on Goodwood and eventually,
hopefully, the St Leger at Doncaster, potentially with
Melrose Avenue in attendance as well. Earlier Sir Robert
Ogden's Newmarket trained and American bred filly La
Chunga won the Albany Stakes G3 and she
will no doubt make her way to her owners Sicklinghall Stud
when he racing career is over. Up at Redcar Richard
Fahey's Wyatt Earp won the main race on the
card, the £14,001 Pertemps Employment Alliance Handicap.
Meanwhile there's the not insignificant matter of Somnus
tomorrow to look forward to ..... |
| 16/06/2005 |
Royal Ascot at York, day three, some sun! Proceedings
started well for the local horses with the David
Nicholls trained Strike Up The Band finishing an
excellent second in the opening race, the Norfolk Stakes G3.
The next two races were the Ribblesdale Stakes G2
and Ascot Gold Cup G1, and two of the Mark
Johnston runners in these, Secret History and
Winged d'Argent respectively, both ran good races to
finish fifth, Secret History's performance being
especially creditable as it was quite a close finish, no
doubt this won't be much consolation for the
perfectionist that is Mr.Johnston, especially given his
previous excellent record at Royal Ascot. The fourth race
was the Britannia Handicap and second in this was the
Elite Racing owned Brecon Beacon who was bred, like
Soviet Song, at Star
Cottage Stud. Finally Mark Johnston's Elliots
World was a respectable third in the Hampton Court Stakes
L. |
| 15/06/2005 |
Day two, weather even worse. The locally trained
horses make even less impression today, but Mick
Easterby's Bow Bridge (also bred in Yorkshire)
is a decent third in the Queen Mary Stakes G2,
I was wondering if Mick would take his flat cap off if
she actually won! Karl Burke's useful
Clare Hills was fourth in the same race. Soviet Star,
bred by the Elite Racing Club at Star Cottage Stud,
makes her seasonsal debut and is a respectable third in
the Windsor Forest Stakes G2, she
usually needs a couple of runs to find her form. |
| 14/06/2005 |
Day one of Royal Ascot at York (long may it
continue!). Events start fairly well for the locals when Kevin
Ryan's Amadeus Wolf puts up an eye catching
performance to be third in the opening race, the Coventry
Stakes G2. The next is the King's Stand
Stakes G2 and this sees Yorkshire bred
(but Hong Kong trained) Cape Of Good Hope a reasonable
enough fourth, if he is OK later in the week there is a
good chance he will run in the Golden Jubilee Stakes G1
on Saturday. The third race sees honourary
Yorkshire horse Shamardal blast to victory in the St
James's Palace Stakes G1, to add to his
earlier victories in the French 2,000 Guineas and French
Derby. Shamardal's trainer last year was Mark
Johnston and his Golden Quest is only beaten
into second place by a head in the £29,000 Ascot
Handicap, in which Richard Fahey's Ski
Jump is fourth. Global Genius (Yorkshire owned by former
Wetherby trainer Jack Hanson but trained
in Lambourn) is second in the closing race, the Chesham
Stakes L. Chris Fairhurst had his first
win of the season when Passion Fruit won up at Carlisle. |
| 12/06/2005 |
David Nicholls' Tax Free wins the
main race at Doncaster today, the £10,239 Totesport
Handicap, and Mark Johnston wins the
opening two races with Black Charmer and Stage School,
the second named being as well bred as it is possible to
imagine, being a Sunday Silence half sister to Arazi and
Noverre. |
| 11/06/2005 |
Karl Burke's good week continued
when his Orphan took the £29,000 totesport.com Heritage
Handicap, a new race at Ripon, and one of the most
valuable ever run there. The other important result of
the day came at Sandown where John Quinn's grand
horse Bigalos Bandit was a good second in the
paddypowerpoker.com Scurry Stakes L,
with Kevin Ryan's Coleorton Dancer a
game fourth in the same race. Roll on Ascot At York. |
| 07/06/2005 |
A nice win at Redcar today for Karl Burke when
Takes Tutu, formerly with Mark Johnston,
wins the £12,238 Carlsberg Redcar Straight Mile
Championship Qualifier Handicap. There was also a David
Nicholls double at Chester today. |
| 04/06/2005 |
Derby Day, and no Yorkshire runners in the big race,
although second placed Walk In The Park's dam is Classic
Park who was bred at the Garrowby
Stud. With the Derby, Oaks and Guineas all going to
different trainers (and the Derby not going to O'Brien,
Stoute or bin Suroor) it is a pity that the Mark
Johnston team is not quite in the same form as
it was last season, had this been the case he could have
entertained serious thoughts of the Trainers
Championship, although there is plenty of the season yet
to come. Unlike yesterday there was a positive deluge of
Yorkshire winners at Epsom today with the David
Nicholls duo of Fire Up The Band and Peace
Offering running excellent races to be first and second
respectively in the £43,500 Vodafone 'Dash' Heritage
Handicap. Later on the card John Quinn was
able to add to the tally when Crow Wood was a game winner
of the £23,200 Vodafone Handicap. The final race on the
card saw a blanket finish in the the £23,200 Vodafone
Sprint Handicap with the first four home separated by two
heads and a short head with David Nicholls Gift
Horse the winner to cap a good day for the Sessay
trainer, with David Barron's Rising
Shadow back in third and another Nicholls horse Native
Title in fourth. There were other Yorkshire winners today
at Doncaster and Haydock, the best of which was Mark
Johnston's Golden Quest who took the £12,540
888.com Poker Handicap at Haydock. |
| 03/06/2005 |
Day one of the Epsom Derby meeting and the Yorkshire
raiders make their presence felt without actually winning
any of the races. Mark Johnston's Secret
History drops back to a mile (an odd decision) and is
third (of three) in the opening Princess Elizabeth Stakes
G3, although she is far from disgraced,
this is also a good omen for Attraction as the winner,
Sundrop, was second in last years 1,000 Guineas. Johnston
also has third in the next, the £20,300 Vodafone Mile
Handicap, thanks to Nero's Return, with Kevin
Ryan's Uhoomagoo back in fourth. The next is the
£43,500 Vodfaone Rose Bowl and here Richard
Fahey's Realism picks up a useful £16,500 for
second place. Johnston's Bandari is only fifth in the
Coronation Cup G1, but his Joseph Henry
is fourth in the Surrey Stakes L, and in
the last his Mafaheem is a decent third in the £20,300
Vodafone Group Services Handicap. The evening action
switches to Goodwood and here Johnston's Elliots
World returns to something like his best form by coming
second in the On The House Stakes L.,
albeit nine lengths behind the impressive winner Court
Masterpiece. |
| 01/06/2005 |
Another good day today when Karl Burke's Clare
Hills picks up her second race in as many starts when
winning the Hilary Needler Trophy L at
Beverley, with Kevin Ryan's Fanghorn
Forest also picking up valuable black-type for finishing
third in the same race. In the other big race on the
card, the £11,672 Brian Yeardley Continental Trophy Richard
Whitaker's Tabaret is a creditable second on his
first racecourse appearance. However the big news comes
in the evening when La Cucaracha, homebred by Guy Reed at
his Copgrove Hall Stud,
becomes her owners first group winner since Dakota by
taking the Ballyogan Stakes G3 at
Leopardstown. Trained in Lambourn by Barry Hills this
Piccolo filly has now won 4 or her 8 starts, and
hopefully the best is yet to come if she gets her
favoured Good going conditions. |
| 31/05/2005 |
A memorable day for David Barker which
sees the young handler win his first ever group race when
Celtic Mill lands the Temple Stakes G2 at
Sandown.This grand seven year old, owned and bred by
Peter Asquith at Burns Farm
Stud, has been the mainstay of Barker's Scorton yard
for a number of years, and hopefully ever greater is to
come. |
| 28/05/2005 |
Yorkshire took the day's most valuable race when Bryan
Smart's Bond Boy won the £34,800 VC Bet
Scottish Sprint Cup Heritage Handicap at Musselburgh.
Indeed Yorkshire took all the big races at the Scottish
track with Richard Fahey's Harrison's
Flyer winning the £10,082 VC Bet Sprint Trophy Handicap,
and Alan Swinbank's Far Pavilions yet
again winning the £12,208 Sheraton Grand Cup Handicap.
In addition Mark Johnston's Trivandrun
took the opener at the Scottish track and there were wins
at Doncaster for Mick Easterby (Sporting
Gesture), David Nicholls (Machinist) and
Anne Duffield (Jubilee Street). |
| 23/05/2005 |
At Windsor this evening David Barker's Celtic
Mill narrowly beat David Chapman's Quito
into fourth place by a neck in the Leisure Stakes L. |
| 22/05/2005 |
Mark Johnston's Winged d'Argent runs
a good race today at Longchamp when third in the Prix
Vicomtesse Vigier G2, only pipped for
second place by a short head. |
| 21/05/2005 |
No major winners today, but plenty of good placings
and minor winners. At Haydock Mark Johnston's Nufoos
continues her good run when she takes second place in the
Sandy Lane Stakes L, she must surely win
a stakes race soon. Down at Newmarket Kevin
Ryan's Coleorton Dancer picks up £11,000 for
finishing second in the Coral Sprint Heritage Handicap,
whilst David Barron's Trance is a winner
later on the same card. Tim Easterby's Fizzlephut
loses his maiden at Catterick whilst the evening meeting
at Carlisle sees a Mark Johnston / Kevin Darley treble
courtesy of Always Baileys, Windhover and Marias Magic.
Over at the Curragh Patrick Haslam's stablestar
Kinnaird makes a reasonably promising seasonal debut when
third in the Ridgewood Pearl Stakes G2. |
| 18/05/2005 |
A milestone is passed today by David Nicholls
when his Strike Up The Band lands the Baker
Tilly Trophy L at Goodwood - this is
Dandy's first juvenille black type winner and the man who
has made his name with older horses certainly seems to be
getting the hang of training two year olds, indeed prior
to this season he has never really had that many
juvenilles in training. There was another big winner
today, this time up at Kelso for Sue Smith
who's Smiths Landing took the £14,883 Charles Church
Intermediate Chase. |
| 15/05/2005 |
It was announced today that Thirsk trainer Lynda
Ramsden is to retire to France (again!) at the
end of this season. Ramsden retired at the end of 1998,
selling Breckenbrough House, but repurchased the property
again in time for the 2001 season. The Ramsden's now
operate on a much smaller scale than previously and own a
number of the horses in the yard themselves. |
| 14/05/2005 |
Attraction finished half way down the field at Sha
Tin. Not only did she miss the start, but was
consequently boxed in on the rails and when she did get
finally get a chink of daylight she didn't appear to pick
up, hardly a great surprise given her action and the
tight track. As with so many so called 'brave
experiments' it simply didn't work. My prediction is that
she will miss the Queen Anne as Royal Ascot at York and
bounce back to something like her best form form over six
furlongs in the July Cup, hopefully a reversion to
sprinting will be more successful than the international
globetrotting experiment. If it's any consolation (and
it's not for me) Silent Witness was beaten into second
place by his stablemate Bullish Luck. There was slightly
more concrete consolation back in England later in the
day when Mark Johnston's I'm So Lucky
won the £23,200 London Gold Cup Handicap. Meanwhile at
Thirsk Tim Easterby's Mimi Mouse was the
most prominent local winner on the card when taking the
£13,504 Rectangle Group Handicap. |
| 13/05/2005 |
Although, again, not quite as good as the day before
the highlight on the last day of York's Dante meeting,
from the perspective of the 'locals', was the victory in
the opening race, the Marygate Stakes L,
of Mick Easterby's Bow Bridge. This
filly was homebred by her owner Mrs. Jarvis (who keeps
her mares at Mick's), and Mick also trained the dam.
Hopefully Bow Bridge will make the short journey back to
York for the Queen Mary Stakes. This was Mick's first
black-type winner since Esyoueffcee took the Severals
Stakes L at Newmarket nearly four years
ago. |
| 12/05/2005 |
Although not quite as good as yesterday the locals
still did well at York today, most especially in the
Hambleton Handicap L which saw a
Yorkshire 1-2-3 thanks to Quito (David Chapman),
Blue Spinnaker (Mick Easterby) and Kings
Point (Richard Fahey). There were also
second places later of the card for Kevin Ryan (Hill
of Howth in the maiden) and Richard Fahey (Ski
Jump in the £11,202 Toteexacta Handicap). |
| 11/05/2005 |
Day one of York's Dante meeting, traditionally it's
second most important meeting of the year, although
perhaps not this year! The locals were in cracking form
with David Barron's Zero Tolerance
kicking off proceedings when taking the opening race, the
£16,095 Newton Investment Management Handicap, in grand
style. The next race saw Kevin Ryan's Gifted
Gamble run the race of his short career so far when he
was third in the williamhillpoker.com Handicap L.
Better still was to come in the next when Mark
Johnston's progressive filly Secret History took
the Musidora Stakes G3 by a staggering
five lengths. Not currently engaged in the Oaks this
filly may well be supplemented for the Epsom classic.
Trainer Johnston is currently in Hong Kong overseeing
Attraction's preparation for her big race at the weekend
against local superstar Silent Witness, she worked on the
local turf for the first time this morning. The next was
the Duke of York Stakes G2 and here Tom
Tate's Welsh Emperor pipped Tim
Easterby's Somnus for third place, although
Somnus, having his first race of the season, usually
needs a race or two to get into form, and this should put
him right for his next start. The next race was the
£10,256 theripleycollection.com Handicap which saw Kevin
Ryan's Barking Mad come home in second ahead of Chris
Thornton's Lets Roll. Finally the penultimate
race of the day was another good result for Ryan when
his Amber Glory came home ahead of Mick
Easterby's Soto. |
| 07/05/2005 |
From the Yorkshire perspective today's best result
comes at Haydock where Tom Tate's Welsh
Emperor wins the Spring Trophy Stakes L with
David Chapman's Quito beaten a lengh
into second place. Further afield at Lingfield Mark
Johnston has a couple of group placing when
Nufoos is a head second in the Chartwell Fillies Sakes G3
and Melrose Avenue is third in the Derby Trial Stakes G3.
Back in God's Own County Richard Fahey takes
the main race at Beverley - the £12,064 Coachman
Conditions Stakes - with Philharmonic. |
| 06/05/2005 |
Last day of the Chester meeting and David
Nicholls' Fire Up The Band returns to form to
take the opening race, the £15,161 VcBet Handicap. Later
at Hamilton David Barron's Dispol Veleta
takes the meeting main race - the £9,350 Fillies'
Handicap. |
| 05/05/2005 |
The Mark Johnston duo of Swift
Sailor and Contact Dancer found one too good for them
when finishing second and third respectively in the
Chester Cup today, although they still picked up nearly
£40,000 between them. Consolation for Johnston came two
races later when Quizzene took the £10,043 Walker Smith
Way Handicap. |
| 01/05/2005 |
Don Enrico Incisa (more properly
Marchese Enrico Incisa della Rocchetta) the long serving
Middleham trainer died on Saturday evening at the age of
70. His father was Marchese Mario Incisa,
racing partner of the legendary Federico Tesio and owner
of the mighty Ribot. Don Enrico trained in Milan for a
number of years and his major winners included his
father's horses Tierceron (Gran Premio d'Italia and Gran
Premio del Jockey Club in 1972), Tratteggio and
Mannsfeld. In 1981 he moved to Thorngill Stables in
Middleham (where he also ran the Thorngill
Stud), where he sent out a
steady stream of of winners from a tiny string, most of
them owned by himself. Don Enrico's last winner was at
Wolverhampton in early March. There was a minute's
silence after the big race at the Capannelle in Italy iin
honour of both Don Enrico and leading owner-breeder,
Vittorio Riva. On a happier note Alan
Swinbank's stable star Collier Hill continued
his recent good run when landing the Gerling-Preis G2
at Cologne this afternoon under a confident ride
from regular pilot Dean McKeown. At Newmarket Mark
Johnston's Crosspeace narrowly wins the £13,509
Curtis Medical Handicap and his Bandari improves on his
previous run this season to be third in the Jockey Club
Stakes G2., only missing out on second
place by a short head - he will now be aimed at the
Hardwicke Stakes at 'Royal Ascot at York'. David
Barron's Namir won the main race at Hamilton,
having struck earlier on the same card with Dispol
Veleta. |
| 30/04/2005 |
2,000 Guineas day at Newmarket and whilst Mark
Johnston's unfancied Elliots World finishes
second to last in the mile classic there is more than
ample compensation for the Tykes in the form of third
placed Kandidate. This Kabool colt was bred by the
'Proton Partnership' which is the name for the joint
breeding venture of the Providence
and Foston Studs,
very many congratulations to all involved. Johnston
also received some minor compensation when the
filly Secret History chalked up her first piece of black
type when finishing second in the Conqueror Stakes L
at Goodwood. At a more parochial level there
were wins at Thirsk for Mick Easterby, David
Nicholls, James Bethell (King Harson in the
£9,591 Totesport Handicap) and Lynda Ramsden. |
| 28/04/2005 |
A red letter day for Ferdy Murphy who
sent two 25-1 long shots to Punchestown for the Ballymore
Properties Champion Stayers Hurdle Gd1 - and
came back with first and third prizes courtesy of Carlys
Quest and Basilea Star respectively. |
| 27/04/2005 |
Andronikos, bred at Manor
House Stud, proves he has trained on well when taking
the Pavilion Stakes L at Lingfield
today. |
| 23/04/2005 |
A productive week for the Yorkshire trainers with
plenty of winners continues today with winners at Ripon
for Sally Hall (Bold Haze), Kevin
Ryan (Coleorton Dancer and Raymond's Pride), Mick
Easterby (Bow Bridge) and Brian Ellison (Mister
Mal). No doubt the good showing by the locals was largely
down to my prescence at Yorkshire's 'Garden Racecourse' !
Across the Pennines at Haydock there were wins for Tim
Easterby (Skyelady), Richard Fahey (St
Savarin) and Mark Johnston (Bay Story),
while Johnston also had the most
valuable Yorkshire winner of the day when Hiddensee took
the £12,272 Everards Brewery Handicap down at Leicester.
Oh and Soviet Star is not certain for a clash with
Attraction at Newbury - she may go to Ireland the
following weekend instead. 
|
| 16/04/2005 |
Ferdy Murphy has had a really good
season, especially compared to last year, and all that
was missing was a major winner, but this situation was
rectified today at Ayr when Joes Edge took the £70,000
Scottish Grand National by the shortest of short heads
under leading conditional Keith Mercer, the odds of 20-1
perhaps don't reflect the level of optimisim in the West
Witton camp, but either way I doubt even they were
expecting him to run quite this well ! Murphy's Basilea
Star was a decent second in the following race, the
£13,748 Handicap Hurdle. Things didn't go quite so well
for the Yorkshire trainers at Newbury, the Mark
Johnston duo of Bandari and new recruit Osorio
made no impression in the John Porter Stakes G3
in which Frank Sonata, bred by the Bishop Wilton Stud,
started his season well by coming second. Elsewhere there
were winners at Thirsk for John Balding and
David Barron, and at Nottingham for James
Bethell. |
| 14/04/2005 |
A good week so far for the Yorkshire trainers and it
gets better today when David Chapman's stable
star Quito takes the Abernant Stakes L at
Newmarket under regular pilot Tony Culhane. For some
reason it is an unwritten rule that Quito has to always
be described as a 'credit to his trainer' - but it's
certainly true ! Mark Johnston and Richard
Whitaker strike at Ripon to follow up the wins
at Beverley yesterday for Richard Fahey (a
double), David Nicholls, Johnston
and Micky Hammond. |
| 09/04/2005 |
No luck in the Grand National today although Ferdy
Murphy posted another impressive Aintree
performance when his Joes Edge took the following race,
the £19,198 John Smiths Amateur Riders Novices' Handicap
Chase. At Newcastle David Barron's Venetian
Lullaby won the last on her racecourse debut whilst the
first race was won by The Bear - who thus becomes the
first winner for sire Rambling Bear, who stands at the Hedgeholme Stud
for the bargain fee of £750. It is only 8 days since
another Hedgeholme sire, Hunting Lion, had his debut
winner when Garlogs struck at Doncaster. |
| 08/04/2005 |
Day two of the Grand National Meeting at Aintree and
a Yorkshire trained horse finally catches the eye when
the Ferdy Murphy trained Haut de Gamme
is a very useful second in the £46,600 John Smith's
& Spar Topham Handicap Chase. In the slightly more
humble surroundings of Southwell the Kevin Ryan trained
filly Amber Glory wins the maiden nicely on only her
second start. |
| 06/04/2005 |
Mark Johnston chalks up his first
listed win of the season when Winged D'Argent lands the
Weatherbys Bank Further Flight Stakes L at
Nottingham today. Meanwhile up at Catterick there were
minor winners for Karl Burke (Ashes) and
Alan Swinbank (Far Pavilions). |
| 03/04/2005 |
Delfos, raised at the Cliff Stud
for Stilvi Compania, wins the Prix d'Harcourt G2 at
Longchamp this afternoon. |
| 02/04/2005 |
No Yorkshire trained winners on Lincoln Day this
year, but the Barry Hills trained La Cucaracha put up a
good display to the take the Cammidge Trophy L for
owner/breeder Guy Reed of the Copgrove
Stud. The Reed/Hills combination seem to like this
day, having won the Lincoln two years ago with Pablo and
next stop for La Cucaracha, a filly who only had three
runs last season, will be a first tilt at group company
in the Duke of York Stakes at York. |
| 31/03/2005 |
Spring reports of David Nicholls having
invested in more non-sprinting stock may well be true,
but that doesn't stop Merlin's Dancer winning the six
furlong £12,099 Doncaster-Racecourse.com Handicap on the
opening day of the Lincoln meeting! Earlier Mark
Johnston's promising three-year-old Tarraman
took the maiden in reasonable style and a attempt at
listed company seems likely, although he appeared to run
a little green. |
| 27/03/2005 |
Having drawn a blank yesterday the Yorkshire trainers
made amends today with Mark Johnston's Swift
Sailor becoming the first Yorkshire trained winner of the
flat season when taking the second at Musselburgh, the
stable scored a double when Alrafidain took the staying
maiden and there were also wins for David
Nicholls (Hamaasy) and James Bethell (Angelofthenorth). |
| 26/03/2005 |
The turf season starts in the unusual environs of
Kempton, and the best Yorkshire performance of the day is
only the third place managed in the historic Queen's
Prize Handicap by Mark Johnston's Winged
d'Argent. Johnston's former charge
Shamardal flopped, badly, on World Cup night at Nad Al
Sheba, however Alan Swinbank's Collier
Hill ran the race of his life to finish third (beaten
only a short head) in the Dubai Sheema Classic G1,
collecting a cool £145,833 for his connections, easily
the most valuable result to date of Swinbank's short
training career, many congratulations to all involved. |
| 19/03/2005 |
Richard Fahey's stable star Golden
Legacy runs badly in a very peculiar seasonal debut on
the all-weather at Lingfield. |
| 18/03/2005 |
The Elite Racing / Star Cottage Stud
combination strike again at Cheltenham, and this time to
even greater effect when Penzance wins the JCB Triumph
Hurdle Gd1. But overall a very
poor Cheltenham for the Yorkshire contingent. |
| 16/03/2005 |
Cheltenham day two, and whilst no Yorkshire trained
horses claim places a Yorkshire bred one does with
Dancing Bay, bred by Elite Racing at Star Cottage Stud,
coming second in the £43,500 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle Gd2. |
| 15/03/2005 |
Cheltenham festival day one, and the only Yorkshire
trained horse to make any impression on the judges is
Ferdy Murphy's Luzcadou who is second in the
£23,200 Sporting Index Cross Country Handicap Chase. |
| 12/03/2005 |
A double case of close, but no cigar today. In the
opener at Sandown Sue Smith's Rebel
Rhythm was a decent enough third in the Sunderlands
Novices' Handicap Hurdle Gd 3 ,
whilst on the all-weather at Wolverhampton Kevin
Ryan's Always Esteemed filled the same position
in the £30,466 Lincoln Trial Handicap. Yorkshire legend George
Duffield has called time on his fabulously
successful riding career and will now assist his wife Anne
Duffield in her training career. Duffield, who
was awarded the MBE in 2003, is the tenth winning-most
jockey with 2547 wins, which compares well with that
other top class Yorkshire jockey who was never champion -
Edward Hide, who had 2593 wins. It had
been George's ambition to overtake Eddie, but his injured
shoulder has again intervened. Duffield rode mainly for
Newmarket trainer Sir Mark Prescott, but his biggest wins
were aboard User Friendly, Noalcoholic, Giants Causeway
and Aristotle, all for other trainers. |
| 05/03/2005 |
A quiet week in the run up to Chelteham and thence
the flat season comes to a close. The main winner of the
day is Sue Smith's Omni Cosmo Touch who
lands Doncaster's £13,594 totesport.com Handicap Hurdle
at odds of 4-1, in the next race stable companion
Undeniable is a useful second in the Auckley Handicap
Chase. Up at Kelso meanwhile Ferdy Murphy's Haut
de Gamme wins the £9,607 totesport Handicap Chase and Jedd
O'Keeffee's Habitual Dancer is third in the
Premier Kelso Novice Hurdle Gd2.
Mark Johnston's Pearl Of Love trails in
a very dissapointing last in the Group 3 race in Dubai. |
| 25/02/2005 |
The first Yorkshire trained winner of this years
Dubai Festival, somewhat unexpectedly, comes from Alan
Swinbank when his stable star Collier Hill lands
the £40,625 Elnadim Sponsored by Derrinstown Stud
Handicap at Nad Al Sheba. |
| 24/02/2005 |
The reputation of Middleham wunderkind Mark
Johnston has spread across the Atlantic as this
week he appears on the front cover of Blood Horse
Magazine, the American Bloodstock industry bible ! |
| 19/02/2005 |
Lot's of Yorkshire runners in many of the big races
today, but the best results come at Haydock where Sue
Smith's Town Crier wins the £16,962 Aykroyds
Character Building Handicap Chase, and Kevin
Ryan's Karelian is second in the Victor Ludorum
Juvenile Novices' Hurdle. Meanwhile on the other side of
the world Cape Of Good Hope, bred at the Melbourne Stud, finally
lands his Group One race when winning the Timbercorp
Australia Stakes G1. |
| 16/02/2005 |
A number of valuable jumps races at Musselburgh today
one of which, the £13,546 Scottish County Hurdle Trial
Handicap Hurdle, was won by Alan Swinbank's Far
Pavilions, who will hopefully put up a good show in the
County Hurdle itself. |
| 10/02/2005 |
Today's main race is on the all-weather at Southwell
and it is Kevin Ryan's Cardinal Venture
who lands the spoils in the £13,392 Press Red To Bet
Direct Handicap. Further afield at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai,
Yorkshire had their first placing of the festival when Mark
Johnston's Carte Sauvage was third in the
International Rated Stakes Handicap. |
| 09/02/2005 |
Edwin Tuer wins the main race of the
day when Through The Rye lands the £10,244 Weatherbys
Bank Novices Chase at Carlisle this afternoon. |
| 05/02/2005 |
Cape Of Good Hope, bred at the Melbourne Stud, tries to
escape the Hong-Kong based iron grip of Silent Witness by
venturing to Australia where he comes third in the TEAC
Lightning Stakes G1. Much closer to home
Sue Smith's Undeniable is the last of
only three finishers in the Towton Novices' Chase Gd2
at Wetherby, beaten a mere 88 lengths! The same trainers
Royal Emperor put up a better performance (despite being
the beaten favourite) when second in the next race, the
£12,030 totesport.com Handicap Chase. |
| 29/01/2005 |
Patriarch Express, who fell last week at Haydock,
made amends for Sue Smith today when
putting up an excellent performance to land the £34,800
Cleeve Hurdle Gd2 at Cheltenham
by a game head. Earlier at the same course Ferdy
Murphy's Joes Edge was second in the £12,354
Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase, whilst Patrick
Haslam's Yankeedoodledandy suffered his first
jumps defeat when second in the £17,400 Finesse Juvenile
Novices' Hurdle Gd2. Events
didn't go quite so well for the locals at Doncaster with
the second of George Moore's Argento in
the £13,406 Skybet Handicap Chase probably the best
performance from the Yorkshire handlers. |
| 28/01/2005 |
Yorkshire trainer, raconteur and sometime radio star Charles
Booth is to retire from training at the end of
the month. Booth who has trained for 30 years and is now
58 is selling Gravel Pit Farm at Foston (a snip at
£550,000) and will concentrate instead on the rapidly
growing Foston Stud,
where he has 7 mares in partnership with his sometime
owner John Porteous. Although he has never had a large
string the initial portents were good as he won the
Kestrel Hurdle at Ascot with his first ever runner, Ruddy
Duck. He also trained bargain buy Mademoiselle Chloe
(Harry Rosebery Stakes L, 3rd.Duke Of
York Stakes G3), Jamais Derriere
(Petition Stakes) and recent stable star Saphire
(2nd.Dragon Trophy L, 3rd.Cecil Frail
Stakes L). However the last few years
have been poor and a lack of owners has forced him to
concentrate on the breeding side of his operations. |
| 22/01/2005 |
Mixed fortunes today at Haydock. Things started out
well with Malcolm Jefferson's Roman Ark
taking the opening Imperial Leather Novice's Hurdle Gd2,
whilst in the next Sue Smith's Mister
McGoldrick did well to get second in the Comhoist
Logistics Champion Hurdle Trial Gd2.
Luck started to turn slightly in the next, the
totesport Handicap Hurdle, as Sue Smith's favourite
Patriarch Express was a faller, although stable companion
Royal Emperor came home with a conciliation prize of
second, the next however was the main race the Peter
Marsh Handicap Chase and non of the Yorkshire horses
finished in the first three. |
| 18/01/2005 |
The Annual BHB Awards see a notable treble for
Yorkshire with Mark Johnston's Shamardal
being named Champion Two Year, Tim Easterby's Somnus
(bred at Scampston Hall and
raised at Sledmere) is
joint-Champion Sprinter and the Star Cottage Stud
raised Soviet Star is named Champion Older Female.
Unfortunately Attraction was understandably edged out in
her category by Breeders Cup winner Ouija Board. |
| 15/01/2005 |
A collection of second places in the main jumps races
today for the Yorkshire trainers, the best performance
coming from Brian Ellison's Torrid
Kentavr, runner-up in the £29,000 Lanzarote Handicap
Hurdle at Kempton, with George Moore's Jungle
Jinks filling the same position in the £11,349 Rocom
Handicap Chase at Wetherby also worthy of note. Earlier
on Wetherby's card Peter Beaumont's Flight
Command put up a good performance to land the £10,130
Celery & Stilton Novices' Chase. Things were slightly
different on the all-weather with Kevin Ryan's Quiet
Times winning the main race of the day, the £11,948 Bet
Direct Conditions Stakes, at Lingfield. |
| 03/01/2005 |
It's not long into the New Year before the first big
jumps win come when the reschduled Castleford Chase Gd2
at Wetherby is won by Sue Smith's Mister
McGoldrick in good style. |
| 01/01/2005 |
The new year gets off to a reasonably good start for
the Yorkshire stables with wins at Catterick for Ferdy
Murphy (Has Scored), Mick Easterby (Real
Shady) and Sue Smith (Darab) as well as
victories on Southwell's all-weather track for David
Barron (Old Bailey), Noel Wilson (Air
Mail) and Bryan Smart (Creskeld scoring
in the £13,392 betdirect.co.uk Handicap). Unlike last
year these 'news' pages will only record major wins or
places in major races as well as other important
information, rather than chronicling every single winner
as I did last year. |
